Ch. 1071..1080

Chapter 1071

The next day, Genevieve and her colleagues had their breakfast, packed their things, and headed to Darham Castle.

Darham Castle had a rich cultural landscape and the world's longest suspended glass bridge. It was known as the most beautiful aerial observation deck.

Upon arriving on the glass bridge, Genevieve realized it was suspended so high above the valley that she could barely see the bottom.

Though the glass was thick, its transparency gave people a sense of insecurity, as if the glass would crack after they had taken a few steps, and they would fall off the bridge.

Armand, who had been standing beside Genevieve the entire time, extended his hand when he saw her frozen for a long time. "Here. Take my hand."

"No." Some of her colleagues were still walking slowly in front of her, looking rather scared. Genevieve was afraid they would suddenly turn around and spot them holding each other's hands. Taking deep breaths, Genevieve reassured herself, "It's just a glass bridge. I won't be the only one falling if it really shatters."

Armand was rendered speechless by what he heard.

Right then, Genevieve grabbed the railing and took careful steps forward. She did not feel nervous as long as she did not look down. Soon, she arrived at the suspended observation deck. One could view the entire scenery of Darham Castle from there.

Seeing the surrounding tourists were taking pictures, Genevieve turned around and took several selfies as well. Then, when her colleagues were not looking, she took some pictures with Armand too. Just then, one of the tourists who noticed Genevieve secretly taking pictures with Armand could not help but softly ask her if they were dating secretly.

Armand was tall and handsome. Though he did not look his age, he exuded the air of a mature man. Genevieve, on the other hand, was young and lively. The age gap between them was obvious. Glancing at Armand's expressionless face, Genevieve smiled subtly without saying anything.

Apart from the glass bridge, the authorities there had also added a bungee jumping area two years ago. It was quite popular among tourists. Coincidentally, it was operating that day. Genevieve did not find the glass bridge as scary as she thought after experiencing it. Hence, she wanted to give bungee jumping a go, too.

Armand did not stop her. Instead, he kept a close eye on her, making sure the employees there secured the safety rope around her tightly.

When it was her turn to jump, Armand blurted, "Bungee jumping is very different from walking on the glass bridge. Do you want me to jump with you?"

She only needed to walk on the bridge. Bungee jumping is like jumping off the roof of a tall building. The feeling of falling can be quite overwhelming. Armand could not help but worry.

Realizing some of her colleagues were glancing in their direction, Genevieve hurriedly explained, "It's just bungee jumping.

There's nothing scary about it. Besides, I have a few safety ropes on me."

With that, the employee led her to the deck and explained some important points.

After taking a deep breath, Genevieve leaped from the deck. Immediately, a strong falling sensation rushed to her head, and the sound of the wind howling filled her ears. She did not open her eyes until her fear subsided a little.

The moment the beautiful scenery came into view, goosebumps rose all over her body. However, she was filled with so much excitement that she yelled, "Sir, I love you!"

Meanwhile, Armand's knuckles had turned white from gripping the railing at the observation deck. Right then, Genevieve's voice traveled into his ears, each word sounding crystal clear. Immediately, a feeling of warmth rushed into his heart, and all he could see was Genevieve.

The other colleagues, too, heard Genevieve's words. They gathered and whispered, "Oh, so Sir is her boyfriend's name?"

To them, it was a romantic way to confess one's feelings.

Chapter 1172

Earlier that morning, Benson Corporation had declared bankruptcy as Jiminy Benson had acquired a debt of more than a billion.

Timothy had hurriedly departed that morning to deal with the fallout of the incident.

Timothy's father and Jiminy had an amicable relationship because of their friendship. While Timothy could help Charlotte out, he was unable to loan the Benson family money because the debt was not merely hundreds of millions but more than a billion. It was a bottomless pit that could not be filled easily.

Jiminy had been arrested in Xedells but had not been extradited yet. Due to the fact the Benson family's assets would eventually be sequestered by the court, Timothy arranged for Charlotte and her family to stay at a hotel temporarily.

Throughout this period, Timothy had been busy taking care of Johanna and had not contacted Armand for some time due to the resentment he felt.

After Timothy had settled Charlotte and her family at the hotel, he chatted with the latter. It was only then he found out that Armand and Genevieve were dead, and the two children were currently under Cooper's care.

Cooper had kept the matter a secret from the children.

During the journey home, Timothy was unable to return to his senses. He called Cooper, finding out from the latter regarding what had happened to Genevieve in Lostaria and how Armand had willingly followed her to her death.

Cooper replied faintly, "I know you did it for Johanna, so don't be too hard on yourself."

There was no way Timothy would not blame himself.

Although he had never wished for Genevieve's demise, he was the one who had impulsively requested the doctor release her from the hypnosis and forced her to travel to Lostaria in order to bring Johanna back.

