Rose and Edward sat on the main couch in the living room, while Night and Star sat properly beside them. “Night, do Mr. Lewis’s parents not like us very much?” Star blinked silently as a way to communicate with Night. Night glanced at her and signaled her to behave. Rose and Edward scrutinized the children and felt an odd sense of familiarity. However, they were certain that they had never met before. The atmosphere in the living room was both awkward and strange. Standing to the side, Logan silently prayed for Aiden to return soon. Suddenly, Rose asked, “How old are you?” “We’re five and a half, ma’am,” Star replied and stretched out her chubby little hand. “Hm,” Rose said with a frown. Her cold tone hurt Star’s feelings, and Star moved closer to Night as she pouted. Night could sense the adults’ dislike for them. He pursed his lips together and did not know what to say. He wanted to go home with Star, but he felt that it would not be right to leave without at least
Aiden faced his parents with a resolute look. “I trust Miss Green. As the patient, I have a bigger right to speak on her medical skills than anyone else. I can feel my health improving daily under her care. This has never been achieved with any other doctor.” Silenced by his conviction, Rose finally dropped the medical aspect and switched angles. “Fine. We won’t discuss her medical skills. Let’s talk about your relationship with her—” However, Aiden interrupted her immediately. “That’s a personal matter, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interfere.” His firm stance left Rose quite irritated. She could not understand why her son was so stubbornly fixated on that woman. Suddenly, she thought of Amy’s children and could not help but say, “Alright. We won’t meddle in your personal affairs, but what about those children? Are you really planning to play the thankless role of a stepfather?” Aiden frowned and prepared to defend the children, but Rose cut him off angrily. “I’ll ne
Cassie was shocked by the update. “What do you mean they haven’t been kicked out?” she asked incredulously. The person on the phone confirmed again, “Yes. The kids are still there. Apparently, the three of them had quite a disagreement and parted on bad terms.” Cassie gritted her teeth in frustration. She never thought that Aiden would go to such lengths for Amy. He even dismissed the concerns of his own parents. Did this mean that Aiden was serious about his commitment to Amy? Filled with resentment, she wondered why Aiden was so obsessed with Amy. Why did she deserve such dedication?… It was the next morning at Imperial Orchid Gardens, and Aiden was having breakfast with the children. “Mr. Lewis, can we see Mommy today?” Night could not help but ask. “I miss Mommy,” Star added as she looked at Aiden with hopeful eyes. Seeing this, Aiden could not refuse their request. He nodded and agreed, “I’ll take you to see your mom after kindergarten, alright?” “Thank you, Mr.
Aiden’s directness stunned the elderly woman into silence. However, Joseph reacted explosively. He glanced nervously at his mother before he stepped forward and shouted, “My mom is in the hospital. Isn’t that proof enough? Just go. Stop bothering her while she’s recovering.” If not for his fear of Aiden’s physical capabilities, he would have tried to physically remove Aiden from the room. Aiden merely glanced at him dismissively and remained unbothered by the outburst. “I don’t know if you’re aware, but because of your son, the doctor who treated you is now being detained at the police station,” Aiden continued solemnly. “I’ve heard from Miss Green that she chose affordable common medicinal herbs for your treatment because she knew about your family’s financial difficulties. She even treated you for free, is that correct?” “Yes…” the elderly woman managed to speak, and her eyes were filled with guilt. Joseph overheard this and became frantic. “What do you mean ‘yes’? Don’t st
Shortly after Aiden and the children left, Wendy and Steven arrived. The two of them seemed angry, so Amy asked with some surprise, “What happened? Did you two have a fight?” “No. We’re just furious!” Wendy gritted her teeth and said, “I’ve never seen someone so shameless. Do people really get more shameless as they get older?” Amy could hazard a guess when she heard this. She frowned slightly and asked, “Did you visit that elderly woman?” “Exactly. She’s unbelievable. She’s throwing false accusations at you even though you were kind enough to treat her. It seems people really do get worse with age!” Wendy was fuming as she recounted their visit. Steven’s expression was not any better. Although Amy already knew this, it still hurt. After all, she had only tried to help, and this was what she got in return. Seeing Amy’s distress, Steven reassured her, “While we might not get her to testify, I’ve found some leads. I believe we’ll hear something soon. Just wait a bit more.”
