Kevan narrowed his eyes. Bethany was likely to turn out badly with such poor parenting. While he wouldn't harm her, he also wouldn't go out of his way to direct her to the right path either. What she would become in the future was completely up to her.Larissa's heart sank as she listened. She advised, "Bethany is still young, and her flaws can be corrected slowly. You just need more patience. I see you have plenty of patience with Aster, and you seem to know how to interact with children.""That's because I like Aster." Kevan's smile softened as he mentioned Aster. "Aster is a good kid. He's good-looking and well-behaved, unlike Bethany."She naturally felt happy and proud upon hearing him praise Aster. In response, she complimented with a guilty conscience, saying, "Actually, Bethany isn't that ugly. If she were to lose weight, she would definitely look prettier." To be honest, even if they overlooked all other physical imperfections, her small eyes wouldn't become larger even with t
Wendy fell silent for a moment before asking Larissa, "Do you remember Barbara's prediction back then?"Of course, Larissa remembered, even though six years had passed, and they had long moved away from the town without further contact with Barbara.Her feelings toward Barbara had transformed from initial dislike and rejection to gratitude. If it were not for Barbara, she would have never been convinced to keep the child.But she didn't understand the purpose behind Wendy's question. "Why are you bringing this up now?""Well, Barbara said that you will reunite with your ex-lover," Wendy said with a serious tone. She always believed in Barbara's words. "So, perhaps, now is the time."Kevan had lost his memory and had no connection to Larissa's past. His words to Aster couldn't be baseless—either he was interested in Larissa, or he genuinely liked Aster. Regardless, he would make a fitting "father figure" for Aster. More importantly, Aster also liked him a lot.Larissa appreciated Barbar
Larissa would never allow Aster to be in such a dangerous situation. Once again, Wendy fell silent. There was a long pause before she asked, "What if Kevan pursues you?"Larissa replied firmly, "That's impossible!"Wendy became angry. "Fine! I won't give you advice anymore. Do as you wish!" She gritted her teeth and ended the video call abruptly.…Larissa had a restless night, likely influenced by Wendy's words. She had a long dream. In that dream, Kevan embraced Ruby and stood before her. The two of them were still as sweet and affectionate as before, completely ignoring her presence. Larissa watched from a distance with her heart aching. All of a sudden, two cats appeared in Ruby's arms. They were Muffin and Cookie, the ones she had raised. She'd left in a hurry previously and entrusted the cats to a pet shop. She left Violet's contact information with the pet shop, but she wasn't sure if Violet had ever brought them back home."Muffin! Cookie!" she called out with joy.However, th
Larissa had been sticking to a regular routine for some time now in order to take care of Aster. But this time, her sleep quality had dropped, and she unexpectedly got a headache. She wasn't sure if it was a sign of getting older or simply leading an overly comfortable life before.Her temples throbbed persistently, accompanied by nausea and chest tightness. As a result, she couldn't focus during the meeting and couldn't recall what others had said.After she instructed her secretary to make a photocopy of the meeting minutes for her, she headed downstairs alone. Her headache became unbearable, and she urgently needed to visit the pharmacy to purchase a box of painkillers.There were guests going through the check-in process at the front desk, which was a common sight in hotels. She merely glanced at them and continued walking but stopped when she heard the words "presidential suite". The Winston Hotel, being a five-star hotel rivaling Regal Dynasty Hotel, naturally offered presidenti
If it were at 7 pm, then Larissa would need to ask her assistant to stay a little longer after work to keep an eye on Aster."Sure, I'll be there on time," she replied with a smile.Gary let go of her hand and rotated his wrist, turning his palm upward. "This time, you should have your contact information, I hope?" he asked.Larissa handed him her business card. "If you need anything or have any suggestions or feedback about our hotel, feel free to reach out to me at any time."He carefully tucked her business card into his pocket and said, "Great."…Larissa had already instructed Aster to wait for her in the office at night and not wander around."Ah …" He frowned and appeared reluctant. "But I'm scared to be alone at night."She pinched his chubby face and reassured him, "You won't be. Chad will be around." Chad was her assistant."But Chad doesn't like to talk or play games. It's boring to be with him," Aster complained, his expression filled with worry.She playfully tapped his fo
Larissa made it to the room Gary had booked and found that he was already waiting for her inside. Most of the guests who stayed at the Winston Hotel were wealthy because five thousand dollars was the minimum spending for a room that could only accommodate ten people. Of course, the price per head of eating at the hotel's restaurant was a lot higher than other places, so nobody had to worry about not spending up to five thousand dollars. However … If there were only two people, then it was a different story altogether.Gary handed Larissa the menu and hinted intentionally, "Pick the more expensive dishes." However, Larissa felt embarrassed to do so. "You're an esteemed guest at our hotel, so you're exempt from the minimum spending rule," she lied. Anyway, she had a say in these matters after all. She picked two averagely-priced dishes and pushed the menu back to him. "Here, see if you would like to add anything," she said.Gary ordered one of each of the most expensive dishes the re
Larissa missed Aster, so she took out her phone to see if there were any messages from her assistant. Gary thought she was busy with work and was very considerate about it. "You may leave earlier if you have business to attend to," he said. "It's my son …" Larissa smiled apologetically. "He's waiting for me by himself upstairs and I'm quite worried.""You have a son?" Gary widened his eyes in surprise. "I thought you were still very young!" Regardless if he was just being courteous, Larissa took it as a compliment. "I'm already over thirty," she said. "Over thirty?" Gary zoned out for a brief moment and his expression suddenly became sorrowful. "My daughter … should be around your age! But I don't know if she could be as successful as you are." His words gave a lot of details away. Larissa was curious, but she was tactful enough not to pry. "She must be more successful than I am," she said.Gary smiled and dropped the topic. "Go ahead. Don't keep your kid waiting." Larissa th
Aster and Kevan were playing online games at home. The gaming console was connected to the television and the living room resounded with the game's background music and their shouts of excitement. This was the scene that met Larissa's eyes when she got there. Her anger inexplicably burned even brighter, and she slammed the door shut. The two people inside immediately kept quiet, and their smiles vanished. Aster threw down his controller and rushed to Larissa, throwing his arms around her tightly. "I'm sorry, Mommy!" he apologized sweetly, sneaking glances at her with his gleaming eyes. Larissa's heart melted a little, but she forced herself to remain steadfast. She pulled him away expressionlessly and watched as a look of panic crossed his face while he teared up. "Mommy …" Aster pouted miserably and his voice was a lot softer than before. In the blink of an eye, Kevan had switched off the television and walked over to them. "Sorry," he said to Larissa. His gaze was dark and hi