If I had known...

If he had known things would unfold this way, he would have informed Armand beforehand and tried to come up with another way to rescue Johanna.

Johanna could not see Timothy's expression, but when the latter was silent for a long time, she couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Timothy pressed several kisses on her hand. "I called Armand, and they've gone to stay at the Zeigler residence for New Year. I heard that General Zeigler isn't well." Johanna was aware of Herbert's poor health.

Since Genevieve was Herbert's granddaughter, it was natural for her and Armand to visit the Zeigler residence with the children during New Year.

"Darling, you're pregnant. You need to rest." Timothy tried to change the subject. "Armand and the others can visit when he's not as busy. Would you like an orange? I'll peel one for you." Johanna did not pursue the matter further. "Yes, please. I'd like a sour one."

After staying at the Zeigler residence for several days, Cooper and the two children returned to Jadeborough on the fourth day.

A lot had happened in the past several days.

Jiminy, who was returning to Jadeborough from Xedells, died on the way back. As the police had not publicly announced the cause of death, rumors of Jiminy taking his own life ran rampant. Benson Corporation was also liquidated due to bankruptcy.

Just like that, a company that was the glory of Jadeborough for decades and one of the biggest real estate companies in the country ceased to exist.

As no one else from the Benson family inherited Jiminy's assets after his death, naturally, there was no need to pay off the debt of over a billion.

However, Benson Corporation going bankrupt affected countless families.

The members of those families hated Jiminy's wife and children. If it hadn't been for Timothy's quick thinking in making arrangements for Charlotte and her family, she could have been swarmed by the angry mob.

When Melissa saw Cooper return, she opened the door and welcomed them.

Melissa said to Cooper, "Mr. Jensen came by with lots of presents the other day. He even had a balloon Asel wanted to give to Mandy."

Upon hearing this, Amanda rushed into the living room excitedly to open the presents.

Cooper could only sigh faintly in response.

He did not blame Timothy for the turn of events. Had he been in the latter's shoes and Genevieve was the one who was kidnapped, he probably would have done something far more drastic. However, it remained a fact that Armand and his wife were dead.

Worried that Timothy would accidentally let his tongue slip in front of the children, he refused to bring Amanda to Timothy's place despite the little girl's pleas to visit Asel.

Suddenly recalling something, Melissa added, "Ms. Joule seems to be pregnant."

Amanda ran over when she heard Melissa's words. Clutching the balloon excitedly, she exclaimed, "For real? Am I going to have a little sister? Uncle Cooper, I want to visit Aunt Jojo and the baby!" She tugged at Cooper's shirt as she pleaded with him.

Cooper patted the girl's head lovingly. "Your Aunt Jojo is currently very weak due to her pregnancy. What if you accidentally hurt her when you're playing with Asel? Be a good girl. We'll visit them some other time."

Upon hearing Cooper's explanation, Amanda stopped pestering him to take them to Johanna's place. She was afraid that she would hurt the baby if they bumped into Johanna during one of their play sessions. Suddenly, she ran up to Sally and hugged the woman.

Chapter 1073

Right then, Sally turned around and informed, "My men have found out that the biological research lab's backer is in Lostaria. Coincidentally, I'm going to escort Mr. Gordon to Lostaria to deal with some matters. Since Mr. Gordon is going to be there for two weeks, I'll have time to check on the backer."

Cooper had told her long ago about the people who contacted Jerry, looking for the rare blood type. After all, it was more efficient to have one more person on the mission.

He just never expected Sally's men to have already located the backer when there was no progress from his side yet.

Cooper frowned. Before he could say anything, Sally had walked over, stood on her tiptoes, and hugged him, planting a kiss on his lips.

Just like that, the sexual desires he had been suppressing were triggered, and he lowered his head to kiss her back.

Sally was usually cold and assertive, like a rose with thorns. However, she was quite flexible in bed and went along with whatever Cooper wanted.

As a man, it was only natural for him to be satisfied by how submissive she was.

When they were done with their business in bed, Cooper carried her to the bathroom and took a simple shower before placing her into the bathtub filled with water. Following that, Sally lay her head on his chest, revealing the side view of her gentle-looking face.

Tracing her fair skin with his fingers, he asked plainly, "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

He hummed a response. "I'll take you to the airport."

"Okay," Sally agreed.

Suddenly, she got up from his arms and sat up facing him. As she studied his emotionless eyes, she slid her finger between his brows.

She breathed, "Do you know why I chose you? It's because we're the same."

They had both lost the people they loved, and their hearts were filled with emptiness.

By the time Genevieve returned from the team-building event, the weekend had arrived. Genevieve wanted to visit the two children, so she woke up early that morning to get ready. Meanwhile, Armand did not rush her. He waited patiently for her to be ready before preparing breakfast.

