Sebastian texted, [I hope you’ll like her.]Rosalie texted, [Whether I like her or not isn’t important. What’s important is that you do.][Yes, I do. She might not be good enough in other people’s eyes, but in my opinion, she’s different and better than anyone else,] he replied.Rosalie felt warmth seep into her heart.Sebastian was such a great man! Any woman who married him would be blessed. She even started to feel envious of the woman he liked.However, it stopped at just simply envy. She genuinely felt happy for Sebastian as well as the lady he fancied.As fatigue finally set in, Rosalie yawned. After chatting with Sebastian, she felt a lot more relaxed.[Seb, turn in early so you’ll be at your best tomorrow.][Yes, you too. You and your baby need a good rest. Help me say hello to your baby.][Sure. Goodnight.][Goodnight.]Rosalie gently caressed her belly. “Baby, do you feel that? Uncle Sebastian cares about you very much.”She was about to put her phone down when sh
Wesley asked solemnly, “Why did you suddenly ask me where she is? Are you unable to find her? What happened to her?”Rosalie had never texted Wesley about Sydney. This was her first time, and it was clearly an unusual occurrence.Wesley knew that something was wrong.Fearing she might worry him, Rosalie immediately said, “No, I’m just asking casually. I don’t mean anything else.”“Then why are you asking me? Why don’t you just call her directly?”“I tried that, but she didn’t answer my call.”“Is that so?”Wesley immediately hung up without a word. Rosalie was puzzled. After two minutes, he called her back.She answered the call. “Hey, Dad.”“Where are you right now?” Wesley asked.“I’m in my apartment. What’s going on?”“I called your mom but she didn’t answer me, either. I called her office, and her assistant said she’s not in the office today.”“What’s going on?” Rosalie was worried. “Where could Mom have gone?”“How would I know?” Wesley said anxiously. “Go to her plac
Sydney answered the call, yelling irritably, “Wesley Spencer, you’re beyond annoying! Can’t you take a hint when I refuse to pick up your calls? Quit harassing me and scram!”With that, she hung up and smashed her phone against the wall.Rosalie took a few steps back in fright. She had never seen Sydney blow her top like this, and didn’t understand what was going on. She had a feeling that it had to do with her, somehow.Despite her fear, Rosalie didn't leave. Instead, she stood from a distance and looked on silently.The phone was on the floor, the screen cracked. The chairs in the room laid haphazardly around the room, and there were glass shards from the wine bottles all over the floor.Sydney was already acting up before Rosalie arrived.Sydney clutched her hair in frustration, and flopped weakly onto the bed. She grabbed the covers, and yanked them over her head.Rosalie pulled out her phone and placed it on the table. She then rolled up her sleeves, and started clearing th
After hearing Rosalie out, Sydney fell silent.Her first thought was that Theodore was in trouble.As it turned out, Rosalie stayed up the entire night reading through the documents to identify the problem with Regent Co. not for his sake at all. Quite the opposite—she did it for Sebastian.Sydney suddenly laughed, the sound laced with helplessness and irony.Theodore wasn’t the only one who misunderstood the situation. She did, too. She really thought that Rosalie did it for her son, but she never expected…Rosalie clearly had her priorities in place, more so than Sydney did in her younger days. The girl might look weak and vulnerable, but she had a clear mind and knew exactly what she needed to do.Meanwhile, Rosalie didn’t understand why Sydney was laughing. “Mom? What’s the matter?” “Nothing,” Sydney said, looking at Rosalie. “So Geoffrey Carter threatened you with his son, and you accepted it because you care about his son very soon?”“Seb’s a good friend of mine,” Rosali
“I saw her. She was in a bad mood,” Rosalie said.“I know she’s in a bad mood,” Wesley said darkly. “Do you know why?”“I don’t.”Rosalie realized that even when Sydney scolded Wesley and told him to scram, he never complained. He had probably gotten used to it.He then asked, “Did you ask her about it?”“I did, but she didn’t want to tell me.”Wesley sighed. “It’s all my fault. If what happened in the past didn’t happen, she’d probably be a lot happier now.”“Dad, sometimes, when the other party doesn’t want to be bothered, you shouldn’t bother her. That would make her much happier,” Rosalie said calmly, though her tone carried a hint of sarcasm.These men were bent on doing whatever they pleased, and hurt those who cared about them without regard for anyone. When they eventually realized their mistakes, they turned around and acted all affectionate and devoted.How could a single word of apology make up for the terrible hurt they had caused?Wesley fell silent. After a whil
On the other end, Theodore realized that Rosalie had rejected his call.Anger rose up in his chest as he called her again. However, an electronic voice replied to him. “The number you’ve dialed is unavailable at the moment. Please try again later.”She was probably still busy.Theodore put his phone aside, and waited patiently. After around ten minutes, he picked his phone up and called her again.“Sorry, the number you’ve dialed is unavailable at the moment…”He heard the same electronic voice again.His face tensed up, and a bad feeling washing over him. He clicked open his WhatsApp, and typed Rosalie a text. [Rose, you can tell me whatever’s on your mind. Don’t keep it to yourself. I’ll help you solve whatever problem you have. We’re family.]He re-read his text over and over again before finally sending it. However, he soon saw a red question mark right next to the text.His mind buzzed, as if something had hit his head, registering the sudden shock. He looked stunned.
