Ch. 541..545

Chapter 541

Sylvia smiled back “Goodbye.” Shortly after that, they arrived at the gate. Sylvia turned and returned upstairs upon making sure that they had entered Odell’s car. She changed her clothes, put on a coat and a scars, then she went to her car and proceeded to drive to the venue where the seminar was hosted.

Meanwhile, in the other car that was already speeding down the lane, the driver was focused on driving In the backseat were Liam, Isabel, and Odell. Liam was sitting quietly by himself while Isabel was propped on Odell’s lap. She was staring intently at the snow outside when she abruptly turned around and stared at Odell.

Odell noticed her staring at him and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Isabel asked with a tight grimace, “Are you bullying my Mommy again?”

Odell frowned and answered, “Not that | know of.”

He had not seen her for almost a month by now, so he could not do anything to her even if he wanted to.

Isabel narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Why is it that every time you come to pick us up, Mommy tells me that she can’t go with us because she has something else planned?” Odell fell silent for a couple of seconds, then explained, “Maybe she really is busy.”

Isabel pouted. “Okay.” She turned back to the window, immediately entranced by the snow falling from the sky outside. Odell stole a glance at Liam who was sitting beside him.

The boy was seated upright with his eyes gazing forward stoutly. There was not a trace of emotion on his face, so he could not possibly decipher what was on his mind. It would seem that he did not tell Isabel about their parent’s divorce. The boy was quite mature for his age.

Sylvia arrived at the venue of the seminar shortly after that. It was in a hotel near the academy. The venue was very cozy, and many teachers had already arrived. Christopher was here as well. Upon seeing Sylvia, he immediately went up to her with a sizable crowd following him as well.

Sylvia greeted everybody with a warm and infectious smile, then she sat down next to Christopher. While waiting for everybody to arrive, they began making small talk.

Meanwhile, Sylvia ate snacks and listened to their conversation, Suddenly, there was a commotion outside.

Sylvia inspected the scene curiously and saw a group of young female teachers flocking towards the entrance of the venue. The hall echoed with their rabid cries.

“Oh my God! My heart!”

“Mr. Carter is so handsome!”

Upon hearing the name “Mr. Carter’, Sylvia understood that it was Thomas arriving.

Christopher was irked by this inappropriate scene and cleared his throat a few times.

Immediately after that, two teachers of considerable seniority went to the crowd and got them to disperse. Shortly after that,

Thomas's tall and slender figure appeared before their eyes. He was wearing a fitted suit paired with dress pants. With one hand tucked inside a pocket, he approached them with graceful steps like that of a model floating down a runway.

Sylvia waved at him.

Thomas noticed her and walked straight toward her.

The seat next to Sylvia happened to be vacant, so he proceeded to sit down beside her. All of the female teachers continued keeping an eye on Thomas.

Christopher swept a glance around the hall, then he grabbed the microphone and announced,” Everyone is here. Now let's jump straight to the topic.”

Finally, the venue descended into silence.

After that, the teachers in charge of hosting the seminar took the microphone and gave everyone a brief rundown of the day’s itinerary

The seminar, as its name suggested, was to encourage the participating teachers to exchange their experiences and serve as a platform for academic discussions. The structure of the seminar was rather casual, and participants were encouraged to speak their minds. To be precise, it was more apt to call it a social gathering than a seminar.

 

Chapter 542

With that, they entered the phase of free-form discussions. Many teachers rose from their seats and split off into groups of three to five. Several teachers went straight for Sylvia.

Needless to say, Thomas remained the most popular one by a wide margin. Many young female teachers gathered around him immediately after the host laid out the itinerary. One of the teachers asked him inquisitively, “Mr. Carter, | heard that you teach piano. What do you usually teach?”

Thomas answered blankly, “Piano.” There was an awkward silence. Sylvia was sitting close by and heard Thomas's curt answer, so she glanced over.

The surrounding teachers seemed rather at a loss for words, but they refused to give up and asked him again, “Do you only teach them piano in class? Are there any other things you teach them?”

To this, Thomas grunted an odd response, “Hm.” The teachers were completely speechless.

