Perhaps the situation was very similar, Larissa took it personally while explaining. However, it was obvious that Kevan's "Lari" was a lot luckier than she was. At least, the man who wanted to marry her loved her sincerely. "Really?" Kevan's expression suddenly grew serious. For one moment, Larissa nearly thought he was in his right mind. "Yes …" She nodded forcefully and said, "I wouldn't lie to you." Kevan stared at her intently for a long time as if he were trying to determine if she was telling the truth. "Then…will you leave?" His hand slid down her face to grasp her hand, their fingers interlocked. His palm was warm and Larissa's heart skipped a beat. She subconsciously used a gentler tone as she said, "I won't leave.""Then when will you marry me?" Kevan asked anxiously, leaning forward with a look of anticipation in his eyes. This question was … "Whenever you say." Lying to him once, twice, or thrice made no difference. Larissa spoke steadily. He wouldn't remember
Kevan waited by the door and yanked it open the moment the doorbell rang, giving Dylan a scare. "You're alone? Where's Larissa?" Dylan scanned the house with his neck outstretched and immediately spotted Larissa, who was waving at him from the middle of the living room. "Larissa's here, so why did you summon me?" Dylan asked impatiently. "Come in first, then we'll talk." Kevan wasn't in a rush to explain, and he went into the study to grab a pen and paper. In the quick two minutes he was gone, Larissa pulled Dylan to her and told him the situation in a whisper. "Mr. Rogers is drunk and he thinks I'm the woman he has feelings for. Now he even wants to marry me." Dylan was one of the few who knew about the situation. After listening to Larissa's explanation, he connected the dots and immediately guessed what Kevan was up to. He had to admit that Kevan was very cunning. When Kevan came out of the study, Larissa and Dylan instantly sat upright and pretended as if nothing had happened
Dylan's words made plenty of sense and immediately got Larissa convinced. "Fine, I'll sign it." Dylan only took two minutes to finish writing the letter of guarantee, and Larissa signed her name on it without hesitation. As per their plan, Dylan separated the letter into two copies and said, "So, I'll keep one copy, right?" Just as he was about to stuff it into his pocket, Kevan stopped him. "Give it to me." Dylan pouted and looked annoyed. "Fine, take it! It's just a piece of paper anyway, not some precious treasure!" Kevan gripped the letter tightly and pointed to the door. "You may leave now," he said. "What a way to burn bridges!" Dylan tutted and walked to the door. Then, he turned around and subtly made an "OK" sign at Larissa. "Does your head still hurt?" Larissa asked Kevan although it seemed very redundant. Seeing how energetic he was earlier, she already knew that he was as fit as a fiddle. However, Kevan slumped onto the sofa the moment he heard her question and fr
"How nice," he sighed. Larissa's heart did a somersault and tears filled her eyes. All of a sudden, she actually regretted that she wasn't really his Lari. She thought that if she was his Lari, she would never have abandoned him even though she had to follow her parents' plans. "Sleep," she whispered while patting his back lightly. "I won't leave your side."Kevan fell asleep very quickly. Larissa was still awake as she counted his long eyelashes and couldn't stop herself from touching his face. His skin was indeed as smooth and tender as she had imagined. Next time, she really had to ask him what his skincare routine was. The alarm clock by the bedside showed that it was past 1 am. Larissa got a shock and wanted to get up from the bed, but Kevan's arms were twined around her waist like vines.She dared not push them away by force for fear of waking him, but it was useless if she was too gentle. Just as she was panicking, Kevan's eyes suddenly flew open, giving her a huge fright.
After going around in circles, they came back to the starting point.Larissa was confused. "Mr. Rogers, since you have someone you like, why are you forcing me to marry you?" She could accept pretending to be his girlfriend, however, faking a marriage was really going too far. Kevan gazed into the distance and a melancholic aura enveloped him as he continued in a softer tone, "The person I like … I don't know where she is … "His voice trailed away and dissipated into the air, just like the person he loved. The sad expression on his face broke Larissa's heart. Although she wanted to comfort him, she couldn't find the right words to say. "I'm tired of chasing after an illusion for so many years," Kevan sighed. "When I saw this guarantee letter that you wrote, I suddenly felt that marrying you wouldn't be too bad either."Larissa was at a loss for words. "I'm not young anymore, and my family has been pressuring me to get married. You're the only woman I don't find annoying."
It was a middle-aged man, looking as stern as ever. His disapproving gaze hadn't changed since the last time they met. "Larissa." Upon hearing him utter her name, Larissa shuddered involuntarily. He had never bothered to acknowledge her before. The only time he called her name was to belittle and criticize her. "Mr. Seymour." Composing herself, Larissa addressed him like any other guest in the hotel. "Is there anything that I can help you with?""Come inside first," Xavier muttered and turned into the room, as if he knew that she would follow his orders. And indeed, Larissa complied.What if he was really here to make a complaint?It turned out she had guessed wrong."Your mother is sick." Xavier went straight to the point.When she heard the news, Larissa wasn't the slightest bit concerned with what happened to Yvette. "With her family's care and support, she should be able to recover soon," Larissa said formally as she maintained a professional smile on her face.