Genevieve wore a short-sleeved denim dress with white letters printed on it. Her dark hair was tied up with a butterfly hair clip, with beautiful chains of pearls weaved among the locks of hair. It was an intricate and beautiful sight.

When she came out of the room, she spread her arms and twirled to show Armand her outfit. "Do I look elegant in this? Will they like it?"

Amusement shone in Armand's eyes. "You've always been pretty. You look good in everything."

Genevieve was pleased with his reply.

After having breakfast, Armand drove Genevieve to Swallow Garden. Along the way, she kept muttering to herself, wondering if it was too inappropriate to show up empty-handed when it was her first time meeting the children.

Thus, Armand said, "We can take them out to play if you truly feel bad about it."

Genevieve immediately rolled her eyes at him. I'm only going there to meet the two children. And here he is, hoping I can play the role of a mother already. How shameless.

Meanwhile, when the three children had finished their breakfast, Amanda led Asel to the garden to play house.

Just as Genevieve was wondering what she should say to the children, her heart melted as soon as she saw Amanda's pink and chubby face.

At the same time, Amanda, who spotted Genevieve, threw her doll aside and ran to the latter. "Mommy!"

Genevieve instinctively bent over and picked up the little girl, planting kisses on the latter's cheeks. “You're so cute! Can you please call me Mommy again?"

She had totally forgotten that she had told Armand earlier to not let the children call her that.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Amanda repeated a few times and returned the kisses. "I missed you so much, Mommy. Did you miss me?"

"Of course, I missed you, Sweetie. Mm... Your mommy has given birth to such a pretty child. You smell good, too!" said Genevieve, kissing the little girl.

Chapter 1074

Suddenly, Genevieve felt a small pair of arms wrap around her leg.

When she lowered her head, she saw a little kid in suspenders, looking barely one year old. A pacifier dangled from her mouth while her eyes were adorably wide. Asel grinned at Genevieve as she stretched out her arms, wanting Genevieve to carry her.

Genevieve was stunned for a few seconds before turning her head to stare at Armand. Her surprise overwhelmed her anger. "There's another one so young?" "She's not my child." Armand carried Asel and explained, "She's my friend's child. Since he doesn't have time to take care of her, he left her with me." Genevieve still looked suspicious. "Does both he and his wife not have time?"

"Aunt Jojo went overseas for work," Amanda replied to Genevieve's question. "Asel cries if she can't see her mommy. However, she rarely cries if she's with us." Genevieve believed it immediately after hearing what Amanda said. "Do you want to go out and play? I'll bring you to the amusement park, okay?"

"Yahoo!" cheered Amanda.

Daddy's been taking care of Mommy because he said that she's feeling unwell. It's been ages since I went out to play with Daddy and Mommy. Overcome with excitement, Amanda dragged Genevieve upstairs to pick her outfit.

Smiling, Armand gazed at the two of them as they headed up the stairs. Even though Genevieve did not remember Amanda, she subconsciously took a liking to the girl. This was as expected as they were mother and daughter, after all.

Coincidentally, Steven had just returned.

When Steven saw that Armand was going out with Genevieve and Amanda, he informed Armand, "Mr. Gordon's going to Lostaria to settle something, so Ms. Loake is going with him. She found out that the biological research lab's sponsor is at Lostaria and seems to be related to the Leonardo family."

The Leonardo family was one of the three major mafias of Lostaria. After the president retired, the newly-appointed president would be unable to oppose Zephyr.

Even though the three mafias of Lostaria formed a formidable triad, they were all wary of Zephyr.

Since Lostaria was Zephyr's turf, the Carlo family had spies located all across the country. The most Armand had achieved was harming Zephyr's business. Unfortunately, he had been unable to find where the latter was hiding.

In comparison to Armand, Sally managed to find that out, which proved that she had people working for her in Lostaria.

Armand handed Asel to Steven before walking to a quiet corner and calling Cooper. "Don't deal with Sally anymore."

"Have you found the person?" asked Cooper.

"No." Armand massaged his temples and sighed. "I don't want you to make such a huge sacrifice."

Genevieve treated Cooper like her own brother.

Similarly, Armand had long since viewed him as a close friend with whom he could entrust everything. Hence, he did not want Cooper to live like a zombie.

Since Cooper was a living, breathing person, he should have the right to feel angry and live his own life.

Cooper scoffed over the phone. "It's not like you've never done something like this before. How dare you say that about me? Furthermore, it's obvious that I've got more to gain by dealing with Sally. If you're calling me to talk about this matter, I'm going to hang up. I've got a meeting to attend later." With that, he ruthlessly hung up.

With the call lasting barely two minutes, Armand felt very exasperated.

Keeping his phone, he turned around and saw Genevieve walking down while holding Amanda's hand.

They looked similar, and their smiles were equally bright.