Sylvia darted another look at Thomas. He was seated very gracefully and had the same distant look both on his expression and in his eyes. Chances were that he was not interested in talking to them. Nevertheless, the surrounding teachers refused to leave. One of them suddenly suggested, “Mr. Carter, you must be very good at playing the piano. There’s a piano right over there. Would you mind playing a piece for us?” “Yeah, Mr. Carter, we’d love to see you play something for us.” In time, all the seminar attendees were drawn toward the mysterious piano teacher, perhaps because his crew of rabid fans were being too loud and attracted attention.

Many of them looked on with anticipation, eager to see Thomas play the piano. However, he wore a frown and still did not utter a single word. The venue was suddenly filled with silence.

Christopher quickly sensed that something was off and remarked with an earnest smile, “Mr. Carter, it seems like everyone wants to see you play the piano. Please do oblige us.” Thomas looked at Sylvia, and she smiled at him. He suddenly asked her, “Do you want to hear me play too?” Sylvia did not understand why he had to specifically ask her, but she answered with a quick nod, “Yeah,”

He abruptly rose and walked toward the grand piano set on one side of the venue. Then, he sat in front of the piano and rested his slender, delicate fingers on top of the black and white

piano keys. Everyone held their breaths and watched him silently.

Sylvia was staring at him with a fixed look too. The first note rang across the air. The melody was smooth and enticing, immediately drawing in the collective attention of everyone present and fully immersing them in the music. His fingers danced effortlessly along the keys like water flowing down a creek. The music itself was harmonious, alternating between high and low tempo, switching from a somber mood to a cheerful waltz now and then.

The listeners felt their ears cleansed by the music. It was nothing short of wonderful. By the time he finished the piece, everyone was still intoxicated by the music and demanded more.

One of the teachers cheered, “Mr. Carter, let’s do an encore.”

Thomas looked at Sylvia.

Suddenly feeling his gaze on her, Sylvia froze for a moment before subconsciously looking away to avoid his stare. Meanwhile, everyone else was cheering for an encore from Thomas the pianist. Unfortunately, Thomas seemed less receptive than they would hope for. At last, Christopher announced authoritatively, “Alright, Mr. Carter has entertained us enough. Let’s stop trying to get him to play more. We have other things to get to, so let’s get back to it.”

There was a general murmur of disappointment, then everyone dispersed and went back to their discussions Thomas rose and walked back to his seat as well.

Sylvia kept her head bowed to avoid looking at him, but she managed to catch a glimpse of him sitting down from the corner of her eye.

Many teachers were having different conversations and holding all sorts of discussions.

Sylvia was about to look up when she suddenly heard Thomas’s low and mellow voice say,” The song | played was for you.” Sylvia was startled by this remark and spun around to look at him.

Chapter 543

He was seated in a very princely manner with his hands resting on the table. A cold gleam of ice shone in his eyes, but he was 110t looking at her. Perhaps she had misheard?

Sylvia pursed her lips and wondered if she should ask if he was talking to her just now.

Her opportunity was lost when several teachers approached her and asked her enthusiastically, “Ms. Sylvia, would you mind sharing some of your insights in painting with

us?”

Sylvia dismissed the idea of asking Thomas and smiled back at them. “Okay.” She took the time to talk with them. Soon, she was entranced by the conversation to a point where she no longer noticed the way the man looked at her only a short distance from her.

Before even realizing it, Sylvia had chatted with them until it was noon.

They only wrapped things up after Christopher informed them that it was time for them to get something to eat.

Thomas was still sitting near her. Sylvia walked with him and several teachers towards the dining room where they had lunch. On the way to the dining room, he kept a respectful distance from her just like the other teachers did

Upon reaching the dining room, they found an occupied table and sat down. He was seated right next to her, but they did not exchange a single word throughout the entire meal. He had a cold and unapproachable temperament as he always did. Sylvia heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed to her that she must have misheard what he said to her just now.

After lunch, Sylvia and the others returned to the venue to continue their discussion. It was around evening when Christopher announced the conclusion of the seminar. Since it was also dinner time, he had made reservations at a nearby restaurant and invited everyone to dine with him.

Everyone went to the exit in an orderly manner.

