"Marlin..."
Upon seeing this woman, Joel's expression instantly turned serious. The reason was simple: this was the woman who had handed Ellie over to him back then... He never expected to see her here again.
"Honestly, I never thought you could actually make it here... It seems that maybe this is our destiny, the child's destiny."
Marlin pulled Joel to his feet, lit a cigarette for him, and spoke quietly.
"Maybe I was lucky."
"Well, my luck hasn't been great."
Marlin shook her head.
"I sacrificed many people to get back here... but forget that. Now, all of this is worth it. Thank you for bringing Ellie here."
"And after this? What will happen to Ellie?"
"You don't need to worry about her anymore. We'll take over."
Marlin stared directly at Joel, then glanced at Mary and Ogis, who were standing nearby—perhaps she didn't see any serious threat coming from these girls.
"No, I'm very concerned. What are you going to do to the child? Let me see her..."
"No."
