Ch. 571..580

Chapter 571

While Frank was troubled by the difficulty of winning his beloved's heart, the situation at the Colemans' was pleasant and harmonious.

Inside the main house, Kendall, who had just arrived home from work, was surrounded by a room full of greatly concerned elders. Overwhelmed by their enthusiasm, the young woman looked to her beloved for help every so often, hoping he would save her from their elder's zealous care.

Alas, the man would only smile at her, rendering her somewhat frustrated.

They weren't even certain she was pregnant, yet Dylan had already shared the news with his family. What if… Wouldn't everyone have been joyous for nothing?!

As Eric and his family were still staying over at the Coleman's, they naturally learned about the news as well, and the Ford couple gave their sincerest blessing.

"Kendall, from now on, just tell Amos whatever you want to eat. Have him tell the central kitchen to make it for you," Tilly stressed with a beam while holding Kendall's hand.

The elder's eyes were glued onto Kendall's belly, looking like she wished she had x-ray vision so that she could see how the baby was doing.

In fact, all the elders who used to despise her became incredibly enthusiastic upon hearing she was pregnant, and the major contrast left Kendall at a loss for what to do.

"Give me a great-granddaughter, and I promise you a handsome reward!" Tilly declared.

"Us too!" Everyone else echoed, promising to reward Kendall handsomely if she gave birth to a daughter.

"What if it ends up being a boy?" Kendall asked.

"Well, you will still be rewarded. Just not as much. He's the eldest boy of his generation from the senior branch," someone clarified.

"Don't worry, Mom. Kendall will certainly fulfill your wish and give you a sweet great-granddaughter." Emily smiled. "I'd flip through some face-reading books when I'm bored lately, and I've taken a look at Dylan's face. He has the maternal-grandfather-face. So, Kendall's firstborn will definitely be a girl."

Since when has Mom started reading face-reading books?! Dylan mused in surprise.

As far as he knew, his mother would doze off whenever she read a book these days. No way would she have flipped through a face-reading book to kill time, let alone know he had a 'maternal-grandfather- face'.

Then again, Grandma likes hearing something like this.

As much as Dylan disagreed with his mother, he didn't say anything either. Just that, a chuckle escaped him after he exchanged a glance with his beloved wife.

Meanwhile, Tilly gazed at Dylan for a moment before saying with a smile, "It does look like Dylan has a face that resembles a maternal grandfather. Anyone with that face will have a girl as their firstborn and even possibly the second and third too. Dylan, we're counting on you two to break the family record of

girls being born into this family."

Maternal-grandfather-face? Dylan and Kendall were stupefied. What the heck is that?!

Knowing that asking Dylan to save her from the situation was a lost cause, Kendall could only smile and nod to whatever their elders said.

In the end, it was her mother-in-law who saved her, for it was time for them to leave for the Wrights' party.

Tilly had wanted to dissuade Kendall from attending, but because the young woman insisted, Tilly could only drop it.

After all, this granddaughter-in-law of hers wasn't as submissive as her other daughter-in-law. What was more, Kendall was burdened with the pressure of a successorship. She had to learn to socialize and gain connections in preparation for taking over her family's business in the future.

In the end, Tilly only felt reassured after Dylan and his father followed the pair to the Wrights' party as well.

With Dylan looking after Kendall, she wouldn't have to worry that the baby would get hurt.

Hours later, Kendall yawned every so often after returning from Wright Residence, and her 'personal bodyguard' couldn't help nagging her as they walked. "I told you, you were already sleepy and we should head home, but you insist on staying a little longer. Then, on the way home, I told you to lean on me and have a nap, but what did you say? You're not sleepy. Look at you now. So sleepy that you're

falling asleep as you walk."

Kendall giggled in response. "I genuinely didn't feel sleepy when we were at the Wrights', and I was mulling over something in the car. So, I wasn't feeling sleepy either. But now, I'm seriously sleepy."

It was very easy for a pregnant mother to feel lethargic at the beginning of their pregnancy.

She was just like that in her past life.

In the beginning, she found it odd that she would feel lethargic all the time like the sandman had decided to camp inside her.

It wasn't until Bloody Mary was super late to her visit that she finally wondered if she was pregnant. So, she bought a test kit to verify, and behold, the two obvious parallel lines confirmed her guess.

Joyous, she snapped a picture and sent it to Jackson, sharing the delightful news with him.

Jackson was rather quick to reply to her that time, immediately calling her and sounding enthusiastic on the phone, letting her believe that he, too, was joyous. But little did she realize this was the beginning of her fall into the abyss.

She got pregnant again in this lifetime, and unlike the last, her husband was genuinely delighted, and their baby was blessed, a little one that the entire family was eager to meet.

She wouldn't doubt that her baby would become the darling of the family after they were born, unlike her past life, where she was the only one who genuinely loved the baby.

In her past life, the Whittles disregarded the baby, and none of them would even hold the baby in their arms for a moment.

She had assumed they were patriarchal and criticized her for not being able to carry a son.

It was only in the last hours of her life that she realized they despised the baby because they knew she wasn't Jackson's.

Suddenly, her feet were in the air, and she reflexively wrapped her arms around Dylan's neck while criticizing with feigned anger, "Your legs are just looking up and will still hurt if you walk for too long. Don't carry me just because you feel like it. I'm not weightless, you know?!"

"I'm recovering really well," Dylan reasoned as he went up the stairs, taking one step at a time while carrying her into his room. "Sure, you're not weightless, but you're not heavy either. I can carry you just fine."

The couple would normally sleep in the room on the first floor out of habit, as it was where their marriage first began taking shape. It held a special meaning to them. But on that night, he wanted to share the bed in the master bedroom with her.

"Look at how well I'm doing, walking up the stairs with you in my arms." Dylan moved his legs after putting Kendall on the bed, showing his beloved wife that he was really okay. "We can seal off the elevator in the house."

It was all thanks to her that he could recover so well and so quickly, and he wasn't the only one who believed this; even the others would say Kendall brought him fortunes.

He had been thriving since marrying her.

After lying down, Kendall reached an arm out and invited Dylan to join her in bed.

"Darling," she muttered while resting her head on his arm. "Your elders are expecting me to carry a daughter. If it ends up being a boy…"

"Don't let them stress you out. It's our child. Girl or boy, they will be our precious little one, and I will love either just as much." At that, he paused and added, "Of course, I hope this one's a girl."

Please let it be you, baby.

Kendall, too, hoped the same. She was rather afraid it would be a boy, for it meant that her baby hadn't returned.

At that, she placed her hand on her belly. "Is it you, baby? Please let it be you.?"

In her past life, she was powerless and couldn't watch her baby grow. But this time, she had gained the ability to keep her little one safe. Not only that, she had even found her baby's birth father.

Baby, Mommy and Daddy hope to see you again. So, please come back!

 

Chapter 572

Perhaps because Kendall had been thinking about her baby during the day, the little one actually came into her dreams.

In her dreams, the seven-month-old little one sat next to her pillow and pounced into her arms while beaming.

"Baby." Kendall caught her baby girl with delight as the little one giggled and wrapped her arms around her mother's neck.

In her past life, she loved making her baby giggle like this, and she thought a child's laughter was the most pleasant sound in the world.

"You've come back to Mommy! Oh! Baby, my little angel…" Thrill and delight filled Kendall as she kept trying to kiss her baby girl, but the little one kept mischievously burying her little face in Kendall's arms, making it impossible for Kendall to kiss her.

"Baby, let Mommy kiss you. I want to kiss you."

"Kendall, Kendall."

A deep, gentle voice rang in her ear, and her baby was gone the next second.

Panicked, Kendall opened her eyes at once only to be stumped by the handsome face inches away from her.

"Kendall." Dylan patted his beloved wife's face gently. "Were you having a dream about Baby?"

