The Sebana Heir

Chapter 31

After school on Tuesday, Ria decided to go see Lynn at the firm. She entered the building after being dropped off by Korene and when she approached the elevator on the ground floor, she saw them working on the left elevator, leaving the ones on the right available. So she took the elevator on the right with a few other people and came up to the top floors. She entered the office and approached Lynn's desk but found that she wasn't there. Ria looked around the office space but found no one familiar enough to look like Lynn. Her eyes came across Mr. Harber's office and she saw him sitting behind his desk. She decided to walk up and knock on his glass door.

Mr. Harber looked up and gestured her to enter his glass-walled office.

"Ria. What can I do for you?" he asked.

"I'm sorry to disturb you Mr. Harber. I was just coming to see Lynn, but looks like she's not in her office," Ria answered when she came in.

"How's the search coming along?"

"Uh......... Not so, well," she said in a small voice. "In fact, that was what I was coming to talk to her about. And to you too." Mr. Harber gave her a puzzled look. "Maybe........ Do you think I should give up searching?"

"Well that's entirely up to you Ria," Mr. Harber stated as she gestured her to take a seat. "But why? Something changed your mind?" Ria shook her head at his question.

"I just.........feel like I'm never gonna find them. It feels as if I'm only searching for ghosts and I don't wanna waste Lynn's time anymore, with it," she answered.

"I see," Mr. Harber began to rub his smooth shaved chin. "So you're  giving up?"

"No, I.......well-" Ria tried to say.

"Ria. I hired Lynn and she's paid to do what I told her to do. So it really isn't wasting her time," he cleared out, "In fact she's more than eager to help you. The question is........what's made you give up so easily? Few months ago you were so eager on finding them and now, you wanna walk away after you've come so close? Now that's really gonna put everything to waste." Ria looked down at the floor as she thought of what Mr. Harber was saying. "Are you gonna give up just because you went knocking on the wrong door? If it doesn't answer, try the next one. Try them all. You'll find the right one eventually. And by that, I mean you'll find your family in time. It'll take time and patience." Then at that moment, Lynn rushed into Mr. Harber's office with some files.

"Mr. Harber I need you to sign a few papers for me-oh, hi Ria," the short brunette greeted when she saw Ria in the room as well. She walked over to the desk and laid out some papers in front of Mr. Harber who looked through and signed at the appropriate places of signature. "Are you here to look into more files?" Ria exchanged a certain look with Mr. Harber before turning back to Lynn.

"Uhh......yeah. I think I'll carry on the search," she stated before walking out of the office and leaving a slight smile on Mr. Harber's face.

••••••

Later that evening, Sophie was in the dinning room with Ria, who was helping her with her homework once again. As they waited for dinner to be served by Sheela, Mr. Harber was busy in his private home office while Mrs. Harber was still in the hospital working late. Ria sat beside Sophie monitoring her work in the exercise book. She then took out an interesting book that Korene had just lent her in school that day. It was a novel based on WW2, about a diary of a young Jewish girl and how she encountered that era with her family.

Ria looked up from her book when they heard Hayne and Brian enter the dinning room from the hall.

Hayne saw Ria sitting at the table with Sophie and tried to give a smile, but then thought it wasn't a good idea especially when her eyes kept ignoring him.