Theodore shut his eyes, and tried to control the fire burning in his heart.“Stop laughing,” he hissed.His chest was almost bursting with anger.Sydney coughed dryly, and said, “Fine, I’ll stop laughing. I have no idea why Rose blocked you. Why don’t I bring her along to our next meeting? I did ask Rose to come with me when I meet you. That’s a good chance for you to ask her.”“In that case…” Theodore said, “let’s meet tonight. Ask Rose along, too.”“I’ll call her later and ask if she’s free,” Sydney promised. “She is free,” Theodore said. “She doesn’t need to work now, and she has lots of time on her hands. If she says she’s not free, it must be an excuse. Don’t let her have her way.”The arrogance in Theodore’s voice made Sydney furrow her brows.“No wonder she blocked you.”“What?” Theodore furrowed his brows as well. “Do you know why she did it?”Sydney sighed. “Son, it’s because sometimes…you’re annoying.”Theodore was stunned.It was the first time in his entire lif
"You want me to be more proactive? Are you saying I should keep her here to prevent her from going elsewhere?""Isn't it better to keep her here? She's been staying with the Spencers for so many years. There’s no reason for her to go so far away," Theodore said. When Rosalie went to college, he didn't let her go somewhere far away. He admitted that he was a bit selfish for not wanting her to be too far from him, like a helicopter parent who wanted to keep his children close.But if she really wanted to go to another place for college, he wouldn't have stopped her. Fortunately, she listened to him and stayed in Ashwick City for college.Sydney raised her eyebrow, her eyes glinting slyly. "I think I heard Rose mention that she wants to travel.""Where does she want to go?" Theodore frowned, looking a bit uneasy."I don't know. She just mentioned it casually, and I didn't ask for details. It's normal for her to want to travel. There’s not much to ask.""Well, you should have at le
Theodore wrapped all of them up in his long arms.Under the golden sunshine, the family of four was wrapped up in each other's embraces. Sunlight shone on them, encasing them in a warm, golden glow. Everything felt calm and peaceful. The children snuggled in their parents' arms, innocent smiles lighting up their faces. They could feel the warmth of the sunshine as they found the safest and warmest haven in the entire world in their arms.In the evening sun and gentle breeze, they finally found happiness in each other's embrace.-In the deep of the night, Rosalie had a dream.Both Justin and Grandma came to her in her dream.Grandma and Justin were playing cards, surrounded by beautiful birds and flowers. They seemed to be in heaven, having the time of their lives with a look of tender love in their eyes.Grandma was very happy that she had reconciled with Theodore.Justin told Rosalie, "Rose, I'm so happy to see you happy.""Justin, do you hate me?""Silly girl, why would
Theodore made Rosalie feel like love was possible once more, and gradually opened her up.Love was ever-changing with time and the experiences they went through.Rosalie missed Justin dearly, but she also learned to treasure the people around her and every present moment of happiness. She learned how to accept the past and treasure the present amidst all her relationships.Justin would be her one and only in her heart, but Theodore also found his place in her heart amidst the unique position Justin was in.This was how their affections and love for each other grew and changed with time.Justin was dead, and Rosalie couldn't keep living in the past. She would carefully preserve her love for Justin in a corner of her heart.She would spend the rest of her life loving Theodore and their children."Chelsea," Rosalie said as she pulled Chelsea over. "Your daddy loves you very much, but he didn't get to see you come into this world. But you must remember his name. He is Justin Lynch."