Meanwhile, Kendall blinked, and it was a while before she came to herself.

So, it was just a dream, huh? I'm not in the last timeline. I've already reincarnated, and I haven't given birth yet in this lifetime. My husband is no longer Jackson but Dylan.

She sat up with Dylan's help as her memories gradually returned to her.

"Baby was in my dream. She was sitting next to my pillow. When I opened my eyes and looked at her, she threw herself into my arms, giggling while wrapping her arms around my neck. She giggles like a little nightingale. I love her giggles."

Knowing their little girl was Kendall's biggest loss and regret, Dylan cooed and comforted his beloved wife, saying, "Baby has come back to us, Kendall. I'm sure we'll be able to meet her next year in person."

"It was a conception dream." Kendall was still reliving the happiness of her baby being in her arms. "That was a conception dream I had. Baby has really come back to us."

"Yeah, she has. She will."

Kendall leaned her head against Dylan's chest and fantasized about their blessed reunion as she mumbled, "Darling, I'm having second thoughts. If we planned to have a child sooner, Baby could come back to us sooner as well. I regret only conceiving now."

"Don't be. It's all destiny."

Yeah, you have a point. Kendall hadn't been eager about conceiving a child before finally realizing Dylan was Baby's birth father.

"I want to make it up to Baby properly once she returns."

"Mm, she's our little princess," Dylan concurred as he placed his hands on her belly where their fruit of love rested.

In Kendall's dream, Baby was an unwelcome child whom only she, the mother, loved. But in reality, Baby would be the precious princess of the Coleman Family, a little one who would be adored and spoiled by many, the one the entire Coleman Family was eager to meet.

"I want to buy her pretty dresses and hair accessories and dress her up like a princess," said Kendall as she imagined how adorable her baby would look as she grew up.

In her past lifetime, her daughter still hadn't learned to call her 'Mommy' when she died, but this time, she was confident she would be able to hear it.

Mommy… Baby's sweet, childish voice seemingly traveled to her ears and melted her heart as she imagined the near future.

This time, I'm going to give Baby the best of everything!

The couple mumbled for a long while before Kendall began feeling sleepy again and dozed off.

She had hoped that she would find Baby in her dream again, but sadly, she slept through the rest of the

night.

By the time she woke up again, Dylan was already gone, so she felt for her phone only to shoot up from the bed when her phone told her it was nearly 8.00AM.

Shoot, I'm going to be late for work again!

At that, she hurriedly got out of bed. "Dylan could've at least woken me up," she grumbled while changing her clothes.

Her circadian clock had always been accurate before this, so she suspected she had woken up late because they had chatted for too long the night before.

At that, she washed up and got dressed as quickly as possible. She had also thought about putting on light makeup, but considering she was pregnant, she gave up the idea.

She wouldn't be applying any makeup before her baby was born, lest it affected the little one's growth.

Later, she hurriedly opened the bedroom door only to find a bouquet of roses right in front of her.

Her incredibly handsome husband was standing in the doorway with the bouquet in his hands. His gaze was profound yet beyond tender, with a hint of a smile, causing her to fall involuntarily into his gentle trap when she looked into his eyes.

"Morning, honey," the man cooed, making Kendall smile as she sniffed the bouquet after taking it from him. "They're from our garden, aren't they?"

"They're from the backyard. I personally picked and wrapped them up. Do you like it, dear?"

"I do. I'll be happy even if you give me a hunk of coal."

"How can I do that to you?! I might resort to flowers in desperation, but never coal." Dylan tapped her forehead affectionately, then paused before saying with a smile, "Say, I had been acknowledged as the school hunk since middle school. Now that this hunk has given himself to you, you better treasure it and not give it to someone else, alright?"

Kendall beamed in response and hugged him.

"How can I bear to part with my man?! Forget about giving you away. I won't even exchange you for billions. You're priceless to me."

Dylan loved the way she declared him her man and that he was unlike any other.

The romantic moment only lasted for so long as Kendall shoved her beloved husband away the next second and held his hand, dragging him down the stairs. "Come on, darling, let's go. I'm going to be late again. Please ask Mr. Miller to pack some breakfast for me to eat on the road."

Of course, she didn't spare him the nagging. "You would have woken me up when you woke up much earlier than me."

On the other hand, Dylan let her drag him away as he rebutted with a smile, "Aren't you picking up your Eastfort clients at the airport today? You don't have to go to work so early."

"Right. I've forgotten about that," Kendall blurted in revelation.

The Eastfort clients had postponed their visit and would be arriving that very day.

Kendall had also informed her father that she wouldn't be showing up to work on time like usual since she was going to pick up the clients at the airport.

"I've already informed Miss Finley to take you to the airport at 9.00AM."

Instantly, all of Kendall's uneasiness was gone, and she looked over her shoulder at him, asking, "I'm picking up the clients at the airport, but what about you? Are you taking a day off today?"

"Am I not allowed to take a break when I'm becoming a father after working tirelessly for so long?" Dylan rebutted matter-of-factly.

In fact, I'll take even more time off after my child is born.

 

Chapter 573

In Kendall's dream, he, the birth father, had missed out on the baby's seven months of life, as he was unaware of her existence and even watched the mother and daughter die right in front of his eyes.

Knowing he owed his two ladies far too much, he decided that he would spend more time with them to make up for everything.

There were fifteen Coleman young masters, and every one of them could stand on their own two feet just fine. No doubt Coleman Empire Holdings could operate normally even if Dylan doesn't go to work for a month.

"That said…" Dylan suddenly said, causing Kendall to stop and look at him somewhat nervously. "But what? Your family doesn't want me to work now that I'm pregnant, aren't they? Dylan, we made a pact. I can work through my pregnancy as long as it doesn't endanger the baby. Besides, we're not even a hundred percent sure I'm pregnant. Even if I am, I've just entered the first trimester. The morning sickness hasn't even come yet. I'm not going on bed rest so early."

If anything, Kelly was still going to work when she was four months into her pregnancy!

Speaking of which, Kelly's belly still wasn't showing even though she was already four months pregnant, and she would still show up to work in a women's suit. Those who weren't experienced couldn't even tell she was pregnant.

Moreover, she would continue to attend business engagements, just that it was a mystery to Kendall if Kelly would keep the baby safe during them.

The Whittles haven't been approaching Kelly lately, have they?

Jackson and his wife would be sentenced soon, and Whittle Holdings and Caddel Corporation had suffered under Coleman Empire Holdings' suppression. Mendelson Group, too, went to great lengths to assist Coleman Empire Holdings.

Hence, even if Whittle Holdings was somewhat established, it had suffered a significant blow because of the rumors and its competitors' attacks.

Then, things began looking up for them for a while after they gained Zorn Holdings' support.

Alas, Whittle Holdings and Zorn Holdings could still survive a little longer if Jackson and his wife hadn't belabored Nelson and gotten caught, but now, they were only an official notice away from being bankrupt.

Meanwhile, the Whittles had sold their mansion away to clear their employees' wages, and the family was selling whatever they could, as no one could help them out. Well, none dared to anyway, for the Whittles had offended the Colemans and Mendelsons.

Mendelson Group aside, Coleman Empire Holdings alone was enough to put Whittle Holdings in bankruptcy.

Now, even the Zorns were shuddering in fear.

However, Zorn Holdings was much more powerful than Whittle Holdings, so they wouldn't be declaring their bankruptcy for the time being, but it didn't mean that they were faring any better. If anything, they no longer had the time and power to help the Whittles.

Now, the other big guys in Orapolis' business world dared not make a sound, as they feared suffering the wrath of the two giants accidentally.

After all, small businesses like theirs wouldn't be able to withstand their wrath.

