The strong bitter aroma of ground coffee beans drifted in the air inside the coffee shop.
On one side of the coffee shop, all kinds of green plants could be found. The plants provided the shop
with some fresh air and they matched the elegant arrangement well.
Rose was sitting at one of the tables, patiently waiting for someone. She held a cup of mocha, and her
back rested against the cushioned chair.
About an hour later, two people arrived and went straight to where Rose was sitting.
Rose's eyes lit up upon seeing them. She looked giddy looking at them. She smiled so wide, revealing
her two beautiful dimples.
"Mom, Dad! You're finally here! You two are so busy that you barely have time for your daughter," Rose
cried as she held their hands, making it seem like she really missed them so much.
"The company is facing a major problem. The chairman had asked us to deal with it as soon as
possible. It's better to rope in the connections of the company to get through difficulties like this," Liam
Luo explained with a hint of embarrassment on his face.
He loved Rose with all his heart, so he never hid anything related to the company from her. Moreover,
Rose was the vice president of the company.
"Trust me, Father, I understand. I will always try my best when it comes to running the company. You
and mom have worked so hard for it and that inspires me to keep striving. Don't worry!" Rose said as
she looked at her father with sincerity and determination.
"You are indeed incredibly smart and strategic. I'm pretty sure you will never let us and entire the L
Group down," Liam Luo said proudly.
On the other hand, Valentina Xiao frowned as she started feeling concerned about her daughter. She
used to think that she didn't have to worry about anything but at that very moment, she realized that in
a way, her child still hadn't fully grown up. When Rose became an adult, Valentina Xiao's deepest wish
was to walk her daughter down the aisle and watch her get married.
"Rose, my darling, listen to me. No matter how extraordinary you are, you will never be complete, and
you will never feel accomplished until you marry a good man. Stop drowning yourself in work. You
should also go out on dates so you can find yourself a good boyfriend. If you find one, you must
introduce him to us and we shall see if he could be the perfect man for you to marry," Valentina Xiao
said earnestly.
"Oh, here you go again, mom! How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t wanna get married?
Nowadays, men are arrogant and good for nothing!" Rose exclaimed.
She looked at Liam Luo as if she was asking for help. However, to her dismay, his father said, "Rose,
dear, you should listen to your mother."
As he uttered those words, he looked kind of gloomy. He just realized that even though he knew that he
had a child with another woman, he didn't really know anything about it because he left everything up
to his beloved woman.
Until now, he didn't even know whether the child was a boy or a girl.
When Valentina Luo saw the melancholic expression on his face she already knew what he was
thinking and she tried to comfort him. "Don't worry. We are not in a hurry, and this time, we will
definitely find it."
Hearing that, Liam Luo felt a little sorry for his wife. "Thank you, Valentina. You truly are one of the
reasons why the L Group has remained strong after all these years," Liam Luo said as she patted her
on the shoulder.
Valentina Xiao smiled but there was bitterness in her heart that she tried to hide. She was the
daughter-in-law of the Luo Family, which meant that she should hold herself with grace and dignity. She
knew that her husband had a child born out of wedlock, and it should be kept a secret from the rest of
the world. She couldn't help but feel helpless.
"It doesn't matter. I know what I have to do. We will take the child as part of the Luo Family. We won't
let the child suffer out there alone," Valentina Xiao said softly.
At one point, she actually hoped that the child was gone for good or that it was dead. But later on, she
realized she couldn't bear doing something so vile. She always believed that what should be hers
would always be hers, and that was why Liam Luo married her, not that woman. This was all fate.
"Mom, Dad, I'm confused. What are you talking about? I don't understand," Rose said, looking
completely baffled.
"Don’t mind me and your dad. It has nothing to do with you, my dear. Don’t worry about it," Valentina
Xiao said coldly.
When she raised her head, she saw the disapproving look on Liam Luo's face. "Rose is an adult now.
She can handle the truth," he told Valentina Xiao.
"Rose, you have to be prepared." Liam Luo wanted to say something but he hesitated.
"Just tell me what’s going on, please! I refuse to believe that there is any problem in the world that can
trouble Dad!" Rose said as she held her father's hand and gave him a warm smile.
"I used to have a young lover before I met your mother, but we separated for various reasons.
However, it has recently come to my attention that I have a child with her. Can you forgive me?"
He was not as intimidating in front of Rose like he was during the meeting. Instead, he looked like the
most loving father in the world to her.
Rose asked with tears of joy in her eyes, "Do you mean to say that you're planning to bring the child
back? If so, I am so thrilled at the thought of having a brother or sister!"
