โMs. Vanderbilt.โ Lucy seemed to be looking for her, and she caught up to Maisie. โA woman has come to our lobby. She claims that sheโs here for Naomi.โAfter listening to what Lucy had to say, Maisie could not help but frown. โHow old is the woman?โLucy replied, โI think sheโs in her late 30s to her late 40s, has a remarkable and elegant temperament, and everything that she wears is of all sorts of designer brands. In short, sheโs definitely not a woman who comes from an ordinary family.โWith that description, Maisie could more or less guess who it was.โThatโs Naomiโs biological mother.โNolan said that Mr. Topaz quit Royal Crown because of Patricia Emerson. He also mentioned that they had been in a relationship a while back, but it did not go public. Around that time, Patricia gave birth to Naomi for Anthony. However, their relationship ended when Patricia moved on and got married to Alexander Gosling.โThatโs why Mr. Topaz had to raise Naomi alone. Heโs Naomiโs father, but
Maisie did not say anything.Patricia waited in the lobby until the late evening when Naomi passed by after getting off work and found out that she was still there. She was a little surprised to hear the staff in the lobby say that her mother had waited for her all afternoon.Seeing Naomi, Patricia got off the couch with a smile. Her legs and feet were probably stiff due to the lack of movement, so the way she walked up to Naomi looked unnatural. โNelly.โNaomi took two steps back, refusing to let her mother take another step closer to her. โWhy are you still here?โโI...โ Patricia realized that Naomi was wary of herself, but the matter at hand could not be delayed any longer. Thus, even if she had to do something shameless to get close to her daughter, she had just to bite the bullet and do it.โNelly, I know that you blame me for everything thatโs happened to you.โ Patricia took her hand. โI struggled a lot too back then before I decided to do what I did.โNaomiโs gaze landed o
Nicholas did not even bother to care about Nolanโs prestige as the father of the two rugrats present. โYour mother actually threatened to beat you up every single time. ould you have the guts not to do as told?โNolan glanced at Nicholas.โDad, ฮrandma actually hit you when you were a kid?โ Colton got the main point of the whole story.Nolan turned his head and glared at Colton. โDo you want to try it out?โColton shut up immediately.Maisie leaned toward him. โWow, youโve learned to threaten your son now.โNolan responded seriously, โWe canโt spoil our son too much. We must beat him when he deserves it.โColton refuted aggrievedly, โWhy would you only beat your son? What about Daisie?โDaisie blinked. โI wonโt get beaten because Iโm a good girl!โColton sighed as if he was an adult. โBeing a son has so many cons. Mommy, why didnโt you make me a girl?โMaisie fetched herself a bowl of soup. โIf youโre a girl, youโll have to get married to someone else and give birth to babies
Daisie wondered again. โWhat are the things that would make me feel uncomfortable?โColton, who was standing on the side, said helplessly, โGosh, something like cuddling and kissing, you nitwit. Dad said that we boys canโt touch girls so casually as itโs very impolite for us to do so. After all, itโs rather improper for men and women to get into too much contact. Dad also claimed that I canโt hug you so casually in the future when weโve grown up.โMaisie almost choked on her own words.โNolan has taught this boy well!โDaisie finally understood.โItโs no wonder I could sleep with Colton and Waylon before this, but I have to sleep by myself now. And thatโs why Colton doesnโt hug me anymore!โDaisie thought of something all of a sudden. โMom, does it count when he rubs my head?โMaisie cleared her throat. โRubbing your head is still acceptable.โโSo is it fine as long as we donโt hug or kiss?โ she asked again.Maisie nodded, then flicked her forehead. โYouโre still young. Itโll
