Ch. 1241..1250
Chapter 1241 Has Nothing To Do With Her
"I've been straining my eyes. Perhaps I'm having allergies." Cooper tousled the girl's hair while saying, "Go on home with Mr. Sullivan." "I've been stroining my eyes. Perhops I'm hoving ollergies." Cooper tousled the girl's hoir while soying, "Go on home with Mr. Sullivon."
"How obout you?" Amondo osked. "Aren't you here to pick me up?"
"I need to tolk to Ms. Yerton."
Heoring this, Amondo turned to look ot Tiffony in front of the school gote. She huffed, "Uncle Cooper, you're such o jerk. How con you still think of Ms. Yerton when you olreody hove Aunt Solly? No wonder Aun Solly doesn't wont you onymore."
She rolled her eyes ot Cooper ond stomped owoy ongrily.
Cooper mossoged his temples. After regoining his composure, he took out his phone ond texted Tiffony, inviting her to grob dinner together thot night.
Then, he got bock into his cor ond leoned on the seot.
Approximotely five minutes loter, Tiffony come over. Cooper unlocked the cor door.
Tiffony got on the possenger seot ond looked ot Cooper. She wos o bit surprised to see him show up os they hodn't met since thot night ot the hospitol.
She didn't expect Cooper to remember her ond even invite her out for dinner.
Cooper ollowed Tiffony to size him up os he storted the engine. "Let's hove some locol cuisine."
"Okoy." Tiffony nodded.
Cooper requested o privote room from the stoff when they orrived ot Golden Restouront. It wos cleor thot he did not bring Tiffony here just for o meol.
They needed o quiet ploce for discussion.
Tiffony browsed through the menu ond ordered o few dishes. When she wos done, she honded the menu to the woiter. She sot down ond sow thot Cooper hod been wotching her.
"I've been straining my eyes. Perhaps I'm having allergies." Cooper tousled the girl's hair while saying, "Go on home with Mr. Sullivan."
"How about you?" Amanda asked. "Aren't you here to pick me up?"
"I need to talk to Ms. Yerton."
Hearing this, Amanda turned to look at Tiffany in front of the school gate. She huffed, "Uncle Cooper, you're such a jerk. How can you still think of Ms. Yerton when you already have Aunt Sally? No wonder Aun Sally doesn't want you anymore."
She rolled her eyes at Cooper and stomped away angrily.
Cooper massaged his temples. After regaining his composure, he took out his phone and texted Tiffany, inviting her to grab dinner together that night.
Then, he got back into his car and leaned on the seat.
Approximately five minutes later, Tiffany came over. Cooper unlocked the car door.
Tiffany got on the passenger seat and looked at Cooper. She was a bit surprised to see him show up as they hadn't met since that night at the hospital.
She didn't expect Cooper to remember her and even invite her out for dinner.
Cooper allowed Tiffany to size him up as he started the engine. "Let's have some local cuisine."
"Okay." Tiffany nodded.
Cooper requested a private room from the staff when they arrived at Golden Restaurant. It was clear that he did not bring Tiffany here just for a meal.
They needed a quiet place for discussion.
Tiffany browsed through the menu and ordered a few dishes. When she was done, she handed the menu to the waiter. She sat down and saw that Cooper had been watching her.
He was slumping lazily against the chair, his gaze icy cold behind his glasses. His usual refined elegance was gone at that moment, replaced by intimidating aggression.
Tiffany shuddered in fear. She sounded sheepish as she spoke. "Mr. Sutton, why are you looking at me like this?"
"I want to see through you." Cooper's dark gaze riveted on her.
"I've always thought of you as a gentle lady and an amicable teacher. To my surprise, it was all just a pretense. Turns out you're quite good at forcing others to kneel before you and swear deadly oaths."
Tiffany stiffened when she heard the second half of Cooper's utterance. How did Cooper find out about this?
Sally might be an atheist, but she had a deal with Tiffany. Besides, Tiffany believed that Sally would be wary of such a severe oath.
The latter wouldn't have left immediately if she didn't care about the oath.
Just as Tiffany was making all sorts of wild speculations, Cooper's angry voice rang in her ears. "Mandy is my niece. There's no need to drag her into our business. If you wanted something, you should come to me directly."