The smart ones, on the other hand, were doing whatever they could to work with Parker Corporation, whose primary business was manufacturing circuit boards anyway, and many companies relied on electronic devices. All else aside, they could already request an order just by changing a batch of computers alone.

Everyone was saying Parker Corporation was now their true safe haven, for Kendall, the successor of Parker Corporation, was Dylan's wife, and Frank, the head of the Mendelson Family, was also very protective of the young woman.

With those two giant backers, anyone who was on Parker Corporation's good side would be able to get through this commercial crisis safely.

Yes, to work with Parker Corporation, these people had begun kissing Kendall's *ss, even when she was still not ready to take over the company. However, she was trying her best, and it hadn't gone unnoticed.

Even the founding members of Parker Corporation were saying she was hard-working, patient, and humble, a lot like Adam when he was younger. Of course, what they said might not have come from the bottom of their hearts, but at least they made a stance.

"And I'll naturally do whatever I promised. But I can't guarantee my family won't stop you from going back to work. You know as well how much they're looking forward to seeing our baby."

Even Dylan himself was excited, so what more, his parents and his grandmother when they all assumed he had suffered from erectile dysfunction since the accident and wouldn't be able to produce his own progeny.

Tilly had even brought it up with Jane, requesting the couple to conceive a couple more children and let Dylan adopt one so that he wouldn't die a lonely man.

Matthew, too. The young man already had to be prepared to let his older brother adopt one of his children before he even had a girlfriend.

Dylan naturally knew his brothers weren't happy about it, but because they felt bad for him, they would ultimately persuade their beloved to give one child up to Dylan.

When the truth of him being a sexually normal-functioning man, his two brothers were the happiest, for the possibility of having to give up their children had been ruled out.

And now that Kendall was pregnant, it further proved that Dylan was doing just fine sexually, and his elders wouldn't need to worry about the progeny issue. Hence, it was why everyone was eager for this little one's arrival.

"A national treasure-level treatment awaits you, honey. Hehe." Dylan chuckled with a hint of helplessness as he spoke.

He could still do something if his family bullied Kendall, but what could he do when they were treating

her like a national treasure?!

Actually, he, too, wanted to keep his beloved wife at home and look after her like she was a national treasure.

Kendall, on the other hand, wanted to back up when she recalled how everyone surrounded her with enthusiastic care as soon as they found out she was pregnant last night.

I haven't even told my birth parents yet. I bet they'll also treat me like a national treasure if they find out.

At that, she decided to tell her parents in secret and keep the news away from the public after confirming she was pregnant.

One, I want to have a quiet pregnancy; two, I need to prevent Kelly from harming me.

That woman is getting crazier by the day.

Especially after Kendall could gradually stand on her own.

"Hey, don't act like the world's ending. How great is it that they're babying you?! Not even I get this kind of treatment," Dylan teased his dear wife with a smile before holding her hand and taking her downstairs, where a few ladies were waiting.

"Kendall, you're awake." Emily went up to Kendall at once. "You must be hungry. I woke up bright and early to make you some nutrition-packed soup."

"Me, too, Kendall. I've made you some soup…" Julie and the others also came forward with the food

they had made with all smiles, enthusiasm, and well wishes. But it made the young woman want to run away.

However, she couldn't, as all of them were her elders. She had to accept their concern.

Minutes later, bowls of nutrition-packed soup were arranged on the dining table in front of Kendall, apart from her usual favorites.

Kendall suddenly missed the days when everyone ignored her, for she was free to do whatever she wanted. Am I masochistic?

Meanwhile, Tilly was sitting across from Kendall and Dylan. As she was the eldest member of the family, the nutritious breakfast she prepared, which also included a bowl of soup, was placed right in front of Kendall.

Right then, Tilly was looking affectionately at Kendall with a smile, and her gaze had Kendall thinking the elder wasn't looking at her but at the unborn baby.

 

Chapter 574

"Kendall, come. Try this. If it tastes good, I'll ask the maids to make it for you once every few days lest you grow tired of it. They will prepare different dishes for your breakfast too."

"I'm sure it tastes good." Kendall had been buttering her man up every single day. Now, there was another person added to her list—Tilly.

Under everyone's loving gaze, Kendall tried the breakfast prepared at Tilly's request. It was to Kendall's liking.

Acting as fair as possible, she had some of each soup. She did not wish to upset anyone.

Still, she could not finish all of them. She had a hearty appetite, but she was not a food fighter. The elders did not request her to finish them all either. Now that she had tasted every bowl of those soups, they walked away contentedly.

Only Tilly and Emily remained. It was understandable that Emily stayed; she had the right to advise that the others couldn't as Kendall's mother-in-law.

Meanwhile, Kendall proffered the remaining soup to Dylan. He could not be left out of the elders' love and care Kendall received.

He's the one who got me pregnant! So, we must enjoy blessings and endure misfortune together.

"Kendall," Emily called. "You're pregnant. Though it hasn't been long, it is a critical period. It's easy for a miscarriage to happen in the first three months, so you gotta look after yourself. You shouldn't push yourself too hard. There's a lot to be mindful of too.

"You and Dylan are still young, and it's your first time being a parent. I'm worried that the baby is hurt because of your lack of knowledge. So, why not stay here for the period? And, Dylan, you should behave for the next few months," Emily warned Dylan sternly.

Hearing that halfway through the soup, Dylan jerked his head at his mother with his deep eyes. Does that mean... No more sex life?! Alas, it's the start of my celibacy journey, I fear!

At the sight of his pleading eyes, Tilly became serious too. "Dylan, your mother is right. You shouldn't annoy Kendall for the next few months. Rather, you gotta give her extra care and attention. It's for Kendall's and the baby's sake."

"Grandma, Mom, I'm not that kind of a tactless husband." He would gladly go celibate for the sake of their baby.

He intended to ask Ronnie to buy him some books on pregnancy. He was wet behind ears in terms of becoming a father and taking care of a pregnant woman. Although there were many people in the family he could refer to—even Amos was more experienced than he was, he wished to take care of his beloved wife on his own. He would like to watch his baby grow little by little.

All he had to do was to learn what he did not know.

"Grandma, Mom, Dylan and I have discussed work. I will continue working unless I'm tired or nausea gets terrible." Kendall paused momentarily. "Things between Kelly and I are in the heat at the moment. Back when she was pregnant, my father wanted her to handle a subsidiary in Albarife, but she refused. She was afraid that her departure would lead to changes in the Parker Corporation. And I feel the same

too. I don't want that to become reality while I'm resting at home."

Dad is in good shape; he can bear another twenty years at most as long as his health allows. However, Kendall was worried that the same bad ending from her previous life would reenact.

What if Kelly took the risk by laying her hands on Mom and Dad when I was taking a break? Even if I could probably reclaim the family business with the Colemans' help some other day, I do not wish for such an incident to happen.

Her rebirth made her realize that some things were bound to happen no matter what; they would not change regardless of her rebirth.

"Grandma, Mom, we are looking forward to the baby's arrival. I will be extra careful to keep the unborn baby safe."

The married couple did not plan to have a baby that soon. It was because Kendall found out that Dylan was that baby's father, hence the wish to bring that life back. That was why they forwent birth control.

She thought it would take a long time before she conceived a baby!

Emily and Tilly exchanged glances before Tilly said gently, "Since you've made up your mind, I won't say much. You should start preparing for your wedding."

Dylan hurriedly requested, "Grandma, can we hand over the wedding to you and Mom and Dad? The weather is scorching hot these days. It's better to have it on the solstice."

Winter in Albarife was bearable. The temperature would stay 60°F on average and 46.4°F at the

lowest. Thus, the solstice was equivalent to autumn to the Northern people; it was neither cold nor hot.

Dylan was worried that his beloved wife would melt away because of the hot weather.

