Sophia sighed in disbelief. Her head movements quickened. "Please don't fire me, Dad. I myself built my company to this. It's not fair if you hand it over to someone else." Victor shook his head. "What people count on is current performance, not the past. Nobody cares about how much you struggled to build it. All they see is how you brought your own company down." Sophia's tears began to well up. Her face was filled with despair. "Please give me a chance, Dad. I can restore my good name and that of my company. I guarantee you, within one month, I can fix everything." "The Moore family may be sweet-mouthed, but we always keep our word, Sophia. You ... just made us doubt your identity." "No, Dad. I'm still the same Sophia. Please, don't send me to Europe. I want to make my company bigger." Victor didn't answer. He looked away then took two steps back. "Mom?" Sophia voiced her last wish. However, her mother showed the same response. While Sophia grimaced in disapproval, someone kno
"C-counterattack?" The informant stammered.After straightening his back, Victor shifted Ava's picture towards him. "There's no point in attacking someone who is on the verge of death. So, no need to mince words on this one. Get rid of her. Don't worry about her dying mother." The informant was shaking slightly. "O-okay, Sir." Raising his eyebrows, Victor tapped on Finnic. "For this one," he pushed Mrs. Miller's photo forward. "It's not just her son who is impudent, but herself too. Being her in-law is one of the most embarrassing things in my life." "That's right. All this time, I've forced myself to endure being around her. She's too big of a mouth. She deserves to be taught a lesson," Patricia continued sarcastically. The informant frowned. "Okay, I'll arrange it. Then, what about the others?" Victor's finger turned towards the photo of Jeremy and Vivian. However, after a while, he had not yet made a decision. "I heard they were separated for a long time?" "Yes, Sir. Jeremy
"Yes," Jeremy stretched out one arm, waiting for Vivian's back to come within his reach. "Let me introduce her, Grandma. This is my mother, Vivian Bell." "Hello, Mrs. Johnson. Nice to meet you." Vivian gave a warm smile then offered her hand. Without warning, Diana let go of Louis's grip and then cupped Vivian's hand. "You are Norman's ex-girlfriend?" Vivian's eyes widened. With a high arch of eyebrows, she glanced at Jeremy and the others briefly. Everyone looked awkward. "Hmm, yes. Before he was betrothed to Barbara's mother," Vivian answered stiffly, but still gracefully. Diana let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry you had to go through difficult times because of my son. I hope you don't hold a grudge against him. I was the one who was wrong. He grew up without the presence of a mother. I didn't have time to teach him how to respect women or the meaning of love and responsibility." The curve of Vivian's lips shrunk. She could see deep worry from those wrinkled eyes. "It's okay, Ma
With a sullen look, Melanie grumbled, "I actually didn't want to stay at your house. But we didn't have another choice. Frank said it was safer if I was taken care of—" Melanie stopped, realizing that such a confession could lower her self-esteem. "If I lived temporarily in this house," she corrected, raising her chin. "As soon as it's safe, I'll go back to Frank's house. So, you don't need to feel uncomfortable. Right, Frank?" Frank scrunched up one side of his face. "Yes." "I don't feel uncomfortable." Vivian stepped forward, approaching Melanie. Herexpression was now more relaxed. "You can stay here as long as you want." Vivian's nod of the head was sincere. However, Melanie did not want to admit that impression. She snorted. "Frank," she glanced at her son, grumbling in a half-whisper, "I said, I didn't want to meet this woman, but you still insisted. Look at the consequences. You're embarrassing me." "Why are you embarrassed? She doesn't mind anything. She doesn't mind you
"Sorry, I didn’t attend your wedding," the old woman whispered, making everyone emotional. "Sorry, I made you go through everything alone." Biting her lip, Melanie closed her eyes. Those words felt healing in her heart. All wounds seemed to have disappeared without a trace. "Thank you," she replied briefly. She didn't want to ruin anything again with words she might not have realized. "Yes," Diana rubbed her daughter-in-law's back. "And no. I am the one who should be thanking you. You have accompanied my son for the rest of his life. You have also given me grandson, just like Vivian." With a gentle smile, Diana turned her head to the side. There, Vivian curled her lips gracefully. "You two ... can you make peace for my sake? I've been gone for too long. I've never had true family before." "I don’t mind." Vivian shrugged. "I'm actually happy that we are friends." While looking at Vivian, Melanie let out a faint sigh. Her eyes rolled lazily. Diana noticed that. "Do you still thin
"Now," Abigail quickly looked at Vivian, shaking the disappointment from the surface of her face, "my hope is to be a good mother for my future children. I want my children to have a complete family." Suddenly, Vivian's blinking eyes turned awkward. Realizing that, Abigail gasped. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Bell. I didn't mean to offend you." Vivian patted the girl's hand. "It's okay, Abi. I understand. It's natural for women your age to want things like that. Learn from the experiences of the people around you. Don't repeat our mistakes, hmm?" Abigail smiled slightly. "Thank you, Mrs. Bell." "So, do I have a younger sister now?" Jeremy said, surprising everyone. No one knew since when he already stood outside the gazebo. His hands were folded on the railing, embracing his slightly raised shoulders. Abigail laughed at that joke. "You don't mind having a little sister like me?" She pointed at her own nose. "It seems my mother wants a daughter. So, I don't mind. There's no need for adoption
Jeremy's eyes widened at the whisper. After a faint nod, he said, "Okay. I'll contact Mr. Morris." Then, Jeremy walked away from the gazebo. Pulling out his phone, he looked around, pretending to wait for the ringtone. At that moment, he caught a shadow moving away from the trees. The scout must have picked up on Frank's suspicions. "So, is Grandma willing to accept gold from Grandpa?" Frank asked when Jeremy returned. The will had been read. Diana smiled wryly. After looking at the faces around her one by one, she sighed in resignation. "Okay, I accept it." The twins spontaneously raised their hands as high as possible. "Yippie! Philip's mission is complete! Grandma Diana finally received the inheritance from Grandpa Rowan." Emily's face lit up. "Congratulations, Uncle Philip! You deserve an apartment," Louis gave him thumbs up. Philip chuckled. Rubbing the back of his neck, he muttered, "Thank you, Louis. But I think it's not the apartment we should celebrate, but Grandma's o
Emily dropped her jaw. Her eyes twinkled, reflecting the light. "That means we don't need school permission, Louis." "And we can help Auntie prepare the wedding! I can help choose the menu for the guests," Louis raised his hand high. "And I can help with choosing the outfits and bridal make-up." Emily imitated her brother's movements then nodded firmly. Grimacing, Barbara took a deep breath. "Thank you, Emily, Louis. Philip and I actually plan not to bother anyone. We want to prepare this wedding ourselves. Be independent. But if we have trouble, we will contact you." "Ready, Auntie." Louis placed four fingers on the tips of his eyebrow. Emily followed. "We're ready to help with anything." "Oh, I can't wait to see the party. I've never attended a wedding in a big city," Abigail exclaimed with sparkling eyes. There was no sadness on her face. She seemed to have really let go of Philip. "But wait. You invite me, right?" Barbara nodded slightly. "Of course. If you weren't there, wh
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