Amanda ran toward Armand and spun around in a circle. "Look, Daddy! Mommy picked the dress for me. She even tied two ponytails! Do I look nice?"

"Of course!" answered Armand with a smile.

When Asel saw Amanda's ponytails, she waved her arms at Genevieve and clutched her own hair.

Laughing, Genevieve carried Asel and sat on the couch. She tied two ponytails for Asel too.

While tying a ribbon around Asel's hair, Genevieve asked Armand curiously, "Don't you have a son? Why haven't I seen him?”

"He must be toying around with his computer in his room. I'll call him over!" shouted Amanda as she ran upstairs.

Chapter 1075

Just as Genevieve was done tying the ribbons around Asel's hair, Amanda dragged a boy wearing a T-shirt and a pair of cargo pants down.

Exuding a cool aura, the boy looked very similar to Armand.

Exclaiming how cute he was, Genevieve pulled him into her arms and kissed him. She could not help but ruffle his hair when he saw how it was as curly as Armand's.

She even said to Armand, "After seeing your son, I finally believe that you didn't perm your hair."

Armand was amused to hear that.

Although it was already autumn in Jadeborough, the sun was quite hot that day. Hence, Genevieve made the kids wear caps to keep the sun out. After that, Armand drove everyone to the amusement park. Genevieve played a nursery rhyme in the car and led the kids in singing it. The children's joyful voices flooded the car.

When Genevieve noticed Armand glancing over at her occasionally, she grabbed his arm when the traffic light was red. "How's that? I have the potential to be a mom, don't I?"

"Yeah." Armand's fingers brushed across her cheek as he chuckled. "You probably won't be stressed even if you have to take care of five or six kids."

Genevieve immediately slapped his hand away. "You're acting fishy. You're trying to trick me, aren't you?"

"Trick you into doing what?"

"You said five or six kids! Aren't you planning to trick me into having more children for you?" Genevieve snorted coldly and lectured him, "Do you know why some stepmothers treat their stepchildren badly? It's because they have their own children! To be nicer to your two kids, I won't have my own anymore."

Armand laughed uncontrollably. Unbuckling his seatbelt, he leaned over and kissed Genevieve. "Darling, how can you be so cute?"

Genevieve quickly pushed him away. "Stop being a kissing maniac! We've got kids in this car..."

She turned her head around and glanced over. However, she realized that the divider had already been lifted.

Armand kissed the corner of her lips again and coaxed, "Call me Hubby."

"Dream on." Genevieve pushed his face away.

“Be a good girl and call me." Armand continued to persuade her, "I'll carry the kids later when you don't want to. I'll even carry everything for you."

Genevieve glanced at him from the corners of her eyes. "Aren't you supposed to do that? Why else would I let you tag along?"

Armand did not continue to force her when he saw that she refused to call him "Hubby."

When they arrived at the amusement park's parking lot and Armand was about to get out of the car, Genevieve leaned over and pecked him on his cheek. "You're so handsome, Hubby."

Armand smiled, but before he could return the kiss, Genevieve had already left the car.

When she turned on her phone, she saw a message from Charlotte ten minutes ago, asking where she was and inviting her to go shopping together. Genevieve took a picture of the amusement park's signboard and sent it to her. She texted: I'm bringing the kids to the amusement park.

Charlotte replied quickly: Oh! I almost forgot that you're two five-year-old children's mom.

Genevieve was confused. I only became these kids' mom today, so how did Charlotte find out?

She looked across the car at Armand.

He was taking out the stroller from the trunk and lowering Asel into it. Upon noticing Genevieve's threatening stare, he could not help but feel slightly perplexed.

He pushed the stroller over and took Genevieve's bag from her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

Glancing at the two children who were walking in front, Genevieve asked Armand softly, "Tell me the truth. Are the kids... Charlotte's?"

Armand's expression became sullen. "Why would you think that?"

"Didn't you say that their mom is a famous heiress in Jadeborough and is very narcissistic?" Genevieve continued, "She's the only one who fulfills both conditions." Casting a glance at Asel sitting in the stroller, she became even more suspicious. "She's yours too, isn't she?"

With a cold expression on his face, Armand ignored her and continued pushing the stroller forward.

Chapter 1076

Meanwhile, Charlotte was lounging on the couch lazily and playing with her phone, an arm propping up her head.

When she saw that Genevieve still had not replied to her after ten minutes, she could not help but lament, "Now that she's got children, she's spending all her time on them."

She could not understand why Genevieve would punish herself by having kids.

Not only would Genevieve have to give birth to them, but she would also have to accompany them everywhere too. Having to spend most of her time on her kids, she would not have time for her own life. On the contrary, Charlotte led a carefree life.

Charlotte tapped on Instagram and scrolled through it aimlessly. She was filled with envy when she saw her friends posting their travel pictures or showing off their bodies.

