Though Mercer's explanation seemed reasonable, Calla still held onto a glimmer of hope. Maybe it was because she was deceiving herself and unwilling to accept the truth. "Are you telling the truth? Is he really not our son?" Calla asked, staring straight at Casper's face. Mercer's gaze deepened as he caught a glimpse of the sorrow in Calla's eyes. "Back then, I couldn't bear the loss of our son, so I adopted Casper without hesitation. I now believe I made the right decision because I've given all my love to Casper. He has become a part of my life." Calla didn't refute him. Instead, she strongly agreed with him. In just a few days, she had become inseparable from Casper. She could only imagine how attached Mercer must be after all these months of raising him.Confirming that Casper was not her son, Calla inevitably felt a little downcast. She found herself immersed in the grief of losing her son and was unable to move on. A moment later, Mercer's question broke the silence. "No
The next morning, Calla came downstairs carrying the just-awoken Casper. The housekeeper had already cleaned the living room and greeted Calla with a smile. "Ms. Sherman, breakfast is ready.""Okay." Calla nodded and carried Casper into the dining room.As soon as she entered, Calla saw a man in a white shirt sitting at the head of the dining table. He wasn't eating yet but was looking down at a newspaper. This was a habit of his; he enjoyed reading the news in the morning.Mercer didn't look up, and Calla didn't greet him either. She sat down with Casper on a seat to his left."Daddy, Daddy," Casper began to call out as soon as they sat down.Mercer immediately folded the newspaper and put it aside. He looked up, flashing a gentle smile at Casper. "Casper, good morning."Casper babbled unintelligibly.Calla quickly took the bowl of soft-boiled eggs. She scooped a spoonful and brought it to Casper's mouth. "Casper, here. It's time to eat.""No... No..." Casper pushed Calla's
In a moment of desperation, Calla didn't have time to think. She rushed forward and snatched Casper from Mercer's arms. Then, she scolded Mercer, "Why are you yelling so loudly? You're going to scare the child!"Though Mercer looked pissed, he didn't argue with Calla's reproach. He silently watched Casper who looked upset, curled up in Calla's arms. Mercer's face showed a trace of remorse."Casper, it's okay. Don't be afraid. Let me take you outside to get some sun, alright?" Calla gently stroked Casper's head.Although unable to speak, Casper understood Calla and pointed his chubby finger at the door.Then, Calla carried Casper outside and walked around the small garden. She played with him and kept him entertained.Soon, not only did Casper calm down, but he also occasionally burst into laughter. The frightened Casper from earlier had completely gone.Yet, while Casper was happy, Calla found herself unable to leave. Casper's little hands were tightly wrapped around Calla's neck
"Work is important, but you need to take care of your health too. Why don't you come over to my place for dinner tonight? Jasmine is a great cook, and I've recently learned a couple of new dishes," Sophie warmly invited."Maybe another time. I have a business dinner tonight," Mercer replied coldly."Mercer—" Sophie was about to say more when Mercer interrupted her. "I have to go. Bye." With that, he hung up without a second thought.Mercer impatiently glanced at the bustling traffic outside the car window. "Drive faster!"In the front seat, Simon responded, "Mr. Garland, it's Friday, and it's rush hour. There are too many cars on the road; we can't go any faster."Hearing this, Mercer frowned.At that moment, he had a strong urge to sprout wings and fly straight to the suburban villa. Was it because he missed Casper? Or perhaps he wanted to see her, the one taking care of Casper? He couldn't quite sort out his feelings.Half an hour later, the Bentley pulled up in front of the
"Calla, you're an idiot. You can go to the orphanage and investigate it yourself. There's a set of formal procedures that must be followed when adopting orphans," Alicia said."That's right, but I don't know which orphanage Mercer adopted Casper from." Calla expressed her distress.Alicia thought for a moment, then asked, "Do you think Hazel, Casper's nanny, might know?"After contemplating, Calla said, "I heard she's been taking care of Casper since the beginning. I'll go there one day and try to get some information from her. Honestly, I miss Casper a lot." "Oh Calla, you're done for. Mercer used to have you head over heels, and now his son has you pining for him day and night. If they team up, you won't stand a chance," Alicia teased."You're always making fun of me about this. I'd like to see what kind of person will come and sweep you off your feet someday." Calla rolled her eyes at Alicia."He probably hasn't been born yet!" Alicia laughed heartily.A moment later, Calla
"You..." Calla's words nearly drove Sophie mad. She raised her hand, ready to strike."I advise you not to make a scene here. There are cameras everywhere, and our altercation has been recorded in full. I'm working for one of the best lawyers in Riverford. I don't mind taking this to court!" Calla warned, pointing to the camera above her.Calla's words reminded Sophie of her surroundings. She lowered her hand and smirked. Her face twisted into a malicious grin. "Oh right! How could I forget? You've latched onto Pierre, haven't you? I'll have you know that Pierre and Mercer are first cousins."Do you think Mercer is unaware of your little fling with Pierre? Mercer will not play this game of sharing the same woman with his cousin. You should give up on that idea!"The mention of sharing the same woman made Calla's hair stand on end. When Mercer used that phrase, she had a huge reaction. She couldn't believe Sophie had repeated the same phrase now—and it was the last straw."Get
"Ms. Sherman?"Calla knew her visit was somewhat abrupt, considering she had no direct relationship with Casper."Hazel, I was in the neighborhood for some errands today, so I thought I'd drop by to see Casper. I’ve been missing him." Calla plastered a smile onto her face, for she was truly not good at lying."Please come in. Casper is sleeping right now." Hazel led Calla inside, gesturing for her to keep quiet.Calla tiptoed into the living room. Seeing the cute little one asleep in his crib, she couldn’t help but walk over. Casper lay under a blue blanket with cartoon prints, sleeping soundly. There was a bit of drool at the corner of his mouth, and his chubby little hands were raised above his head. He looked both silly and adorable.Calla took a tissue and gently wiped away the drool from Casper’s mouth. Her eyes were filled with deep affection."Ms. Sherman, have a glass of water." Hazel placed a glass of water on the coffee table."Thank you." Calla turned and sat on the
In the evening, Calla was resting on her bed. She leaned against the headboard, pondering how she could find out which orphanage Casper was adopted from. Her train of thought was abruptly interrupted by a sudden phone call. She glanced at the screen and saw it was Alicia calling, so she quickly answered."Hello?""Calla, I've had the worst luck today! What rotten luck!" Alicia's voice came through, immediately venting."Who upset you this time?" Calla didn't take it too seriously, as Alicia often complained like this."Who else? The third wheel between you and the scrooge!" Alicia was still fuming."Did Sophie give you a hard time?" Calla asked, suddenly tense.Alicia angrily replied, "I was late by half an hour when I went back to work this afternoon. She caught me red-handed. Not only did my bonus for this month go down the drain, but I'm also being tasked with writing a self-review report!""Did she call Atlas Enterprises to report you?" Calla hadn't expected Sophie to be s