Slowly, Kara lowered her head. She couldn't look her son straight in the eye. "Mommy was also surprised when Mommy met him at the office, Louis." “But Mommy said that our Daddy had died. Why did Mommy lie? Is it because Mommy didn't have the heart to tell us that our Daddy was a bad person?" Kara got tightness in her chest. She took a breath, but her lungs only got hotter. She was really confused about how to explain. “Actually ...,” she swallowed hard and looked out the window, “our meeting was accidental. At that time, we didn't know each other, let alone love each other. When he left, we didn't even know each other's names.” "You two didn’t get to know each other yet?" Louis sighed with round eyes. Kara took a deep breath then returned her gaze to her son. “Yes, Mommy only found out his name on the first day at Savior. But ... he didn't remember Mommy.” Louis' eyebrows immediately dropped. “How could he forget? Isn't he our Daddy? He should remember that he planted us in Momm
“Are they asleep yet?” Frank muttered from the door. His eyes looked teary as they wandered through the sky-colored room. Tonight, he should be sitting there—near the twins—reading a fairy tale or a technology article, instead of lamenting. With languid steps, he turned to the next room. When his gaze fell on the fluffy blanket that Emily usually hugged, the pressure in his chest was no longer unbearable. His breath began to rumble and his hands clenched into tight fists. ‘If only Isabel hadn't messed up, the kids would still be laughing with me. Now, they won't even look at me.’ With his eyes closed, Frank tried to calm the turmoil in his heart. At that moment, the phone in his pocket rang. Seeing his assistant's name on the screen, he answered silently. “Report, Sir. I've taken care of everything. The news will be published tomorrow, exactly at seven in the morning.” That's the time people go to work. They would listen to the radio in the car, browse social media on the commut
Wela raised both hands to shoulder level and then closed her eyes. “Think about what we wanted most when we were little.” After a few moments, she opened her eyes again. “We just want to have fun with the people we care about, right?” Kara and Frank glanced at each other again. Their movements made Wela excited. “Come on, Frankie. What are you waiting for? Break up with your fiancée then propose to Kara. After you two get married, I guarantee that Emily won't experience psychogenic fever again. It's time for you to be with your children." Kara's eyeballs almost popped out. “W-what do you mean, Doctor? I really don't understand.” While Frank gaped speechlessly, Wela touched Kara's shoulder. “I am a doctor and also Frank's friend. Of course I could recognize his children at a glance. Especially Louis, he is one hundred percent like little Frankie.” “You know about the commotion yesterday? Which servant told you?” Frank inquired, glancing sharply. Wela shook her head carelessly. “
"How about you? Do you like that guy?” Susan looked at Louis seriously. “I can't decide yet. He haven't achieved all my points." Susan's eyes suddenly narrowed. “What points?” “I can only judge him if he has fulfilled three points. First, he has to break up with his girlfriend. Second, he has to prove that he and Mommy love each other. Third, he has to prove that his treatment of me and Emily is sincere." Susan blinked in amazement. Her grandson was indeed full of surprises. “Then let's wait until those points are tested.” Louis puffed out his cheeks then nodded. He understood that the problem could not be resolved quickly. However, his furrowed brows still lingered. “Grandma, may I ask again?” Susan, who was just about to put down the comb, suddenly stopped her movements. "Yes?" “Does Grandma know Finnic?” The shattering of glass rang in Susan's ears. Whether it was a fragment of heart or memory, she wasn't sure. It was the name she hated the most without Kara knowing. “Why
“How does it feel to be rejected by your own daughter? Does it hurt?” Susan's voice was soft. However, her words stuck straight into Frank's inner wounds. "So much, but I know what I feel is not comparable to what they have felt all this time. I know,” Frank nodded with a twitching chin. Seeing how pathetic the CEO looked, Susan smiled wryly. Without a word, she stepped in and sat in one of the chairs near the table. “It's good that you know. The suffering they experience will never be comparable to your suffering. How could it be?" Susan looked up, scanning the luxurious interior of the room. “You live in such a nice place, while we have to rent a shabby apartment. Only here Louis and Emily can have their own room, thanks to your generosity.” Smiling sadly, Susan shifted her gaze towards the shelves filled with displays. “They don't even have nice toys like other kids. So far, they have only played with cheap goods and books. Only here they can enjoy the little luxuries.” After
Isabela blinked. "Why? Doesn't everyone make mistakes? God alone wants to forgive His people. Come on, Puppy. What I said was not serious. I just got carried away by emotions. Besides, at that time, I didn't know that you were Frank's children.” Louis pursed his lips. "No! I'm not God.” “But we will soon be a family. If I married Frank, you would be my children too. We can make peace now and have fun later,” Isabel persuaded in a cheerful tone. “If Frank doesn't marry Mommy, that means he's not our Daddy. So, we are not a family.” The rejection was so firm. Her patience was greatly eroded. "Why are you so sentimental towards me? I'm actually a good person. If you search my name on the internet, I'm sure you'll change your mind. I am a famous model. Many people like me.” Louis blinked as if he didn't care. “Good people never say harsh words or bad things about other people. There's no point in being famous if your character is evil." A faint sigh escaped Isabela's mouth. After pr
