"Mom, are you ready to start?" Ava asked while giving her mother a massage. Instead of answering, Mrs. Connor glanced at the door. "Where are the others? Don't Eva and the twins want to accompany me to therapy?" At that moment, Bryan came in smiling. "Eva is playing the water gun with Louis and Emily." Ava widened her eyes. "Eva wants to play with them? And get wet?" "Yeah. They're chasing each other in the side yard." While Ava blinked in disbelief, Mrs. Connor said, "I want to watch them play. Can we hold off on therapy until they're finished?" Ava blinked. "Of course." She herself was also curious about how the twins could persuade Eva to play with them. In the yard, Eva had been completely wet. She couldn't possibly win against two toddlers at once. "You guys! Stop running!" The twins didn’t listen. Unlike the sullen girl, they got more cheerful. Their running grew faster and their laughter grew louder. "Louis, help! The enemy is chasing me!" "Don't worry, Emily. I'll h
Suddenly, Emily started crying again. Her shoulders drooped. Her face looked up at Jeremy. "Uncle, Eva smeared rotten tomatoes on my face. I'm really afraid of ruining my skin. Ava said I'll be fine. But I'm still upset." "Did you know, Uncle? Previously, Eva threw a water gun at Emily. It hit Emily in the head. Luckily she was wearing a helmet. But Emily fell. Look! Her trousers are dirty." Louis pointed towards his younger sister's knees. Seeing that, Jeremy's hands clenched tightly. While gritting his teeth, he looked at Eva. There was no more patience left in his heart. "You have violated the rules. According to the agreement, you must leave." Eva sighed in disbelief. The look on her face showed that she was the one who was tormented. "Are you happy now? You brought me trouble. When I defended myself, I was the one to blame." "You're not defending yourself, Eva. You're giving vent to your emotions." Eva's gaze turned to Ava. "Who wouldn't be emotional if they had a sibling
"So Jeremy's guess was correct? You were kidnapped? And you were free because you agreed something with Mrs. Moore?" Ava's voice turned hoarse. "Yes! I have no other choice. I have to agree that now is the time for me to destroy you!" "Eva!" Everyone turned towards the sound. Bryan turned out to be bringing Mrs. Connor towards them. The woman in the wheelchair seemed to be having difficulty catching her breath. "Tell me it's not true. Tell me you've never had such evil thoughts!" Eva gasped. Her mouth was agape, letting out a gasp of disbelief. "Mom?" A second later, she glanced at Ava with deeper hatred. "You brought Mom here on purpose?" "Eva!" Eva looked back at Mrs. Connor. Her mother's tears made her chest tight. Her hands clenched tightly into fists. "Please understand me, Mom. I'm doing all this for you. I don't want to be separated from you." Mrs. Connor shook her head faintly. "I am really disappointed in you, Eva. All this time, I have put all my love on you. I hop
"Uncle," Louis frowned because Jeremy was rubbing his hair too hard, "do you think Mrs. Moore will attack Eva? Will Eva be safe?" Meanwhile, beside Louis, Emily stood casually. Ava dried her hair very gently. She just gave her a gentle pat when wiping her face. "Mrs. Moore is definitely targeting Eva. She's a witch. But I don't think you need to worry, Louis. Uncle Jeremy has sent several bodyguards to look after Eva." "Yes, but that was from a distance. What if someone attacks Eva at close range?" "The guards won't allow suspicious people to approach Eva. You don't need to worry, Buddy." Jeremy threw the towel towards the chair then grabbed the hairbrush. "Now, what style do you want?" Louis immediately moved his hands above his head. "I want my hair to stand up like this. I'll definitely get cooler." “Like a parrot's crest?” Emily giggled. "No. Like top models. I want to wear that hairstyle later during the photo shoot." Jeremy snorted slightly. "You know what? There's anoth
"Mommy, do you think Eva is okay? Why hasn't Uncle Jeremy given us any news?" Emily blinked at Kara. Her tiny hands kept giving her mother massages. Kara turned her head with a gentle smile. "Eva must be very sad and shaken. Maybe Uncle Jeremy and Ava are busy calming her down." Louis stopped massaging his mother. He checked the time then pursed his lips. "But it's been an hour, Mommy. Uncle Jeremy must have let us know if Eva is fine." "Or it could be," Frank interrupted in a half-whisper, inviting the twins to listen carefully, "Uncle Jeremy forgot to tell you guys. He's become more forgetful since dating Ava. Maybe because his mind is too full with her." Emily's eyes narrowed. Her head tilted slightly. "I think that makes sense. Moreover, Eva must be crying and her voice is loud. It disturbs Uncle's concentration." Emily patted his ear lightly. "Daddy, is there any way to stop Mrs. Moore? I don't think she will stop doing bad things if she doesn't go to prison. Why doesn't Dad
Mrs. Connor was stunned to see the couch. Ava curled up there. Instantly, her memories were sucked into the past. Ava used to do that a lot, sleeping on the couch. She always did it after every fight with Eva. Little by little, tears gathered on Mrs. Connor's eyes."Ava?" Ava flinched at that voice. She turned around and immediately sat up. "Mom?" Behind the wheelchair, Jeremy gave her a smile. Then bowing, he patted Mrs. Connor on the shoulder. "When you're done, ask Ava to call me. I'll wait downstairs with the others." Mrs. Connor nodded slightly. After Jeremy exited and closed the door, her gaze locked on Ava. "Mom?" Ava's eyes fluttered in confusion. "Why did you come up here?" "Why are you sleeping on the couch? Why don't you just lie down on the bed?" Ava blinked. She didn't understand the reason either. Her body immediately looked for the couch when she wanted to lie down. "That's ... because my clothes are dirty. I came from outside earlier." Mrs. Connor knew Ava ma
Eva sat listlessly on the floor of her living room. Her swollen eyes no longer contained sadness. However, her nose still flared. The roar of her breath was too difficult to quench. "My boutique .... My hope .... My dream ...." She stroked the only frame that was still intact. There was a photo of her cutting the ribbon there—the moment at the inauguration of her new boutique. The curve of her lips was so wide in that picture. Meanwhile, her current face was dim. There was not the slightest light in her eyes. "Why could this happen to me?" she wailed, biting her lip. If her tears hadn't run out, her face would have been wet again. "What should I do now? Everything is gone. My boutique is gone." No matter how many times Eva repeated those words, her mind was not yet satisfied. She seemed to hope that a miracle would come to give her an answer. In silence, Eva shifted her sad gaze. Other pictures were scattered around her. One of them contained Ava's face. Under the cracked glas
Louis and Emily laughed on Melanie's lap. They like the way their grandmother read fairy tales. The witch's voice was so precise. "Repeat it again, Grandma. This part." Emily pointed at the previous paragraph. As soon as Melanie finished reading, she and Louis giggled again. Frank and Kara shook their heads at their behavior. "Kids, don't you want to go home yet? It's dinner time soon. Poor Grandma Susan if she is eating alone at home." Louis shook his head without thinking. "Did you forget, Daddy? Philip and Auntie Barbara are accompanying her at home. Grandma Susan will definitely be okay if we have dinner here." "Yes! Louis and I want to wait for news from Uncle Jeremy. We hope that Eva isn't sad anymore so she wants to make peace with Ava." Emily nodded cutely. "Philip and Barbara has gone. It looks like they want to have dinner out. Do you have the heart to leave Grandma Susan alone?" "There's still Nora and the others, Daddy. Grandma Susan won't be lonely." Louis raised hi
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