โI would say that sheโs not a good mother. She ruthlessly abandoned her daughter back then and never came back to visit her ever since, not even once. Yet, sheโs now disregarding her dignity by kneeling in front of me for that son of hers.โโDad.โ Naomiโs voice interrupted the awkward silence in the courtyard, and Patricia stopped crying and stared at her in a daze.Anthony glanced at her. โNelly, did you...โโI heard everything.โ Naomi looked calm, and her eyes looked out of focus as she stared at Patricia, but it also seemed like she was actually staring at the background behind her. โIโll do it.โNot only Anthony but even Patricia was surprised. โNelly, you...โโFirstly, Iโm helping you only because of my dad,โ Naomi said softly. โSecondly, the child is innocent, so Iโll take this as a good deed that I can help with. And in return, I hope that you can leave both of us alone after the transplantation is completed.โPatricia froze on the spot and could only agree to Naomiโs term
Maisie laughed. โAs a boy matures, heโll become very determined and will fight for the things that he wants.โThe two doors of the elevator opened slowly, and Maisie walked out of the elevator with Samantha. Both of them were laughing and chatting with each other while they just so happened to run into Kennedy, who was assigning some tasks to an employee.The staff member nodded and left, and he nodded and greeted Maisie when he walked past her. โMs. Vanderbilt.โKennedy looked in Maisie and Samanthaโs direction and was astonished. He then walked toward them and smiled at Samantha. โWhy have you come here on purpose?โMaisie raised her eyebrows. โAunt Samantha is worried that youโd be hungry, so she especially brought you a loving lunch.โSamantha handed the lunchbox in her hand to him and pretended to complain. โI wonโt send another one to you in the future.โKennedy laughed. โOkay, Iโll bring a lunch box whenever I leave the house.โMaisie glanced at them and felt quite happy
โYeah, my teachers told me that reading a lot of books will increase my knowledge,โ Zephir explained with a smile.Naomi stared at him and felt a little sad for him.โHeโs an 11-year-old boy whoโs still thinking about reading and studying even when heโs hospitalized.โAnthony pushed open the door of the ward but stood at the door and did not come in. Thus, Naomi put down the book, got up, and exited the ward. โDad.โAnthony lowered his gaze. โWhat did the doctor say?โโThe doctor asked me to try again, but theyโll be performing a bone marrow aspiration this time around,โ Naomi replied.Anthonyโs expression looked profound. โBut this method will be very harsh on you. Nelly, you can always give up the idea if you donโt want to do it. I donโt want to see you suffer.โNaomi took a glance into the ward, and the boy in the ward exchanged gazes with her.Two days laterโฆDaisie stood under a huge tree beside the schoolโs field. She wanted to return the toy to Zephir, but she did not s
โNelly, Iโm sorryโฆโ Patricia could not help but feel sad.โYou donโt have to say sorry. Weโre even now.โ She still had a smile hanging on her face, and it looked extremely calm.Naomi was discharged from the hospital two days later, and Anthony came to pick up his daughter. After returning home, Naomi initially wanted to go to work, but her father would not let her.Naomi only took a day off and went back to Soul the next day. She passed by a cafรฉ while she was on her way to the company, so she went in to buy herself a cup of coffee to give herself a lift.When it was time to check out, she unexpectedly found that she did not have any cash on her, which made her feel a little embarrassed. โSorry, I forgot to bring my purse with me. Please leave the coffee here first. Iโll go back and grab my purse now.โThe cashier replied with a smile, โOur cafรฉ accepts online payments too.โโOnline payment?โ Naomi was momentarily stunned, and she suddenly thought of her previous experience wh
