"Start with your mom, look for clues about Sally Jefferson, see if there's any weakness," Julian Johnsons seemed to have a plan.
"Okay."
Isabella Lindsey agreed, then asked about the past, "I heard Uncle talking about my parents going to the North Desert, and they met you there. At that time, did you know their true identities?"
"Actually, I already knew. Even though they used the aliases Alvin Lindsey and Ella Thompson. Because before that, I had gone to Cloud Sea City and found out the details about your family..."
Julian's voice suddenly softened, like a fragrant, crispy bread that nurtures one's soul, and he said gently, "Do you remember that Christmas? In the bustling mall, a little Santa gave you a gift, a crystal music box?"
"...I remember."
In her childhood, Isabella Lindsey had interacted with him only a couple of times.
Once in a small town in the South.
The other time was that special Christmas.
