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
Sherryn recalled that Angeline was a woman alone with her granddaughter. She was worried about the hardships her granddaughter might face. "I don't have Angeline's contact information," Ned said as he stood up and looked at Sherryn. "Mom, whether the child is adopted or biologically Angeline's, she is the last kin Angeline has in this world. I won't fight her for her daughter!""Is it because of Ingrid?"Sherryn grabbed Ned's arm. "Are you worried Ingrid won't accept the child? Ned... I never liked Ingrid. I only consented to your relationship because you insisted on being with her. If she can't accept the child...""It's not about Ingrid, Mom. Can you please not bring her into everything?" Ned was irritated by Sherryn's words. "Isn't Ingrid good enough for you?""Good for me? Then get married soon and provide me with a grandson! That would be spectacular!" Sherryn sat down huffily in her chair. "You said Ingrid was the one for you, so your father and I agreed. Well t
Ned was unsure of himself. He didn't know how he'd handle his relationship with Angeline if he learned that the girl was his daughter."Right, I'll visit you in Cloudsville tomorrow before heading back to Oceanford," Angeline said, laughing as she spoke on the phone with James. "I'll go straight to the lab, okay?""Great!" James responded cheerfully. "I won't tell them. You can give them a big surprise. Tomorrow is the alumni exchange meeting at Cloudsville College. Many scholars who graduated from Cloudsville College will be back. I'll introduce you. You might find their help useful later on!"Angeline smiled warmly at the thought of her seniors like Reese, Marion, and Alva."These years, it's because of your help and Professor Sharpe's that Vitality Biotech has reached its current state. James... Thank you." Angeline sincerely gave her thanks."What's with the formalities? We put in the effort, but you've rewarded us generously!" James laughed. "The anonymous donation
Angeline went straight into the lounge of room 8918 through a side door. She found only Sean in the lounge. Sean rested his head on the sofa with his eyes closed in fatigue. His glasses lay on the coffee table before him, alongside a cup of steaming tea.In the room separated from the lounge by a glass door, the company executives Angeline saw at the airport were still celebrating. She withdrew her gaze and walked over to Sean. Before she could speak, Sean opened his eyes."Why are you here?" Sean adjusted his position and massaged his temples before wearing his rimless glasses."Taylor had a family-related emergency and asked me to pick you up," Angeline said, bending down to offer Sean the tea. "Are you alright? Do you need me to get you some hangover medicine?""I'm not hungover. It's just a severe headache."Sean took the teacup."I'm sorry I couldn't return for dinner with all of you today.""That's alright. I left after dropping off Yasmine." Angeline sat on the so
Angeline's mind went blank for a moment. A familiar yet unfamiliar masculine scent enveloped her, tinged with a faint smell of alcohol. The kiss wasn't deep, but Angeline felt as though she was suffocating.As Angeline grew lost in thought, Sean released her lips and rested his forehead against hers. "Is that okay?" he asked. His rich, deep voice filled her ears, causing her to heat up."W-what?" Angeline spoke with a trembling voice.Sean lifted his hand to touch her delicate, fair cheek. He caressed her lips with his thumb and asked, "May I kiss you?" Without waiting for Angeline's response, he pressed his thin lips on hers again.His breath, mixed with alcohol, filled her lungs and clouded her mind. She felt her face burn up. She panicked, pushed him away, and turned her head. "You're drunk!" she exclaimed.Just as she pushed him away slightly, Sean grabbed both of her wrists from behind with one hand. He sealed her lips again, pressing her waist toward him with the a