Emily smiled. "Okay. We all the time in the world anyways. We can help you guys with the preparations. Don't worry. I'll make sure it's a grand wedding."

It would be a stable period for Kendall to attend a wedding when solstice came. She could put on a wedding dress without much problem since her belly wouldn't bulge yet.

"Thank you," said Kendall gratefully.

"What is there to thank for? We cannot be anymore happier to be a part of such good news! There hasn't been a celebration since Alice's birth. It's been decades. The wedding has to be a big one. We'll send waves to everyone in town." Everyone in the city shall give their blessings to the newlyweds.

After the meal, Dylan headed to the room to take out the dowry list which he enumerated previously. He had yet to fall for Kendall when they first registered their marriage. Thus, the gifts were devoid of sincerity despite the expensiveness.

When he gradually grew fond of her, he began to add new items to the list until the total worth of the list exceeded a hundred fifty million as of today.

Such an astronomical figure was enough to tell Kendall's place in his heart.

Dylan handed over the papers to Tilly. "Grandma, I wrote this dowry list. Just add anything you see fit."

She glossed it over and hummed. "There's still room to add some. It's not enough."

At the same time, Kendall fell silent looking at that long list. Although she did not read everything, she could guess how much it would cost to have those things totaled up. Her man would never upset her in any way.

Forget about the fortune inherited from Coleman Empire Holdings, Dylan personally owned a lot of assets. Kendall could not even count all of them! The only thing she knew was that it would take her a few lifetimes to spend all of his money.

 

Chapter 575

Dylan never held back whenever it came to Kendall; he went all out to give her a grand wedding, telling everyone that she was happy to marry him.

"I'll leave you guys alone." Tilly rose to her feet with the dowry list in her hand. Emily hurriedly supported Tilly, and they discussed what to add to the list while heading outside.

The young couple intended to walk them out, but the offer was turned down. So, they asked Amos to see them off.

Now that they were alone, Kendall heaved a sigh of relief. "I thought they'll make a ruckus over my decision to work. I didn't expect them to be this understanding. They compromised right after I leveled with them."

Dylan smiled. "Now, you can do whatever you want. No one will say anything to you or stop you."

He hurt himself just to win the elderly family members' favor for her; he would not let them drive her out again.

He promised to marry her and spend the rest of their lives together. Since she entrusted her whole life to him, he guaranteed her a peaceful and happy one.

Feeling grateful, Kendall rested herself against him. "Thank you, honey."

"Save it. We're married, and I gave you my word. I'm a man of his word."

She pecked him on the cheek. "Oh, where's the Ford Family?"

"The little fellow wanted to go to the beach, so I asked someone to take them to our residence by the beach early in the morning. It should be a few days' stay."

Envy laced his voice; he needed to wait another ten months before he could go for a family trip. However, the elderly family members would never allow him to take the baby for a trip when it was still little.

They might not be that strict if it was a baby boy, but if it was a girl, she would become the little princess. He was afraid that Kendall and he had to stay on the sideline, albeit being the parents.

Memories of the family celebrating Alice's birth remained vivid in Dylan's head. On that very day, the elders waited outside of the delivery room, which Emily was in.

The sight of the crowd outside of the room went trending back then. Even the reporters joined the troop, wondering whether the Colemans would be welcoming a baby girl and finally breaking the all- boys gender streak.

When the nurse held Alice and announced that it was a baby girl, the elders—no, the kids—were equally elated at the news. Even the ever-matured boy, Dylan, was so joyous that he carried his youngest brother, spinning around.

Next, everyone had always surrounded Alice's side. The adults would sit next to the cradle and stare at the newborn baby, not wanting to miss any of those precious moments.

The reporters took shots of the scene, making Alice the most envied baby girl in Orapolis. This year

marked Alice's twenty-third birthday. It had been a long time since the Coleman Family last welcomed a new member.

Everyone looked forward to the arrival of Kendall's baby. The child would not receive cold treatment and ended up with an early demise like in Kendall's dream. On the contrary, the baby would be the apple of the eye of the Coleman Family!

"Let's go on a trip on the weekends when we're free."

"We can go on this weekend if you want to. Do you wanna go to the beach as well?" asked Dylan affectionately.

"But we'll be disturbing them—"

"We have other beach residences. We can stay elsewhere."

Her eyes twinkled. "Splendid!"

"Dylan, Kendall." Alice's greeting halted their conversation as they left the dining room.

"Mr. Miller, lend me a hand."

Alice's voice rang continuously before they could even see her. A curious Kendall went outside to see what Alice brought and why she needed Amos' help. She met Alice by the door, and they greeted each other.

Amos' and Ronnie's hands were full with all those packages. Even Alice was carrying a lot of

packages, so Kendall rolled up her sleeves to offer help.

"No, no, no! Leave it, Kendall. They're just clothes. I can handle them." Alice turned down the offer and slid into the house with the packages. As soon as she saw Dylan, she smiled sweetly and greeted him.

"What did you buy? There are so many of them," Dylan inquired.

"It's for my niece! It's nothing much. Just some clothes, shoes, socks and toys. My precious niece will need them someday."

The couple went speechless. Kendall could not help but smile. "Alice, I just got pregnant. It's too early to buy all these."

Alice smiled sheepishly. "I was so excited that I couldn't help it. Dylan, I'm not the only one. The others are on a shopping spree, too, but I was a step ahead of them! Look, those are all sent over by me. Dylan, when my baby niece comes out, you must use mine first. I have to prepare some gifts as her aunt."

Dylan did not know how to respond to that news. That was the thing when one had many siblings; as soon as the pregnancy announcement was made, the brothers went on a shopping frenzy. Dylan was certain that the baby girl dresses in the city were sold out by now.

Likewise, Kendall could not imagine what to do with her house filled with baby products to the brim. The uncles were definitely more excited than the parents.

"Kendall, Kendall, I have something for you! I jumped through hoops to get it." Alice set down the things in her hands and beckoned Kendall over mysteriously.

Curious, Kendall came up to her. "What is it that puts you in such hassle?"

Alice pulled her bag, which was stuffed at her back because of the mountain of packages she was carrying. Then, she fished out an album and handed it to Kendall with a grin. "See if you like it."

Kendall flipped open the album, whereas Dylan approached them upon seeing the proud expression on his sister's face.

It was all pictures of baby girls. They seemed to be seven to eight months old. Their overload cuteness just made people want to kiss them.

Kendall smiled while leafing through the album. "Alice, where did you get so many pictures of babies? Don't tell me they're real portraits of real babies?"

"Yup, they are real portraits! I asked someone to get them from the photography studios, and I dropped in some of the huge brands too. Don't worry. I have sought consent from the parents before taking a copy.

"Look how cute they are, Kendall. You're pregnant, so you gotta look at beautiful babies often to give birth to a beautiful baby girl. I can't wait to have a pretty niece that takes after you and Dylan!"

Speechless, Kendall gazed at the young woman's beaming face.

 

Chapter 576

Dylan took over the album and began flipping through the pages seriously. "Not bad, Alice. It's a nice present from you as the aunt. I'll gladly receive it as the father. If Kendall did not give birth to a niece for you, it's your fault."

Alice's eyes widened. "How is that my fault? The baby comes out from her belly and it was you who make it a boy or a girl. How can you blame me when your wish doesn't come true?"

"Oh, you know that too? Since it's up to me, why give Kendall this album? You should give it to me. It'll work more that way."

"I-I heard that in passing. They said that a couple will welcome an adorable baby if they look at cute babies all day long. There are only baby girls in this album. They're cute and lovely, aren't they? I'm sure Kendall will give me a cute niece next year if she looks at the photos every single day."

"All I can say is the money we spent on your education has gone down the drain."

Alice parted her lips but dared not protest further.

