Sean took the phone from Yasmine, who was in his arms, and said to Angeline, "Mr. Millstone didn't just send the kids to join us. He also had Ewan, Jesse, Kieron, Nathaniel, and Rachel tag along."The three Scott sisters weren't in attendance—probably because they were too busy fighting each other for the Scott family fortune.But as soon as the words were out of Sean's mouth, an off-road vehicle stopped beside Nathaniel's car. Lara got out and greeted Nathaniel with a smile.Sean added, "Lara Scott is here, too…"On the other end of the line, Angeline was bemused and tried to catch on to the situation. This trip had originally started as a short one with just her and Sean. She was happy that the kids could join them, but she was puzzled by the fact that everyone else had tagged along, too.She wondered if they were here to mess things up. Angeline wasn't wrong. Robert had arranged for the other people to come mess up Sean and Angeline's private time.She told Sean, "Remind the
"Yeah, and Mr. Lawson Senior will break your legs." Nathaniel pointed at the SUV and trailer behind them. "Look at what he prepared for these two precious treasures. It's obvious they're the apples of his eye!"He wasn't wrong. Yasmine and Xavier were Robert's treasures now."Isn't there supposed to be one more kid?" Kieron stuck his head into the car to see Xavier playing with his Rubik's Cube. He and Yasmine had the same features. His head was lowered, and he had headphones on.Despite their similarity in looks, they were very much different. Yasmine was an adorable little princess, while Xavier looked more level-headed and serious. He seemed to prefer silence. And when he looked up to glance at Kieron, it gave Kieron the feeling that he was a mini version of Sean."Are all the men in the Lawson family like this?" Kieron asked Sean in a low voice.Sean pushed his head out. "Don't scare the kids!""If you ask me, I'd say the kids like me more. Don't you agree, Yasmine?" Nathanie
"Since Angie's done now, let's get going." Sean looked at the children. "Do you two want to go to the trailer, or…""We want to be with Da—Mommy!" Yasmine had almost slipped up."I heard from Mr. Millstone that two of Angeline's friends are still on their way. Aren't we going to wait for them?" Kieron asked."No," Sean replied stoically. He put Yasmine into her car seat and buckled her in.Angeline smiled at Lenny, who stood behind her. "You can head home to spend some time with your girlfriend, Lenny."She'd already informed him earlier that he could take a couple of days off while she and Sean went for their drive. That way, Lenny could be with his girlfriend."I'll leave after seeing you and Mr. Lawson off. There's still some time before the flight, anyway." Lenny smiled as well.Angeline nodded. As she bucked Xavier into his car seat, she asked Sean, "Who are my two friends Kieron was referring to?""Ewan and Jesse." Sean made sure Yasmine was buckled in before looking up a
Xavier's ears turned slightly red when he heard Sean's words."My dream now is to become a doctor! If I were to become one, none of us would have to worry about falling sick in the future. You can focus on your research, Xavier. I'll take care of Mommy and Daddy!" Yasmine swung her legs as she spoke. Then, she giggled. "But my dream might change again when I'm older."Angeline turned around to rub her head. She also pinched Xavier's cheek. "You're both excellent kids. I'll support you no matter what you two wanna do when you're older."She looked at them and continued, "But now, you're still young. Your priority should be to grow up healthily!""Gotcha!" Yasmine said enthusiastically.…That night, Sean found a good spot to set up the telescope. He held the children in his arms as they stargazed. They chattered away.Ewan and Jesse only arrived when Angeline came out of the trailer with two cups of milk for the children.When Kieron saw Jesse and Ewan approach Sean and Angeline
Kieron could hear Lara choke up a little as she spoke. It was a stark contrast with her usual strong, decisive personality."I can only choose between you or Nathaniel. If you're unwilling, I'll ask him about it." Kieron and Nathaniel were Lara's only choices. She continued, "Give it some thought. We can sign a premarital agreement—I won't stop you from doing whatever you want."I know you're not interested in fighting for the Steele family fortune, so I won't force you to work hard or anything. I also won't ask you for a single cent of the Steele family's money when we divorce. If I'm lucky enough to inherit my family's money, I'll even compensate you handsomely."Lara's conditions were pretty generous. And it was as she'd said—Kieron wasn't ambitious. He was worried that if he were to get married, his wife would force him to fight for the family fortune. That was why he'd dragged things out for so long.He took a sip of his drink and mulled over the matter. "Let me think things t
Angeline turned to look at their surroundings before she said in a low voice, "The others will see us.""They're all asleep by now." Sean steadied her chair. "Besides, if it's fine for us to come out on a drive like this, it'd be weird for you to be so far away from me when we're supposed to be looking at the same screen."The bonfire before them flickered, making Angeline's face seem redder than usual. He chuckled. "Or… were you thinking about something else?"She couldn't deny that her mind had gone elsewhere. They were suddenly so close to each other that she thought he was going to kiss her."I have no idea what you're talking about!" Angeline turned to look at the tablet as she sipped her water awkwardly. Then, she pulled out her phone, intending to reply to some emails while waiting for meteors.Initially, when Sean had proposed the trip, she honestly thought it would just be the two of them. She didn't even dare mention that she'd prepared condoms just in case.She should'
