Time was needed to retrieve the footage. Ella told Larissa to leave first, and that she would send it over to her later.Larissa held Aster's hand tightly. She was really scared. The unknown man Ella mentioned … Although she had not seen him in person, she had a feeling that the man was not anyone with good intentions."Ms. Gilmore said that a man came to pick you up?" Larissa asked Aster."Yep." Aster nodded. "But I didn't know him, so I didn't leave with him.""Great job!" Larissa smiled and gave him a thumbs-up.Ever since he was able to understand them, she and Wendy had been teaching him about stranger danger. It seemed that their hard work had paid off."If Mommy ever needs someone to go pick you up, I will call Ms. Gilmore beforehand, okay? If I never informed Ms. Gilmore, you can't leave with anyone who says that they're here to pick you up, and that includes Uncle Kevan and Uncle Dylan, do you understand?""Aww …" Aster's face crumpled. "Why are Uncle Kevan and Uncle Dy
Larissa felt worse. She would miss Aster too, but there was no other way.She took three days of leave and booked the flight tickets to Aldovia. Moreover, she had to deal with the handover properly before leaving and arrange tasks and assignments for the others to ensure that her three-day leave would not affect their work progress.She also called every VIP guest of the hotel and informed them. "I will not be in the hotel for the next three days, so if you have any issues, you may find our assistant manager. I will send his number over later."Gary asked her, "Where are you going?"Based on the information he received, Larissa was a workaholic. When she was in Aldovia, she never applied for a single day of leave, working from the early hours of the morning until the late hours of the night. After returning to Caldor, she left work earlier than she used to and would occasionally apply for a day off or two, probably because she needed to take care of her child. But to apply for thre
Larissa was pulling her suitcase with her out of the elevator when she turned only to halt abruptly.Someone was sitting on the floor outside the door. His back was against the wall, and his legs were pulled toward himself while his head was down, his shoulders completely slumped. There was an aura of desolation around him.She had not yet figured out what was going on when she locked eyes with him.The moment he saw her, his dull eyes brightened up immediately. Kevan scrambled up from the floor and dashed toward Larissa while she was confused and blanking out in a few steps, grabbing her by the shoulders and yanking her into his arms.The fresh smell of mint pervaded her nose, and his broad chest as well as his strong arms caused Larissa's heart to pound, her body feeling hotter and hotter.Kevan hugged her tightly as if he were going to crush her.Feeling his trembling, Larissa stopped herself from pushing him away and hugged him back instead."... What's wrong?" she asked sof
Kevan was certain that Larissa and Aster had no reason to be targeted by anyone."I'm only doing what I should be doing."Larissa knew that too. But she just thought that these were all Kevan's sins from before, and he should not be paying for them now."I've already gotten a friend to look into it, so you don't have to waste your energy.""Friend?" Kevan studied her face.It was likely due to her sad childhood that Larissa never liked being close to anyone. All these years, the people around her had changed a lot, but Wendy remained her only friend—though Dylan could be somewhat considered her friend too.Larissa would never ask Wendy, who was on the other side of the world, to help her out with this. But if she reached out to Dylan, he would inform Kevan at once. So, this was either an excuse she used deliberately so he would not be troubled, or there was really such a "friend" that he was unaware of.Kevan suddenly felt a sense of danger."Who? Do I know them?" Even though h
The information Gary found was more than what Larissa had anticipated. At the same time, it was completely different from what she expected."The man who appeared at the kindergarten that day was called Ron Jules. He's a street thug who extorts money from small business owners as a way of living," Lewis explained to her in a neutral tone of voice."Street thug?" Larissa clutched the folder she had in her hand, which was something Gary just gave her. The papers within were slightly over an inch or so thicker, making the folder bulky."Yes." Lewis nodded and gestured at the folder, saying, "You can have a look at what's inside. Most of it is his criminal record."Larissa flipped open the folder, accidentally letting it slip from her hands, and it crashed onto the floor. A stack of photos slid out of it. The photos were likely printed from some sort of internal system as almost every one of them clearly displayed the front of Ron's face, who had stared obediently at the camera when th
"No way! Absolutely not!" Larissa denied the possibility at once.The Seymours hated her so much, so how could they suddenly want to meet her son? Even if she considered things from a different perspective, they should not have let someone like Ron go pick Aster up if they wanted to meet him so badly.Her reaction was just as Gary had predicted.The truth was, his suggestion from before had only been just an attempt to sound Larissa out. He already knew that she did not have it good with the Seymours from her previous narrative. She did not like the Seymours, and they did not like her either. But he had not been sure if their dislike would be bad enough that they would take it out on an innocent child."Then … what could the reason be?" Gary asked.Larissa's mind was a mess. She could not answer that question at all. "I don't know," she said.Kidnapping Aster was either to make her upset or to gain some benefit from her. If it was the former, it was too sudden; but if it was the
When Gary first came, he mentioned to her that she would stay in Bartham for a week. His room was also booked for a week's time. But it had already been a week, and he did not seem like he was going to depart at all. She even heard from the janitors in charge of cleaning the presidential suite that Gary seemed to stay in his room all day long, calling the restaurant to send up all three of his daily meals.His idleness looked more like him coming to vacation in Bartham, and not to talk about business deals.Gary was a little panicked with her question. "No." He coughed lightly into his right fist to conceal his unease. "I was ill and was hospitalized for a time. Soaring Corporation recently had many things going on too, so Mr. Rogers called me to apologize and told me to wait for a few more days."Years of working in high-pressure jobs as well as his high position—which only got higher over time—in the industry made Gary develop a bad temper. Under normal circumstances, combined wit
Maybe they were only waiting for a better opportunity.She was in a constant state of tension, bringing her assistant with her wherever she went in the hotel. When she was at home, she was paranoid, needing to check the windows and door many times every night. Sometimes, she would startle herself awake at night.Larissa's headache grew worse. She was sure that if things kept going on like this, she would develop some form of mental illness.Maybe this was the Seymours' true goal?Kevan and Gary were always able to gain first-hand knowledge of her mental state.Gary would find all sorts of reasons to meet with her, asking about her in roundabout ways. When she relented and complained about her troubles, he would give her some comfort.Kevan, on the other hand, could only be anxious—Aster was gone, so he did not have a legitimate reason to meet with her. If he randomly went over to her home, she would probably chase him away."What should I do?" he asked Dylan, who had long since
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