Barbara quickly shook her head. "No!" Everyone looked at her. "Why not?" Louis pursed his lips. Barbara grimaced. "My mother seems to need some time alone. She won't like it if someone disturbs her peace." A second later, she glanced at the servant. "Nora, can you take dinner to my mother's room? If she doesn't answer or even refuses, just leave the trolley in front of her bedroom door." Nora shuddered in horror. It was as if she had just received a deadly mission. Nevertheless, she still nodded. Arriving at Melanie's door, Nora took a deep breath. After exhaling slowly, she knocked. "Excuse me, Ma'am. I've come to deliver your dinner." Suddenly, there was a thud. Nora flinched and backed away from the door. "Don’t bother me!" Nora's shoulders shook violently. Without saying excuse me, she ran away from the trolley. "What happened, Nora? What was that noise?" Philip approached Nora in the middle of the stairs. The servant shook her head. Her face was still deathly pale. "I
Once again, Melanie launched an attack. Her move was faster. However, Philip still managed to catch her wrist. "Come to your senses, Madam. What you are doing is a crime. You could really go to jail." Hearing the word she hated the most, Melanie's breath became louder. Her lips twitched, her eyes dimmed. "If I have to end up in prison, you have to end up in hell. Therefore, give up!" Melanie mustered all her strength. She pushed the knife with both hands. Philip had no other choice but to defend. He couldn't possibly fight back. After all, Melanie was his boss's family, the mother of the woman he liked. "Stop it, Madam. You'll only hurt yourself," Philip whispered, thinly. "No way!" Melanie kept pushing. However, the knife did not move forward in the slightest. Annoyed, she tried to step back, but Philip had already locked her wrists. "Let go!" She started to struggle. Philip shook his head. "No. As long as the knife is still in your hand, I won't let go." Melanie's shoulder
"Barbara, don't fall asleep. Look at me. Look at me!" Philip jerked his arms slightly, helping Barbara turn her head, facing his face again. "Just remember my words. You'll be fine, okay? We'll be at the hospital soon, and your wounds will be treated. You can recover in the blink of an eye." Barbara sighed faintly. She wanted to nod, but couldn't. Witnessing that, Emily started to sob. "Auntie has to get better. I don't want Auntie to be in trouble," she whined. Louis also deepened his brow furrows. His lips twitched slightly. "Yes, Auntie has to be strong. When Auntie has recovered, we can play again. Auntie hasn't seen our animation yet, right?" Barbara swallowed hard. Her throat felt dry, her heart ached. Honestly, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to see the twins again. "Kids," Frank called, walking with wide strides. Arriving in front of the twins, he bent down, holding their shoulders. "If you want Auntie to get better quickly, pray. That's what she needs most now. Be
Meanwhile, in another place, someone also said a prayer sincerely. "Please God, make the operation successful. Make the operation successful." Philip kept muttering those words. His hands were pressed together, supporting his forehead which felt so heavy. He didn't care if Frank and Kara heard. He just wanted his prayer to be answered. "He must be very restless. It's been two hours." Kara blinked in pity. Frank stroked his wife's shoulder. "It'll be finished soon." Right after Kara nodded, the operating room door opened. Rony came out with a tired face. "Doctor," Philip rushed over to Rony, "how is Barbara?" Frank and Kara also got up from their chairs, standing beside Philip. "How is it, Rony?" "The operation went smoothly." Kara immediately smiled and glanced at Frank. However, Philip still listened carefully. "Then how is she?" Philip emphasized the question earlier. "Her condition is stable. However, she is still under anesthesia. Wela is accompanying her inside. We wil
Frank nodded curtly. “It wasn't intentional. That's why Mommy called it an accident." The twins' cheeks puffed up. Their eyes narrowed, considering something. “No wonder Grandma cried so loudly. She must be scared.” “I understand Grandma's feelings. When Louis protected me in the library, I was also scared, especially when his hand had to be in a cast. I felt guilty and wanted to keep hugging him.” Seeing Emily hugging Louis and leaning her head on her brother's tiny shoulder, Frank could smile again. Half the burden in his heart lifted. “Now that you know the truth, your hearts are at ease, right?” Before Frank told them to sleep, Louis quickly raised his palm. "But we still want to accompany Auntie, Daddy." “Yes, we are curious about her condition. And as a family, we must give her support for a speedy recovery.” “Actually,” Kara interjected with a mysterious smile, “there is one way you can do it. Go visit Auntie before you go to school." Frank looked at his wife in awe. “
Frank tilted his head, trying to catch Melanie's gaze. When he succeeded, he whispered, “Why? What was your reason for doing that? Isn't Dad always nice to you?” Melanie's lips began to tremble. Her chest felt full of peeling wounds. “Nice you say?” After snorting, Melanie looked away. Her gaze turned dreamy. “For years, I thought I was the queen. But apparently, he was still secretly sending letters to that woman.” “He did that out of a sense of responsibility and guilt. Yes, he still remembered his old lover and their son. But, didn't he choose us in the end? He’s always with us.” “What's the use of togetherness without warmth? It instead feels like a torturous bondage.” Melanie's voice was getting hoarse. Her sadness thickened. "Did you know that your father never smiled sincerely at me?" The corners of Melanie's lips twitched in disgust. “His smile in front of clients was even wider than in front of me. His laughter with the staff was louder than when he was with me. And his
The curve of Philip's lips turned sour. "Your mother is home." With limited head movement, Barbara rolled her eyes around. "Where is this?" Philip bowed lower. "In the hospital. You just had surgery." Suddenly, Barbara's eyes widened. Her breath shortened. The incident in the back yard flashed through her mind. "That knife ... I'm bleeding?" Philip quickly shook his head. His hands cupped Barbara's face, giving her a sense of security. "No. You're not bleeding anymore. See? Your operation went well." "I'm still alive?" Barbara sighed with teary eyes. Philip was intrigued by the innocent comment. Beneath his frown, he let out a faint laugh. “Yes, you are alive, Baby. You're safe." "Now," he ran his fingers through Barbara's hair, "just wait for a moment. I have to let the nurse know that you're awake." Philip straightened up, about to press the intercom button. However, before he had time to move, Barbara grabbed his hand tightly. "Please ... don't go. I'm scared." Philip
"Your aunt is awake," Philip said. "Really?" As Louis and Emily stood on tiptoes, Frank and Kara approached from the other side of the bed. "Hey," Kara rubbed Barbara's arm, "how are you feeling?" Barbara blinked. Her consciousness had not yet gathered. After a while, she whispered, "Water." Philip hurriedly took a bottle of water equipped with a straw. The twins were stunned to see his alacrity. "Auntie, how are you? Does it still hurt?" Emily jumped up and down a little, trying to get her face out from under the bed. The taller Louis just had to look up and stay on his tiptoes. "We came here to give you encouragement. You must get well soon, Auntie." While Philip returned the water bottle, Barbara checked around. Her lips let out a little air. "My body feels strange. I also feel nauseous." "It might be the effect of the anesthesia. Has she been checked again?" Frank looked at Philip. Philip shook his head. "Then, let me call the nurse." "Where's Mom?" Frank fell silent
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