"Whether it's a boy or a girl, it's determined from the very start. No way we can change that if she's already pregnant. Those things you heard, it's either a coincidence or a bluff. I mean, it'll be believable if the woman focuses on prenatal care before she gets pregnant. But if we could do something to change the baby's gender during pregnancy, you wouldn't have fifteen brothers today."

She pursed her lips, for she did not have the nerves to say anything more.

"Honey, it's her token of affection. Who in your family doesn't wish it to be a baby girl?" Kendall put in

good words for Alice. "There's nothing we can do about it, but these pictures are pleasing to the eyes. They're adorable."

She quickly grabbed the album before facing Alice. "Ally, don't care about what he said. I love it! Thank you so much. I'll make something delicious for you one day."

"Oh yes! It's been ages since I had snacks! The last time I had them was the day Yoseph visited Jane." Alice deemed her family's homemade meals as snacks.

"Sweetie, look at ourselves. I'm sure our baby won't be hideous," Dylan chimed in with certainty, assuring that there was no need for Kendall to look at other babies every day.

Kendall shut him up by shooting a glare at Dylan. He shrugged it off, thinking nothing else mattered as long as she loved it. On top of that, he could never trample his sister's token of affection, could he?

However, he could not relent on the promise Kendall made. "Kendall is pregnant and physical labors are off-limits. I'll personally make you a feast some other day."

"Really? Awesome!" Alice was over the moon as she held high expectations for Dylan's cooking. She could not remember the last time she tasted his cooking.

"I'll be off, then. Bye!" She left in contentment.

Emma arrived the moment Alice left. After Amos led her into the residence, she informed that Laura had sent over the remaining clothes.

Kendall thought, Thank God Dylan bought me extra clothes. Otherwise, what should I wear before the clothes arrive?

Laura would've been frustrated if she had an insight into Kendall's mind, for Laura handmade those forty sets of outfits for every season single-handedly.

Not to mention that she had to assist other clients next. To be able to finish the forty sets today was her fastest possible speed, in her opinion.

"Are you on your way to elsewhere, Young Mistress Coleman?" She noticed Kendall's working attire.

"Yes. Have a seat, Miss Evans." Since Laura was here, Kendall figured that it was fine to take up some time to fulfill her responsibilities as the lady of the house.

Laura came alongside her two assistants, who brought in Kendall's clothes. After they set the packages down, they hurriedly made their way out because Dylan's expressionless face scared them.

Laura seated herself while Amos poured her tea. She gazed at Dylan. "Master Dylan, here are the thirty-eight attires for Young Mistress Coleman aside from the two sets we sent over before this."

He gave a plain response as he held up one of them to take a look at it. As he expected, Laura never disappointed him.

Laura took a winter outfit while speaking to Kendall, "Young Mistress Coleman, look at the winter outfit. We used only the best materials. Feel it. They'll keep you warm and cozy. You can even count the number of threads."

Kendall glanced at her, trying to read between the lines. Dylan had high expectations when they first made an order from Laura.

Judging from Laura's capability and reputation, she would never do something that brought disgrace to her brand.

But she said you can count the threads just by touching the fabric. Does someone intend to harm me by putting something harmful in the garment?

Kendall recalled her imprisonment in Whittle Residence during her previous life. Back then, she killed time by reading web novels.

One of the reincarnation stories revolved around the female lead whose stepsister fell in love with her husband and intended to take over her place with a murder. Once the stepsister found out about her pregnancy, she and the stepmother hid musk in the clothes belonging to the female lead's son.

He was only three years old at that time. A mama boy. Since the female lead spent almost every day with her son, she would breathe in the musk which could result in her miscarriage.

Based on that story, it was possible to hide something in thick winter clothes without getting caught.

Fortunately, the female lead did not get along with her stepsister, hence the foreboding in her when her stepsister gifted her son something. She rejected the present and ended up giving birth to her second child without implications.

As an afterthought, Kendall assumed that Laura was giving a heads-up that someone might hide something in her clothes like what happened in that story.

However, she did not inform her biological parents regarding her pregnancy yet. Aside from her adoptive family and the Coleman Family, no one knew of it.

These two families won't harm me. Oh, Roger mentioned that Kelly saw us during a checkup at the hospital. Dylan and I were there for the test results. She tried to get information from Roger because she suspected that I'm pregnant. Is Kelly scheming on something by joining hands with Laura? I think Laura's hinting that she refused Kelly. Kelly knows that I won't return the clothes if Laura personally sends them over. That's why Kelly chose Laura.

Only after giving it some thought did Kendall smile as if nothing happened. "I love every piece of them you made, Miss Evans."

She took over the winter outfit from Laura, feeling the warmth from the garment. Its thickness was just right. Winter in Orapolis had always been bearable. Winter outfits here could not be mentioned in the same breath as the ones from the North.

 

Chapter 577

Laura dared not recount the whole situation explicitly, hence the hint. It was up to Kendall if she could catch on to it. It's not my fault if you fail to take the hint. I tried, Laura thought.

"Is Miss Coleman home?" Laura veered the subject.

"Yeah, she is. Do you wanna see her?"

"Previously, she dropped by our boutique for a gown, but none of them was to her liking. So, I brought over some designs for her." She rose from her seat. "May I see her?"

Unless they were close acquaintances or came from an influential family, guests were prohibited from wandering around the Coleman Residence as they fancied.

Eric and his family had the liberty to walk around the place, but still, their decent upbringing refrained them from laying their foot wherever they liked.

"Mr. Miller," beckoned Dylan, and Amos soon came up to them.

"Mr. Miller, please ask someone to take Miss Evans to Ally."

"Yes. This way, Miss Evans." Amos politely led the way for Laura.

Laura gazed at Dylan deeply before wheeling around to follow Amos. Once the guest left, Kendall informed Emma, "Emma, let's shoot off to the airport now. Mr. Gould and the others should be there soon."

Emma had been quiet the whole time. As long as it was none of her business and no one mentioned her, she would always remain silent. After all, she worked for Dylan for years, so she was steadier than most of the secretaries.

"Miss Finley, please watch the speed on the way there. And don't let Kendall take the wheel," urged Dylan when he sent the women off. He was worried that Kendall might convince Emma to let her get behind the wheel. Due to Kendall's love for speeding, Dylan would rather not take the risk to let her drive while she was pregnant.

"Understood." Emma was close with Kendall, so she more or less knew the reason behind the prohibition.

Kendall's two bodyguards naturally tagged along. After leaving the house, Emma smiled at Kendall. "Look how worried he is. It's just a meeting with a business partner and yet, he asked you not to drive and have two bodyguards by your side."

Kendall looked back at the bodyguards' car that followed closely behind them. "I can fight, but he has the knack of having bodyguards around me. It's his way of showing his concern. What else can I do?"

Emma laughed it off. "You just don't know how blessed you are. Everyone wishes to have the life you have right now."

Kendall chuckled. "I'm aware of that. But I can't do anything about it. Dylan promised me that I won't need to be envious of others because he will make the others envious of me. He's a man of his word."

"PDA, PDA."

"It is what it is. You want it too? Get yourself a partner then! How are things going on between you and Roger? He's not bad—just a little too conservative. But that is his charm too. I think he's an outstanding man. If I must point out his shortcomings, that will be his background, which is that he comes from the countryside. Perhaps some people can't accept that."

"I'm totally fine with that," claimed Emma, her eyes on the road. "My parents might be concerned, but once they know him better, I think they won't mind it either. No, why am I stretching this further? Roger and I aren't a thing yet."

It's way too early to talk about meeting the parents right now.

Kendall giggled. "You should enjoy how it feels like to have someone trying to win your heart. Decide only after you have a taste of being doted on. I won't ask you to accept him just because he's my brother. Marriage is a lifetime commitment. There should be mutual feelings and deep connections. That's what makes a happy marriage."