Angeline turned to look at Kieron after hearing what he'd said."I know Lara only asked me about it because she saw how Monica gained power in Scott Incorporated because of her identity as the Lawson family's heir's fiancée. That's why she also wants to be known as the Steele family's granddaughter-in-law." He looked troubled."She even said she'd sign a premarital agreement with me. She won't take a cent of the Steele family fortune, and she's even willing to compensate me once we're divorced. It's quite novel, having a woman tell me she'll compensate me."Sean never would've expected that two out of three Scott daughters would use their marriages as bargaining chips. Grace was the only one who was enough of a hopeless romantic to marry a regular individual who wasn't rich or that capable."Do you like Lara?" Sean asked.Kieron thought about it, then shook his head. "I wouldn't say that.'"You should forget about it, then." Sean continued, "If you fall for someone in the future,
Angeline opened the trunk. She'd just pulled out the wine and burner when she heard footsteps. She turned to see Rachel standing by the car."Still awake?" Angeline smiled at her."Nathaniel's mine," Rachel announced as she stared right into Angeline's eyes.Angeline was taken aback. Then, she laughed lightly. "So…""I don't care what Mr. Hooper Senior wants to see between you and Nathaniel. There's no way I'll let you become his wife.""'Let me?" Angeline noticed the hostility in Rachel's eyes. "I'm not interested in Nathaniel, nor will I get together with him. And as for being his wife… I couldn't be any less interested in it and don't want anything to do with it. I'm not your enemy."With that, she turned to leave."You'd better keep your word!" Rachel clenched her fists tightly as she shouted at Angeline's back. "If it turns out that you're lying to me, I'll make you pay for it! I'll maim your children!"Angeline stopped as the rage shot to her head. She turned to look at R
As soon as the words were out of Angeline's mouth, the sound of lounge slippers padding across the floor rang out. Yasmine ignored the shock on Ned's face and turned to reach for Sean. "Hold me, Daddy!"Sean smiled and lifted her into his arms. Then, he stood beside Angeline and looked at Ned imperiously. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Fletcher. I'm Shane Kingston. Thank you for pushing Angie away in the past—it led to my relationship with her."Ned knew precisely who "Shane" was. Just a few days ago, he'd seen the news about Melissa's press conference explaining her relationship with "Shane".His mind buzzed. He knew Sean and Shane looked similar enough for Dexter's men to have gotten the wrong person. However, he hadn't expected "Shane" to have anything to do with Angeline!"You… Are you the kids' father?" Ned's voice was incredibly shaky."Yes, and again, thank you for that!" Sean smiled. "We've never told anyone about this because I didn't want to endanger Angie and the kids.
Sean didn't give Angeline the chance to finish. "You were right to bring this up to me!"He wrapped his arms around her from behind and continued, "You and the kids will always be my main priority. I know I said I want Melissa to remain safe and happy under my watch, but my feelings for her are purely familial love."She's family to me, and I must care for her. But you and the kids mean more to me than anything else in the world, including her."His honesty made Angeline feel slightly more at ease. She said, "Those are your words, not mine…""I swear on my life that I mean every word." He pressed a kiss to her head. "Can I stay here tonight? I want to sleep with you and the kids. Also, I came from Brayden's place upstairs, so no one will know I'm here.""Granddad made it clear that if anyone finds out about this, he won't allow the kids to see you anymore.""Got it. Don't worry about a thing. Mr. Lawson Senior raised me, and I owe him for that. I won't put him in a tough
Angeline nodded without saying anything. Once Nathaniel was gone, she received a call from Sean."Now that everything has been taken care of, I want to give you a gift," he said, the smile in his tone evident. "Can you have the kids spend Friday night at Grand Court Residences? I want to show all three of you my gift on Saturday."He missed Yasmine and Xavier terribly. Before resolving the issue with Melissa, he hadn't dared to say he wanted to see them. Even if Angeline were okay with it, Robert probably would've objected to his wishes. Now that the dust had settled, he couldn't wait to see them."I don't call the shots regarding the kids now. I'll have to ask Granddad," Angeline said."I'll talk to him about it." Sean was worried Robert would take his anger out on her. "This all started because I insisted on being with you, so I'll handle it. I'll visit Mr. Lawson Senior later today."Angeline didn't know how Sean's conversation with Robert went, but Robert had Asher drop
