Queenie's single sentence had managed to shock a hall full of people to their core.Julian strode down the stage and across the hall with a face of surprise as he exclaimed, "Queenie, you're pregnant?!"Queenie hummed yes as she smiled sweetly as if she had fallen in love for the first time. She took out the report and showed Julian. "The baby is yours, it's four weeks old now."Julian stared at the report and thought deeply. "Was it from that night when we were in the car?"Queenie nodded shyly.They looked like a couple who were in their honeymoon phase, as if there were pink hearts and bubbles surrounding the air between them, whilst the lone shadow of the bride on the stage looked desolate.Yeva had invited some media reporters to the wedding just to create some traction. The reporters were uninterested at first. They only came because it was advertised as the 'Wedding of the Century', but were utterly let down upon arriving at a mediocre ceremony. They came all the way just
Yoel laughed and said, "What an epic wedding, the opening was a romance drama, and it escalated into those absurd family television dramas. It finally ended with a comedy… Tsk tsk, what an interesting journey filled with plot twists."He then looked at Sage and said, "What a talented cousin you have there."Sage could not agree more.Yoel looked over at Jace and said, "The amount of chaos and drama in this wedding is almost as good as yours. It's definitely worth coming."Jace glared coldly at him, wishing he could sew Yoel's lips up.Sage looked up and smiled. "Isn't that right? Mister Jace's wedding was so unforgettable, the memories were still fresh in my mind."Jace gulped as if his throat had been shot by a bullet, he looked down without saying anything.Sage did not expect a response from him. She waved goodbye and left the scene along with Leah.Inside the car, Leah seemed to have not calmed down from the chaos earlier, as she was still stunned.Sage looked at her and a
Before Sage and Leah could embrace their grandpa, a Lamborgene pulled up from a short distance away.Luther got out of the car and took off his sunglasses. He was surprised and pleased to see Wayne. "Mister Wayne, it's really you! I heard you were out and about in Salem City, I was about to have someone abduct you."It had been a few years since he last saw Wayne. That old man looked as healthy as ever. The gray strands on his head had increased plenty. The lines on his face deepened, and his smiles were kind and loving, but he looked intimidating without a smile.The corners of Wayne's lips twitched as he glared jokingly at Luther, "You better watch your mouth, young man, or you might get a spank or two from your old man."Wayne took the pipe out of his pocket and gestured a spanking motion.Luther was not afraid of him at all. He walked up to Wayne and chuckled lightly. "Woah, you still have the same pipe you had so many years ago. Let me get you a new one soon.""What do you k
Wayne was about to reply when Luther stopped him, "Alright now, this argument is the equivalent of chicken or egg. There's no right answer."Luther turned around and looked at the expressionless Sage and said, "Sage, what're you waiting for? Invite the old man in."Sage was about to invite Wayne in when he dodged to the side, "No, I'm not going in!"Wayne refused to go inside and squatted by the corner of the wall.Everyone else looked at each other knowingly, they, too, tried to get Wayne to rest inside the Rosa Garden, but he refused to. So everyone stood outside and waited.Luther could not understand Wayne's refusal. He looked over at Sage, whose expression was as still as the dead water, and frowned. He knew Sage was about to lose it."What's up with you, grandpa? Why'd you refuse to go inside?" Luther squatted next to Wayne and asked.Luther pointed at Sage and continued, "This girl here had been thinking about you every day. Now that you're finally back, you should spend
Leah hummed yes in anticipation. She knew Sage was going to cook as soon as she heard the word 'feast'.Hunter earned himself a spot for the feast as well.Sage was likely in a decent mood as she told Hunter, "If you're able to make the old man shower and change into a new set of clean clothing, you won't have to say goodbye to your seasonal bonus.""Roger!" Hunter thought to himself, how hard could it be? It was not the first time he had to shower an old man. He had some tricks up his sleeves when it came to old people.Rosa Garden had everything you could think of. There was a jacuzzi and even a sauna room.Unsure of what sorcery Hunter cast on Wayne, not only did he take a shower, he also went into the jacuzzi and sauna. When Wayne came out of the sauna room, he was spotting a new set of shirt and gray trousers, looking fresh as ever.Wayne also had his pipe in his hand, of course."Grandpa."Leah was setting the table up when Wayne walked toward her. She uttered in the mids
Sage's eyes were locked on Wayne's hands, and a wave of overwhelming emotions rushed over her. She felt like she had traveled back in time to when she was still a kid. She used to sit on her grandpa's lap and fully focus on him while he carved under the dim yellow light. Grandpa would carve all sorts of portraits, sceneries, flowers, ponds, and more on jade stones.During that time, Sage used to think jade-carving was the most interesting thing in the whole world, and her grandpa was the best Jade-Carving Master.The old man's palms were big, with thick layers of calluses, contrasting the tiny and delicate jade in his palms.Sage took the little portrait of her from Wayne's hands, holding it tight in her own palms as the corner of her lips lifted."Thanks, Grandpa."Wayne chuckled lightly and said, "You're finally willing to smile for me."Sage held the jade portrait of hers in her palms as she turned it around and played with it. She hummed mischievously, "You asked for it by ru
Sage brought Wayne upstairs to her parent's room.Even though her parents were not here anymore, Sage kept the room as it was. After she chased Braxton, who was bumming the room out, she renovated the room back to how it used to be.The maids cleaned the room every day, and there was no dust to be found.It was the first time Wayne came to the Rosa Garden and the first time he came into his son and daughter-in-law's room as well. The moment Wayne went inside and saw the altar of their portraits, his eyes reddened. "Come inside, Grandpa."Sage reached her hands out to Wayne and pulled him into the room. She then invited him to sit on the sofa and went to light some candles on the altar. "Dad, mom, grandpa came to visit."Wayne sat on the sofa, and his eyes were glued to the portraits of his eldest son and daughter-in-law. His heart sank to his stomach as he fell into a deep silence.Sawyer and Primrose's room decor was in Victorian-era style, and the furniture was made with m
Wayne asked, "What about now?""I've seen enough now to know," Sage responded.Wayne laughed audibly, "You're just like your father when he was young, smart, capable, with lots of temper.""Huh? Really? I thought dad had a pretty good temper," Sage said genuinely.Braxton and Zane did what they did to Sawyer, and yet he did nothing in return. If it were Sage, she would not have tolerated it."That's because of your mother."Wayne said, "Your father was a capable man, and so was your mother. When they're together, your mother managed to subdue him."Sage listened quietly. She liked hearing stories about her parents.Wayne's version of her parents versus Sage's version of them was different because of their different identities to either person.Wayne mentioned her father and mother leaving the house and starting their own business when Sage asked, "When father ran away from home to Salem City, was that mother's idea?""Yes, but not entirely," Wayne answered.Wayne was reminde