Isabela's expression turned serious. The longer the explanation she heard, the stiffer she became. Occasionally her eyes moved to glance at the CEO. When she put the phone down, her face was ashen. “What's wrong, Isabel? Did something bad happen?” Frank asked, feigning concern. Instead of answering, Isabela trembled. Her feet subconsciously moved backwards. Her eyes moved here and there looking for a way to escape. Kara could smell her fear. Stepping forward, she touched Isabela's shoulder. “Miss Hall, are you okay?” Isabela unexpectedly screamed and slapped Kara's hand away. Then, with ragged breaths, she ran down the stairs. Kara and Louis furrowed their eyebrows, wondering. “What's wrong with her? Did she just get a call from a ghost?” Louis muttered as he monitored the direction Isabela was running. Meanwhile, Frank let out a smile. Kara understood the meaning of that expression. “What are you doing, Frank?” The man raised his eyebrows innocently. "What? I do not do anythin
Rowan snorted. He didn't care about the last two sentences. "You wait here," he said in a low but firm tone. The guards nodded. As they were lined up at the side of the stairs, the old man walked upstairs with his assistant. After a few moments, Rowan slammed the door. Inside, Frank was leaning against the table. His expression was flat with his hands tucked into his trouser pockets. Obviously, he already knew about his grandfather's presence and was ready to welcome him. "Good afternoon, Grandpa." Rowan swung her hand to Frank. In a blink of an eye, Frank's head spun to match the blow. Reddish color appeared on his cheek. “Where's your brain, Frank? Are you planning to destroy your own future? Do you want Savior to be destroyed?” Rowan's voice boomed. His shoulders were shaking. However, instead of bowing, Frank let out a smile. “The news came out because of Isabela's actions. Why do you blame me?" He raised an eyebrow, seeming unperturbed by the slap. “Stop playing dumb! Yo
Philip rushed in and grabbed Barbara's hand. Before he could say anything, Barbara was pushing again. After Briony came out, Barbara breathed a sigh of relief. “Philip .... Our child has been born.”Even though his head was nodding, Philip blinked in confusion. His mouth was agape, not knowing how to respond. "Yes ...," he sighed after a few moments. Briony's cries helped him regain his senses. "Wow," Philip blinked. He bent down, stroking his wife's hair with mixed feelings. "You're so great, Babe. You can give birth that fast." Barbara smiled proudly. "Our efforts weren't in vain, Phil. I was actually scared earlier. Briony's urge was very strong. But Louis and Emily forbade me to push. I tried to hold it in until finally, I gave in." Philip sighed in amazement and disbelief. Still looking stiff, he kissed Barbara's temple. "You're amazing, Babe. I'm glad you didn't encounter any major difficulties." Philip wiped the tears from her face. "I'm happy too. But where were you? I to
"Louis, Auntie is about to give birth!" Emily rose with a high arch of her eyebrows. "You’re right! We have to take her to the hospital!" Wasting no time, Louis grabbed Barbara's hand, pulling her to turn around. "Come on, Auntie. Let's go back to the car." However, Barbara shook her head. Her face was pale, her body tense. Her feet seemed to be glued to the earth. "What's wrong, Auntie?" "Call Philip," she muttered softly. "What?" "Call Philip!" The twins flinched. After one nod, they ran towards Philip. "Uncle Philip! Uncle Philip!" "Hey, where are you guys going?" Barbara exclaimed again. The twins braked. When they looked back, Barbara was waving. "Why did you leave me here alone?" Her voice was shrill. "You told us to call Uncle Philip!" Louis shook his head, not understanding. "Yeah, but don't leave me here." While limping, she inched closer to Louis and Emily. "One person calls him. One more person, hold me!" The twins blinked. Not because they didn't understand, b
"Hello, Orion," Emily whispered as the tiny baby in the box opened his eyes. Her hand reached out, trying to reach his chubby cheek. From the other side of the box, Louis also looked inside. "Hello, Oscar." "Louis?" Emily scolded with round eyes. "Why do you call him Oscar? This is our first meeting with him. Don't make a bad impression." Louis pursed his lips. "Okay, sorry. I'm used to it. Let me repeat." After clearing his throat, he looked down again. "Hello, Orion. It's me, Louis. I'm your cousin." Emily smiled slightly and nodded. "That's just right." After giving Louis thumbs up, she waved her hand downwards. "And I'm Emily. Nice to meet you, Orion." For a few moments, the two toddlers were busy observing Orion. Philip and Barbara were amused by their comments. "It turns out that Uncle Philip was right. Orion looks like both of his parents. His eyes are like Auntie's, while his nose and mouth are like Uncle's." "His chin also looks like Uncle’s, but his hair looks like
A nurse tried to calm Ava. However, the woman still shook her head, rejecting all the words directed at her. She was very weak. The pain seemed to knock out all the bones in her body. Her brain could no longer function normally. "No. I have no strength anymore. I can't continue." After taking a heavy breath, Jeremy bowed. The nurse had shifted. Jeremy had more freedom to stroke Ava's hair which was wet with sweat and her face which was flooded with tears. "Ava, can you hear me? Ava?" Their gazes finally met. Jeremy could see the desperation in those brown eyes. "I can't take it anymore, Jeremy. I can't. Let the doctor take it out. I can't take it anymore." Jeremy's chest felt like it had been torn apart. He almost choked with pain. Stroking Ava's shoulder, he shook his head. "No, I know you. You're not someone who never gives up, Ava. You can do it." "But I don't have the energy anymore, Jeremy." "There is. There definitely is." Jeremy grabbed Ava's shaking fingers. "This is f
"Look at this, Brandon." Louis placed a stack of photo paper on the table. Then, he showed them one by one to his friend. "This is a picture of Russell crying. This is a picture of him laughing. And this is a picture of Russell being angry." "Can babies get angry? Isn't he still too young to understand anything?" Brandon shook his head faintly. Louis shrugged. "I don't know about that. But when Russell sees something he doesn't like, his hands keep flapping and his mouth makes sounds ...." Louis imitated a baby's moan which made the librarian glance. "Russell also has sharp eyes, Brandon. If he feels annoyed by us, he will glare while furrowing his eyebrows." Emily touched the base of her eyebrows, checking to see if they were the same shape as Russell's eyebrows in the picture. Brandon smiled at Emily's expression. "I think he must be really cute when he's angry." "Yes!" Emily nodded quickly. "He's always cute, all the time. Louis, show him a picture of Russell in the shower."
