Laurence's face fell, and suddenly, his breakfast did not seem so appetizing. On second thought, he realized that summer vacation next year was still six months away, and once again found his breakfast appealing.“Serenity, what subjects does Sonny usually take? Next summer, the kids will be playing together, so why don’t we just have them take classes together? They might learn faster with a study buddy,” Ben suggested.Serenity replied, “I probably won’t be able to come over here next summer unless Laurence visits us.”Even if it was past her postpartum care period by then, the baby would still be too young and it would not be convenient to travel. However, if Laurence went to Wiltspoon, the responsibility would be too much for her to handle. It might be easier if Jane brought the twins along with Laurence. Then it would not be so heavy a burden. Laurence’s guardians were Ben and Jane, after all. By summer, the twins would be walking, and if they stayed at Wildridge Manor, it wo
Ben silently grumbled about how quickly Zachary learned after coming to him for advice back then. After breakfast, Jane and Serenity took the kids to play in the hall while Ben had gone to work. Reluctantly, he handed his precious daughter over to Jane and asked her to see him off.Jane sighed, “The kids are already this big, and he’s still so clingy.”Serenity teased, “That’s just you showing off! You guys have been together for ages but you’re still as loving as you were in your honeymoon period—if that’s not showing off, what is? Also, you know, Ben dreamed of getting to marry you for ten years before finally catching you. It’s normal for him to be clingy.”Jane blushed. Doc approached, carrying Oliver, while Cheryl brought her two little boys to join the fun.When she spotted Jane, Cheryl exclaimed, “These two little rascals woke up asking for their older brother! They’re driving me crazy. Since you’re not going into the office these few days, I’m leaving them here to play with
However, Serenity asked, “Sonny, how about practicing writing with Laurence every day? You both have great memories, so copying more will help you remember the content better. It’ll be beneficial for you in the future.”It was never a bad thing to have some medical knowledge. Laurence looked at Sonny. Under both his friend’s and aunt’s expectant gazes, Sonny subconsciously found himself nodding. Oh, alright, he would make this big sacrifice and practice his writing with his buddy.Meanwhile, in Satbury, two little boys warmly bundled up were building a snowman in the O’Connors’ yard after a heavy snowfall last night. Louis was crafting a large snowman. Stepping back to admire his work, he turned to his younger cousin and said with satisfaction, “Look! I finished my snowman. Are you making turtles?”Phillip had created several turtle-shaped snow sculptures, and they actually looked quite good. “Yeah, they’re turtles. Louis, can you help me build more turtles to make it look like th
Isabella pinched her younger brother’s face. She said, “Did you miss me or Austin?“Why are you asking after Austin as soon as I got out of the car?”At that moment, Austin stepped out of the last car. He happened to overhear Louis’s question and smiled. “I’m here, Mr. Louis.”Louis and Philip heard him and looked in his direction. Upon confirming that it was really Austin, they immediately ditched Isabella and dashed toward him. As the boys were not too close to Austin, they were embarrassed to ask him to lift them even though they wished to. However, it felt as if Austin could read their minds. He carried Louis with a grin and spun him around, making Louis giggle. He put Louis down and repeated the action with Philip. The little boy enjoyed the upsy daisy too. Isabella watched Austin interact with her brothers from afar. She had to admit that he was good at making children happy. Louis and Philip were unfamiliar with Austin. After all, he had followed Isabella on a
Isabella was surprised. “You look after your sister-in-law’s nephew too?”Although Austin was her private chef, he had an established career in Wiltspoon. She thought he would be busy, so it was a surprise to hear that he also babysat.It would be understandable if it were his nephew, but it was his sister-in-law’s nephew. “Not often. We’re a big family. The elders love fighting over who gets to play with Sonny whenever he comes over. I just tease him sometimes.”Austin added, “I mentioned this earlier. I have many cousins. Although my dad and his brothers don’t live together, their houses are close. Our families often come together to spend time over meals. It is always very lively, just like how it is in your family.”The O’Connor family’s atmosphere was decent. The family in power was respected, while the branch families were dedicated to assisting the main family. Whenever a problem arose, the main family’s decision was prioritized. The O’Connor brothers had minimal confl
If the O’Connor family relied on Isabella’s father and not her to manage their business, they would have gone bankrupt long ago. Old Mr. Connor had known that his children were not very capable. Therefore, he started training his granddaughters young. That way, they could take over the company, and his sons could step down as soon as possible. Even if things would be difficult for Isabella and Tati, he believed they could overcome it. He also had no choice because the O’Connor family had more daughters than sons. Delphine only felt less guilty after giving birth to Louis. Isabella said, “Don’t you like painting? You can paint something. I can even hold an exhibition for your artwork when the weather gets warmer next year.”Delphine’s eyes gleamed. She was good at oil painting, but it was mainly a hobby. She had never considered earning money with it, let alone holding an exhibition. However, she found herself considering it after Isabella brought it up. Delphine wanted t
“I know, Mom,” replied Louis. The mischievous boys could not sit still. After standing, Louis told Isabella, “I’m going to build snowmen with Phillip outside. Phillip’s snowmen always look amazing. I want to build better ones than his.”Isabella said gently, “Okay. Come back if it gets too cold.”“Got it.”The cold usually would not bother the kids when they were having fun.The two boys ran out of the house giggling. Midway, Louis turned back and went to the kitchen to get Austin to make a few dishes he wanted for lunch.He ran out happily upon receiving an affirmative response. On the other hand, Phillip did not have any special orders. He knew Austin was Isabella’s private chef. Since he was having free meals at Uncle Hadrian’s place, he had to eat what was available and not be picky. Besides, even the vegetables Austin prepared tasted delicious, let alone other dishes. Louis and Phillip started building snowmen outside. Delphine was asking Isabella about her busi
Delphine smiled. She said, “You didn’t gain weight. You just look more filled out and not as skinny as before. It’s a good thing.”Isabella replied, “I didn’t eat a lot. I was busy and even worked out every day. How did that happen?”“It means that you’re satisfied with Austin’s cooking. Your complexion will improve if you eat your meals timely and get sufficient nutrients.”Delphine was most satisfied with Austin among all the private chefs Isabella had hired. Not only could he cook delicious food, but he was also handsome and had good manners. In fact, he did not look like a chef at all. He gave off the feeling of an elite or a young master of a wealthy family. Austin was gentle and polite whenever he spoke as well. If he changed out of his chef’s outfit into a suit, then he would look like a fine gentleman. “Yes. I’m pretty satisfied with him for now. Is Tati still at the office, Mom?”Delphine replied, “Tati has to run the company and attend meetings since you were on a b