"You know what? I felt it was unfair that my wife had to leave so quickly. Our time together was very short. That's why I made you her replacement." After one breath, Lucas took one step forward. "But as time went by, I no longer thought of you as the old Rachel. You were the new Rachel, a different Rachel, and I fell in love with you." A second later, he grabbed Rachel's hand. "Can't you give me a chance? Please ... stay by my side. We can be a real family. My love for you is not an act." Shaking her head, she withdrew her hand. "Sorry, Lucas. I've made up my mind. I don't want to be in your wife's shadow anymore." "No, you don't need to pretend. Just be yourself. You can change your name to whatever you want, as long as you don't change your status as my wife." "Mr. Palmer, please stop making things up," Edmund finally spoke. His expression was now cold and flat. "When did you ever marry her?" Lucas stuttered for a moment. "Shut your mouth! Don't interfere." "The one you mar
Edmund took one step forward, showing his sincerity and seriousness. He really wanted to take Alice's hand, but he held the urge back. "I once promised you that I would be a good husband for you and a good father for our children. But I haven't had the chance to fulfill that. Fate separated us. Now, because we have met again, I hope you are willing to give me the opportunity to make that happen." Alice's eyes filled with tears hearing Edmund. His words felt soothing, giving her a sense of security and trust. "Why are you still looking for me, Mr. Hills? I've been missing for years. You could have forgotten about me and looked for a new wife. But why did you come all this way to get me?" "The answer is simple, Alice. It is as simple as I love you. You may not remember, but I once swore that you were the only woman for me. Without you, I would rather be alone or dead." "Even though I'm a weak woman with a dark past? A coward who wanted to end her life twice?" Alice inquired hoarsel
"Maybe someday, we can visit here. But now, we have to go with Uncle Ed," Alice answered softly.Sky looked at Edmund with pursed lips. His heart ached seeing that. "Don't you want to come with me?" he asked carefully. "Do you ... prefer to stay here?" Alice flinched. She didn't expect Edmund to dare to ask that. Things would be complicated if Sky didn't want to move. Luckily, the little girl shook her head. "If you were my Papa, of course Mama and I would have to live with you. We're family. It's just ...." She glanced at Gigi and Gusi behind. Then, she shifted her gaze towards Canis near the stairs, and Felis on the veranda. "Are my animal friends coming along?" Alice sighed in pity. "Sorry, Baby. They can't go with us." "Even Canis?" Alice nodded wordlessly. She didn't want Sky to get more of a picture. It could hurt her. Unfortunately, Sky's tears rolled down. Sky quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand, but her cheeks became even wetter. "It means I have to tell
"There's no problem, Sky," Edmund said. "I'm fine. Now, why don't you go to the waiting room? I have to get the medicine and finish the administration." Before Edmund could take a step, Alice took the paper in his hand. "Let me take care of it. You and Sky just sit in the waiting room." While Alice came out of the doctor's office, Edmund looked at Sky with a sad look. "Want to go to the park?" Sky's eyebrows furrowed. "Is that okay? Mama asked us to sit in the waiting room. What if she is confused about looking for us later?" Edmund shook his head weakly. "She can see us from the waiting room. The park is nearby." He reached out his hand. "Want to go with me?" Sky nodded. Holding Edmund's index finger, she left the room. At the park, they sat on a long bench under a mango tree. Edmund looked up, looking at the fruit. He thought Sky was doing the same thing, remembering their fun in the forest. But apparently, the little girl was just looking at the photos. "Do you miss them?"
On the way to a hotel, Alice smiled seeing how Edmund stroked Sky's face. The little girl was sleeping on his lap with her mouth opened. "What did you say to her in the park? When I came back, she had been cheerful again. Even when we were shopping and eating, her spirits were bursting. No wonder she became so tired," Alice whispered, making Edmund glance over. "Nothing special. Just a few words of reassurance and promise. I owe Sky a lot," Edmund answered softly. Alice snorted a laugh. "Don't promise something you can't keep, Mr. Hills. If you fail, the consequences could be fatal. Sky will go into a rage and you won't be able to stand her." "I know that. I think she can keep talking for 24 hours. I won't be able to work if that happens."Her laughter tickled Edmund's heart even more. When it subsided, he continued, "But to make that happen, I need your help. Do you mind?" Alice furrowed her brows, curious. "What did you promise?" "I promised to show her lots of new things, tak
Alice fell silent. She blinked, digesting each of Edmund's words. "Do you compare us to an elderly couple?" she concluded.Edmund's laughter almost echoed. Of all the messages he conveyed, why did Alice draw it as conclusion? "Isn't our situation similar to theirs? We are husband and wife but we can't do it?" While Alice was stunned, Edmund opened the suitcase and took out several pieces of clothing. "Now if you'll excuse me. I have to take a shower, My Wife." After Edmund left, Alice sighed in disbelief. "I'm the same as grandmothers in their 80s?" Looking down, Alice studied her body. Just like Edmund, she had also buried her desires for five years. "Can I still do it? What if my body has forgotten how it works?" While her brain was wondering, her gaze fell on Sky. She really couldn't remember how they made her. "Was he on top or bottom?" Before Edmund's body fully formed in her mind, Alice quickly patted her forehead. "Gosh, what was I thinking? Come to your senses, Rache
"You're just being pushed by the situation, Alice. Therefore, from this moment on, I hope you will be more careful. Don't be careless, especially since some parties are trying to separate us. Understand?" Edmund really wanted to cup that smooth cheeks, but he worried about crossing the line. He could only let his hands hang. "Okay, I understand. I won't be reckless again. Thank you for reminding me." Alice smiled slightly. Edmund liked seeing that. "Good. Now take a quick shower. You should rest too. Our flight is early tomorrow." Alice nodded. With a warm feeling, she walked in. Meanwhile, Edmund smiled faintly. His heart was relieved to see her progress. "Good. Keep opening yourself to me, Alice. That way, we can get back to being as intimate as before." *** After bathing, Alice stared wide-eyed at Sky. The little girl had turned 90 degrees. She was now lying crosswise in the middle of the bed. Her arms and legs were still spread out as if not allowing anyone to lie beside he
