Jonathan looked at Thaddeus, then glanced at the woman and the two adorable little children behind him, feeling a pang of jealousy in his heart. In the end, Thomas was the lucky one, and it wasn't Jonathan's fate to have grandchildren.Jonathan grabbed Thaddeus' hand, his eyes murky, and resembled a concerned father. "Ted, you youngsters can communicate better. Help me convince him."Thaddeus knew this matter wouldn't change, and he could only slowly accept it. But at this moment, after seeing Jonathan's powerless state, he couldn't bring himself to refuse."Mr. Moore Senior, don't rush," he advised. This matter truly couldn't be rushed.Jonathan nodded. "Okay. You guys talk."After speaking, Jonathan stood up and left the private room with his assistant.As soon as Jonathan left, Benji, feeling wronged, began to cry out exaggeratedly, "Quick, untie me. I can't move my legs."Thaddeus walked over to untie him, moving slowly despite Benji's shouts, and teased him lightly, "I told
Now, he himself had suggested bringing her to climb Juniper Summit to see the night view."You hate climbing Juniper Summit the most, don't you? If you don't want to go, don't force yourself," Jessamine said.Thaddeus almost choked on his wine. He glanced sideways at her and seemed deeply resentful about this matter. She had asked him before, and he also remembered it."When did I ever say I hate climbing Juniper Summit?" he asked.Jessamine rolled her eyes at him. "Isn't it obvious? Your expression said it all back then. I'm not blind."Thaddeus went silent. He wondered if his expression really was that bad back then."The times you mentioned before were unsuitable for it. The weather is nice today, and you should still be able to see quite a few stars while on the mountain," he said.Jessamine was somewhat annoyed. Why couldn't he just admit it if he didn't like it? She hadn't said anything before, and now that they were divorced, she wouldn't make a fuss about it."Oh, so I
Jessamine retorted, "Of course, I eat everything. I gained four pounds after giving birth."Thaddeus chuckled softly, his shoulders shaking as he did so. "So, you're proud of gaining four pounds?"He didn't want to discourage her, but after seeing how thin her small arms and legs had become, he worried he might break her with a slight effort. Over these four years, she had obviously gotten thinner than when she was with him. Even her chin was sharper now.At this moment, Layla, who had been focused on eating, spoke up in a small, childish voice, "Mommy doesn't like to eat raw vegetables, carrots, spinach, cabbage, green beans, romaine lettuce, and…"Jessamine was speechless. The embarrassment came so swiftly that Jessamine's face turned beet-red. She hadn't expected Layla to eavesdrop on their conversation while eating, and to even understand what they said. She had outright exposed all Jessamine's secrets.Thaddeus had a triumphant look on his face, as if he had caught her being
"Thaddeus, accepting such an expensive gift from you doesn't seem appropriate," she said.Thaddeus lightly licked his lips, his brow twitching. "Jessie, it's just a necklace. There's nothing inappropriate about it. How come you can accept flowers from other men but not a necklace from me?" He intentionally provoked her using his words.Jessamine chuckled to herself, wondering why she hadn't seen before that he was a man who loved bringing up old issues. She picked up her glass of wine, and the next second, his slender hand fell on her wrist.Thaddeus looked at her, his dark eyes like an abyss filled with endless temptation. Jessamine glanced at him and immediately looked away.Thaddeus took her glass of wine and poured the remaining half into his mouth. "Jessie, if you drink any more, you won't be able to climb Juniper Summit to see the night view," he said.He took out the necklace, leaned forward, and put it on her, adjusting the pendant on her collarbone. Thaddeus' thumb was re
Jessamine pressed her lips together and remained silent. She really didn't dare to promise him anything.These past few years, she had developed some resistance toward emotions. After all, she was once bitten and was now twice shy.She held a feeling of reverence toward the word "love". She couldn't deny a small expectation deep down, but she didn't dare to try again. Life didn't give her so many chances to repeatedly make mistakes.Seeing her remain silent, Thaddeus self-deprecatingly smiled and changed the topic. "Are you full? If you're full, we can set off."Thaddeus called a taxi with his phone, and within minutes, the driver arrived. The family of four went downstairs. Thaddeus sat in the front passenger seat, while Jessamine and the two children sat in the back. The car ride was quiet all the way, maybe because of the stranger's presence.The car stopped at the foot of the mountain.Juniper Summit had a specially paved path for viewing the night scenery, and the steps were
"Grandpa, I brought mosquito repellent," Thaddeus informed.Thomas responded with a hum. "I called you mainly to tell you to keep an eye on Noah. He met that girl as I asked, but he reportedly left after just two minutes. How am I supposed to explain this to her family? Both of you are embarrassing me!"When Thaddeus heard Noah being mentioned, he perked up. "Grandpa, did Noah not come home after?""He didn't. I had Joe call, but no one answered," Thomas replied.As they were talking, Jessamine received a message from an unfamiliar number, but based on its tone, she could guess who it was.It read, "Jessie, I was supposed to take you away today, but something came up on my end. Sorry. I'll reschedule and let you know once I have the tickets."Jessamine felt a chill after reading it. She blocked Noah's number and WhatsApp contact. This number was clearly his new or secondary number.The video call on Thaddeus's side was still ongoing. Jessamine lifted her phone and mouthed to Tha
Thaddeus sighed helplessly. "Joe, I'll keep some of these things, but can you take the rest down the mountain?"Joe's eyes lit up when he saw the two little children. They were so cute! He couldn't resist wanting to pinch their chubby cheeks."Joe?" Thaddeus called out again.It brought Joe back to his senses, and he replied, "Mr. Thaddeus, Mr. Thomas instructed that all these items must be brought here and that not a single piece can be left out. Please, don't make it hard for me."He didn't dare say that Thomas also instructed him to take a good look at the children and report back.Beside them, the tent had been set up. It was an extra-large family model that could fit the four of them. The two kids were quite excited as it was their first time going out with their parents. Despite still having some resentment toward their father, this moment of excitement earned him some points.After the mats were laid out, Lucas and Layla were inside the tent, playing the mud-jumping game l
Thaddeus understood and knew she had no intention of stopping him, which made him feel relaxed. "I know, I won't force Layla and Lucas. We'll bring it up after they fully accept me."Of course, he hoped this process wouldn't take too long. Besides other things, he couldn't bear the pressure from his grandfather. Thomas was so excited to hear about his great-grandchildren that he ate two extra plates of pasta that day. According to Joe, his grandfather had even resumed his martial arts practice as he was worried that he wouldn't be able to hold the two children, and started training in advance.The one thing he did in his life that Thomas was most pleased with was probably giving him two grandchildren."I will keep an eye on Noah," Thaddeus assured Jessamine.Shortly after saying this, Jordan called. "Mr. Holt, as you expected, Noah went through the motions of a blind date and then went to Mrs. Holt's villa."Upon hearing this name, Thaddeus' expression turned gloomy. "Keep watch