In the photo, a Labrador retriever lay before Yasmine, Xavier, and Angeline. It stuck out its tongue at the camera carefreely. Beside the image of Angeline, a child had added a black blob with watercolor pens. Before Sean could ask, Yasmine pointed to the blob and said, "Daddy!"Sean turned to see Yasmine's bright eyes awaiting praise. He was at a loss for words but smiled, "Yes, very well done!""Right? Right? My brother Xavier also said I did well. But he told me not to draw anymore!" Yasmine's smile widened. She shuffled closer to Sean and looked up. "Xavier also said I shouldn't ask you. He mentioned it might upset Mommy. Did you upset Mommy, Daddy?"Sean didn't know how to explain things to Yasmine. He simply pinched Yasmine's little hand and replied, "Perhaps a little.""Mommy is very soft-hearted. If Daddy sweet talks Mommy, she will hug and kiss you!" Yasmine looked earnestly at Sean, her words clear and precise."Will you live with me and Xavier in the futur
Vitality Biotech Group was not based in Marvonia. So, naturally, they faced sanctions from Marvonia.Two years ago, Marvonia's top officials presented Vitality Biotech Group with two options. Vitality Biotech Group could either sell to Marvonia or face sanctions. Despite the challenges, Vitality Biotech Group remained steadfast. The company's recent research on living robots caught Marvonia's attention. Marvonia highlighted the ethical risks and technical control issues. They demanded that Vitality Biotech Group hand over its living robot technology.Vitality Biotech Group was set to attend a hearing in Marvonia on the 29th of this month. The announcement stirred the international community just a few days ago. Although Vitality Biotech Group was registered in Ravoria, its founders and main stakeholders were Lonlanese. This fact was well-known, but the identity of the founder was not. Unexpectedly, the founder turned out to be Angeline.Sean adjusted his glasses and chuckled. He
Yasmine had grown very fond of Sean from the moment she met him. She insisted that Sean be the one to tuck her in at night. Angeline sat on the couch and browsed the news online. The breakthrough in chip and lithography machine technology was the talk of not just the mainstream media, both domestic and international, but also various social media platforms. Angeline couldn't help but smile as she read. It reinforced her belief that technological advancements must be in one's own hands.It was past ten when Angeline peeked into the bedroom and saw Sean and Yasmine fast asleep. She carefully covered them with a blanket and quietly left the master bedroom.The following day, Angeline woke up to find Sean had already left for work. He had left a note for Yasmine, mentioning they would meet at the Lawson family estate in the afternoon. After completing her morning exercise and catching up on international news, Angeline locked her phone screen and entered the master bedroom. She g
Angeline knew Jessica liked gardening because Robert had mentioned it. "That's a great idea! Let's quickly get ready and head out after breakfast," Angeline suggested as she gently ruffled Yasmine's hair."Okay!" Yasmine sprang out of bed. She efficiently grabbed the small stool Sean had set up the previous night and briskly went through her morning routine. She then obediently sat at the dining table for breakfast.While Angeline was on the phone on the balcony, Yasmine used her smartwatch to video call Xavier. The call connected quickly, revealing a face identical to Yasmine's on the tiny screen. However, Xavier, on the other end, was stern. He tapped his finger on a laptop keyboard. He coolly uttered just one word, "Speak."Yasmine glanced surreptitiously at Angeline outside and whispered, "Xavier, I met Daddy. He tucked me in last night."Yasmine shared the previous day's events with Xavier during Angeline's brief phone call interruption."Xavier, Daddy's embrace feels d
Angeline walked over and gently rubbed Yasmine's round head. Yasmine held Angeline's index finger and pointed at the peony on the table. She laughed and said, "Mommy, beautiful Mrs. Lawson would be so happy to see such pretty flowers."Angeline asked the elderly man with a light laugh, "Sir, is this flower for sale?"The elderly man glanced at Angeline and smiled warmly. He asked, "Do you recognize this flower, or are you buying it for your daughter to play with? This flower is not easy to care for."Angeline responded honestly, "I only know it's a peony. It's not for the child to play with. It's for a family member. The elders at home love flowers, so I'm picking one as a gift."The elderly man confirmed, "This is a peony called 'Silver Petals', the most beautiful in the country. It wasn't easy for me to raise it."Angeline inquired politely, "Could you consider parting with it?"Yasmine reassured the old man with her chest puffed out, "Mister, this flower must be your treas
Ingrid's panic was hidden behind her sunglasses, especially when she laid eyes on the child. Her grip tightened unconsciously, which hurt Sherryn so much that it brought her back to her senses.Although Angeline didn't expect to see them here, she did not avoid them. Regardless of the Fletcher family's reason for letting her stay with them in the past, they had taken her in nevertheless.Although Ned's parents were often away on business, they always included a gift for her when they returned for the holidays. Their estrangement later on was because of Ned. Angeline's last memory of meeting Ned's mother, Sherryn, was unpleasant. Sherryn had hysterically accused Angeline of holding on to Ned, who had lost his memory. She pleaded with Angeline to stop disrupting his life and felt that Ingrid's status was unworthy of her son. She commanded Angeline to find a way to separate Ingrid from Ned as a way to repay them for the many years of shelter they provided.At that time, Sherryn pro
The unease Ingrid felt grew more intense when she learned that Ned had regained some of his memories. "Angeline is already married, and the young girl might just be tall for her age." Ingrid tried to calm her rapid breathing and steady her emotions. She supported Sherryn on the other side. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Fletcher. We were too late to buy the Silver Petals you wanted. I'll keep looking for a florist willing to sell."Sherryn was not in the mood to talk about the flower now. Her mind was filled with Yasmine. Yasmine resembled Angeline so much when she was young. She wondered how, if the little girl was Ned's child, she could let her granddaughter wander outside.Angeline drove with Yasmine to the entrance of the old Lawson residence. She looked back at Yasmine, sitting obediently in the car seat. Yasmine immediately raised her hands above her head and made a heart shape at Angeline. "Mommy, love you!"Angeline was amused by Yasmine and gathered the courage to lightly step
Angeline was already happy when the doors opened. Robert pressed his lips together. He turned back and saw Jesicca moving forward, smiling.She lifted Yasmine from the electric car. Yasmine hugged Jessica's legs tightly. She looked up and pretended to be shy, rubbing her plump little face affectionately against Jessica as she expressed her longing.Yasmine pointed at the Silver Petals. She told Jessica she liked flowers and had picked them out with Angeline that morning. She expected Jessica to enjoy it at first sight. Yasmine looked proud and sought Jessica's praise.The housekeepers came out to greet them. The group was laughing together. "You're so considerate of Jessica. I'm relieved," said Robert gravely. "But this is not your fault. I lost my daughter first. I gave the villains an opportunity. Without you... Jessica could not have escaped. She might not even be here anymore."Robert was sincere in saying those words. He had never shared them with anyone. The residents o