Larissa didn't give Xavier a chance to take her by force.She knew that confronting Xavier head-on was not a wise move, so Larissa chose to compromise before the bodyguards took action."I will return home with you," she said, "but before that, I need to ask for leave from the general manager and delegate my work to others.""Don't try to be clever with me," Xavier warned her, "I have a flight scheduled for 8 pm, so you must be here before 6 pm. If you try to escape, I'll go to your general manager." Larissa had no intention of playing any tricks. Since Xavier knew where she worked and lived, it would be as easy as pie to catch her, no matter how hard she tried to escape. However, Larissa couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong. Xavier had always despised her and thought of her as a burden. When she was still living with the Seymour family, he treated her as if she were invisible. Unless necessary, he wouldn't even spare her a glance.Strangely, Xavier per
This was the first time Larissa had ever sat in the same car as Xavier. When Larissa was a child, she remembered watching Xavier and Lana from the window. Every morning, Xavier would send Lana to school. For a long time, her biggest wish was to be able to ride in Xavier's car too.Unfortunately, the fulfillment of her wish came too late now that she had a complete change of heart since her childhood. At this moment, she didn't even feel the slightest bit of joy; instead, she felt like she was on pins and needles. Xavier closed his eyes and took a nap, refusing to speak to her. The two bodyguards in the front seats didn't talk to her either. Larissa stared out the window in a daze, hoping that this drive would end quickly. Xavier had booked flight tickets in the first class and Larissa was given a seat as well. She thought that this was probably the only nice thing she experienced throughout the journey. As this was Larissa's first time in first class, her cautious
Wendy said, "You have to walk faster than this, Larissa! It's almost time! Your husband can't wait!""Alright!" Larissa quickly gathered up her skirts and followed her.The sun was out.Its golden rays shone softly on the red carpet through the rose petals.Larissa suppressed her desire to stay here for a little while longer and quickly walked toward the end.It was the door to the glass hall.Gary held Aster's hand and his cane in the other, waiting for her at the entrance.When he saw her, Aster immediately let go of Gary's hand and rushed toward her. "You're so pretty today, Mommy!"Larissa patted his head and smiled gently. "Thank you."Aster was her flower boy. Like Gary, he was wearing a tuxedo with a little bowtie.He was holding a basket that was proportionate to his body. In it were rose petals of various colors and shapes.The music suddenly began playing.Gary walked up to her and extended his arm toward her. "Let's go."He looked at her with a smile, his eyes g
Gary and Lewis left Bartham after two days.Blue Star did not give them time off. They couldn't stay for long.Larissa's holidays were coming to an end as well. Half of the time, she was in the Rogers' villa.Because of the pandemic, most of the shops weren't open yet. She slept and ate at home most of the time and accompanied her family. It was quite nice.After the holidays, Kevan and Larissa went back to work.Aster was sent to the kindergarten that he'd been to before. Violet was the one who drove him to and fro.In fact, in order to better take care of him, the parents moved out of Rogers' villa and bought a house in Kevan and Larissa's neighborhood.The days passed in the blink of an eye.Blue Star's company in Bartham was quickly built. Lewis sent over a few loyal and trained employees to hold the fort with Larissa and hired people according to the company's needs. The company was soon on the right track, and the headquarters' work was moved over.Larissa grew busier an
Violet had set aside Larissa's breakfast for her.Larissa ate with reddened cheeks. Kevan and Aster, who had been waiting for her, got up at the same time. Violet brought out a boxful of pie from the kitchen."Don't forget this." She put the box in Kevan's hands."Alright. Thanks, Mom." Kevan looked at Larissa and asked, "Can we go now?"Larissa wanted to ignore him, but in front of Violet, she couldn't express her emotions right now."Yes," she replied, pulling Aster toward her. She said goodbye to Violet and strode out the door.Kevan smiled in slight annoyance and followed suit.…Kevan had told Aster beforehand that they were going to see Great-Grandpa. Thus, all of Aster's questions on the way there revolved around him."Why is great-grandpa called 'Great-Grandpa'?""Is he Grandpa's dad?""Is Great-Grandpa fierce?""If he's dead, how is he going to eat the pie?"…Kevan patiently answered all of his questions.Meanwhile, Larissa looked out the window silently.Keva
Since Larissa had gone downstairs alone, it was natural to expect a few questions."Where's Kevan? Why isn't he coming down with you?""Where's Daddy? He said he would launch fireworks with me."Larissa walked over calmly and made up an excuse. "He's tired, so he showered and slept."The older people did not doubt her. Only Lewis stared at her thoughtfully."Oh … Why did Daddy sleep so early?" Aster pouted in disappointment."You can get him to launch fireworks with you tomorrow. It'll be the same." Larissa patted his head, keeping a calm expression on her face.Anthony and Violet gave the gifts they'd prepared to Larissa and Aster.Violet looked at them, tears falling down her cheeks."I have no regrets now," she said."Thank you, Mom." Larissa gave her a big hug.Violet was stunned, and she cried harder."Good girl." She hugged Larissa back, smiling widely.After Anthony and Violet, Gary and Lewis gave them their gifts. However, they were calm. Aster was so happy that he
