Kevan did not move, however. His hands hovered protectively at Larissa's sides, forming a hug of some sort that kept her encircled. He looked down at her, her silhouette clearly reflected in his eyes."Are you hurt?" Kevan's voice was low and cool, but there was a hint of warmth in there. His concerned gaze made Larissa's heart skip a beat before pounding furiously. She began to feel rather hot under the collar, and the heat of her blush was enough to fry an egg."No," she replied very quietly.They had not had any physical contact nor had they said anything romantic, but there seemed to be an amorous atmosphere surrounding them, which made other people jealous."Daddy! Daddy!" Aster began jumping with anxiety. "We're going to lose!"Kevan finally returned his attention to the competition.Just like that, several people had already turned back. Even if he raced to catch up with them, he could not escape the fate of coming in last. Having figured out the situation, Larissa quickly

Larissa crouched in front of Aster and held his hand, calmly reasoning with him, saying, "Mommy can't take such a long holiday, so I can't go to Kailadon with you. Instead of wasting this spot, it's better to give it away to another student instead.""But …" Aster pouted, his face filled with disappointment.It was not that he did not know that his mommy was busy with work, and it was not that he could not understand—he had long known from a young age that Mommy and Godma only wanted to give him a better life by working so hard. But compared to what they saw as a "better life", he desired their companionship more than anything."I want to go with you …" His voice became very small, and it was filled with hurt.Larissa pressed her lips tightly together. She felt bad for him, and she felt guilty too. She knew that she had not spent much time with him over these years. While other kids were vacationing all over the world, having fun at carnivals and amusement parks, he was usually alo

Having played with Aster for the whole day, Kevan only took out his personal phone that he'd kept muted after he got home.There were several missed calls displayed on the screen, all from his parents.A sudden sense of irritation washed over him, and he took a deep breath and recomposed himself before calling back.Violet answered quickly and asked, "Kevan, what were you doing today? Why didn't you answer any of our calls, and why weren't you at the company or at home?"Kevan lied smoothly. "I went to see a client."Violet released an "Oh," in response.Kevan asked her, "Was there something you needed from me?"The distant tone in his voice caused Violet's heart to ache. "They arranged to meet a lawyer, Mr. Evans, today to discuss the distribution of your grandpa's assets …" She paused, sighing softly. "Your grandpa never made a will when he was alive, so they're fighting pretty bad over it … It doesn't look good."Kevan was not in the least bit surprised. As a matter of fact,

It took Ben some time to calm himself down. Kevan patiently accompanied him, and even helped him unpack everything, putting the things back where they had come from.Ben got someone to make them some hot tea before serving a full cup to Kevan."This is the new tea that Peighdale sent over to Old Mr. Rogers this year! It's a pity that he only drank it once …" Ben was originally introducing the tea happily when his voice grew smaller at the end, and his eyes turned red again.Kevan took a sip. The rich and bittersweet taste engulfed his tongue, but when the tea slipped down his throat, he could savor a slight hint of sweetness. He did not like drinking tea. Compared to alcohol and coffee, which were stronger, tea was too bland for him.But his grandpa used to drink tea like his life depended on it."Old Mr. Rogers always said that tea could calm the mind," Ben said through sobs as he pressed his chest with his hand. "After he passed, I've been drinking this tea relentlessly, but my

Time was needed to retrieve the footage. Ella told Larissa to leave first, and that she would send it over to her later.Larissa held Aster's hand tightly. She was really scared. The unknown man Ella mentioned … Although she had not seen him in person, she had a feeling that the man was not anyone with good intentions."Ms. Gilmore said that a man came to pick you up?" Larissa asked Aster."Yep." Aster nodded. "But I didn't know him, so I didn't leave with him.""Great job!" Larissa smiled and gave him a thumbs-up.Ever since he was able to understand them, she and Wendy had been teaching him about stranger danger. It seemed that their hard work had paid off."If Mommy ever needs someone to go pick you up, I will call Ms. Gilmore beforehand, okay? If I never informed Ms. Gilmore, you can't leave with anyone who says that they're here to pick you up, and that includes Uncle Kevan and Uncle Dylan, do you understand?""Aww …" Aster's face crumpled. "Why are Uncle Kevan and Uncle Dy