He was seated in a very princely manner with his hands resting on the table. A cold gleam of ice shone in his eyes, but he was not looking at her. Perhaps she had misheard? Sylvia pursed her lips and wondered if she should ask if he was talking to her just now. Her opportunity was lost when several teachers approached her and asked her enthusiastically, “Ms. Sylvia, would you mind sharing some of your insights in painting with us?” Sylvia dismissed the idea of asking Thomas and smiled back at them. "Okay." She took the time to talk with them. Soon, she was entranced by the conversation to a point where she no longer noticed the way the man looked at her only a short distance from her. … Before even realizing it, Sylvia had chatted with them until it was noon. They only wrapped things up after Christopher informed them that it was time for them to get something to eat. Thomas was still sitting near her. Sylvia walked with him and several teachers towards
Isabel trumpeted, "The weather is bad today, so baddie says it’s not safe for us to be outside and sent us back home earlier.” Hearing this, Sylvia nodded with understanding and asked, "Did you have a good time today?" "Mmmm, we went shopping with baddie and ate a lot of delicious food, then we bought a bunch of fun stuff. Oh yeah, Mommy, we even bought you a gift!" With that, Isabel turned and trotted inside. Sylvia observed her curiously. Soon, Isabel returned carrying a large box in hand. Sylvia asked with intrigue, "What's in there?" “You’ll know when you open it!” Isabel said as she handed her the box. After taking it, Sylvia went to the couch and moved the box onto her lap to open it. It contained a music box with a crystal ball attached, and it was glowing luminously like a mysterious orb from a fantasy world. Inside the crystal ball were two little children sitting together. It was apparent that the two children inside were carved in the likeness of Isabe
Liam took out a delicate purple wooden box from his pocket. Sylvia opened it and saw a sunflower-shaped diamond necklace inside. It was crafted with attention to detail and was breathtakingly beautiful. She pursed her lips. Isabel stared at her and asked, "Mommy, we picked this out for you. Do you like it?" Sylvia strained a forced smile. "I love it." “Put it on! Can we can go outside and build a snowman after this?” “Alright, you two wait for me here. I’ll take the music box upstairs for you first.” "Uh-huh." Sylvia picked up the necklace and the music box and went upstairs to her room. She put the crystal ball on the small cabinet next to the bed. Shen then stashed the necklace inside a drawer in the dresser. Although Isabel and Liam were the ones who had picked the necklace out, Odell must have been the one who paid for it. Clearly, it must have cost a fortune. Having divorced him, it was not right for her to wear the things he paid for. After putting it
Later that night, after Sylvia put Isabel and Liam to bed, she went to the living room. Aunt Tonya put her phone down when she saw Sylvia appearing and informed her, “Sylvia, I just talked to Sebastian. He said ever since the divorce, Odell has pretty much always been in the office as long as it is a working day. Sometimes, he even spends the night in his office instead of going home. Even at this hour, he’s still at the office, so there’s no chance that he’s going to be home tomorrow.” Sylvia smiled. “Alright.” Since he was not going to be home, she could bring Isabel and Liam to see Madam Carter. … Meanwhile, in Carter Tower, in the central district of the city, the lights were still turned on inside the office on the top floor. After all his work was done, Odell leaned against his chair and did some reading. Ding ding. His phone suddenly chimed. It was Sebastian calling him. Odell put the phone to his ear. “Sebastian, what's the matter?" he asked. Se
Sebastian darted a look at Aunt Tonya. “I…” Aunt Tonya supplied, “Sebastian, Sylvia is right. We need to head back first. Don’t worry about us, we’ll be fine.” Sebastian glanced in a particular direction upstairs before giving in. "Okay." Sylvia said goodbye to him and walked out with Liam in her arms. Aunt Tonya followed closely with Isabel in her arms. They crossed the yard and went past the gate in no time. Meanwhile, in a bedroom upstairs, a tall man was stalking them near the window. He had a deep and thoughtful look in his eyes as he stared at Sylvia in particular. The sun cast its gentle rays on her slender back, the warmth of the sun making her seem especially delicate. ... The academy would be having their winter break as well. This Thursday was going to be Sylvia’s last class for this semester. After getting up in the morning and having breakfast with the kids and Aunt Tonya, she hugged and kissed the two little guys in turn before informing them, “Lia
After they settled the bill, Sylvia grabbed her coat and walked outside. Thomas followed her. Suddenly, she felt the sensual touch of a finger gliding across her face. Sylvia was startled by this and cast a perplexed look at Thomas. Thomas touched her face again, and this time said in a monotonous voice, "Your face is so red. Did you catch a fever?" Sylvia stammered, "I-I'm fine. Maybe it’s because those dishes are too spicy.” Thomas looked at her warily. "Then, don't eat such spicy things next time.” "Okay." Sylvia looked ahead again. "Let's go back to the academy.” She sped up her pace and widened the gap between the two of them in the blink of an eye. While Thomas stayed where he was, his lips suddenly twitched as he looked at her fading figure. … Sylvia sat in her office for a long time before her face returned to a normal shade. She remembered that when she first married Odell, Thomas still had a thin buildup of baby fat on his face. Now, he was no
Ramona sighed exasperatedly and stared, “He says he’s got this business trip in half a month and won’t be able to make it.” Madam Springsteen frowned sternly. “Even if he’s busy, I’m sure he can make time.” "He’s very career-focused. I can’t persuade him.” “I suppose it’s normal for him to be busy since he has to oversee the operations of a corporation all by himself.” Madam Springsteen considered it for a while and noted, "How about I discuss with the old man and see if we can change the date of the party two days earlier?” Ramona sat up, then she asked with concern, "Will this disrupt your schedule?” Madam Springsteen smiled and said, "No, it’s just two days earlier anyway.” There were two reasons for their return this time. One was to develop their business in Westchester, and the other was to find a prospective partner for her darling granddaughter. Her granddaughter had minimal interest in anyone in Westchester apart from Odell himself. Although Odell was marr
Later that evening, the evening glow basked over the earth and its lands. A black car was coasting down the highway. Inside the car was nothing but unfiltered silence as the driver deftly steered the car. In the back was a man leaning straight against the seat while he held a sleeping Isabel in his arms. Liam was seated to his right. The boy was also asleep, leaning against his shoulder. After a while, the car stopped outside Sylvia's house. Odell gently woke Liam up and got out of the car, still carrying Isabel in his arms. Aunt Tonya got out of the car after them. She took the still sleeping Isabel from Odell and said with a polite smile, “Master Carter, I'll take the children inside and won’t be seeing you off, so goodbye.” With that, she turned around with Isabel in her arms. Liam rubbed his sleepy eyes and did not follow after her. Instead, he looked up at Odell. He stared mutely at Odell for a while before suddenly telling him, "If you want to see Mommy, just