Katelyn accepted the bottle, nodding as she uncapped it.

“Yeah, much better.”

The tension that had weighed on her seemed to melt away.

What Jeff had said about her parents—that was something she would dig into further. As for the matter of avenging Lise, she wasn’t going to let it slip away. Even if she couldn’t bring herself to end the murderer’s life, she would ensure they rotted behind bars. Justice had to be served, no matter how it came.

With that thought settled in her mind, everything else felt right. Vincent nodded, understanding.

“That’s good. Just up ahead, there’s a park. There’s an event today.”

Katelyn raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. How did he know that? She knew the park—it was a nature reserve on the outskirts, not the kind of place people usually visited unless something special was happening.

“Really?” she asked, her voice full of genuine intrigue. Vincent simply nodded, his smile unwavering.

Katelyn capped the bottle and slid it into the door compartment before starting the car again, this time at a slower pace. In a lighter mood now, she found the scenery passing by more pleasant than before.

Vincent, sensing her mood shift, allowed a small smile to play at the corners of his mouth. He reached over and switched on the radio, filling the car with soothing melodies that seemed to lift her spirits even more.

It wasn’t long before they arrived at the park. The once-quiet road was now teeming with cars, and the usual stillness had given way to a bustle of activity. Most of the cars had come from another direction, explaining why Katelyn hadn’t seen much traffic on her earlier drive.

As they moved further down, the crowd thickened, and Katelyn glanced at Vincent.

“Looks like we’ll have to park and walk in,” she said, noting how slowly the cars were moving as they went in further. Vincent nodded in agreement.

Katelyn parked the car along the side of the road, and together they started the walk to the event.

When they arrived, Katelyn saw that the event Vincent had mentioned was a themed market. Vendors were lined up, selling everything from trinkets to snacks. Since it was the weekend, plenty of parents had brought their kids out to play. Families were out in full force, children running around, and couples strolling hand in hand.

It was a peaceful scene—one Katelyn rarely experienced. She was always buried under responsibilities, too busy to enjoy such simple pleasures.

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As they walked, a little girl appeared in front of them, holding a bouquet. Her voice was sweet and innocent as she looked at Vincent.

“Sir, why don’t you buy a bouquet for the pretty lady? She’s as beautiful as the flowers, and it would make her so happy.”

Katelyn blinked, momentarily taken aback. She’d heard of such sales tactics, but this was the first time she’d experienced it firsthand. She couldn’t help but laugh softly and shake her head.

“I appreciate it, but flowers aren’t really my thing.”

The girl was about to try again when suddenly, a man’s voice cut through the air, interrupting her pitch.

“I’ll buy the flowers,” Vincent said, pulling out his wallet.

“I’ll take them all. How much?”

Katelyn quickly tugged at his sleeve, leaning closer to whisper, “This is just a tactic to lure people into buying. It’s not worth it.” She gestured toward the park entrance.

“See over there? There’s a whole group of kids selling flowers the exact same way.”

Vincent followed her gaze and spotted five children doing the same thing. One boy was even telling a couple, “You don’t even buy your girlfriend a flower. Seems like you don’t love her that much.” Katelyn frowned. It was just emotional blackmail.

But Vincent only smiled faintly and said, “It’s just a little money. No harm done.”

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