"I know." Emma was aware of Kendall and Dylan's tactfulness. Although she did not know Roger that well since it had not been long since they first met, it was a decent encounter so far.

"What about Mr. Gleeson?" Kendall brought up Liam.

The smile on Emma's face faded a little. "There was never a start between us, so there had never been an ending for us too. It was all my one-sided feeling and wishing thinking. I became the laughingstock in the company just for him, but he never took my side. Since he wants me to give up, I'd rather have it his way then."

It was never easy to warm one's heart up when one was once disappointed in the bones.

"Well, he is now aware of his feelings, and he's trying his best to woo you. You mustn't let your past feelings cloud your judgment. You gotta give my brother a chance."

Emma felt helpless too. "I'm not biased. I've been hanging out with Roger these days."

Just how ironic it was to see Liam clinging onto her. Besides work, Emma basically devoted her time to him. Yet, he could not let her be when she decided to leave.

"Emma, even if you choose Liam instead of Roger in the end, I hope you won't forgive Liam that easily. He won't appreciate your feelings if you open up to him that quickly."

Emma smiled sheepishly. "I bet Mr. Gleeson will be livid if he heard that."

In fact, Liam was already hot under his collar thanks to his supervisor and friend, who assigned Emma to Kendall. It was literally doing Roger a favor!

"He deserves it." Kendall then softened her voice. "You and Amy are my besties. Your love lives are worrying me. I'm happy, and I wish the same for the people around me too."

Emma's situation was better because of Roger and Liam's sincerity for her. Amelia and Frank's situation was relatively worrisome. Kendall did not intend to be the middle person, but unfortunately, she was.

Frank obviously had feelings for Amelia. The fact that he met Dylan was enough to tell that he was serious about it.

Although Frank was undeniably the main culprit to make Kendall and Dylan sleep together during the previous life, and therefore Kendall resented him, Kendall chose to hope the best for her friend once she found out about Amelia's feelings for him. There was a dilemma before she made up her mind, of course.

Amelia had sacrificed a lot for Kendall. As long as Frank could treat Amelia well by giving her happiness, Kendall could put the resentment behind her for this lifetime.

Still, she would never treat Frank any better. Even if he and Amelia went out together, she would not be able to bear the sight of him in Coleman Residence.

Amelia was aware of Kendall's attitude toward Frank. Perchance, that was one of the reasons behind Amelia's hesitation.

"It's been a while since I saw Jane and Amelia. I wonder what they're up to."

"Jane returned home, and Yoseph followed all the way to her place. As for Amy… I'm not sure either." Kendall never inquired about Amelia and Frank's progress.

 

Chapter 578

What was Amelia doing now? She was busy admiring the photos of the handsome men she had collected in the past.

Ever since her fight with Frank, she no longer took sneak shots of beautiful men. She did not get many chances to do that either because Frank constantly instructed his men to bring her over to the Mendelson Residence and ordered her around as if she was his servant.

Knock. Knock. Sophia pushed the door open and entered the room.

She found her daughter standing next to the wall and silently admiring her past masterpieces. "Amy, it's nearly noon. Why aren't you at work yet?"

As much as Sophia disagreed with Amelia's 'job' at Mendelson Residence, she knew her objections were useless.

Amelia had agreed to Frank's request to work at Mendelson Residence as a kitchen hand in charge of soups. Although she was employed as one, Sophia kept having the feeling that he purposely arranged this job for Amelia to approach her, while the job was merely an excuse to deceive everyone.

Earlier on, word of Frank's schemeful action of pursuing someone else's wife had spread like wildfire in town. Now that things had died down, he set his sights on Amelia.

As such, Sophia was worried that he regarded Amelia as Kendall's replacement. However, her husband and son respected Amelia's wishes, so she could not quite comment on that.

Disregarding the fact that Frank had previously gone after a married woman, he was objectively a great

man worth marrying.

Sophia, like everyone else, believed the reason why he pursued Kendall's hand in marriage was that he was against Dylan, so he wanted to fight for anything that belonged to Dylan. In other words, Frank was not truly in love with Kendall.

"I don't feel like going to work today." Amelia did not turn around but continued to stare at the photos.

Yet, as she looked at them, she suddenly felt her sight blurry, and the people in the photos turned into Frank. She quickly came to her senses, and his face disappeared.

I miss Frank, though I'm looking at someone else's photos. I've only been apart from him for less than a day, yet I've started to miss him?! At that moment, she was shocked to realize that she was infatuated with him.

"Did you fight with President Mendelson?" Sophia expressed her concern.

"No." Amelia denied. "President Mendelson and I aren't that intimate to fight with each other. Even if we did, I wouldn't dare to skip work."

Sophia kept her eyes on Amelia's side profile and found her captivating. She reckoned that her daughter had stunning features. Subsequently, she turned to look at the entire wall filled with photos of unfamiliar men and heaved a sigh.

It was her and her husband's fault for not correctly guiding her when they discovered their daughter's hobby. On the contrary, they believed their daughter was sheerly keeping a collection of handsomenoveldrama

men's photos. Since she was not going to bother those men, it could not have been a big deal, and since she enjoyed it, they were happy to let her be.

It was at that moment that Sophia regretted this.

Their daughter had become increasingly out of control because of their accommodating behavior. In return, their daughter's reputation became tarnished in the social circle of the upper echelon, so she remained single up to this point. It would be an endless wait for them to see her get married.

Sophia was concerned about her daughter's future. Furthermore, Amelia had become entangled with Frank because of this hobby too.

"Amy, is there any chance that things could still work out between you and Caleb?" Sophia found it quite a shame.

She was great friends with Harriet, so if Amelia ended up marrying into the Mullinsky Family, there were surely not going to be any issues between Amelia and Harriet. Yet, after Harriet and Sophia set up the blind date for their children, their friendship was slightly affected because of the failed date.

In reality, Amelia had yet to tell her mom that Caleb was gay. He was willing to date her only because he wanted to use her as a cover-up.

Even if he was keen to have kids with her after their marriage, it was purely to resolve the issue of continuing the Mullinsky Family lineage. The minute she became pregnant with a child, he would subject her to a life of celibacy for the rest of her life.

That was not the type of marriage life Amelia was after, and she would rather live by herself.

Afterward, Caleb sought her again, but as soon as she showed him proof—obtained from Frank—that he was still in the closet, Caleb left her alone from then on.

Somehow, Harriet's attitude toward Amelia became exceptionally unfriendly too.

She had a niggling suspicion that Caleb had badmouthed her in front of his mother. Perhaps he accused Amelia that she did not find their family good enough because she was after a richer man like Frank.

Caleb must have thought to spread false lies about Amelia before she could say anything bad about him because he was worried she would expose his closeted secret to Harriet. As such, he chose to portray Amelia badly so that she would lose her credibility.

That's a bit vile of you, don't you think, Caleb? To think that I never even intended to use your secret against you. All I wanted was for you to leave me alone, Amelia complained.

She remained his secret despite facing her mother's question. "Mom, I never developed feelings for Caleb, and it was all platonic. How are things supposed to work out?"

"I thought he was quite infatuated with you." Sophia prodded, "Or were you secretly crushing on President Mendelson that you find Caleb… meh?"

Harriet had repeatedly hinted to her that Amy found Caleb an unworthy match.

Although Sophia did not believe that was her daughter's true colors, she was unable to clarify the

situation because Amelia was indeed close with Frank.

"Mom, that's nonsense. I will never be able to date Caleb because I discovered his secret."

"What secret?"

Amelia remained momentarily silent before asking her mother, "Did Mrs. Mullinsky say something about me?"