โDaisie.โ Leah and Morrison walked up to her with wine glasses. โYou look so pretty today.โโThank you,โ Daisie said with a smile.Leah lifted her wine glass. โI propose a toast. Morrison and I wish you a happy marriage.โDaisie clinked glasses with her. โSame goes for you and Morrison.โAfter the toast, Cameron walked up to Daisie with Waylon. Behind them were Freyja, Colton, Maisie, and Nolan.Maisie raised her hand and caressed her on the cheek. โYou were great earlier today.โShe giggled. โReally?โNolan added, โYouโll forever be our dazzling pride, so yes.โDaisie grinned as if she was still the little princess of the family.Nollace came over. โDad, Mom, a toast to the both of you. Thank you for letting me have Daisieโs hand.โโConsider yourself lucky.โ Nolan snorted softly, picked up his wine glass, and clinked glasses with him. โYouโd better treat my daughter well from now on.โNollace glanced at Daisie. โDonโt worry. Sheโll forever be my one and only.โMaisie chuck
In order to make way for the wedding carriage, other vehicles had been forbidden from accessing the route from the palace to the cathedral.Daisie looked out of the carriageโthe streets were crowded with citizens, and they were all there to witness this grand scene.Nollace, sitting on the side, was wearing a double-breasted dark blue military jacket. He looked tall and broad, and there were two St. Patrickโs Stars on his epaulets, one on each side, a full set of medals on his chest, and other complicated decorations.He held the back of Daisieโs hand and smiled suddenly. โYou have sweaty palms.โDaisie looked back at him and responded with a trembling voice, โIโm nervous.โHe lifted her hand and kissed the back of her hand. โIโm here, so donโt be nervous. Just take it easy.โDaisieโs gaze landed on his wedding jacket. โYou look nice in this uniform.โNollace chuckled. โAnd my bride looks stunning too.โArriving at the cathedral, Nollace was separated from Daisie. Accompanied b
โBy the way, whereโs Cameron?โ asked Morrison.Waylon replied, โSheโs accompanying her father on a stroll. Iโm going to go meet them already, so Iโll leave you to yourselves for now. You can do whatever you want with your free time.โAfter saying that, he got up and left the couple.Morrison shook his head. โHeโs changed now that he has a wife.โโYouโre speaking as if you havenโt changed.โ Leah got up instantly and left the restaurant.Morrison put his cup down and caught up to her immediately. โHey, why would you leave me behind? Wait for me.โMaisie and Saydie came out of the private room and ran into Nolan and Quincy in the corridor.Quincy nodded. โMrs. Goldmann.โMaisie stopped in front of Nolan, and Nolan grabbed her by her hand. โHave you finished catching up?โโOf course. Didnโt you want to go to the Hathawaysโ villa with Dad in the afternoon?โNolan smiled. โI was waiting for you. Weโre just going over to have a meal together.โQuincy walked up to Saydieโs side and
Daisie grinned from ear to ear. โThen Iโll wear this crown on my wedding day, which can be considered an endorsement for my momโs jewelry company and design.โNollace hugged her from behind. โYou can do anything as long as you like it.โโฆThe members of the Goldmanns arrived in Yaramoor two days before the wedding and stayed in the hotel arranged by Nollace. The royal family had reserved the entire hotel for receiving distinguished guests from Zlokova who came to attend the wedding.Members from the Bouchers and the Lucases showed up, and Sunny was also present.There were also some familiar faces from the Zlokovian entertainment industry. Hannah, Amy, James, and Charlie, who were close friends with Daisie, all came.Leah and Morrison were also on the invitation list.When Maisie came to the restaurant, the waiter led her into a private room.As soon as she saw the man sitting inside, she smiled and exclaimed, โGodfather!โStrix slowly turned around.She had not seen him for
The rest of the people laughed.The night came, and the entire city was shrouded in a mist of neon light. Daisie and Nollace returned to Taylorton after having their dinner.Her hair was wet as she got out of the shower. Nollace took over her towel and helped her to dry her hair.She sat in front of her dresser and looked at the person behind her through the mirror. There was a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she said, โNolly, Iโm really looking forward to our wedding.โโReally?โ Nollace gently dried the soft tips of her hair. โIโm looking forward to it too.โโI can say that my life is perfect now, right? Since I can marry and walk down the aisle with the man I love the most.โHe laughed out loud and leaned down to her ear. โYou know what? All the wishes in my life have come true as well.โDaisie turned her head around. โWhat are your wishes?โโMarry you, give you a wedding, and have our own kids.โShe was stunned. Slowly, her face turned red due to her embarrassme