Although she wanted to go overseas too, she had lost the bet with Jerry the previous time. Hence, he called the shots now.

Furthermore, she had refused to accept her defeat and secretly wore a revealing outfit to eat crayfish with Genevieve in the countryside back then. That made Jerry extremely furious, so she did not dare to provoke him again.

Suddenly, Charlotte spotted something in a picture.

When she zoomed into the picture, she saw her friend taking a selfie with others on a cruise ship. A yacht was passing by the cruise ship at the side. On its deck was a young woman in a long dress, leaning against the railing and admiring the scenery.

The woman's head was tilted with a pair of sunglasses covering her eyes. However, since Charlotte had seen her many times, she recognized the woman with a single glimpse.

It was none other than Johanna.

No wonder Johanna isn't with Genevieve. She's traveling overseas!

While Charlotte was still scrutinizing the picture, Jiminy called her and instructed, "Send the two bottles of red wine in my Mercedes-Benz to Timothy."

Suppressing her urge to roll her eyes, Charlotte snapped in annoyance, "Tell the driver to do it! Why are you instructing me?"

"Because you have nothing to do. You're just lazing at home," replied Jiminy.

Charlotte had just opened up the group chat and saw the friend who had posted that picture sharing her experience on the cruise ship the previous night.

She mumbled, "Even if I go to Forlisle Medical, Timothy might not be there. He's probably traveling with his wife at Lostaria. I just saw her photo."

Jiminy replied unhappily, "They haven't married yet, so why are you calling her his wife? Also, I asked my secretary to call Forlisle Medical. Timothy's right there. Lottie, I'm doing this for your sake. Where else can you find such a nice man like Timothy?"

"It's not because he's nice. It's because he's rich! You're just eyeing his family's wealth." Charlotte exposed Jiminy's intentions ruthlessly.

She ended the call before Jiminy could scold her.

Not wanting her father to come back and lecture her at night, Charlotte went upstairs and changed her clothes. She asked the housekeeper for the Mercedes-Benz's keys and drove to Forlisle Medical to deliver the wine.

When she arrived at Forlisle Medical, Charlotte looked for the receptionist. Soon, someone led her to the elevator.

A secretary in a formal suit was already waiting at the elevator. When Charlotte reached the top level, the secretary sent her to the CEO's office before leaving.

Since Charlotte had known Timothy for a long time, she strode into the room, not even bothering to knock.

Timothy was on the phone in front of the window. Since his tone was frustrated and he seemed to be suppressing his anger, Charlotte refrained from disturbing him and instead went to the lounge with the wine After Timothy ended the call a few minutes later and turned around, he realized that there was someone in the lounge.

Charlotte waved at Timothy as a greeting. When she caught a closer glimpse of his expression, she struggled to swallow the wine in her mouth.

She asked worriedly, "Is your work stressing you out that much?"

She remembered seeing Timothy just a while ago, but he seemed to have changed completely. He was engulfed with fury and spite, as if a flippant statement was enough to make him lose his temper. His expression was so gloomy that it would send a chill down one's spine.

Sitting on the couch, Timothy grabbed the packet of cigarettes and a lighter on the coffee table. After taking a puff of the cigarette, he demanded impatiently, "Why are you here?"

Charlotte subconsciously glanced at the ashtray, which was packed to the brim with cigarette butts. It was obvious how much he had smoked.

"My dad asked me to deliver two bottles of red wine to you." Charlotte pointed at the boxes of red wine on the coffee table.

Feeling disturbed by Timothy's hostile aura, she could not help but add, "Hey, Timothy. If you're too stressed by work, just leave it to the other vice presidents. Give yourself a break and have fun with Johanna. Why are you pushing yourself so hard?"

Chapter 1077

Something she said seemed to have triggered him as Timothy looked even grimmer. "Get lost if there's nothing else!"

Charlotte scowled, feeling like she was on the verge of cursing at him.

However, she held herself back and did not pursue it further with Timothy. She stood up from the couch abruptly and said, "If you're in a bad mood, why are you venting your anger on other people? You must be out of your mind! I'm sure that Johanna went out to play by herself because she couldn't stand your horrible temper."

With that, she spun around and left.

Just when she reached the door and was about to leave, Timothy grabbed her wrist. "Who told you that Jojo went out to play? Was it Genevieve?"

Charlotte answered, "I saw Johanna."

Timothy's breath hitched when he heard that. Gripping Charlotte's wrist tightly, he stared at her intently and asked, "Where did you see her?"

Charlotte inhaled sharply, feeling like he was going to snap her wrist. Suppressing her urge to burst into a fit of rage, she warned, "If you don't let go of me, I'm not going to tell you."

Realizing that he had lost control of himself, Timothy quickly released her.

