Kevan asked in his usual calm and composed tone. Larissa's heart sank when he asked her that question. Although they were separated by the vast ocean, her gaze wavered. "My father's getting old. He needs someone to take over the company," Larissa lied. "Lewis would be a better candidate than you. If you consider the future of Blue Star Shipping and for Gary's sake, it would be a wiser choice to pass the company's management to Lewis." Larissa must have known about this. This was why Kevan wasn't convinced when she decided to resign from the Winston Hotel and take over the family business. He tried asking Lewis about Larissa's reason, but Lewis had no idea. "I can't put this burden solely on Lewis." Larissa's grip tightened on the phone. Due to her nervousness, a thin layer of sweat appeared on the palm of her hand. Kevan fell silent for a long time before replying, "Alright." Since Larissa did not want to tell him the truth, it was meaningless to probe further.
This wasn't too hard for Larissa. "Alright. Lie down on the bed first."Sounds of rustling could be heard over the call. After a moment, Kevan said, "I'm ready." "I'll tell you a story." Larissa wasn't fond of singing. On the other hand, she had accumulated tons of bedtime stories while putting Aster to sleep. At this moment, she could use them on Kevan instead. Kevan wasn't picky."Sure." Clearing her throat, Larissa started her story in her softest and lowest tone of voice, "In the deep forest, there was a little rabbit and a large bear …"Compared to Aster and his curiosity, Kevan was easier to handle. He wouldn't interrupt her in the middle and ask random questions that she couldn't answer. Larissa was satisfied at how intently Kevan listened to her story. When she finished her story without any hiccups, Larissa waited for some time, but there was no sound from Kevan. In a low voice, she asked, "Are you asleep?" No one replied to her, so it seemed like Keva
After Freddy had achieved his goal, he returned the phone to Allen. "My dad wants to speak to you." Before Larissa could react, there was another person on the phone. "Larissa." She sighed and answered in her usual tone, "Allen." "I'm really sorry. Freddy heard that you had returned to the country, so he insisted on calling you. Have we disturbed your rest?" Allen said in an apologetic tone. "No, you haven't. I just arrived at the hospital." Larissa had always been tolerant of children. Moreover, she was fond of Freddy. "Hospital? Did something happen? Which hospital are you in? I can come over right now." Allen was shocked at her words. Freddy shouted as well, "Larissa, are you ill? Are you in any pain? I want to go too!" Larissa explained hurriedly, "No, I'm not ill. It's just that my previous injury hadn't recovered fully, so I need to continue my stay at the hospital." Allen breathed a sigh of relief. "I see. Then about the theme park…" "I can go." Since L
"You are going to be discharged shortly, so don't cry. You will see him soon." Wendy comforted Larissa. "I'm not going to burst into tears!" Larissa said with a glare. "Just by looking at your face, I can tell that you're going to cry the next second." Wendy made a goofy face mimicking Larissa's expression. Larissa couldn't help but chuckle. Her sadness instantly evaporated. "I'm bringing Aster to a theme park next Saturday. We'll go to Disnieland," she continued. "Wow! You aren't going straight back to work after getting discharged? You're bringing your son to Disnieland instead? Are you really the Ms. Seymour that I know? Let's see, maybe the sun will rise from the west tomorrow!" Although Wendy was only joking, Larissa felt guilty when she heard Wendy's words. Because of her job, she had neglected Aster. Unfortunately, Larissa might have to resume her previous workaholic state after joining Blue Star Shipping. Regardless of her wishes, she had to do this. Wendy was
Time passed very slowly in the hospital. Still, apart from undergoing rehabilitation, Larissa would learn from Lewis in her spare time. Lewis taught her about how the company was run and the scope of management. This was to ensure a smooth transition into her new role at the company. Now that she wasn't so free all the time, Larissa found it much more tolerable at the hospital. Larissa had asked to be discharged from the hospital. Her attending doctor agreed readily on the condition that she return for regular appointments. In addition, he wrote her a note regarding stuff that she needed to look out for. On the day she was discharged, Gary personally came to accompany her in spite of his busy schedule. "I had someone decorate your room, and all the daily necessities you need are prepared. You can even move in right now without packing up. Lari, I've waited thirty years for this day to come." Gary's happiness was evident on his face. Larissa felt guilty when she saw th
It wasn't that Gary had abandoned her. Everything was done by Yvette while he was battling for his life at sea. Gary had looked for her all these years. Up until the moment when they were finally reunited, he was still searching for her. The little resentment she bore toward Gary had completely disappeared from the care and love he showered on her for the past few months. Instead, her feelings of concern for Gary grew. Gary wanted to compensate her for his absence as a father and the responsibilities he neglected. Similarly, Larissa wanted to repay him by being a daughter that he could be proud of. "Actually, Aster didn't resemble me much when I was young." Larissa stepped forward. Her gaze landed on the same spot as Gary's. Aster's features were a combination of hers and Kevan's. Taken apart, each feature on his face resembled them separately. Still, it was hard to see who Aster resembled more by taking all of his features into account. Therefore, she had never thought of
Gary was eager to meet Aster. Although it was another hour until kindergarten ended, he urged Larissa to leave home as soon as possible. There was not a soul at the kindergarten's entrance when they arrived. Larissa sat in the car and stared at Gary negotiating with the security guard at the entrance. After a while, Gary returned to the car with a dejected expression. "Why are the security guards at this kindergarten so strict? They don't even let the parents in to see children in class!" he complained bitterly through the car window. "It's all for the children's safety. Let's just wait for another half an hour. It will be quick." Larissa comforted him. Still, Gary refused to wait there without doing anything. He got Lewis to drive to the nearest mall and filled up the trunk with toys in half an hour. Larissa tried to stop him, but it was to no avail. "It's my first meeting with my grandson. I have to make a good impression so that he will like me." Larissa said helples
When they got in the car, Larissa patted Aster's back and said, "Alright, you can look up now."Aster looked up from Larissa's neck, showing his red and puffy eyes. He stared with curiosity at everything in the car, including the strange old man sitting beside Larissa. "Mommy, who is this person?" He poked Larissa's arm and spoke in a low tone. Gary panicked a little when he was singled out by Aster. "I … I … '' Gary stammered, but his tongue seemed to be tied. He couldn't even string a sentence together.Larissa completed his sentence for him. "He is my father, and your grandpa." Aster took in what Larissa said without difficulty. He turned to Gary and greeted him with a sweet smile. "Grandpa!" Gary's body jerked involuntarily at how easily Aster accepted him. Tears welled in his eyes, and Gary's lips trembled as he replied in a hoarse voice, "Nice to meet you, Aster!" Apart from the day when they were reunited, Larissa had not seen Gary in such an emotional state. Touch