Dawn broke.
Sunlight streamed through the window. Lara opened her bleary eyes and glanced around, realizing this was not her room—though she quickly remembered.
This was the bedroom in Jon's new home.
After getting up, showering, and freshening up, she let her long hair hang loose, slipped into a spaghetti-strap dress that revealed her long legs, and padded downstairs in slippers. "Jon? Jon, are you here?" Lara called.
When she reached the lower floor, Lara heard some noises. At the kitchen door, she saw Jiang Hao cooking. Leaning against the doorway, she felt a sense of happiness begin to grow inside her. Her mother had died early, and her father had vanished when she was thirteen. Though guardians and housekeepers had always looked after her and she had never lacked food or clothing, she had never found the warmth of a family.
Yet this sight suddenly gave her a cozy feeling of home. That feeling was truly rare.
Jiang Hao turned and smiled at Lara. She smiled back, walked over, and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, pressing herself tightly against his back as she closed her eyes and breathed in his scent.
"Hungry?" Jiang Hao asked.
"Yes."
Breakfast was ready, and the two ate in the dining room. Suddenly, Lara's phone rang. She picked it up. It was Hori. "Lara, I'm not disturbing you, am I?"
"I'm having breakfast," Lara said.
"I have some news for you. There was an earthquake in Greece a couple of days ago, and several exposed clusters of buildings were discovered on the seafloor off Santorini Island. They suspect it may be an ancient sunken island. People have already begun salvaging treasures there. Are you interested?" Hori asked.
This was the task Lara had given Hori: whenever a place suitable for exploration