“Mom, I’m doing this so that your grandson and I will have a better future. You wouldn’t hold it against me, right?” Joseph said as he placed his hand on his mother’s oxygen mask. Before he could remove the mask, someone grabbed his wrist out of nowhere. Aiden and Nolan had entered the ward. “You?” Joseph’s face turned pale as he quickly asked, “Why are you here?” Aiden remained silent. Nolan spoke on his behalf with a cold snort, “We were waiting here to see if anything would happen. I didn’t expect you to stoop so low for money. You would even consider harming your own mother!” “What are you saying? Stop spouting nonsense!” Joseph instinctively tried to deny it. Nolan took out his phone, which displayed a recording. He did not give Joseph a chance to speak and pressed play. The next second, Joseph’s words from earlier echoed in the ward. “Take him to the police station and let the authorities deal with him properly,” Aiden said coldly. Almost immediately after he spok
Joseph had made a purchase from a small herbal shop on the outskirts of the city. After he heard what the officer said, he still harbored some hope that the small shop would not have any surveillance. However, his hopes were dashed when the officer presented him with the surveillance footage. Seeing his ashen face, the officer knew that he had resigned himself to his fate. Continuing his interrogation, he said, “Now that we have evidence, do you have anything else to say?” “What else is there to say if you’ve found everything?” Joseph had given up on making excuses, but he was still reluctant to admit his guilt. The officer remained unfazed and pressed on, “So, are you indirectly admitting that you bought the musk?” “Does it matter if I did it or not?” “What was your motive? Why did you do it?” the officer kept questioning Joseph and ignored his impatient demeanor. After about half an hour, the officer stepped out of the interrogation room. Aiden and Mr. Hamlin approached
After Amy heard what Aiden said, she could not hold back any longer and burst into tears. “I was just trying to be kind. I don’t understand why they treated me this way. Why is the world like this?” She buried her head in Aiden’s arms, and her voice was filled with indescribable grief. Aiden’s heart bled for her as he listened on. Noticing the two embracing, Nolan tactfully raised the car’s privacy screen. For a moment, only the sound of Amy’s sobbing filled the car. Aiden held her and gently patted her on the back to comfort her. “It’s not your fault. People are just unpredictable.” Amy sobbed softly as she listened to him. After a while, she managed to calm down a bit and felt somewhat embarrassed, so she pulled away. She noticed a wet patch on his chest, and her face turned red. “Sorry. I’ve messed up your clothes.” “It’s okay. Do you feel a bit better now?” Aiden looked at her with concern. Amy nodded. “Letting it out helped a lot, but I still feel upset.” Anyone un
Eddie explained, “The shoot’s primary focus is to capture the essence of the wedding gown collection through couples’ portraits, interactions with the children, and scenes depicting a wedding ceremony. “This is a big project, so we’ll start with the wedding ceremony scene. Madame Coco mentioned that you aren’t a real couple or professional models, so do you have any ideas on how to handle the interactions, or should we go with the team’s plan?” Eddie asked and looked expectantly at Amy as well as Aiden. The two of them exchanged glances, and Aiden calmly said, “I’ll follow your lead.” Feeling the weight of responsibility, Amy realized that there was no turning back. She nodded. “Let’s go with your team’s plan. You’re the experts, so you know what works best.” “Alright, then. Let me explain the first sequence for the wedding ceremony series,” Eddie began detailing the scene. After a few minutes, he finished explaining and asked, “So, can you handle that?” “Yes. I think it’
Despite Grace’s reassurances, Amy still felt uneasy about the situation. However, she did not voice her concerns. After all, she had already agreed to Madame Coco’s proposal and tried on the wedding dress. It was not her style to back out at the last minute. It was nearing lunchtime as they discussed the details. Madame Coco suggested that they all dine together, so they all went to a restaurant. Once seated, Madame Coco asked Amy to order. Amy wanted to refuse since she felt that it was more appropriate to let the others decide. However, Grace passed the task to her, and she ended up selecting a few dishes. “Aiden doesn’t like cilantro, so please omit it from the fish, and let’s keep the seasoning light on these two dishes,” Amy mentioned Aiden’s preferences naturally. Aiden and the children did not react, as they were used to it, but Grace’s eyes shone with interest. Seeing how she knew Aiden’s tastes and dislikes so well, it did not seem like they were just friends. Ma
The next morning, Grace arrived at the hotel early to pick everyone up. Madame Coco had already briefed her team at Coco, so the meeting was seamless. “Due to traffic, Madame Coco is still on her way. She asked me to help you with trying on the wedding outfits first,” the lead coordinator explained and gestured for them to follow her. Amy, Aiden, and the children nodded and followed her to Madame Coco’s studio. The studio was huge, and it occupied the entire floor. It was also equipped with top-notch facilities. However, what truly stunned Amy was the wedding gown displayed at the center of the room. The pure white dress was breathtaking under the lights. The tiny pink diamonds that shimmered on the skirt added a touch of unique elegance and made it even more valuable. Next to the gown was a black tailcoat. The contrasting black and white complemented each other perfectly. The attention to detail was remarkable. While the tailcoat was all black, it was adorned with dark p