Charlotte's heart ached when she saw the red marks around her wrist from Timothy's grip. However, she decided against holding a grudge against him for the time being as she realized why he was so anxious Charlotte showed the picture to Timothy. "A few of my friends traveled to Lostaria a few days ago. They took this picture when they were on a cruise ship yesterday."

As she spoke, she turned her head and glanced at Timothy. "Did you get into a fight with Johanna, so she ran out in a fit of anger?"

"No," replied Timothy, his gaze still fixed on the picture. He could recognize that the woman wearing the sunglasses was indeed Johanna.

Even though he had been investigating her whereabouts for so long, he yielded no results. Little did he expect to see Johanna in a selfie taken by Charlotte's friend.

Timothy did not conceal what happened either. He told Charlotte everything, including how Johanna had been kidnapped in front of the hospital and his failed attempts in looking for her. Charlotte was stunned for a long time after hearing that.

She looked at the picture again and commented gloomily, "But Johanna doesn't look like she's been kidnapped. No matter how I look at it, I think that she's just mad at you." After some thought, Timothy agreed with what she said.

But how could Johanna be so cruel that she didn't even contact me for so long? How can she abandon Asel and me?

He had almost gone crazy from looking for Johanna to the extent that he could not sleep at night. In fact, he did not even dare to face Asel.

Now, he could not even be bothered to find out why Johanna was in Lostaria. All he wanted was to find her, clarify everything with her, and bring her back no matter what it took.

Genevieve and Armand accompanied the kids at the amusement park till five in the evening before going home. Afterward, Armand cooked a sumptuous dinner.

After dinner, they went to the living room to play a blindfold game.

Although they had already demarcated the activity space, the kids took advantage of their shortness and hid inside the narrowest of places. On the other hand, Genevieve always ended up being caught by Armand.

Furious, Genevieve asked suspiciously, "That cloth is actually transparent, isn't it? If not, how can you touch me even though I'm standing on the cupboard?"

Armand wrapped the cloth around her eyes and asked with a smile, "Can you see now?"

"I can't." It was just pure darkness in front of her eyes after wearing the cloth. She mumbled, "So how did you manage to catch me every single time then?"

Armand lowered his head and kissed her. "Because you smell good."

"Perv." Genevieve punched him.

They played till it was past nine at night, at which point Genevieve brought Amanda and Asel upstairs to bathe. After that, she changed them into pajamas and carried them out. Meanwhile, Armand prepared some baby formula and brought it over.

Lying in Genevieve's arms, Asel hugged the milk bottle and guzzled the milk. With her eyes half-closed, she looked extremely adorable.

Amanda was sitting on the chair with her legs crossed while Armand dried her hair.

Amanda suddenly said, "Mommy, our school's organizing a family sports day on Wednesday. Are you and Daddy coming? The top three winners will get a duck!"

Chapter 1178

Stefan turned a deaf ear to the person behind him. After injecting the liquid into Cooper and removing the needle, he grabbed Cooper by the hair and slammed him into the wall with tremendous force. The sudden pain at the back of Cooper's head jolted him awake.

Opening his eyes, he tried to make sense of what was happening around him. When he regained his vision focus and saw the person in front of him, his expression darkened as something clicked inside his head.

Cooper spoke up in a hoarse voice. "Ninette was the one who invited me, yet you were the one who showed up."

Initially, Cooper would have finished his work that morning and be back in Jadeborough by the afternoon. Suddenly, Ninette texted him and inquired if he was in Baykeep, saying that she wanted to have a mea with him.

Since Cooper wanted to extract information from Ninette, he jumped at the opportunity.

Cooper was a cautious man, but he had not expected the invitation from Ninette to be a trap. Yet, the trap was not set by Ninette but by Stefan.

"That's right. I'm the one that Ninette is working with." Stefan tilted his head as he spoke plainly, not bothering to hide the truth.

"I was also the one who threw your niece into the elevator. I absolutely despise that kid. She's not even Sally's daughter, so why should Sally be nice to her? Why should Sally buy her things?"

Cooper glowered at the young man.

If it weren't for the fact that he had been drugged, causing all of his muscles to be paralyzed, he would have ripped Stefan's head off his neck.

As for Sally, she was in disbelief. She would have never expected Stefan to be the secret mastermind who was working with Ninette, the one who tainted the reputation of the Loake family-of Gerald-with the charge of raping a minor.

She could not believe that the culprit was someone she had grown up with, a person she treated like her own brother.

When her anger subsided, Sally calmed herself and looked at Stefan icily. "Your parents passed away when you were young. It was Dad who adopted you and treated you like his own son. He could never bring himself to punish you or scold you. Even when something happened to him, he insisted I take good care of you."

"That's because his guilt was eating him up!" Stefan whipped his body around to glare at Sally. "If it wasn't for him, my parents wouldn't have died!"

