“No, there are so many grapes here that are waiting to be picked. Why do you want to pick those at the highest point?” Summer asked, with no hesitation. “Because those grapes are red and big. I want those.” Charlotte was insistent, looking at the grapes at the highest point. “I would weigh down Mark,” Summer said in a soft voice. When Charlotte was about to speak, a deep voice drifted over. “You won’t. Just climb onto my back.” Charlotte nodded her head like a chick. “Mark is a man, and Mommy won’t weigh him down, just like a monster can’t beat Ultraman, and Mommy can’t weigh down Mark.” Summer really did not know whether to laugh or cry upon hearing Charlotte’s logic. She wondered what was going on in her little head. She could understand why a child would think this way. But why would Mark also want to echo what Charlotte said? “Charlotte, stop messing around. The grapes here are big, too. Let’s pick the grapes here, okay?” “No.” Charlotte’s voice was loud. She turned
The afternoon sun leaked through the gaps between the grape leaves, and fell on the backs of the three of them, creating a warm and harmonious scene. “Mommy, pick more. We have to pick more. Our teacher said that grapes can be made into wine. Mommy will make grapes into wine, and then I can drink it every day.” She walked under the grape trellises, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. “Mark is amazing! Look, I have said that Mommy can’t weigh down Mark.” Summer could not care less what Charlotte was babbling about down under. She sped up her action, wanting to end this as soon as possible. Forget about what happened four years ago. Given the two of them were vying for custody of Charlotte, and they were in a hostile relationship, their actions and gestures now were not only too intimate and ambiguous but also improper. But they could not help themselves in restraining their runaway hearts. ‘This was wrong,’ she secretly told herself in her mind. The sun in the summer afternoon was
Mark stared at the two of them, the corners of his lips curled up. He then turned around and proceeded to checkout. After that, the cartons were loaded into the trunk. The three of them got into the car and left the vineyard. It was evening by then. The three of them had picked eight cartons of grapes. Eight cartons were too many for them, but Charlotte said she wanted to make wine, so they had picked more. They had also gotten a carton of seedless grapes. Charlotte said that the seedless grapes were easier to eat because she did not have to spit out the seeds. The sun in July was the most brutal. After running and screaming under the sun all day, Summer could hear that Charlotte’s voice was hoarse. She gave a bottle of water to Charlotte. Charlotte held the mineral water bottle with both hands and drank half of it in no time. She was apparently thirsty. She passed the remaining half bottle of mineral water to Summer, and then leaned back in the back seat and protruded he
Mark hit the nail on the head. “You held her tightly in your arms even when she was asleep. If it weren’t for your legs getting numb, you wouldn’t have put her down. You had been so alert. If I were to tell you beforehand, what would you have done? You would have probably carried her and jumped out of the car.” “Mark, she is my daughter; I have the right to take her away.” She reminded him in an icy voice and flung his hand away. “I didn’t say that she was not your daughter, did I?” “So I want to take her away.” Summer spelled out the words as she stared at him. “Ms. Hart, she is my daughter, too. Trust me, you can’t take her away.” Mark squinted and smiled and reminded her as well. “When can I take her away, Mark? You have got to give me a definite answer.” Mark raised his lips with a half-smile and stared at her with a casual and lazy look on his face. “I can even give you two answers. The first one is that after you apply for a change of custody, you can take her away
Summer turned around and got out of the car without sparing a second glance at him. Mark’s deep gaze followed her as she went. She looked up and saw Dean in uniform, standing outside the hotel. He was too hard to miss, as he looked unique and conspicuous. “How long have you been waiting here?” She quickly paced over and asked. “Just a while before you arrived. Is he in the car?” Dean glanced at the luxurious car. Summer nodded. “Where is Charlotte?” “He took her back to the mansion. Let’s go to a cafe over there.” Standing at the hotel entrance where people came and go was not the best place to talk. Besides, Dean was in uniform; he was attracting too much attention. Dean nodded, and the two walked away side by side. Sensing a piercing gaze coming from behind, Summer frowned. She glanced at the black car with the corner of her eyes and then ignored it. Mark’s chest was boiling with a nameless anger as he stared at Summer from behind, a heavy and gloomy expression clou
She could never compete with him for custody. Yvette was still sitting in the living room, as she still had some questions to ask Mark. Mark had changed into a clean set of clothes and came out. He took a sip of water. “What are you doing here?” “Your grandma is worried about you. She wants to make sure I buy you some supplements. By the way, who is that child?” She pretended she did not know. Unconsciously, his voice became deep and soft: “She is my daughter.” His voice spontaneously became gentle. “With Summer?” she asked knowingly. Mark nodded, sat down on the settee, and folded his legs in a graceful fashion. “She didn’t demand things such as money from you? She was sanctimonious.” Again, she tried to sound him out. Her words caught Mark’s attention. “What did you hide from me four years ago? What do you mean by saying she was sanctimonious?” “Four years ago, when you took Raine abroad and gave me a blank check to pass to Summer, she sanctimoniously refused it. I
“Really?” Mark’s long eyebrows were raised questioningly to tease her. “Really.” Charlotte nodded her head like a pigeon. “I will eat it, Mark. Look.” She plucked three grapes at a time with her tender hand, and then popped them all into her small mouth. Her round face bulged even rounder. She looked adorable and innocent. At the same time, she did not forget to lick her pink lips. “Look, it is very sweet this time. I’m not lying.” The corner of Mark’s lips turned up. He leaned forward and ate a few grapes from her hands. “Mark, why didn’t Mommy take me away with her today? Will she really come to see me tomorrow?” “She will…” Charlotte was relieved and looked around the living room. “Where is Kaka?” “It is having a shower. It will be sent over in a while.” Acting mysteriously, Charlotte put her mouth to his ear and said in a very low voice. “Let me tell you a secret, Mark.” “What secret?” Her dark eyes rolled in her eye sockets a few times, and then her innocent bu
“Well, you must be tired now. Just rest. My chauffeur is waiting downstairs. By the way, don’t forget to take the supplements that I bought for you. And your grandma has returned from Athana. She looks full of beans judging by how loud she lectures people.” Apparently, Mark was showing her the door. Yvette stood up from the settee. “Okay.” As Yvette emerged from the apartment, she thought of the telephone call she received in the morning; Ms. Moore was complaining and expressing her dissatisfaction with her and Ronald. When Ms. Moore suffered from a cerebral hemorrhage and underwent treatment in Athana, Ronald had never visited her. It was undeniably unbecoming of him as a son-in-law. Now that Ms. Moore was back from Athana, Ronald had to go to Norwood, no matter what. She took out her mobile phone, dialed the number, and pressed the call button. There was no answer. Anger boiled inside Yvette. Since he did not pick up her call, she would keep calling until he answered. T