Theodore and Rosalie brought both children to Justin's tomb.Before they left, Rosalie said that she and Chelsea wanted to spend some time alone with Justin.Theodore brought Jake to the car to wait for them.Golden sunlight shone on the land, feeling warm and toasty and giving the earth a beautiful glow.Rosalie caressed the tombstone. "Justin, I'm sorry for not coming to visit for such a long time."The last time she came back was a few months ago, during which she snuck a peak at his tombstone.Rosalie pulled out a bone fragment. "That's because you're always by my side, which is why I think that I can bring you everywhere I go. You're not just here at this tombstone."Justin, Theo and I have reconciled. He did so much for me, even sacrificing his own life for me. I can't just stand idly by and do nothing about it. I can't bring myself to reject him ruthlessly again and again."You can say that I'm moved, or that I fell in love with him once more. He's just too good, and I c
Jake had so much fun today and was exhausted by the time he reached home. After his shower, he crawled into bed and fell right asleep without any coaxing whatsoever. Jake would sometimes sleep in the bedroom with Chelsea, and sometimes they slept separately.At night, when Rosalie went to Chelsea's room to tuck her in and tell her a bedtime story, she asked, "Chelsea, how was your day with Theodore?""Hmm, it was alright," Chelsea said. "But Mr. Spencer was so silly, he burnt the food. I only got to eat lunch very late.""Is that so?" Rosalie burst out laughing. "How silly of him indeed.""But Mr. Spencer is quite nice," Chelsea said. "I like him. He said that I can call him Daddy."Rosalie's eyes lit up. "Do you want to call him that?""I do," Chelsea said with a nod, "but I'll do that tomorrow."Chelsea yawned. She felt tired, too.Rosalie caressed her cheek. "Goodnight, my darling. Go to sleep."-Rosalie returned to her room, took a shower, and laid on the bed. Theodo
Their parent-child bonding efforts officially began the next day.Rosalie brought Jake to the theme park. In the beginning, Jake felt rather stiff and reserved. It was his first time alone with his mom, after all.As time went by, Rosalie's earnestness, concern, and gentle patience with him slowly opened him up.They sat on the carousel, drove the bumper cars, rode on the Viking ship, zoomed down slides, bounced on the trampolines, and sailed on mini-boats. They had a whale of a time.Jake was covered with sweat, but he was so happy, he didn't want the day to end.He had grown closer to his mom, so much so that he would jump into her arms, hugging her and asking for kisses.Rosalie did not hold back from expressing her love for him and even carried him on her back as they continued exploring the park.Jake was very obedient and came down very soon, for fear that Rosalie might get tired. They moved on to the next attraction hand-in-hand.Rosalie found out one thing from Jake, wh
Some time later, Rosalie realized that Jake was being rather sullen.Each time she asked him whether something was wrong, he would brush her away, claiming that he was fine before running off.It was a Saturday, and Rosalie didn't need to go to work. She was seated on the couch with a book when Chelsea ran over, her braids swaying behind her. "Mommy, can you give me a hug?"How could Rosalie say no to her adorable little daughter? She shut the book and said, "But of course. Come on over."Rosalie opened her arms, very willing to show Chelsea affection.Chelsea crawled up onto the couch happily, sitting on Rosalie's lap and diving into her embrace.Jake happened to see it all.Rosalie noticed Jake standing a short distance away and was about to say something to him when he ran off.The smile on Rosalie's face faded as a look of worry took over.At night, Rosalie put Chelsea under Theodore's care and went to Jake, wanting to speak to him alone."Jake, what's with you recently
A gentle breeze lifted the curtains slightly in the deep of the night.Rosalie laid in Theodore's embrace, panting slightly. Her cheek leaned against his chest, feeling his heart pounding heavily, and her cheeks flushed.She never expected this day to come between her and Theodore, yet everything happened in a flash. He went to bed with her just like that, bewitched and completely infatuated with her.Although they were once husband and wife and had been intimate countless times, this felt different from the last. Things felt more intense this time around."Rose, are you happy?"Although Theodore's liver had been doing well over the last three months of recuperation, he was still worried that his fitness level might be affected before his liver was fully recovered.Rosalie gave him a slight smile. "Of course, I am. You almost crushed me."Her face flushed the moment she spoke those words. She hugged Theodore tight, feeling safe and secure.She could sense that he was telling th
"Theo, have you had a woman over the past five years?" Rosalie asked very frankly.They weren't naive young men and women but mature adults with experience in this matter.Theodore was a red-blooded young man who had his needs. Suppressing his desires, which were absolutely normal, would only jeopardize his health.Theodore was getting angry. "Am I someone like that to you, going to bed with a woman I don't love just to satisfy my physical needs?""Aren't men all like that?" Rosalie said. She didn't mean it in a scornful way but simply highlighted it as a typical observation.Lonely men and women in the city were bound to seek companionship in some places and part ways after the night.Someone as powerful and influential as Theodore wouldn't even need to go searching for someone else. Women flocked toward him like bees to honey."Why can't I be an exception?" He was in no state whatsoever to find another woman over the past five years and would always deal with his sexual desire
Time flew by, and three months later, Rosalie was fully recovered and back at work.Her colleagues welcomed her back with a bash.Everything seemed to have returned to normal.To keep Jake company, Rosalie would go back to Theodore's house every day after work. She was practically living there.Rosalie and Jake's relationship had improved over time, and they were looking more and more like they were truly mother and son.Everything was going well.At night, the four of them sat around the dining table and chatted happily with each other.After dinner, Rosalie and Theodore sat in the living room chatting. She suddenly noticed a book on the table. It looked so familiar that it caught her eye.It was the book she had written. Over the past five years, not only was she busy learning and working, but she also managed to write the book she had conceptualized and even gotten it published. However, this book was only available in Briusian and not exported to Blencalgo.Rosalie's book