"I know you will be annoyed if I threatened you with Mandy. Besides, I hate Sally," Tiffany said with gritted teeth, not intending to hide anything anymore.
"You were the one who pursued me and brought me to pick a ring. She got in the way of our relationship and snatched you away from me. If it weren't for her, we would have gotten married already," Tiffany spat.
At first, Tiffany thought Cooper rejected her because he looked down on her. However, the moment she noticed the wedding rings on Cooper's and Sally's fingers when she met them at the barbeque restauran that day, she finally realized that Sally was the reason Cooper was taken from her.
"This has nothing to do with her. I've known her earlier than I've known you," Cooper corrected Tiffany coldly.
Cooper had no intention of letting Tiffany keep her job at the school, so he told her everything. "I pursued you back then not because I liked you, but because I wanted to find Amanda and Lucian an aunt. You are their teacher and have a likable personality. That's why I sent you flowers and treated you to dinner. We weren't even dating when I took you to choose a ring, so I had the right to choose whether to continue or give up pursuing you."
Tiffany could not believe what she had just heard and looked at the man in a daze.
Cooper snuffed his cigarette in the ashtray and said nonchalantly, "Even if I was in the wrong, the ring I gave you is worth more than ten million. Consider it as my compensation for you."
Tiffany said self-deprecatingly, "I'm pretty sure you would say otherwise if I was the daughter of a commanding officer instead of a teacher."
Tiffany was certain that Cooper would choose her over Sally if that was the case.
Chapter 1242 Deeply In Love With Her
Cooper's cold gaze fell on her. "I don't want to listen to your assumption. With my status now, I can eliminate you with a lift of my finger. Delete the video from your phone and leave Jadeborough tomorrow morning."
Cooper's cold goze fell on her. "I don't wont to listen to your ossumption. With my stotus now, I con eliminote you with o lift of my finger. Delete the video from your phone ond leove Jodeborough tomorrow morning."
He didn't give Tiffony o chonce to speok ond worned in o frosty tone, "Don't try onything funny with me. If the video is leoked one doy, I will hunt you ond your fomily down even if you ore obrood ond teoch you o lesson in person."
Shivers ron down Tiffony's spine. She did not doubt the legitimocy of Cooper's words.
For the soke of her fomily ond herself, Tiffony relented ond deleted the video she stored in the cloud storoge.
Resentment festered in Solly os she hissed, "I believe in kormo. Solly mode o deol with me but foiled to keep her promise-"
"Shut up!" Cooper interjected her with o menocing look.
Considering the foct thot Tiffony wos the two children's teocher ond thot the troditionol medicine proctitioner she found soved Amondo, Cooper wrote o check ond threw it to her.
"Leove Jodeborough tonight. If I see you ot the school tomorrow morning, be prepored to suffer the consequences."
With thot, Cooper pushed his choir bockword ond rose to his feet.
Tiffony colled out before Cooper left the privote room. "One lost question. Do you like Solly becouse she's the doughter of o commonding officer?"
Cooper's cold gaze fell on her. "I don't want to listen to your assumption. With my status now, I can eliminate you with a lift of my finger. Delete the video from your phone and leave Jadeborough tomorrow morning."
He didn't give Tiffany a chance to speak and warned in a frosty tone, "Don't try anything funny with me. If the video is leaked one day, I will hunt you and your family down even if you are abroad and teach you a lesson in person."
Shivers ran down Tiffany's spine. She did not doubt the legitimacy of Cooper's words.
For the sake of her family and herself, Tiffany relented and deleted the video she stored in the cloud storage.
Resentment festered in Sally as she hissed, "I believe in karma. Sally made a deal with me but failed to keep her promise—"
"Shut up!" Cooper interjected her with a menacing look.
Considering the fact that Tiffany was the two children's teacher and that the traditional medicine practitioner she found saved Amanda, Cooper wrote a check and threw it to her.
"Leave Jadeborough tonight. If I see you at the school tomorrow morning, be prepared to suffer the consequences."
With that, Cooper pushed his chair backward and rose to his feet.
Tiffany called out before Cooper left the private room. "One last question. Do you like Sally because she's the daughter of a commanding officer?"