She was so happy and excited. Her mom looked at her and sighed at her naivety. Valentina Xiao
wondered if Rose knew that if the child came back, Liam Luo might give a part of the property of L
Group to the child in the future.
"Well, my darling Rose, you are truly the best daughter a man could ask for!" Seeing that Rose didn't
mind at all, Liam Luo breathed a sigh of relief.
The three of them sat down and ate dessert together. Suddenly, Rose said, "Dad, Mom, did you know
that I fainted a few days ago?"
"What? Why didn’t I know about that? My baby! What happened?"
Valentina Xiao was taken aback. She put the dessert causally on the table.
"It was nothing serious. I just donated blood to someone. I feel a little feeble. I haven't experienced the
feeling of fainting in my life. I have to say, it's a little novel," Rose said with a reassuring smile.
However, her words just made Valentina Xiao roll her eyes.
"Don't you know how rare your blood type is? What if something bad happens to you? Why did you
donate blood to others? I'm so worried about you, Rose!" she said nervously.
"Then what can I do? Who knows what's wrong with the president of AN Group? He went to talk about
the contract in person. It was too late for me to make up for it after that, and he set me up. Later, I had
to use blood transfusion to get closer to him, but he didn't yield to hard or soft tactics. His mother liked
me very much, and she said that she wanted me to be her daughter-in-law," Rose said without thinking
too much.
For a moment, both her parents were stunned. Did Rose have a private relationship with Kevin? Could
the crisis of L Group be solved with his help? they wondered.
In the East Mountain Villa.
Kevin arrived early.
It was sunset when he arrived. Colorful clouds scattered across the sky, painting the skies with warm
colors. The distant mountains looked like a barrier that spread far and wide, exuding a gentle feeling.
In the bedroom, Anne was taking care of her child in peace. Sometimes, she was able to draft a few
sketches.
As soon as Kevin entered the room and saw the draft, he suddenly remembered that Anne had
promised him to use the flowers of each season as the main idea in the design of the ring. It had
almost been a month, but she still hadn't turned anything in.
"Did you design this?" Kevin asked in a stiff voice.
"Can't you read the name below?"
Her sarcastic and distant voice made him feel a little uncomfortable, but he had to bear it.
"Well, the design is incredible. I love it."
He had to admit that he was exaggerating when he praised her design, but as long as he could
reconnect with her, what was the harm? Was dignity really that important?
"So what's the use if you like it? You're not the customer, but the customer is your god."
Since Eddy's illness, her attitude towards him had completely changed. She was always sarcastic and
indifferent.
Fortunately, he had gotten used to it. He looked at the draft and said, "The design on the side is still a
little rough. You can still improve it. It could stand to be more exquisite, don't you think?"
When Kevin studied abroad, he majored in business operations, but he was fairly knowledgeable about
designing. Jewelries were a part of the business of AN Group, and he had a certain ability to appreciate
the artworks.
"I haven't finished my design yet. Don't worry. I will hand in the theme of this season within a month,"
Anne said, pinching Eddy's little nose.
"I'm not in a hurry. You can rest for a few more days." Kevin finally got to the point. He had hoped that
she could get some well-deserved rest.
Hearing his words, Anne was dazed for a moment. She returned to her senses the next second, and
said in a clear voice, "You don't have to give me special treatment. Work is work. No matter what
happens, it must be completed within the deadline. That's what you said."
She raised her head and stared into his eyes. Her eyes held a certain clarity that could rival even the
clearest water in existence. Seeing her like this, Kevin was surprised.
What she said was guiding principle of the AN Group. Even as the president, he thought that she was
right.
"I see. You're absolutely right."
He felt bad that his kindness was refused, but he didn't want to lose his temper and be driven further
away from her, so he resisted the urge to get mad. After a while, he finally decided to leave her in
peace.
When he left, Anne breathed a sigh of relief. She was just pretending to be strong in front of him. She
felt that she was unconfident in front Kevin just like before. But she never admitted that she liked him.
She thought it was just a conditional response.
"Eddy, let's go back to your room, okay?" Smiling, Anne held Eddy in her arms. In front of her child, she
was a gentle mother full of positive energy.
Standing in front of the window on the second floor, Kevin happened to see her every move in the living
room. There was a smile on his face and also a sense of loss. After Anne left the living room, he didn't
shift his gaze. Instead, he stared blankly at the living room, lost in his thoughts. Nobody could figure out
what he was contemplating.
When the servants looked up, they could only see the melancholy in his eyes.
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