Sally's brows drew together. "What are you talking about?"

Stefan approached the bed slowly and towered over Sally. His eyes were filled with hostility. "The position of commanding officer belonged to my dad. It was Gerald who killed him. And before you try to say anything, this is not a misunderstanding. I heard about this from Gerald's own mouth!"

Stefan remembered that day like it was yesterday. It was his friend's birthday, and his group of friends went all out to celebrate. By the time everyone got home, it was almost past midnight. When he passed by Gerald's bedroom, he heard Gerald talking to his wife, Miranda.

Gerald was troubled by the fact that Stefan was still not home so late at night. Ridden by worry and filled with guilt, he started talking to Miranda about the truth about Marcus-Stefan's father. Back then, the two men were of the same rank, and both of them were after the position of commanding officer.

Even though Gerald had joined the army before Stefan's father did and was more experienced, Marcus had better leadership skills. Having more experience was not enough for Gerald to climb up the ranks. Gerald had secretly wished that Marcus would be injured. That way, he would be given the position of commanding officer.

He had not expected that the bullet would hit a vital organ when Marcus jumped in front of him to save him. Just like that, Marcus died on the spot.

Everyone had thought that Marcus was someone who valued friendship, so much so that he was willing to take the bullet for a good friend. Only Gerald knew the truth. Even if Marcus had not taken the bullet for him that day, Gerald would not have died.

When Stefan discovered the truth about his father, it was as though he was struck by lightning.

He had always thought that his father-who was close friends with Gerald-had lost his life in an accident. He would have never expected that it was Gerald's pride and greed that killed Marcus.

Stefan could tell from the tone of Gerald's voice that the latter was immensely remorseful for what he had done to Marcus.

To Stefan's horror, Miranda comforted Gerald instead, saying that it was normal to have schemes when politics were involved.

Stefan could even hear Miranda's voice echoing in his brain. "We've raised Stefo as our own ever since he was a baby and have never mistreated him. When Stefo grows up, you can find a way for him to take over your role. That way, we wouldn't owe him anything anymore."

If it wasn't for Gerald's hesitation, Marcus would not have died. Instead, he would have become the commanding officer. As for Stefan, he would not have been orphaned.

Hence, Stefan could not understand how Miranda could say such a thing.

Chapter 1079

On the morning of Wednesday, Genevieve put on a set of sportswear and went to the children's school to attend the sports day with the two children and Armand.

The event only started in the afternoon.

After they arrived at the school, they accompanied their children in the morning exercises before visiting the swimming complex, sports stadium, cafeteria, and other facilities. Around ten, they then went to the classroom to watch their children attend their classes before listening to them sing songs about their parents.

Many parents outside shed tears when they heard their children sing songs about them, and they were busy snapping photos of their children.

Genevieve adjusted the sunglasses on her face and whispered to Armand, "I never had any kind of family activities when I was still studying. Schools nowadays really have all kinds of fancy stuff, huh? Say, some parents won't be able to make it for today. Won't their children be really sad?"

Like the other parents, Armand was filming his two children too. When he heard Genevieve's question, he said, "Family sports day like this isn't something that happens every year. There's no way a parent won't be able to take time off no matter how busy they are. If they're not here, that means they don't care about their kid."

Genevieve hugged his waist and lifted a brow. "Look at the great life your children have. Their new mommy was so quick to put everything aside to attend the family sports day with them."

Armand hummed happily in response before kissing her head.

"Why don't you just tell me?" Genevieve asked, again voicing the question that had been plaguing her relentlessly. "Who's their biological mother, if not Charlotte?"

Armand ignored her.

After the children were done singing, it was time for lunch. The teachers had already made arrangements for lunchtime, hoping that the parents would make lunch with their children and share them with their classmates.

Genevieve did not like the idea of Armand making food for others, but for the sake of the two children, she endured it in silence.

When it was time to eat, the long table was filled with scrumptious dishes from various places.

The children had a merry time eating them.

Armand's cooking was so good the children were fighting to eat what he had cooked. They even said to Amanda, "Amanda, your daddy cooks so well! Is your family running a restaurant?" "That's right, that's right. Your mommy's so pretty too. No wonder you're so cute."

Amanda raised her brows at their praises, and she looked proud and gleeful. Nevertheless, she did not say her feelings out loud and told her classmate that her mommy was beautiful too. Genevieve was immensely amused as she leaned on Armand's shoulder and said, "Your daughter already knows diplomatic speech at such a young age."

The children and their parents then rested for an hour after lunch. Then, it was the start of the sports day.

It was Genevieve's first day participating in a family event like this, so she was a little clumsy during the event. Fortunately, Lucian was a good teammate. The boy caught all of Genevieve's wonky shots, and he was even faster than Genevieve and Amanda during the relay run.