โYeah, itโs true,โ replied Zephir.โIt seems like youโve finally become more mature after coming back from your vacation.โ Naomi patted his shoulder. โI wish you all the best in your future endeavors.โ He smiled at her but did not say anything.โฆSoon, it was the end of the month. Their vacation had come to an end, and they returned to Bassburgh.Maisie and Nolan were waiting for them in the courtyard. After getting out of the car, Daisie ran up to them. โMommy! Daddy!โShe hugged both of them.Nolan petted her head and smiled helplessly. โYouโre an adult now. You should stop acting like a kid.โShe smiled back at them and said, โBut I know Iโll always be your kid in your eyes.โMaisie chuckled and looked at the other people. โIt seems like you guys had a lot of fun. Anyway, come in first. We should eat together tonight.โFreyja and Cameron went to look for their kids after they went into the house. Charm and her two cousins were staying in the same room. All of them were sl
Nollace looked at them. โWhat a coincidence.โโMorrison and I were here earlier than you guys,โ said Leah. โWe only found out that you guys were here when Daisie posted a photo on her Facebook page.โDaisie pulled Leah to the seat and said, โThen you should stay a few more days with us.โAfter Morrison took his seat, Waylon introduced him to Freyja and Daisie. โSheโs my sister-in-law, Freyja, and sheโs my sister. Her name is Daisie.โโIโve seen them before at your wedding,โ said Morrison. โYour sister is my wifeโs classmate. She has told me before.โโSince when did I become your wife? Thereโs a chance I may not marry you in the future,โ said Leah.โWeโre already engaged. If you donโt want to marry me, who else are you going to marry?โ Morrison frowned, causing the crowd to break out in a burst of laughter, save for Daisie.She looked at Leah in disbelief and asked, โEngaged? When did you get engaged, Leah?โ Leah cleared her throat and replied, โWell, I forgot to inform you abo
The stall owner said, โ$10 for three chances.โโ$10 for three chances only? Thatโs expensive,โ commented Freyja.The stall owner raised his head and said, โIโm the cheapest around here. Other stalls offer $15 for three chances.โ Daisie tugged at Freyja and said, โLet's just give him the money. It isn't easy for them to set up a stall here anyway, so let's have some fun.โAfter that, she gave $20 to the stall owner and said, โPlease give us six hoops.โThe stall owner gave her six hoops. She had her eyes set on a bracelet. Although she knew it was fake, it was rather beautiful. She held a hoop and threw it toward the bracelet.However, she did not get it.She threw another two hoops at the bracelet, but her attempts failed, much to her chagrin. She had only three hoops left.Seeing that Daisie was prepared to give up, Cameron took over the rest of the hoops in her hand and said, โLeave it to me.โShe squinted and aimed at the bracelet. After that, she threw the hoop at it an
The night of the old town was silent. The air was filled with nothing but the humming of insects. There was a lamp hanging outside of the tent on the grass. The atmosphere was quiet. Daisie was tossing and turning in the sleeping bag as sleep just wouldn't come to her. Suddenly, an arm appeared across her waist as she was brought into a chest. โWhatโs the matter? You canโt sleep?โโYeahโฆโ She buried her head in his chest and said, โI want to go to take a leak, but Iโm a little bit scared.โNollace kissed her forehead and said, โIโll go with you then.โBoth of them came out of the tent. Nollace took a flashlight and led Daisie to a row of trees in the distance. Daisie turned her head and said, โYou wait for me here.โNollace nodded. โJust shout my name if you need anything.โShe walked into the forest and stopped in front of a tree not far away from Nollace.After she had done her business, she hastily got out of the forest and held tightly to Nollaceโs arm. โAlright, letโs go