Sylvia walked to Christopher and said to him, “President, | have children at home waiting for me, so I’m afraid | won't be joining you for dinner.” Christopher did not try to pressure her and was very understanding of her circumstance.” Alright.” Shortly after

that, they stepped out of the hotel. What came into view was a world covered in white. Thick layers of snow clad everything. It

was on the trees, all over the asphalt, and on

top of cars. Snow was still falling from the sky Christopher expressed thoughtfully, “Sylvia, be careful driving on the road.”

“Alright,” Sylvia answered before turning to Thomas to inform him, “Thomas, | won't be having dinner with everyone. | need to head back first.”

Thomas peered at her and answered in a vaguely expressive voice, “Be careful on the road.” “| will. You be careful on the way home after dinner too.”

“um.”

With that, Sylvia went straight to the parking lot. Thomas stood still and watched her.

Several female teachers were eyeing him the entire time as well. Noticing that he did not leave yet, they immediately went up to him and asked, “Mr. Carter, aren’t you leaving yet?”

“We're going to drive to the restaurant. Why don’t you get in the car with us as well?” Thomas withdrew his gaze from the direction of the parking lot and answered briskly, “I won't be joining dinner. Something came up at home.”

With that, he turned and strode off very quickly, barely giving time to the teachers to elicita response.

Sylvia quickly drove back home, To her surprise, Isabel and Liam had returned. They were still wearing the same outfit from this morning and were playing in the living room.

Isabel was lying next to Aunt Tonya watching television while Liam was seated next to them with a toy in his hand. Upon noticing Sylvia returning, the two of them turned toward her in perfect synchronization. “Mommy, you're back!” Isabel jumped off the sofa and ran to her. Liam rose as well. Sylvia kissed and hugged them in turn before asking, “Why did you two come back so early today?”

 

Chapter 544

Chapter 544 Isabel trumpeted, “The weather is bad today, so baddie says it’s not safe for us to be outside and sent us back home earlier.” Hearing this, Sylvia nodded with understanding and asked, “Did you have a good time today?”

“Mimin, we went shopping with baddie and ate a lot of delicious food, then we bought a bunch of fun stuff. Oh yeah, Mommy, we even bought you a gift!”

With that, Isabel turned and trotted inside. Sylvia observed her curiously Soon, Isabel returned carrying a large box in hand. Sylvia asked with intrigue, “What's in there?” “You'll know when you open it!” Isabel said as she handed her the box.

After taking it, Sylvia went to the couch and moved the box onto her lap to open it. It contained a music box with a crystal ball attached, and it was glowing luminously like a mysterious orb from a fantasy world.

Inside the crystal ball were two little children sitting together. It was apparent that the two children inside were carved in the likeness of Isabel and Liam. Liam’s figure was stoic and cool, while Isabel’s was grinning from ear to ear.

It was an adorable trinket. Sylvia’s eyes glowed as she slicked the switch.

The music box immediately played a melodic and soft rhythm, while flakes of snow spun around inside the crystal ball. At the same time, the two tiny figures inside the crystal ball began spinning around on an axis.

It was a scene filled with warmth and beauty. Sylvia smiled happily upon witnessing this, then she looked to her side and saw Isabel and Llam staring at her expectantly. She threw her arms around them with a grateful smile and thanked them, “Thank you, Mominy loves this gift.”

“Hehe.” Isabel grinned and added, “Mommy, it was the stinky baddie who helped us make this. We didn’t even know we could have our figures put inside.”

Sylvia suddenly frowned. “Oh yeah, the stinky baddie bought gifts for us too.” Sylvia tried to keep a calm appearance and asked with a pleasant smile, “What did your Daddy buy for you?” Liam showed off the toy in his hand. It was a quirky toy that could have its shape tweaked by hand.

Sylvia patted his head and turned to Isabel who looked at her with her pearly eyes and suddenly held out her hands. She let Sylvia look at her bare wrists.

A pair of star-shaped diamond bracelets that she wore on both of her arms immediately caught Sylvia’s attention. But that was not all.

She craned her neck upward to reveal her neck. Sylvia caught a glimmer of something shining and gently tugged at her collar to reveal a shiny star-shaped diamond necklace. There was a logo etched on the necklace, proving that it was a luxury brand. This set had to be worth millions.