"She didn't say it outright, but she repeatedly hinted that you found their family unworthy compared to the Mendelsons. She hinted that you wanted to marry President Mendelson instead. I used to be best buddies with her, but now, our relationship is affected because of your failed date."

As a mother, it was instinct to defend their kid. Harriet fended for her son, and naturally, Sophia supported her daughter too.

"Mom, Caleb's in love with someone else, not me. He was willing to date me because he needed to find someone his mom was pleased with to be his cover-up. I would end up in a horrible state if I dated him."

Suddenly, realization dawned upon Sophia. "Oh, is that the case? Why didn't he tell his mom? Is the girl from a worse-off background and their families aren't of equal social positions? Is he worried that his mom will break them up, so he didn't dare to let her know?"

Most people in their social circles cared very much about making a match of equal social position. It was rare to see the story of Cinderella unfold in real life.

Even Kendall and Dylan were not exactly Cinderella and Prince Charming, for the Parkers were wealthy. They just were not as wealthy as the Colemans. Kendall was the only daughter of the Parker Family, so she would be the sole inheritor of the Parker Family fortune. As such, a life of wealth was her birthright, and there was no way she could be described as Cinderella.

"He is in love with someone, and I'm not sure of their family background. All I'm aware is that the person he's in love with would be unacceptable to most parents."

At that moment, Sophia was taken aback. "Is he in love with a… courtesan?"

After a brief silence, Amelia replied, "It's not a 'she'."

"Not a what? Amy, is he in love with a man? So, he's not straight?" Sophia questioned in shock.

Amelia affirmed with a grunt.

Sophia was stunned beyond words at that moment. After realizing the severity of the situation, her expression immediately changed as she scolded, "How dare he lie to you! It was fortunate that you discovered he wasn't straight because otherwise, you would've become a beard for the rest of your life. How dare his mom blame you for this! It was her son's fault!"

 

Chapter 579

"I'm going to give her a phone call right now." Sophia was about to dial her ex-best buddy's phone number in anger.

"Mom." Amelia quickly stopped her and said, "Forget about it. It's good enough that we know what sort of person he is."

"But his mom blames you for this. She blames you for being a gold digger, and that's why you think Caleb's an unworthy match."

Sophia could not take the injustice of the situation. Everyone's child is precious! Harriet dotes on her son, so why can't I dote on my daughter too?!

Amelia remained silent for a moment before uttering in a soft voice, "Mom, she wasn't wrong either. I've fallen for Frank, and because of him, I chose not to date Caleb. Otherwise… I might've chosen him."

Sophia stared intently at her daughter for some time before reaching out to push Amelia's forehead backward as she scolded, "Gosh, you silly girl. What can I say? I knew something was going on between the two of you when I saw you guys meet up every day, and the Mendelson butler behaved so respectfully around you. That night, President Mendelson also stayed over for supper at our place. He tried to pursue Kendall and win her from Dylan not long ago. Although he's stopped pursuing her recently, he's still at loggerheads with Dylan. You're best friends with Kendall, so if you were to end up in a relationship with Frank, you might get influenced and gradually stand on his side. By then, your friendship with Kendall would be over. Not only that, you guys might even end up being enemies instead."

Amelia revealed a torn look as she explained, "Frank would never do anything to hurt Kendall. He said

he has given up on her, but he still cares for her. With Kendall around, his rivalry with Dylan won't be overly intense. He would need to consider Kendall's feelings. Honestly, he's most worried about her hating him."

Truthfully, Frank remained concerned about Kendall as before, but Amelia had fallen for him, so she was utterly torn. She knew that she would not be able to give up on her love for Frank as this was the first time she truly fell in love.

"How can you be sure that he has given up on Kendall? Wait, he tried to win Kendall over from Dylan all because he's against Dylan, right? So, how could he possibly relent because of Kendall?"

Amelia responded, "Mom, the situation between Kendall and Frank isn't as what you imagined. On the contrary, his obsession with Kendall in the past had nothing to do with his feud with Dylan."

She was sure that if Kendall encountered trouble, Frank would imminently help her. Even if he was not going to offer help directly, he would surely worry about her secretly. Each time he brought up Kendall in front of Amelia, his expression would soften significantly.

"I don't care what the actual situation is between him and Kendall. He's not a good match for you, Amy. Don't fall for him. You've got to give up as soon as possible."

Thud. Thud.

The knocks sounded on the door, and their conversation was interrupted.

"Mrs. Taylor, Ms. Taylor, President Mendelson is here. He's waiting downstairs," the servant announced

politely outside the door.

Both mother and daughter duo were momentarily speechless.

In the end, Amelia responded, "Got it."

"Tell President Mendelson that we'll be there in a short while."

"Sure." The servant turned around and left.

Downstairs, Frank sat on the couch and waited along with Desmond, a bouquet, and two sets of jewelry.

Desmond encouraged Frank to apologize to Amelia for his action yesterday and to explain that he did not regard her as a replacement.

"Sir, later on, you must explain things properly to Ms. Taylor. You wouldn't want the misunderstanding to deepen," Desmond reminded Frank gingerly, for Frank was rather inadequate at dealing with emotions.

For the sake of Frank's ultimate happiness, Desmond was all in!

Meanwhile, Frank's countenance maintained solemn. He might appear expressionless but was, in reality, highly strung. After all, he came bearing flowers and jewelry. Although it was a gift on the pretext of a token of his apology, it was frankly his way of showing love to Amelia.

Sophia was the first to come downstairs.

As soon as Frank saw his future mother-in-law, he stood up in haste. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Taylor," he greeted her politely.

At that moment, she paused in her tracks and nearly escaped in fright due to Frank's rare occasion of courtesy. The mighty President Mendelson is speaking to me so politely!

"Nice to meet you, President Mendelson." Soon, Sophia regained her composure and walked over nonchalantly. She noticed the servants had already served some refreshments for Frank and Desmond, so she was pleased that they had been respectful to the guests. Subsequently, she invited Frank to take a seat.

"President Mendelson, what's the purpose of your visit today?" She glanced at the bouquet in Frank's arms and the two ivory boxes on the coffee table as she gingerly prodded him.

"I… Amelia skipped work without a reason today, so I came over to see why."

Instantly, Sophia was rendered speechless, and so was Desmond.

I've reminded Mr. Mendelson, yet he… He was mortified and wished so badly to leave the scene. Why does Mr. Mendelson always ruin things between him and Ms. Taylor? He always seemed to handle things well when pursuing Young Mistress Coleman in the past. He fawned over her non-stop!

"Uhuk. Uhuk." Desmond coughed to remind Frank to say something nice. This person in front of us is Mr. Mendelson's future mother-in-law! He's got to show some respect!

"Well, there is another thing. I broke Amelia's swing set last night. I was too rough and heartless. It was all my fault, and I felt very bad. I specifically took the day off and didn't head to work because I went to

get her some flowers and these presents to express my sincere apology." After Desmond's cough reminder, Frank mustered up his courage and spelled out his reason for coming over today.

Realization dawned upon Sophia. "Oh, so that's why you're here. No wonder Amy arrived home so early last night and stayed in her room the entire morning till now. She didn't even come downstairs or go to work."

Hearing that, Frank was tempted to let on that the misunderstanding was probably the reason why she skipped work. She must have misinterpreted that he regarded her as Kendall's replacement when she was not. Yet, those words never made it into the air.

Since they were not in a relationship yet, it would be unjust for him to disclose such information before Sophia, even if she could tell that he had something for Amelia.

"Mrs. Taylor, where's Amelia?" Frank asked directly.

"She's upstairs."

"Can I go up and see her?"

"I… don't think that's a good idea," Sophia expressed. After some hesitation, she ended up changing her mind soon after that. "President Mendelson, feel free to see her. Her door's ajar, so you should be able to locate her room once you head upstairs."

