"Leave?" Evan gazed at him questioningly. "And go where?""Back overseas. To our home. We don't have to worry about all this anymore once we go back." Not even Alec could take them on at that point.Evan stayed silent as if actually considering it. "We can take advantage of Miss Walter's guilt right now and bring her overseas with us, saying we'll find treatment for you there. She might actually agree to come along."Howard really didn't care if Jenny agreed. Even if she didn't, they had ways of taking Jenny with them.Surprisingly, Howard's suggestion was quite appealing to Evan. He had a firm rule at his home overseas, and not only could Jenny stay with him for up to several years, but he might even give up on the act, claiming that treatment overseas was much more effective. At that point, he could do all he wanted, and no one could stop him anymore.But…Evan was worried he might be pushing Jenny too far with the request. Having her take care of him was already something agai
Meanwhile, Alec's home was much quieter than Evan's. He had made several dishes, and though they weren't as fancy, it was still nutritious and homey enough for the three of them—grandparent, grandson, and butler."Come join us, Mr. Duncan," Alec called to Warren, who was standing in the doorway.Warren used to be dismissed during the holidays in order to join his family to have New Year's dinner, but ever since Old Mr. Faust's condition worsened, they could no longer afford to leave the old man alone at home.To Alec, Warren was part of their family. The man had taken care of him since he was a boy, after all. In fact, it wouldn't be too strange to treat the man as a second grandfather.Warren fidgeted awkwardly. "I'm afraid that might be…""Eat with us, Warren. You've always been family, now is no different," Old Mr. Faust spoke up. Warren had no reason to refuse now. He sat down with Alec and the old man while Alec gave them each a cup of warm tea instead of wine. "Here, let's
Gilbert got up from his seat. "Sure. I haven't had a chance to get a good look at this season's snow yet.""I'm up for it, too," Evan said.Howard then came to wheel him out along with Jenny and Gilbert. They didn't linger in the garden; instead, they strolled around the neighborhood.It was a high-end location with prime real estate everywhere, so the public facilities and landscaping were masterfully done. A snowplow had already come to clear a path in the snow for people to walk on."You don't get to see a lot of snow, right?" Jenny asked Gilbert. He often had to travel overseas for work, so he likely missed out on a lot of winter seasons.Gilbert nodded. "I did a lot more when I was younger, but never to just stop and admire the scenery like right now.""What about you, Evan?" Jenny asked the man in the wheelchair."I was lucky." Evan grinned. "It always snowed overseas. We even had snowball fights every year."Jenny laughed. She couldn't imagine Evan getting into something
When Zack saw Jenny coming his way, hugging a giant snowball in her arms, he felt true fear."Calm down, Jenny. We can talk about this!" He yelped, stepping back. Janet giggled off to his side as the scene unfolded."I am very, very calm right now, Zack," Jenny said, grinning like the Devil herself.Zack regretted throwing the snowball at her.When Jenny stopped in front of her brother, she handed him the snowball. "Do you wanna do it yourself or have me do it for you?""I'll do it myself," Zack grumbled, taking the snowball. He'd at least survive without a neck injury with this choice.He raised the giant snowball above his head, then threw it downwards. Snow covered his face and shoulders as the ball disintegrated.Jenny laughed out loud at the silly sight. Just then, another snowball hit her back. It was a gentle toss, but Jenny still searched for the culprit.Janet was eyeing her carefully, another snowball in hand. "Zack isn't alone in this anymore, Jenny.""So this is ho
Just then, Jenny got a call from Stephanie, inviting her to celebrate the New Year together. So, she told her about their gathering at Alec's place. When Stephanie mentioned she might join, Jenny added, "Fair warning though, Paul and Melanie are here."Though she knew Stephanie wasn't interested in Paul anymore, she couldn't say the same for Paul. Jenny couldn't promise conflict wouldn't happen if Stephanie really came over.Hearing that, Stephanie was silent for a time before finally saying, "Don't worry. I just wanna spend the night with you, nothing to do with them.""Alright. I'll send you the address."After hanging up, Jenny glanced at Paul in the distance, with Melanie rambling on his side. The man didn't seem too focused on what she was saying.Jenny walked over to Alec and told him about Stephanie coming over. "I need you to hold Paul back if he does anything stupid later.""Roger that." Alec nodded. He had long been aware that Stephanie didn't have any feelings for Paul
"We heard the old man's in Bardoff, so we thought we'd visit," Alfred explained, glancing at Mortimer.That look said it all. It was Mortimer who wanted to see his father.Jenny stood there, uncertain about whether she should let them in or not.Alec came to the door to her rescue, though his expression darkened the moment he saw who was standing outside. "What are you two doing here?""I want…to see…your grandfather, Alec," Mortimer spoke, words still choppy from not having spoken in so long.Alec's brow furrowed deeply. "He doesn't want to see you.""I know you hate me, Alec, but that's my father. Would he really feel that way?" Mortimer asked helplessly.Alec pursed his lips. In truth, he wasn't sure what his grandfather thought about Mortimer Faust. The old man hadn't mentioned a word of him since he came.Alfred then said, "He's already come all this way. Just let them meet this once, at least. We can't exactly stop them from seeing each other. It's their business."Alec
When Stephanie arrived, the sight of the house so packed with people took her by surprise."Uh…" Jenny squinted at Leonard, who was standing behind Stephanie.Stephanie didn't bring him here to get back at Paul, did she?As if anticipating Jenny's thoughts, Stephanie shook her head. "He came to find me right before I left, so I figured I might as well bring him along. You don't mind, do you?""Is that so?" Jenny asked, not buying her words whatsoever.Stephanie rolled her eyes. "What do I get from lying to you, huh?"Jenny huffed but let the two inside the house.Melanie, Jade, and Janet were already getting along in the living room while the rest of the men were huddled around playing cards. The atmosphere was delightfully cheery."Steph!" Melanie waved happily when she spotted Stephanie, gesturing for her to head over.That call instantly invited Paul's attention, who then noticed Leonard by Stephanie's side. His expression turned stormy in a split second.Stephanie was abo
"You have a quick wit," Paul scowled, glaring at Leonard.The latter smiled but said nothing. He knew Paul didn't like him, but that didn't change the fact that he didn't care.On the other hand, the women were getting along fairly well. Stephanie was excitedly listening to Jade talk about her relationship with Max, deeply admiring it."I'd heard of him back in Parrington, but the rumors and tabloids only spoke about how much of a womanizer he was. I never expected him to change so drastically!" Stephanie said in awe. Love really could change someone!Jade was blushing. "It's not that big of a change. He's still as silly as before."The real change was probably how clingy Max could be. The man had insisted on going to the New Year's Eve gathering with her earlier, and he usually stayed glued to her everyday too, as if he had nothing better to do."Someone's shy," Stephanie teased. Her impression of Jade as a stern workaholic had changed as well. Now Jade seemed more gentle and