Mrs. Carrie was stunned for a split second.'It's been nine years since they got married. Since when did we have a Château Lafite? Has he forgotten it?'"Sir..." Mrs. Carrie responded bewilderedly.Both Sophie and Cedric's expressions turned grim. 'After the incident with the raspberries, Grandpa is starting to forget things again. This time, it's the passage of time.'Seeing that she was confused, Jeff instructed again, "Why are you just standing there? Go get it. Matthew, you'll have a drink with me later.""Of course. Mrs. Carrie, hurry up and go get the wine," Matthew said, signaling her to move.Although Mrs. Carrie did not quite understand, she hurried to the cabinet and found a bottle of Château Lafite inside. Relieved, she brought it back and poured a glass for Jeff and Matthew.Sophie could only suppress her emotions. Looking worried, she reminded him, "Grandpa, you should drink less.""Don't worry, I'm still strong. I plan to live until 90 at least so I can watch you
'At only five years old, suddenly having an unfriendly half-brother, and now possibly getting a full-blooded younger sibling soon. Isn't my life a bit too harsh?'"Dad, it's still early," Matthew said awkwardly.Although the relationship between Sophie and Cedric had improved, it had not reached the level Jeff seemed to assume. Sharing a bedroom now felt uncomfortable, even for him."Early? The sooner, the better for this kind of thing! Don't you and Melissa want to hold your grandchildren soon?" Jeff's dissatisfaction was clear, making Melissa instinctively want to say they already had one. But she held her tongue due to Matthew and Cedric's looks."We'll go up now," Cedric said, startling Sophie.She turned to see a hint of pain behind his smile, and the words of refusal she was about to say got stuck in her throat.Jeff's confusion about time indicated his condition was progressing faster than they had thought. It might not even be a year before he forgot everything.Seeing s
As Sophie peeked out the door, Jeff suddenly looked her way.Startled, she quickly pulled back and rushed inside, crashing into Cedric’s firm chest. The familiar scent enveloped her, making her momentarily forget to move.Enjoying the unexpected embrace, Cedric smirked."Is Grandpa still there?" he asked, his voice low.She snapped out of her daze and glared at him. "You did that on purpose."He knew Jeff better than she did. He must have known Jeff would not have gone to bed yet and had her check just to take advantage of the situation.Cedric did not bother to explain. As long as Jeff had his memory, he was still the wisest fox in the Carlson family.Feeling manipulated and annoyed by the intimate contact, Sophie tried to wriggle free, but he held her tighter."Now, now. Just let me hold you for a moment," he murmured, his deep, sexy voice resonating above her. His strong jaw gently brushed her forehead, sending shivers down her spine.'How long has it been since we were thi
Sophie pulled her discarded clothes into the blanket and put them on one by one, unable to suppress a small smile as she pointed to the sky outside.Realizing he was caught in his own scheme, Cedric sighed with a touch of regret in his voice. He leaned down and gave her a quick, lingering kiss on the lips."Let's take it as His arrangement," he murmured.At least it gave them a direction to move forward, breaking the stalemate of indecision.-The next morning, Jeff greeted them cheerfully as they emerged from their separate rooms."Did you sleep well last night?" he asked with a knowing smile.Sophie blushed, tensing up as she wondered if Jeff was suspicious about them coming out of different rooms."Very well," Cedric replied, his mischievous smile making her heart race."Good. Now hurry to work. Cherry and Tristan have already left for school," Jeff said as if his confusion the previous night had been forgotten like a dream.Sophie glanced at Cedric in confusion. 'Has Gran
In the sleek, black-and-white office, Cedric stood by the window, hands in his pockets. His tall, elegant figure was captivating, and his unforgettable face made it hard for any woman to look away.When he noticed Sophie looking his way, he smirked. Seeing her avert her gaze, he grabbed a stack of sticky notes from his desk.Sophie observed his every move. She had initially intended to close the blinds, but seeing him with the sticky notes, she hesitated."What is Mr. Carlson doing?" Linda asked, curiosity evident."I have no idea," Sophie replied, blushing. 'Does he really think I can read the notes from such a distance?'Cedric began writing on the sticky notes and sticking them onto the pristine glass window. Sophie squinted but could not make out the words from afar.One by one, he covered the glass with pink sticky notes."Is that a..." Linda's smile widened, barely contained. She could see what was forming, and so could Sophie. It was unexpected for Cedric to do somethin
One might think a single childish sticky note confession would suffice, but Cedric seemed addicted to his madness. He called her daily while standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, arranging for a florist to deliver roses."I can't take it anymore! Cedric sends you huge bouquets of roses every day. My eyes are tired of all the pink and deep red. How am I supposed to design a set of cool jewelry for religious people?" Jeanna complained."Then you should just stay in the design department," Sophie retorted, deliberately countering Jeanna's playful complaints."Hmph! That's not the point. Besties need to spend as much time together as possible every day."Sophie put down the delicate spray bottle, her eyes sparkling with the vibrant beauty of the roses in the glass vase. She teased, "You're about to get married. You should be spending more time with Sean."Jeanna and Sean's wedding was set for the 9th of next month, leaving less than a month. It was time for her to start preparing a
"Charlie is quite the enigma. I can't figure out what's going on in his head," Jeanna remarked with a pout.Sophie laughed. "I can't either."'But since we've signed him, we have to turn him into a money-making star for Paramount,' Sophie thought.-At the Carlson residence, Jeff ended a phone call, looking exceptionally pleased. "Sending flowers now, huh? It seems the days I've been hoping for are finally coming."He muttered to himself for a while before collecting his thoughts. Moving with purpose, he retrieved a thick notebook from a drawer. His aged, rough fingers gently stroked the cover with a nostalgic and wistful look in his eyes."I haven't used you in years, but now it seems you have a purpose again."He placed a pair of reading glasses on his nose, opened the notebook, and began writing slowly but steadily. After some time, he paused, admiring his still-nimble handwriting. A smile crept back onto his face, though he wondered how much longer he could keep writing.Wh
After school, the driver took Tristan and Cherry directly to the taekwondo gym. Once they changed into their uniforms, they entered the classroom, bowing politely to the teacher. "Hello, teacher.""Hello, start with your warm-up," the teacher instructed.Tristan began his warm-up obediently, but Cherry seemed a bit distracted. It wasn't that she was slacking off; she just knew that warming up wouldn't make much difference for her.When Jeff signed them up, he mentioned that his grandson was in third grade and his granddaughter was in first grade. However, he had forgotten to specify that she was a smart kid who had skipped a grade. Consequently, the gym had placed her in the same class as Tristan.She was supposed to be in the preschool group but ended up in the youth group, needing special care. The teacher never asked her to participate in demonstrations, afraid she might get hurt. During sparring practice, her senior classmates always stopped their punches and kicks at least ten