"Keep it from me? Do they really think I've lost my wits?" Jeff jabbed his cane into the ground, but what infuriated him more was himself. Of all the illnesses he could have, it had to be this one! Now even his grandchildren had to lie to him, pretending everything was normal and hiding their discomfort."Mr. Carlson, please don't be like this." Dr. Zegler, worried about Jeff's blood pressure, tried to calm him down.Jeff took a deep breath, slowing his rapid breathing. "There's no need to comfort me. It's just dementia. I've lived a long life and weathered many storms. It's just an illness. It's no big deal."Over the past few days, he had gradually come to terms with this shocking reality. He only wanted to confirm and understand his condition better."It's great that you think that way." Seeing Jeff's optimism, Dr. Zegler was at a loss for words. Everyone's life began as a blank slate, and perhaps leaving with one was not the worst fate."Now tell me, how advanced is my conditi
Because Sophie arrived early, many parents were still dropping off their children when she left the school. To avoid the crowd, she deliberately exited through the side gate, reserved for security guards during school hours.There, she heard a child crying nearby. "I don't want to go to school. I'm afraid he'll hit me again!""If you stop bothering his sister, he won't hit you anymore!" A sharp, impatient voice responded.Hearing the conversation, Sophie slowed her pace. 'How could parents not realize they should protect their own children from violence?'"Mom, why don't you report it to the principal? Didn't you and Dad always say if someone bullies us, we should bully them back?" The crying drew nearer.As the child came into view, Sophie recognized him and raised her eyebrows. 'Isn't he Cherry's classmate? Could this be the child Cherry mentioned as being bullied?'Collin's mother, irritated, gave him a light slap on the head. Though she lowered her voice, her highly recogniza
The Bentley slowly pulled up to the company building. Sophie unbuckled her seatbelt, ready to leave without a second's delay, but the sound of the door locking startled her."What are you doing?" she asked, turning her head. Her delicate eyebrows creased as she stared at Cedric with a wary gaze.He gave a wry, self-mocking smile. His voice sounded seductive but could not hide the underlying annoyance as he explained, "Back when we were in school, every time other boys gathered around you, I wanted to beat them to death."Hearing this, Sophie was speechless.He continued. "But my pride wouldn't let me act on it or even show any sign of caring. Even more foolishly, I surrounded myself with more girls to prove my indifference."Thinking back, he realized just how childish he had been. If only he had told her sooner how much he minded other boys surrounding her, maybe things would have turned out very differently.Sophie was taken aback. 'He actually cared about the boys?'"I've bee
"I think it's quite romantic." Linda chimed in with a playful smile."I don't know what nonsense you two are talking about. It's time to go home." Hearing Linda join in the teasing, Sophie quickly adopted a serious expression, closed her laptop, grabbed her handbag, and headed out briskly."She's playing dumb. She's destined to stay under Cedric's enchantment for the rest of her life," Jeanna commented."Isn't the same for you and Mr. Cheshire, just the other way around? That's what you call destiny," Linda replied with a light smile. Sophie and Jeanna had finally found their destined partners, but she was uncertain where hers was.-As Sophie exited the Luxford Tower, Cedric had already gotten out of the car, holding the door open for her—he resembled a prince waiting for his princess.Although he was already taken, it did not stop some persistent admirers among the employees who lingered and dispersed only when they saw their boss emerge.Sophie cleared her throat, keeping her
Mrs. Carrie was stunned for a split second.'It's been nine years since they got married. Since when did we have a Château Lafite? Has he forgotten it?'"Sir..." Mrs. Carrie responded bewilderedly.Both Sophie and Cedric's expressions turned grim. 'After the incident with the raspberries, Grandpa is starting to forget things again. This time, it's the passage of time.'Seeing that she was confused, Jeff instructed again, "Why are you just standing there? Go get it. Matthew, you'll have a drink with me later.""Of course. Mrs. Carrie, hurry up and go get the wine," Matthew said, signaling her to move.Although Mrs. Carrie did not quite understand, she hurried to the cabinet and found a bottle of Château Lafite inside. Relieved, she brought it back and poured a glass for Jeff and Matthew.Sophie could only suppress her emotions. Looking worried, she reminded him, "Grandpa, you should drink less.""Don't worry, I'm still strong. I plan to live until 90 at least so I can watch you
'At only five years old, suddenly having an unfriendly half-brother, and now possibly getting a full-blooded younger sibling soon. Isn't my life a bit too harsh?'"Dad, it's still early," Matthew said awkwardly.Although the relationship between Sophie and Cedric had improved, it had not reached the level Jeff seemed to assume. Sharing a bedroom now felt uncomfortable, even for him."Early? The sooner, the better for this kind of thing! Don't you and Melissa want to hold your grandchildren soon?" Jeff's dissatisfaction was clear, making Melissa instinctively want to say they already had one. But she held her tongue due to Matthew and Cedric's looks."We'll go up now," Cedric said, startling Sophie.She turned to see a hint of pain behind his smile, and the words of refusal she was about to say got stuck in her throat.Jeff's confusion about time indicated his condition was progressing faster than they had thought. It might not even be a year before he forgot everything.Seeing s
As Sophie peeked out the door, Jeff suddenly looked her way.Startled, she quickly pulled back and rushed inside, crashing into Cedric’s firm chest. The familiar scent enveloped her, making her momentarily forget to move.Enjoying the unexpected embrace, Cedric smirked."Is Grandpa still there?" he asked, his voice low.She snapped out of her daze and glared at him. "You did that on purpose."He knew Jeff better than she did. He must have known Jeff would not have gone to bed yet and had her check just to take advantage of the situation.Cedric did not bother to explain. As long as Jeff had his memory, he was still the wisest fox in the Carlson family.Feeling manipulated and annoyed by the intimate contact, Sophie tried to wriggle free, but he held her tighter."Now, now. Just let me hold you for a moment," he murmured, his deep, sexy voice resonating above her. His strong jaw gently brushed her forehead, sending shivers down her spine.'How long has it been since we were thi
Sophie pulled her discarded clothes into the blanket and put them on one by one, unable to suppress a small smile as she pointed to the sky outside.Realizing he was caught in his own scheme, Cedric sighed with a touch of regret in his voice. He leaned down and gave her a quick, lingering kiss on the lips."Let's take it as His arrangement," he murmured.At least it gave them a direction to move forward, breaking the stalemate of indecision.-The next morning, Jeff greeted them cheerfully as they emerged from their separate rooms."Did you sleep well last night?" he asked with a knowing smile.Sophie blushed, tensing up as she wondered if Jeff was suspicious about them coming out of different rooms."Very well," Cedric replied, his mischievous smile making her heart race."Good. Now hurry to work. Cherry and Tristan have already left for school," Jeff said as if his confusion the previous night had been forgotten like a dream.Sophie glanced at Cedric in confusion. 'Has Gran