“You and your friend have the exact looks, presence, and figures that I’ve envisioned for my models,” Madame Coco continued to enthuse. “Your interactions are so loving, and with your two angelic children, you embody my idea of a perfect family.” Amy felt overwhelmed and glanced at Aiden for help. “I’m not particularly interested, but if you want to do it, I’ll support you,” he said calmly. “I don’t really want to.” Amy shook her head. Their relationship was already complicated, and posing in wedding attire seemed even more awkward. The children, however, were excited. They saw this as a perfect opportunity to bring Amy and Aiden closer. Sharing a glance, they silently agreed on their plan. “Mommy, I want to do it.” Star clung to Amy’s arm as she pleaded sweetly. Night joined in and looked up with wide, hopeful eyes. “You know, Mommy, we’ve never taken formal photos together,” he added softly. Amy fell silent, and a wave of guilt washed over her. It was true that she had no
Aiden fell silent for a second and spoke evasively, “You’ll find out in time.” This meant that he did not want to discuss it at the moment. Grace was exasperated but amused. She already had an idea of what was going on. “Fine. If you won’t tell me, I’ll just have fun with my niece and nephew.” With that, she quickly caught up with the rest and chatted happily with them. Aiden felt regretful as he watched them. He wondered if he might have spoiled things by bringing Amy and the children to his meeting with Grace. Unaware of Aiden’s thoughts, Grace took great care of Amy and the children during mealtime. Her enthusiasm overwhelmed Amy a bit, but she did not think much of it. Grace had been friendly since the moment they met. As they chatted, the conversation naturally turned to their following plans. “Where are you planning to go this afternoon?” Grace asked Amy. Amy instinctively glanced at Aiden. Seeing this, Grace raised an eyebrow in curiosity and looked over at him as we
After they wandered around for a while longer, Aiden received a call from Grace. It was time to pick her up. “I’ll be there soon,” Aiden said and ended the call. He put away his phone and said to Amy, “Let’s go. Aunt Grace is ready.” However, Amy felt a bit anxious. “Should I buy her a gift?” Seeing how nervous she was, Aiden teased, “Do you know what it means for you to bring a gift?” “What does it mean?” Amy asked without thinking too deeply about it. Night and Star were speechless when they saw her naive response. They felt like there was still much to do. Unaware of their expressions, Aiden continued to playfully provoke Amy. “It means that you’re my girlfriend.” Amy choked on her own saliva. After recovering, she quickly clarified, “That’s not what I meant, Mr. Lewis. Don’t misunderstand.” “I know,” Aiden replied and nodded calmly, with mischief in his eyes. Amy understood what he was implying and felt amused as well as annoyed. But a strange feeling also spread
The Picasso Church was one of the most famous attractions in the bustling city. It was a busy place with a large flow of people and many vendors. As Aiden and Amy arrived with Night and Star, their striking looks drew attention. However, they did not mind it and began browsing through the stalls, which sold handmade accessories, souvenirs, and clothes. The children found everything fascinating, while Amy was attracted to some culturally rich items. “Mommy, look how pretty those dolls are,” Star suddenly said as she pointed at some dolls on a vendor’s table. The dolls were painted in bright colors, and they had cute expressions. They came in various sizes, and each looked more charming than the last. Amy approached the vendor and asked, “How much for one of these?” “The big ones are five hundred, and it’s a hundred for the smaller ones,” the vendor replied. There was a cunning glint in his eyes as he sized them up as foreigners. “That expensive?” Amy was startled by the pric
Amy knew better than to tell Aiden about the social media posts. So, she glanced at the children with a calm smile. “It’s nothing serious. We were just playing around.” Aiden was skeptical, but since Amy did not want to discuss it further, he refrained from pressing her. He gently patted the children on their backs and reassured them, “She’s just messing with you. Go on over to her.” Night and Star hesitated as they looked back at Amy, whose smile they found suspiciously sinister. A shiver ran down their spine, and they sensed that things might not end well for them when they got back. So, they clung to Aiden and began to wheedle him. “Mr. Lewis, I want to sit next to you.” “Um, can I sleep with you tonight?” Night and Star spoke at the same time, with Night adding the question about sleeping. He had more foresight. He knew that with Aiden around, Amy might not say much. However, she would not let them off the hook once they were back at the hotel. Realizing this, Sta
Right after Aiden shared a photo on social media, his phone started to blow up. It looked like he was making an announcement when he posted the beautiful snapshot by Night. [Wow. Are you making it official?] [Are you guys dating? She’s really beautiful.] [Aiden, when will you bring her to meet us?] Aiden glanced at the messages but chose not to respond. The children also saw the photos that Aiden had shared, including the one of him and Amy. They were overjoyed and more convinced than ever that Aiden had feelings for her. However, not everyone was happy. When Cassie saw the public photo on Aiden’s social media page, she was both shocked and angry. Was Aiden announcing their relationship? Her jealousy was uncontrollable. Aiden’s parents also saw the photo and became furious. Rose could not hold back her anger. “What is he trying to do, slap us in the face? We just released news about finding him a wife, and he’s posting photos with this woman?” Edward kept quiet, but h