Desmond was surprised. Wow, Mrs. Taylor is such a great sport. It didn't even take her long to grease things out for Mr. Mendelson! I must teach him ways to win his future mother-in-law's heart as soon as we get home! Naturally, the more they spend time together, the more likely she would increasingly

adore him, so that shouldn't be a problem. Other than his wife-stealing incident, Mr. Mendelson's record is pretty clean, I would say. All he needs to do is proclaim his love and commitment to Ms. Taylor and her family with action. That way, a happily-ever-after is not far away!

On the other hand, Frank took the bouquet in his arms and expressed his gratitude to Sophia. Without her presence, he could use the opportunity to explain to Amelia that he truly did not regard her as Kendall's replacement.

From the start, he was well aware that Amelia was her very own person, not Kendall. Although there were similarities in their personalities, there were also a lot of aspects in which they were starkly different.

Kendall was ultimately a source of pain and regret for him deep inside. From the moment he realized he was the one who sent Kendall into Dylan's arms, he was pained and regretful of that. He was also aware that he no longer had the right to be with her from the moment he made that decision. Out of resignation, he had to give up.

Yet, as he recalled the past, he gradually realized that a room in his heart had been quietly, slowly occupied by Amelia.

 

Chapter 580

Frank headed upstairs.

Having changed into fresh clothes and put on some light makeup, Amelia was about to walk out of the room when she saw him. They bumped into each other at the entrance of her room.

Both of them paused in their tracks.

His gaze landed on her face first, but soon, he was attracted by the photo wall in her room. Without hesitation, he strode into her room.

Instinctively, Amelia tried to stop him, but she failed in her bid. Whatever! He knows my hobby anyway. Over so many years, I was only caught by him!

Frank studied the photos of the various handsome men stuck on the entire wall. After some time, he finally uttered with disgust, "Pfft. They're nothing compared to me."

However, she muttered, "But you refuse to have your photo taken."

Back then, she was delighted for an entire day upon successfully sneaking a shot of him. It was challenging to snap a sneak shot of him, and he was the most handsome man she had ever encountered out of the many she met.

In actuality, he was as handsome as Dylan. She did not have the guts to snap a photo of Dylan, but she dared to with Frank. She somehow assumed that she would not be caught in her act, but unexpectedly… Gosh, I should forget about that.

At that moment, Frank noticed Ronnie's photo again. There were more photos of Ronnie than anyone else on the wall, so it was evident that she was truly in love with him in the past. At that, Frank felt slightly jealous.

"This is for you." Finally, he handed over the bouquet in his arms to Amelia.

"Why did you buy me flowers?" She took the bouquet from him while asking, "You should give me a good reason to accept the bouquet, right?"

"I gave instructions for my men to dismantle your swing set, which is a mistake, so I'm here to apologize and offer a gift as a token of my apology. I picked the flowers from this bouquet and wrapped them myself before sending them over to you. I bought you two jewelry sets too. I don't know whether you'd like them. I've left them downstairs, so take a look later to see if you do. If you don't, I can buy you the ones you like." As he spoke, he reached out to remove Ronnie's photos from the wall.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Amelia quickly stopped him.

However, she had a bouquet in her arms, so it was hard for her to stop him. She noticed that he increasingly removed more of the photos, so, in a fit of anger, she lifted the bouquet in her hands and hit him with it. Instantly, the petals rained to the ground.

"Amelia!" Frank stopped his action and crumpled the photos in his hand. Then, he grabbed her with his other hand to stop her from hitting him.

The bouquet was a token of his affection, yet she did not even appreciate it.

"Remove all of them!" He looked her squarely in the eyes and enunciated each word slowly, "Do it, or I'll remove them myself. All of it!"

"These belong to me, so who are you to remove them? Who do you think you are, huh?! You're nobody! You—"

Suddenly, Frank took Amelia into his arms and held her tightly around the waist possessively. The bouquet ended up being crushed between the two of them.

She was not in the mood to bother about the state of the bouquet. Her jaw dropped as she glared at the handsome face right before her. Suddenly, a warm sensation contacted her lips, indicating that he was kissing her. Frank's kissing me!

Despite his age, he had maintained a celibate lifestyle up till now. Therefore, he behaved clumsily as he pressed his lips to Amelia's. Nonetheless, this was an innate human behavior, so he managed well without any guidance.

Soon, he got the hang of things and plundered mercilessly at her sweet lips.

She came to her senses and struggled to get away, but it was too late. He swooped in and stole a kiss firmly.

When he released her, she blushed crimson out of embarrassment and anger before shoving him aside. Subsequently, she flung the crushed bouquet at him angrily and turned around to run out of the room.

"Amelia." Frank quickly raced after her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"Amelia!" He tightened his grip on her and refused to let go. He was at a loss for what to say, so he said her name repeatedly.

Slightly aggrieved, she struggled hard to get out of his arms but to no avail. She turned around and grabbed his collar, vividly upset. Then, she questioned, "What am I to you, Frank? Am I a replacement for Kendall? I know you wanna get close to her, but she hates you. You miss her, so that's why I'm here, right?"

"No, that's not true!" Frank growled at her, "I've never regarded you as her replacement. You're you, and you have nothing to do with her."

Amelia was taken aback as she replied instantly, "You're lying! You're a liar! You loved her and have done everything for her! Even till now, you're siding with her!"

"That's because I owe that to Kendall and her daughter!"

At that moment, Amelia was once again caught by surprise. She knew Frank was talking about his dream. In his dreams, did he see the outcome, so that's why he gave up on Kendall but owed it to her?

"Amelia, I'm not sure when I started to have feelings for you. In the past, I pursued Kendall relentlessly, but I didn't love her at all. I just kept having dreams of a baby girl and thought she was mine. That's why I pursued Kendall relentlessly because I wanted to get my baby back. Now, I finally realized that I wasn't in love with her. I was just obsessed with getting my baby back. Amelia, you're the one I'm in love with."

Frank had met up with Dylan twice and spent a few hundred million on consultation fees, but ultimately,

he realized that it was better to confess his feelings transparently. At the very least, he wanted Amelia to be aware that he was in love with her.

After his confession, he finally comprehended fully that he had been merely obsessed with the baby; there was no romantic love for Kendall.

If he had loved her, he would not have fallen for Amelia in just a couple of months.

He was generally apathetic and did not develop feelings for someone that easily. The moment he fell for someone, it would likely be forever.

He found it tough to develop a relationship because he took things seriously, so over these years, he chose to remain single and refused to take a shot at developing one. He was worried he would end up hurt at the end of the day.

"Amelia, I've seriously never regarded you as Kendall's replacement. I was never in love with her. Sure, I still care about her and would do things for her, but that's because I owe that to her. I don't dare to disclose the reason to you because I'm afraid I will lose you forever if I do. I'm aware that I'm not a nice guy. I've done a lot of horrible things, but I'm willing to turn over a new leaf for your sake. I want to become a better man. Don't worry. I would never want you to sever ties with Kendall because of me."

As much as Amelia wished to know the reason, she did not prod, seeing that he refused to tell. Perhaps he was right. It might not be good if he told the truth.

"Amelia, do you like me? You seem to enjoy keeping a collection of handsome men on your wall. I'll be glad to have you photograph me and occupy your entire wall! I don't want these other men on your wall. They piss me off! I just wanna rip them all off and burn them into ashes."

This is the woman I love, and I want her all to myself. I won't let anyone else share her!

Amelia remained speechless as he continued, "One more thing—I've reinstalled the swing set. I told them not to do it 'cause I want you to remember that I was the one who installed it for you. I want you to remember the things I did for you and how much I care for you."

She looked at him silently, but her mind was a mess. She was not sure whether to trust his words. I thought none of us would have to come to this day…