"Happy Reunion Day!"For some reason, Larissa's eyes became a little moist. Her voice even sounded a bit choked up."What's wrong?" Kevan nervously held her face, urging her to meet his gaze. "Didn't you like the fireworks just now?"She shook her head. "No, I really liked them!""Then, why are you crying?" Kevan couldn't stand seeing her cry; it tugged at his heart."I'm just very moved."She buried her face in his chest, speaking emotionally, "Welcoming the big family reunion dinner with the person you love is wonderful."The corners of Kevan's mouth gradually curved up as he heard what she said.The hand around her waist tightened inch by inch."I love you too, Lari."He lowered his head and planted a kiss on the top of her head.She hurriedly pushed him away as she sensed his body's response. But she couldn't move him much."They're still waiting for us downstairs!" she reminded him.Lewis knew she was awake, and the fireworks were already over. If they stayed he
It was a rare occasion to have the entire extended family gathered together like this for the big family reunion dinner. In the evening, everyone was in high spirits, having enjoyed a bit of alcohol. Violet took advantage of the festive atmosphere and insisted that Gary and Lewis stay.Since Larissa woke up early after a day without proper rest, she was already feeling quite sleepy even though the reunion dinner TV celebration had just begun.Violet was understanding and told her to go to bed.Larissa tried to muster her energy to stay up."No, I'll at least wait until after midnight."She wasn't someone who adhered to rituals or traditions.In previous years, she wouldn't have stayed up late specifically to welcome the big family reunion dinner day.But this year was different.She had the companionship of her family.She was no longer a drifting, rootless plant in a foreign land.Kevan furrowed his brows slightly and gave her a gentle push."You should get some sleep.
Larissa recalled that there was indeed such an incident.However, Kevan's excuse to her was that he needed to go to Westonia to handle matters concerning Edmund."Kevan knows how the customs work better than you! You're not even married. Yet, you're already taking his side!"Gary scoffed.His displeasure was quite obvious.Larissa chuckled awkwardly, then decided to come clean and reveal the whole truth. "Well, the truth is, Kevan and I never actually got divorced. I married him over six years ago."Gary hadn't heard this from Kevan.So, his emotions seemed conflicted upon first hearing that. He clutched his chest. It was as if he were experiencing some discomfort.Larissa and Lewis quickly approached him, asking with concern, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"In a sudden change of demeanor, Gary used his other hand to playfully tap Larissa's forehead.His expression instantly returned to normal. However, the tap was quite forceful, causing Larissa to wince in pain."If yo
Larissa had to pick up Gary and Lewis early tomorrow morning. So, after having dinner, she returned to her room to freshen up and get ready for bed. As she lay down on the bed, she found herself tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep no matter what she did.Kevan had just managed to put Aster to sleep before coming into the room. He noticed that the lights were still on.He furrowed his brow and asked, "Why haven't you fallen asleep yet?"Larissa lifted the blanket and sat up abruptly. "I'm feeling very anxious right now," she admitted.Her hair was in disarray.There was a troubled expression on her face."Anxious about what?" Kevan inquired."Well, my dad is coming over tomorrow. What if he doesn't get along with your parents?" The mere thought of that possibility gave her a headache."Uncle Gary is a reasonable person. He won't easily give anyone a hard time," Kevan defended Gary.His words brought a smile to Larissa's face. "Are you saying he hasn't been gi
"Alright, then. We shall head out." Larissa gathered her belongings and pulled Kevan toward the exit."I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning. It's almost the big family reunion dinner day. "So, it's hard to find a cab on the road. You might even find yourself waiting for half a day without coming across an empty cab."Gary didn't refuse. Instead, he requested, "Then, you come alone tomorrow."Her steps hesitated a moment, and she sighed inwardly. Gary really hadn't changed."Alright," she agreed.…As soon as they closed the door, Larissa began complaining to Kevan, "I thought my dad had really come around! Turns out, he still has reservations about you!"Kevan tightened his grip on her hand and smiled."Take it slow; there has to be a gradual process."He didn't expect Gary to change his attitude overnight. But as long as things were moving in a positive direction, he was content.She shrugged upon hearing that."Well, it's not me who's being wronged here; it's y