Sylvia jerked her lips in a repulsed manner. Isabel asked with pride, “Mommy, what do you think about these stars? Aren't they shiny?” At a young age, she had no concept of money and only liked it for its star-shaped design. “They’re nice,” Sylvia complimented before inquiring, “Did your Daddy buy it for you?” “Yeah, he asked me if | had anything | wanted. | thought about it for a long time and couldn’t think of anything, so he took us to this shop where we bought this.” Oh well, Isabel and Liam were his rightful children, so he could splurge on them as much as he wanted.

Sylvia patted Isabel’s head and kept quiet. That was when the child suddenly regarded her with an intrigued look. Sylvia asked suspiciously, “What’s wrong?” Isabel smiled and revealed, “Mommy, we picked out a necklace for you too.” Sylvia was bewildered by this. Isabel looked at Liam and motioned, “Bro, show Mommy.”

Chapter 545

Chapter 545 Liam took out a delicate purple wooden box from his pocket.

Sylvia opened it and saw a sunflower-shaped diamond necklace inside. It was crafted with attention to detail and was breathtakingly beautiful. She pursed her lips.

Isabel stared at her and asked, “Mommy, we picked this out for you. Do you like it?” Sylvia strained a forced smile. “I love it.”

“Put it on! Can we can go outside and build a snowman after this?” “Alright, you two wait for me here. I'll take the music box upstairs for you first.” “Uh-huh.” Sylvia picked up the necklace and the music box and went upstairs to her room. She put the crystal ball on the small cabinet next to the bed. Shen then stashed the necklace inside a drawer in the dresser Although Isabel and Liam were the ones who had picked the necklace out, Odell must have been the one who paid for it. Clearly, it must have cost a fortune. Having divorced him, it was not right for her to wear the things he paid for. After putting it away, she quickly went downstairs.

Isabel had already run out to the yard to feel the snow. Liam was standing silently by the door and waiting for Sylvia as instructed.

Sylvia took Liam’s hand and led him into the yard where he made snowballs with Isabel.

Just outside the gate, there was a black car parked underneath the shade of trees. There was a man seated by himself in the back seat. He had the side windows rolled down, and chilly gusts of wind would blow into the car from time to time.

There was a tall wall surrounding the house which cut off his view of the yard, but he could hear the peals of laughter coming from the opposite side of the wall.

The cries of Isabel calling for her brother and the occasional shouts of their mother could be heard over the wall. Sylvia would call out for Isabel and Liam from time to time.

Although Lian’s voice could not be heard, one could vaguely make out the picture in the yard based on Isabel's cries and tell that Liam was helping her make snowballs. It seemed that the trio of mother and children was having a great time.

The rold wind was still blowing.

(xtell leaned against the back of the seat and stared at nothing in particular in front of hum. He world thin smile lingering on the corner of his lips.

Wx’s Thir day turned dark, there was no inore laughter to be heard in the yard. All there was del Wahilip Jonw ting of the wind blowing. It was only then that he finally instructed, “Let’s

The driver started the car immediately.

s

The days went by very quickly without any eventful happenings. In the blink of an eye, it was the start of Isabel and Liam’s winter holiday.

That morning, Sylvia made a reservation at a hotpot restaurant.

In the evening, she went to the kindergarten with Aunt Tonya to pick Isabel and Liam up. From there, they went to the hotpot restaurant, Sylvia ordered various vegetables and meat that Isabel, Liam, and Aunt Tonya liked. She also ordered fruit juice and some desserts to be included in the meal as well before handing the menu back to the waiter.

Since they were here early, the food was served rather quickly. Sylvia immediately distributed the utensils to everyone and made the hotpot for the children.

Liam ate slowly and with grace while Isabel went on a spree. They finished their meal relatively quickly. Isabel was the first to finish. She leaned back in satisfaction and massaged her stomach while burping. Liam gently set down his utensils and patted his mouth dry with a piece of tissue, not forgetting to help wipe Isabel's mouth too. Sylvia and Aunt Tonya were full in no time too. Liam blurted out of nowhere, “Mommy, I’m starting to miss Great-grandma.” Something gleamed in Isabel’s eyes and she chimed, “Me too. | miss Geat-grandma. Mommy, let’s go to see Great-grandma tomorrow.”

Sylvia checked the date. It was Tuesday and the next day was Wednesday, so she figured that Odell probably had work tomorrow. After some brief consideration, she decided at last, “Alright, I’ll take you two to see your great

grandrnother tomorrow.”