Sky had been on a plane several times, but she was still enthusiastic. Since the plane took off, she didn't look away from the window."Mama, look! There are several new buildings over there." "Mama, look! The sunlight is so beautiful." "Mama, look! That cloud looks like a duck." While Sky kept to comment on everything she saw, Edmund watched in silence. He couldn't reply because Alice was sitting between them. According to the plan, he had to avoid contact with his wife until he found a way to restore his pride. Alice noticed his silence. She glanced occasionally, checking. Edmund was keeping himself busy with the tables on his tablet. His expression was still gloomy. An hour passed, Sky finally got bored. She started drawing in her new book. At that moment, Alice whispered for a piece of paper and borrowed a pencil. "Are you okay?" Alice wrote it down on paper. Then, without making a sound, she put the message on the tablet. Edmund flinched when he saw Alice's hand in front
"Sky, we should have brought that rifle too. Why did we leave it in the tent? The hunter could have taken it," Emily whispered as she shook Sky's hand. Feeling uncomfortable, Louis elbowed his sister in the arm. "Emily, there's nothing to regret. We'd better think of a way to defeat this evil man." "You think you can beat me?" The hunter laughed harshly. "Don't dream!" The hunter raised his rifle again. However, when he was about to aim, a strange sound came from above. Seeing a big orangutan about to jump from a branch, Sky hurriedly pulled the twins to run. She no longer cared about the rifle lying on the ground. She knew very well that angry orangutan was much more dangerous than the hunter. Meanwhile, the hunter was already stunned. He could only scream when the large mammal fell on him. The other hunters who watched did not dare to act. They didn't even move, afraid that the orangutan would think of them as their next target. "Aaargh! You guys .... Don't just sta
The twins fell silent. They didn't know what the right answer was. They didn't want to go back to that cramped confinement, but they also didn't want to be shot. Moreover, the hunter in front of them seemed serious about his threat. "Louis, I don't think we should fight back. He won't hesitate to shoot us. Look, his finger is ready to pull the trigger," Emily whispered anxiously. Louis swallowed hard. He agreed with his sister, but was reluctant to admit it. "Relax, Emily. There must be other ways to survive." He thought hard, forcing his brain to come up with spontaneous ideas. "Sir, how about we negotiate?" he said unexpectedly. The hunter pulled his eyes back from the lookout hole. One of his eyebrows rose. He didn't expect to hear those words. "What kind of negotiation can a little kid like you offer?" "We are not ordinary kids. We are the heirs of the Savior Group, potential great leaders in the future. If you are willing to free us, we will pay you a large amount.
"Papa, what a coincidence, Louis' GPS is with me. I'm looking at the coordinates of our location," Sky blinked stiffly. "That's great, Baby. Can you tell me the coordinates? I will be heading straight there." Sky swallowed hard. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead. "That's the problem. I forgot the numbers I had memorized." Edmund fell silent for a moment. Sky could imagine him sighing in disappointment. "Papa, are you angry? Change." "No, Baby. I'm not angry. I understand that you are too nervous. Try to take a deep breath, calm your mind. You have managed to remember all the numbers and even letters, Darling. Slowly, you will be able to read them." Sky followed Edmund's advice. After closing her eyes for a moment, she looked carefully at the coordinates. "There's a little line sleeping here, Papa." "Okay. That's a negative sign. It means you are south of the equator. Then?" "There's an egg. It's zero, right?" "Yes. You're doing well so far. What's next, D
"Do I see correctly? There is a human child in the middle of the forest?" The man spoke a language that Louis and Emily didn't understand. An annoyed chuckle came from the other man. "Damn! Just adding to our work." "What should we do now?" "What else? We can't possibly let them escape. They can report to other people. Our plan could be ruined. Let's catch them!" The twins blinked at the rifle pointed at them. Emily immediately hid behind Louis' back, while Louis bravely stepped forward and stretched his arms in front of Mimi. "Don't hurt these orangutans! They are rare animals protected by the whole world. They should not be hunted and traded!" Louis exclaimed loudly. Over Louis' shoulder, Emily peeked out. "Yes! Orangutans must be conserved, not hunted. Don't you feel sorry for them? Look! The baby is scared!" Unexpectedly, the two hunters laughed. Not long after that, another person arrived with a frightening aura. His skin color was much paler than his friends. Obvio
"No, Louis." Emily frowned. "We can't leave Mimi here alone. She could die." "But that's what she wants. She wants her child to be safe! She will survive. We just need to save her child quickly. I think we can do it. We are trained children, you remember?" Once again, Emily shook her head firmly. "No, Louis. That's too risky. We can't be selfish and think about our own pleasure. How about we just call the forest house? This is a serious matter." While Louis took a deep breath, Sky knitted her eyebrows. She looked very serious with her lips folded inward. "I think Emily is right. We can't solve this problem alone. We need help from adults. Our parents and the foundation people. We have to report this to them. Mimi needs medical help, while the poachers need to be caught." Louis pondered for a moment. He was actually reluctant to contact his parents. He wanted to be independent. However, Emily and Sky's words made sense. The problem was too big for them. "Okay. I'll call Dad
"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
"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
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
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