"Papa Edmund doesn't mind at all. In fact, he was the one who took Mama and me here so we could meet again. He said he was worried about you. Mama and I need to cheer you up. That's why I made a special welcoming earlier."
Sky nodded reassuringly before continued to speak."Wasn't that cool, Papa? You love watching me and my animal friends work together, right? They are great partners!"Lucas' chest felt tighter and tighter. He didn't know if that feeling was a punishment or a gift. He didn't dare glance at Edmund. His embarrassment was beyond measure."You don't need to feel embarrassed about me, Lucas. I don't mind Sky calling you Papa. You were once her father. In fact, I'm grateful that you took that responsibility for those five years."Lucas exhaled heavily. He had no other choice, but to stand up and meet Edmund's gaze."Don't pretend to be nice to me," he whispered."I don't pretend. I do than"Hello, Lucas. How are you?" Alice greeted when she arrived at the yard. Hearing that voice, longing gripped Lucas' heart. If only it was Rachel standing in front of him, he would definitely be very happy. He would hug and kiss her, whisper warm words sweetly and intimately. However, he realized that all he could embrace was the bitterness of reality. Rachel had gone. He had to let other guys happy with a wife, while he could only see Rachel in memories. "Not so good." Lucas shook his head honestly. Alice pursed her lips, nodded. She was relieved that the man had returned to being himself. Lucas didn't think of her as Rachel. But on the other hand, she was also concerned. "I heard you've reconciled with Edmund." Lucas raised the corner of his lips. "I just realized that my actions were very ridiculous. Sorry I forced you to take my wife's position." Alice sho
The adults laughed at Sky's enthusiasm. "Okay, let's take photos now. Call your friends," Lucas nodded. "I'll call Arai to help us taking the pictures." Alice pointed to the back garden. "Okay, Mama!" A second later, Sky jumped in a star pose. "Gigi, Gusi, come back here. We have to take a family photo. Felis? You too. Stop lazing around up there!" Ignored by the animals, Sky put her hands on her hips. "Are you listening to me or not? Felis, move! Canis, help me to get her here. I'll scold Gigi and Gusi." Sky ran towards the cage. "Gigi, Gusi! Don't be naughty geese!" Lucas unconsciously laughed watching her cute behavior. He actually used to see it back then, but now, the impression was different. Sky wasn't annoying at all. On the contrary, she was adorable. "I hope you don't repeat my mistake. Take good care of them. Don't let you get sep
"Sky is right," Edmund said as he carried two suitcases. "Let's go home before dark. The sun sets early in the forest." The women immediately widened their eyes. "Is it dangerous when it's dark?" "Are there many wild animals lurking around?" Sky laughed amusedly. "Don't be afraid, Madam. As long as we are with Papa Ed and Canis, we are safe. Now let's hurry." While the others walked after Sky, Elizabeth bit her lip. Hesitantly, she shifted closer to her son. "Ed, how are you?" Edmund glanced slightly. "Never been this good. I'm happy with my wife and child. How about you? You look healthier. Your blood pressure must be under control." Elizabeth grimaced faintly. "Yes, I'm healthier, but my life is lonely. No one cares about me anymore. You just transfer money without including any information." "It was sent automatically. Is it not enough?" "No." Elizabeth shook her head quickly. "That's not the point of my words, but loneliness. I've felt lonely since you
"Louis! Emily!" Sky waved with all her might. Her laughter was so light, especially when the twins answered her call. "Sky! Sky!" They jumped up and down on a speedboat that was hurtling towards the pier. Beside them, another smaller boy waved. Seeing him, Sky's eyes sparkled brighter. "Russell, you're coming too?" Laughing louder, she jumped. "Russell!" Seeing how enthusiastically Sky welcomed her friends, Edmund involuntarily snorted. Alice heard that. Glancing at him, she smiled amusedly. "Ed, haven't you met Louis? I thought you'd agree that he's a good kid." Edmund raised his eyebrows slightly. "Yes, he's a good kid. But that doesn't mean he can escape from my monitoring." Alice frowned. "Are you still jealous? Come on, Ed. Sky is still so little, and you've heard her confession yourself. Her favorite guy is still you." Alice elbowed Edmund's arm. However, her husband still put on a sullen look. "Even though Sky always says that she loves me the most, I can
