"Where the hell did that good-for-nothing disappear to?" grumbled a voice, frustration palpable. "He didn't greet the guests during the day, and now he is not even here to see them off. Can't even bother with his own daughter's one-month celebration! What can he possibly achieve in life?"Jacob chimed in, slamming his cane on the ground, seething. "That boy must be up to no good again, influenced by some troublemaker. Just wait until he gets back; I'll break his damn legs!"Gracie kept her eyes down, saying nothing. Chelsea approached and gently took Gracie's hand, her voice filled with concern. "Gracie, Kelvin's always been a wild one, but you're the only one who can rein him in. Please keep a closer eye on him – he's a grown man who still can't seem to act responsibly."Gracie pulled her hand away, muttering with resentment, "He has got his own hands and feet; no one can control him."Chelsea, taken aback, studied her closely, her worry intensifying. "Is there something going on
"What does Grandma have to do with Gracie and Kelvin's drama? Aren't we discussing their issues right now?" Kisa said.Sara was at a loss for words, her eyes wide and pleading as she looked at the Hoover family. They did not care much for Kisa, but they were not exactly fond of Sara either. Already annoyed by Sara's presumptuous behavior in drawing the surrounding guests into the conversation, the Hoover family offered her no support.Just then, Kelvin finally emerged from his hiding place inside the house.As soon as Kelvin appeared, Sara dashed over to him, her voice trembling with feigned innocence. "Kisa accused me of trying to drive a wedge between you and Gracie. You need to explain to everyone that it is Gracie who wants a divorce over some petty issue. This has nothing to do with me."Kelvin did not even glance her way; his anguished eyes were locked on Gracie. Gracie's expression was icy, her gaze downcast and silent. Seeing the tension between the couple, Mrs. Hoover real
Gracie could not care less about his reaction. She had already salvaged the Hoover family's reputation, so all she had to do was wait and see how he responded.Scott and Chelsea were on edge, urgently prodding Kelvin. "Come on, tell us! Did Gracie actually bring up divorcing you or not?""Absolutely, I heard it with my own ears." Sara chimed in, her voice laced with anxiety as she shook Kelvin's arm.Annoyed, Kelvin pushed her away and declared. "No, Gracie and I vowed never to utter the word 'divorce.' There is no way she could have brought it up."Gracie's heart skipped a beat as she stole a glance at Kelvin, quickly averting her gaze.Fuming, Sara glared at Kelvin before turning to Gilbert. "You were in the backyard earlier too. You must have heard Gracie say she wanted to divorce Kelvin, right?"Gilbert's icy expression remained unchanged. "I didn't hear Gracie say anything like that.""Ah, so it is this woman stirring up trouble with baseless rumors? What a relief." Chelsea
On the way back, after a day of fun, the three children were exhausted and fell asleep in the car. Gilbert had Davian drop the children off at the Kooper residence while he and Kisa got out halfway.In early summer, the evening breeze was refreshingly cool. Gilbert held Kisa's hand as they strolled along the sidewalk."Tired?" he asked, glancing at her. "If you're tired, we can just take a cab back to the apartment."Kisa had lost her child at the Kooper residence, and Gilbert, fearing it would upset her, had not dared to let her return there. Instead, they had been staying together at an apartment.Kisa shook her head. "I'm not tired."A walk like this was actually quite nice. Not far ahead was the riverbank. Under the streetlights, the sparse silhouettes of people created a peaceful atmosphere.Thinking about the day's events, Kisa could not help but worry. "I wonder if Gracie and Kelvin will reconcile.""Don't worry." He reassured her. "Gracie turning the tables on Sara at th
Gracie strode in, ignoring Kelvin's presence as she set the bowl of steaming chicken soup on the desk with a deliberate thud.Kelvin's eyes flicked back and forth between her icy stare and the aromatic bowl of soup. He could not help but grumble."If you are not here for a heartfelt apology, don't even bother."Today had been nothing short of infuriating.'How could this woman so casually mention divorce and utter words like, "it doesn't matter whether I'm around or not"? What did she make of our love, our sacred union?'As Kelvin's frustration simmered beneath the surface, Gracie suddenly picked up the chicken soup and downed it in one go. His eyes widened in disbelief. 'Isn't that soup meant for me?'Gracie licked her lips, smirking at him. "Don't get it twisted. I'm not here to apologize. I'm just bored and needed a good book to read." With a flourish, she turned her attention to the bookshelf.Kelvin's rage reached a boiling point, his piercing gaze fixed on her with resentm
With a final burst of rage, he slammed the door shut once again, signaling his anger.Gracie rolled her eyes. 'So immature.'Despite storming out earlier, when Kelvin returned, he brought her favorite cheesecake. By this time, Gracie's anger had completely evaporated. Silently, he placed the cheesecake on the bedside table and turned to leave. Gracie hurriedly called out to him."Hey, you bought such a huge cake, there's no way I can eat it all by myself.""Throw it away if you can't finish it," Kelvin replied dismissively, without turning his head.Gracie pouted. "It's not as fun eating it alone."He stopped in his tracks, and Gracie thought he would stay to eat with her. Instead, he muttered, "If you think it is no fun eating alone, then go find a few people to share it with." He said this and continued walking out without looking back.Gracie panicked, quickly threw off the covers, and rushed to embrace him from behind."Are you still mad?" Gracie asked, with a tilted head a
"Why did you suddenly stop, we were just...""Damn it! You've just given birth not long ago, what else could I do? If it wasn't for your health, do you think I would be able to hold back? And you still have the nerve to doubt me."Gracie's face blushed at his words, and she yelled, "You dare to try yelling at me again!""You still dare to doubt me? I've been putting you first, and all you do is doubt me. It's driving me insane." Kelvin retorted before storming into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.Gracie felt a mix of anger, embarrassment, and amusement. She buried her face in the blanket, letting out a muffled cry before getting up to nonchalantly enjoy her cheesecake.The crowd strolling by the river gradually dispersed. A cool breeze blew across the water, bringing a touch of chill. Gilbert removed his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders. The woman leaned quietly against him. At this moment, even without speaking or doing anything, he felt content, a sense o
"What did it feel like to listen to them having such a good time while you hid in the shadows?"The man was obviously teasing her.Kisa glared at his mischievous smile, expressionlessly spat out a word. "Boring."'He's still so hopeless. I was talking to him about serious matters, and he was focused on teasing me.'Gilbert caught up with her, cradling her small hand in his, gently laughing. "No more anger. Let's go back."Kisa did not speak but let him lead her. After a while, she could not help but ask, "What do you plan to do about Sara?"Gilbert did not care about Sara; he casually said, "She can't steal any secrets from GK. You really think she's like you?"The last sentence was said casually, but Kisa knew what it meant—only she could steal GK's secrets. It was not because she had any special abilities, but because Gilbert had allowed it. She looked at the hand gripping hers, following the arm, looking at his profile. Under the moonlight, his profile was elegant and soft, n