With Armand and Lucian around, their family came first in the various mini-games. At the end of the day, they emerged as victors too-their score was much higher than the score of the family in second place. Amanda was so thrilled when she received the duck from the principal that she nearly leaped into the air.

After they went home, Amanda made Armand section off a spot in the garden for the duck, and she even started searching on the internet how to raise a duck.

At the sight of the girl doting on the duck, Genevieve teased, "I'm sure the duck will taste wonderful since you're raising it yourself."

"Mommy!" Amanda cried out as tears welled up in her eyes. "The ducky is so cute! How can you say you want to eat it? Mommy's so mean!"

Realizing that the girl was about to burst into tears, Genevieve quickly coaxed, "I was just joking with you."

Chapter 1080

After the sports day ended, the two children went to school as usual, and Genevieve and Armand returned to work as well.

In the morning, Armand went on a business trip, so Genevieve was the only one in the office.

While dealing with the documents from the Department of Public Information, she encountered Sean's name. Thinking about the things that happened while Sean was by her side made a look flash past her eyes.

Right then, the phone she left on the table lit up.

It was a message from Charlotte, saying that she had something to talk to Genevieve about, as well as an invitation to have barbeque at noon.

Lunchtime was longer for Genevieve that day, so she agreed to it.

When lunchtime came, Genevieve drove to the barbeque restaurant that Charlotte had suggested. It was not crowded in the store, and she spotted Charlotte by the window seat right away.

Genevieve walked over to take a seat opposite her and put her bag on the couch near the window.

She was starving, so after barbecuing a few slices of meat, she curiously asked Charlotte, "Why were you looking for me?"

Charlotte opened a can of soda, shoved a straw in it, and pushed it to Genevieve. "What happened to Johanna?"

Genevieve asked in confusion, "What do you mean what happened?"

"Timothy told me about your daughter's faked death and Johanna's kidnapping," Charlotte started. “I hear that you're all looking for her, but you haven't had any progress in it. Coincidentally, I saw Johanna in my friend's photo, and that's how I found out she's at Lostaria."

Charlotte did not know about Genevieve getting hypnotized, and she did not notice how a confounded look appeared on Genevieve's face as she spoke.

Genevieve drew her brows together. "What photo?"

Charlotte then unlocked her phone to show the photo to Genevieve. She even said, "Take a look at it yourself. Which part of this photo looks like Johanna was kidnapped? It sounds more convincing if you were to tell me that she went overseas for a break from life after a fight with Timothy."

Who gets to ride a cruise ship for fun after getting kidnapped?

Genevieve then zoomed in and looked at the young woman on the cruise ship at the back. The woman was wearing a pair of sunglasses, and Genevieve could barely feel a sense of familiarity when she stared at her.

I'm confused. I'm only high school classmates with Johanna, and she went to study abroad after two years. We stopped communicating back then. Why does Charlotte make it sound like we're close?

Genevieve returned the phone to Charlotte. Just as she was about to ask Charlotte something else, someone grabbed her left arm and yanked her off the couch.

The man then pulled Genevieve away from the table and toward the outside.

Charlotte was stunned for a moment. When she snapped back to her senses, she hurried after him to grab his arm. "Hey, wait! Timothy, what are you doing?"

However, before Charlotte's hand could even touch Timothy, he roughly shoved her aside.

The counter where the beverages were placed was right beside them, and Charlotte was shoved against it. Her back hit the edge of the counter, and she inhaled sharply from the agony. For a long time, she could not recollect herself.

However, she had seen how grim Timothy looked earlier. It was as if he was about to murder someone.

When she saw him dragging Genevieve away, a sense of foreboding crept into Charlotte's heart. Forcing the thoughts of her pain aside, she went back to their booth to call Cooper.

Meanwhile, after shoving Genevieve into the car, Timothy told the driver to drive. At the same time, he took out handcuffs and cuffed Genevieve.

In the process, he twisted Genevieve's arms painfully, and cold sweat beaded on her face.

After arriving at the military hospital, Timothy towed Genevieve all the way to the psychologist's office before kicking the door open.

The loud commotion frightened the living daylights out of the patient and the psychologist, and the two people whipped their heads toward the doorway. Timothy lifted his arm to point his gun at the patient. "Get the h*ll out of here."

The patient nearly had a heart attack there and then. Not even bothering to grab his things, he clambered off the couch and fled the room.

The psychologist did her best to stay calm. She could recognize Timothy, so she said, "Mr. Jensen, this is a military hospital. You could have given me a call first."

Timothy did not waste any time, going straight to the point as he said, "I know that you're a hypnotist and that you were the one to hypnotize Genevieve." At the same time, he tossed the cuffed Genevieve to the couch, his expression as dark as the night.

He then trained the gun on the psychologist's head. "I want you to undo what you have done."