Mrs. Carpenter’s POV
I kept glancing outside, my fingers gripping the edge of the sofa. "Where's Bella? Why hasn't she arrived yet?" My heart was restless, anticipation bubbling up in my chest. "Yunbai is such a fool. I told him to pick up his sister, but he's taken so many days to do it."
Jason, ever the calm one, placed a reassuring hand on mine. "Don’t worry. There's snow on the road. They're probably driving slowly."
I frowned. "The weather is bad today. If I had known, I would have asked Bella to come tomorrow instead. I don’t want the child catching a cold."
Jason chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Come over tomorrow? Then you’d just worry for another day."
He wasn’t wrong.
Ever since I found out about Bella, I had been counting the days, longing to see her in person. I had barely been able to eat properly, my mind consumed by thoughts of my daughter.
Finally, the butler entered, his voice breaking
Sophie’s pov :ONE YEAR LATER ;The air was filled with laughter, music, and the sweet scent of flowers as Brandon and Ava’s wedding reception unfolded in full swing.The grand ballroom was beautifully decorated with cascading floral arrangements, twinkling lights, and elegant table settings. Everyone was dressed to the nines, and the atmosphere was nothing short of magical. I stood near the edge of the room, holding a glass of sparkling water, my heart swelling with happiness for my brother and his new bride.Dominic stood beside me, his hand resting gently on the small of my back. He looked as handsome as ever in his tailored black tuxedo, his presence commanding yet comforting. I couldn’t help but steal glances at him, still in awe of how lucky I was to have him by my side.As the evening progressed, Brandon and Ava took to the stage to thank everyone for coming. Brandon’s voice was warm and filled with gratitude, while Ava’s eyes sparkled with joy. They were the picture of happine
Brandon’s pov :As we stepped outside the hospital, my eyes immediately caught sight of an expensive car parked nearby. It was sleek, modern, and screamed luxury. Sophie’s face lit up the moment she saw it.“That’s my husband’s car!” she said, her voice filled with excitement.I raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. “Won’t you introduce me to him?” I asked, trying to sound casual.Sophie blushed but nodded, her cheeks turning a soft shade of pink. Before I could say anything else, the car door opened, and a man stepped out.Sophie didn’t hesitate. She ran to him, her steps light and joyful, and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. “Sir!” she exclaimed, her voice filled with affection.I froze. Sir? My eyes widened as I took in the man standing before me. Tall, impeccably dressed, with an aura of power and authority that was impossible to ignore. And then it hit me—this wasn’t just any man. This was Dominic Williams.My throat tightened, and I choked on my own breath. This was the
Brandon's pov :I stood in the study, my arms crossed, as Rey walked in nervously. She looked around, her eyes darting between me and my father, Jason. The tension in the room was palpable, and I could tell she knew something was wrong."Brother, what do you want from me?" Rey asked, her voice trembling slightly.I didn’t waste any time. "Rey, why is there an error in Bella’s DNA test result?"Her eyes widened, and she stammered, "This... I don’t know either. Maybe the organization made a mistake."I couldn’t help but sneer. "Mistaken? Do you know that if such an institution makes a mistake in the appraisal results, it will face a claim of millions?"In other words, these strictly regulated institutions never make mistakes. Rey’s excuse was flimsy at best."I asked John to do this. Could it be that she..." Rey tried to shift the blame to the servant, but I wasn’t having it."I just asked John and she said that when she went to the café to get a cup, there were two cups on the table,"
Ava’s povI watched as Rey tried to play her little games, but she seemed to have forgotten one crucial detail—Christopher is my biological brother. How could an outsider like her possibly sow discord between siblings who share the same blood? It was almost laughable.Christopher glanced at her indifferently, his expression cold and unreadable. "Oh," he said simply, dismissing her attempt to gain his sympathy.Rey was left speechless, her carefully prepared words stuck in her throat. I hid my smile behind my teacup, taking a sip to conceal my amusement. My brother’s ability to see through people’s intentions was sharper than mine. Even he could see through Rey’s White Lotus act."Mr. Carpenter, I have something to tell you. Can we go out and talk?" I asked, turning to Brandon."Sure," he replied, standing up and following me out to the courtyard.As we walked, I noticed Rey’s anxious expression. She clearly wanted to follow us, but she couldn’t just leave Christopher alone in the room
Sophie’s pov :I was sitting on the lawn, still feeling a bit sore from last night’s… activities with the Sir, when I heard a familiar voice call out to me."Bella, I didn’t expect you to be so good at fighting green tea."I turned around, surprised and delighted to see Ava walking toward me. "Ava! Why are you here?"She grinned and sat down next to me. "Luckily, I came, otherwise I would have missed your green tea show."I blushed, realizing she must have seen me earlier, wearing all that jewelry to make a point. Embarrassed, I started taking off the necklaces and rings, putting them back into my bag.Ava raised an eyebrow. "Bella, you look so good wearing it. Why are you taking it off?"I groaned, feeling my cheeks heat up even more. "Don’t make fun of me. I was just trying to piss them off."Who would wear so many jewels out of nowhere? It was way too heavy, and my neck and fingers were already tired. I couldn’t wait to take it all off.Ava chuckled, clearly understanding my person
Sophie’s pov :The next day, I walked into school with an awkward posture, my legs feeling sore and unsteady. I was terrified that someone would notice, but of course, my friends did."Bella, what's wrong with you?" Carolyn asked, her voice filled with concern as she eyed me carefully.My face flushed red, and I quickly came up with an excuse. "It's nothing. I had a leg cramp when I slept yesterday. It hurts a little."Carolyn frowned, still looking worried. "Please sit down and have a rest. You have physical education class later. What are you going to do?"I sighed, already dreading the thought of running or doing any kind of physical activity. "Let me talk to the teacher and see if I can ask for leave."When the teacher arrived, I used my menstruation as an excuse, and to my surprise, she granted me leave. Normally, this teacher is very strict and rarely allows students to skip PE, no matter how unwell they claim to be. But for some reason, she was particularly lenient with me. May