That night, Melissa called Sean. "Shane, let's publicly announce our divorce. We can tell everyone that we only got married on paper so the Lane family could offer you its protection."Tell them that Dexter repeatedly tried to harm you so he could take the Kingston family fortune, and tell them how he tried to snatch you from the Lane family so he could secretly deal with you."She paused, then continued, "Now that Dexter's in prison, we can get a divorce, and Lori can adopt me as her daughter. We'll become cousins, and we'll still be a family.""Melissa…"Sean was surprised. He didn't expect her to see the light in such a short time."Since you don't have any feelings for me and won't ever make me your wife, I'll settle to be Lori's daughter. That way, you'll always be my family!" Tears streamed down Melissa's face as she spoke. "I adore Lori and want to be her daughter.""Alright," Sean said."Can you head to Keman with me, then? We can visit Dad together before getting
Melissa stared at Lori, who chuckled gently. "It's alright. There's no need to rush into anything. Take your time to think about it. Get good rest for a few days, then go shopping with me. We can buy some clothes to keep up with the changing seasons."I heard from Brayden and Sean that you're the expert in fashion and dressing up. I've always wanted a daughter who could shop, exercise, travel, café hop, and go on spa days with me."She paused and continued, "I didn't get to do any of this with you because you weren't in the best state before this. Now, though, you're all better. You're back to normal, and you've regained your memories!""I'd love that!" Melissa said without hesitation. She'd only done these things with her mother and Emelia in her dreams, but that was all they were—dreams. She was delighted now that Lori was back and willing to make her dreams come true.Sean sat on the couch and sipped his coffee. He knew Lori was doing everything she could to make his life ea
Melissa nodded. Sean said, "I know you have no company management experience. Mr. Lane might have entrusted Trustworth Group to me, but it's still yours. Before you find someone to take over, my plan for the company is still to move its focus back to Lonla."The global situation isn't the best now, and Lonla is the safest place for expansion. That's why the company's focus has to return to Lonla—""You can hand the company over to Brayden," Melissa interrupted. "The only people in this world I trust are you, Dad, and Brayden. Now that Dad's in prison and you don't want me anymore, Brayden is all I have left.""I'm still your kin, Melissa. I won't kick you to the curb and leave you to die. Nevertheless, Trustworth Group is yours. You can have whoever you want to manage it. Brayden is capable of that." Sean looked at Brayden. "What do you think? Are you willing to take over Trustworth Group?""I'll do it as long as Melissa is okay with it!" Brayden nodded. He turned to look
"That's not it! I've always been willing to care for you, and I'm more than willing to care for you in the future! It's not something that I'm forced to do…" Brayden feared his words would inadvertently hurt Melissa, so he decided not to continue in that vein.He said, "C'mon, you should head downstairs to eat something. You've already slept the day away.""I don't want to eat!" Melissa lay down again and pulled the sheets around herself. She said dully, "I want to sleep for a bit longer. Shut the door on your way out."Seeing that she'd already shut her eyes and started weeping, Brayden said softly, "I'll have the kitchen keep the food warm for you. Remember to call me when you wake up, okay? I'll be right downstairs!""Okay." Brayden left the room after hearing Melissa's muffled reply. He shut the door behind him.Melissa remained upstairs. She didn't head downstairs, even when Sean returned. Sean had already spoken to Angeline on the phone and told her he wouldn't meet
Melissa slept in her room and only woke up at night. She removed her headphones and opened her red, swollen eyes. She stared dazedly at the night sky, only returning to her senses when her headphones fell out of her hands.Brayden, who'd been waiting outside this whole time, heard them fall to the floor and hurried into the room. He saw Melissa sitting cross-legged on the bed. She propped herself on one arm while leaning down to pick up the headphones.He hurried forward and picked them up for her, then remained on one knee by the bed. He looked up at her and said, "You slept for ages, Melissa. Do you want to have anything to eat? I got all your favorites, and there are different cuisines. I also got your favorite fruits and snacks!"He'd already had the maids throw out the food he'd bought at noon. Then, he'd had his subordinate buy a fresh batch.Melissa turned to look at him dazedly. She said hoarsely, "Brayden…""I'm here," he said. "C'mon, should we get something to eat
Melissa knew Sean well. So, it was impossible for her not to know if he was being serious. Sean was indeed threatening her, and he was using his life to do it. That way, she wouldn't dare to harm Angeline for fear of hurting him.She loved Sean so much that she could give up her life for him. She wondered why he was treating her that way. He knew she wouldn't allow even the slightest possibility of her threatening his safety.Just then, Sean received a call from Brayden. He said, "...Yeah, I've already picked Melissa up. We're heading to Southstream Manor now… Yeah, you can head over there. Buy some food on your way—Melissa probably hasn't eaten anything yet. She should be hungry."At his words, Melissa couldn't hold back her tears any longer. She covered her face and started sobbing. She'd spent her whole life dreaming of becoming Sean's wife, but he was now in love with someone else and no longer wanted her.Yet, she couldn't do anything about the situation, or she'd be hurting