Everyone clapped when Sky and her animal friends finished performing. It wasn't just the Harper kids who were amazed, but their parents too. "Thank you, Sky. This is the sweetest welcome we have ever received," Kara said with a big smile. "Yes, this is an extraordinary welcome. How did you train those animals? Not just cat and dog, you also managed to train two geese." Frank gave Sky thumbs up. The little girl chuckled proudly. "That's because they're not just animals, Sir. They're my friends and they're smart. I think they want to follow my instructions because we get along well." "They're your friends?" Frank raised an eyebrow. The twins immediately scrambled to explain. "There are no other children here, Daddy. Therefore, Sky only plays with her animal friends." "Sky said she always fed them a lot. I think that's why the animals obey her. They like Sky!" Sky jumped enthusiastically. "Louis and Emily are right. Every day, I spend most of my time with my animal friend
Louis' brows furrowed at Edmund's question. "Why did you ask that, Sir? Of course I love Sky. She's my friend. She's like a little sister to me." Edmund blinked stiffly. "Is that so? You think of her as a little sister?" Louis nodded firmly. "Yeah, I think Emily is like that too. She used to want a younger sister. When Russell was born, she was sad. Sky's presence helped her to forget that disappointment." Edmund's lips slowly pursed. His hands were shoved into his pockets. "So, you consider my daughter to be your sister?" he muttered. For some reason, a feeling of relief rose in his heart. "Does it mean you will look after her like your little sister?" "Yes, I will take good care of Sky. I won't make her cry." Edmund's eyebrows knitted together. "But earlier, I saw you picking on Emily. Can you be trusted to look after your younger siblings?" Louis' lips suddenly twitched. While scratching his temple, he chuckled. "About that, I actually like teasing Emily. She's a cr
"Honey, have you seen the kids?" Alice asked as she approached Edmund. "Kids?" Edmund looked away from his laptop. His eyebrows raised. "Aren't they still sleeping? I didn't see them come out of the tent." "I thought so too. But after I checked, they weren't there." Edmund looked around. His eyes and ears sharpened. However, no trace of the children was detected. "Are they playing in the back garden?" Alice shook her head. "I've checked it. They're not there." "Chicken coop? Who knows, Sky took the twins to see the chicks." "Not there too." Edmund snapped his fingers. "The geese coop! They must be playing with Gigi and Gusi." Alice took a deep breath. The lines on her forehead looked clearer. "I've looked everywhere, Ed. They're not anywhere." "Have you searched the house? Who knows, they might be playing hide and seek. They might be hiding somewhere." Edmund got up from the chair, about to check another room. At that moment, Russell ran out of the gue
"Sky, what's that sound?" Emily whispered in a choked voice. "Is that an explosion?" "I think it was the sound of a gun," Louis interrupted before grabbing the smaller girl's arm. "Sky, could it be a poacher?" Sky blinked angrily. "Maybe yes. This area is outside the scope of the foundation. The patrol team only checks it occasionally, when they have time." "Isn't illegal hunting prohibited? Only bad people still kill animals. What do you think they just shot, Sky? Is it an orangutan?" Louis asked with a serious expression. Emily immediately shuddered in horror. "Oh, if the hunters are targeting orangutan, I hope it manages to escape and survive. Orangutans are rare animals. It would be a shame if they became extinct." "And I hope it's not Mimi," Sky continued, stomping her foot. "She always takes her child everywhere. She must have difficulty moving and is vulnerable to attacks." "How about we check it? If it is indeed the work of poachers, we can immediately report this