"Oh, look at Russell, Louis. Isn't he very handsome? He's clean and smells good." Emily put her nose closer to Russell's face. When she managed to kiss that very soft cheek, she giggled holding back her laughter. She didn't want to disturb Kara who was sleeping in Frank's arms. "Yes, he is very handsome. He looks like me. Isn't that right, Grandma?" Louis raised his gaze towards the woman holding Russell. Susan smiled amusedly. "Yes, he looks like you. Only his nose is a little sharper." Louis' lips immediately pursed. His forefinger pointed at his own nose. "How sharp do you want Russell's nose to be? My nose is already very sharp." Susan chuckled at Louis' answer. "I’m just joking, Louis. It doesn't matter whose nose is sharper. What's important is that you're both healthy." Louis nodded in agreement. His hands then rose to touch the baby's feet. "Grandma, is Russell heavy?" Susan raised her eyebrows. "Do you want to carry him?" Louis glanced at Emily. "How about you try fir
"Hello, Good Boy," Kara held Russell carefully, as if the little creature was a very fragile pearl. Tears could not stop running down her face. After kissing the baby who was covered in a towel, Kara whispered again, "This is Mommy, Russell. I'm happy that I can finally hug you like this." While biting his lips, Frank also bowed. He stroked the tiny back then kissed his head. "And this is Daddy, Russell. Daddy is also happy that you are finally here." Still with a wide smile and red eyes, Frank looked at Kara gently. Before the pool of emotion dripped again, he quickly kissed her forehead. Kara closed her eyes accepting the warmth. "Thank you for giving birth to our son, Queen Bee," Frank whispered hoarsely. Kara smiled wider and nodded faintly. "Thank you for accompanying me here." "That's what I should have done a long time ago." Frank stroked her cheek before kissing her again. "Daddy, we want to see Russell too! Can we come closer?" Emily asked, jumping a little on the chai
Kara was sitting on the bed. Her head rested on the broad shoulder next to her. Closing her eyes, she tried to catch her breath."Is there any news from the Twins?" she asked quietly. Frank shook his head. His hands kept to massage Kara's fingers. "You don't need to worry about them, Queen Bee. They are independent and intelligent children. They will understand that you have to give birth soon. Let's celebrate their birthday after Russell is born, hmm?" After a short nod, Kara turned her head further. "Are you crying?" Frank's eyebrows pulled together. Moving his head away so that it would be easier to see her, he shook his head. "Why do you think I'm crying?" "Your voice is shaky, Frank." Pursing his lips, Frank took a deep breath. "I'm not crying." "Then why are your eyes red and watery?" Frank blinked firmly. "I'm not crying," he repeated with more emphasis. Still out of breath, Kara let out a laugh. Her head tilted slightly, waiting for his tears to fall. "Are you sure?"
"Hello, Brandon. Welcome to our event," Louis shook his classmate's hand. "Hello, Louis. Happy birthday. I hope you live a long and healthy life," the blonde boy said, occasionally glancing at Emily. "Thank you, Brandon. Did you come alone?" Brandon nodded. "Yes, my parents had to attend another event. So, only the driver took me here." After one blink, Brandon offered his hand to Emily. "Happy birthday too, Emily. You're so beautiful tonight." Emily shook Brandon's hand with a sweet smile. "Thanks, Brandon. You also look cool tonight. The jacket suits you." Brandon blushed. His lips twitched to suppress the excitement in his chest. "Thank you, Emily. I deliberately asked my mother to look for the best outfit. I want to look cool at this event." "Your mom has a good sense of fashion," Emily nodded before glancing to the side. "Louis, I think you should try a regular tie like Brandon. You're five years old. It's time for you to leave that bow tie behind. You should try somethin