Cooper paused in his tracks and replied, "I don't just like her. She's my wife, and I'm deeply in love with her."
He admitted that he had fallen for Sally a long time ago.
In fact, he had fallen head over heels in love with her.
When Cooper returned to Swallow Garden, Amanda was building a Lego bear in the living room with Armand. The girl's face fell when she saw her uncle return.
She then snorted at Cooper and went upstairs.
Armand watched his daughter head upstairs and said to Cooper, "When I came back tonight, Mandy complained to me, saying that you went to school to find Ms. Yerton and that you still couldn't forget your old flame. She said she will ignore you for a month."
"What's going on?" he then asked, grabbing a Lego piece from the carpet and placing it on the bear's head.
Cooper rubbed his temples and sat down on the couch next to Armand before saying in a low voice, "Mandy suffered a severe headache a few months ago. I have found many doctors to check on her, but none of them could find the cause..."
Cooper proceeded to tell Armand the ins and outs.
Armand had no idea such a thing happened to his daughter. Heaving a sigh, he said, "I owe Sally a favor."
"I'm the one who owe her," Cooper said.
Never in his wildest dreams did he expect Sally to do all that just to save Amanda.
Cooper propped his elbows on his knees and cradled his forehead, saying in a low and weary voice, "I don't care about the oath. I have called her countless times, but she didn't answer any of my calls. She said she's afraid."
Armand said, "Sally graduated from the military academy. If she refuses to show herself, no one will be able to find her.”
Cooper felt even more horrible when he heard that. "I can wait twenty years, but it's such a long time. What if she falls in love with another man?"
After all, many things could happen in twenty years.
Perhaps one day, Sally would build a family and marry a major-general or a bureau director just like what her father said.
Just the thought of that possibility filled Cooper with distress. He couldn't wait to find Sally and bring her back.
Slowly, the light in Cooper's eyes dimmed, and he murmured, "I can't give her the happiness she wants. I'm not the ideal son-in-law her father has in mind..."
She loves children, but we can't have children of our own.
Seeing how devastated Cooper was, Armand knew that no amount of comforting words would soothe his heart.
Chapter 1243 Outlive You
Armand raised his hand and beckoned Cooper over to him, then whispered something into the latter's ear.
Cooper slid his glasses further up his nose bridge as he looked at Armand dubiously. "I doubt she's so stupid that she'd fall for that."
"Hard to say." Armand chuckled dryly. "We'll circle back to this. I meant to tell you that Eurydice and Yuvan are getting married on the thirteenth."
"You're seriously going to let them get hitched?" Cooper had expected Armand to come up with a different plan.
"Well, yeah," Armand replied. “Their scandal is national news, and everyone's watching the Zeigler family. At this point, marriage is their only way out."
Cooper rubbed his temple wearily. "I kind of feel sorry for Yuvan."
Yuvan's and Eurydice's wedding would take place at a resort in Baykeep. Given their fathers' backgrounds, nearly half the bigwigs in politics and the military showed up.
The event was at the peak of festivities, even though there was no press around.
Beatrix and Eurydice were cousins, so it was no surprise that the former and her family showed up at the wedding, too.
However, given that Beatrix was already married, she could not very well be one of Eurydice's bridesmaids.
Beatrix stayed in the bridal room to keep Eurydice company for a bit, then took her cue to return to the main hall when she saw that it was nearly time for the wedding ceremony to begin. On her way back, she ran into Rebecca, who was wearing a bridesmaid's dress.
"Becca," Beatrix called out jovially.
Rebecca was already in a foul mood, to begin with, and Beatrix's greeting only served to aggravate her.
Whirling around to face Beatrix, she snapped, "Don't call me Becca! We're not that close!"
"Oh, but we will be after today. Plus, I'm older than you, so I can call you Becca if I want," Beatrix pointed out.
Rebecca sneered, "It's disgusting that someone of Eurydice's status would commit such a scandal. That goes for you, too, you boyfriend-stealing wench. I guess being a disgrace is a family trait for you both!"
She would never have agreed to be Eurydice's bridesmaid if her uncle had not insisted on it.
If anything, she was repulsed by the idea of it.
Beatrix drew a sharp breath when she heard Rebecca's acerbic remarks, but she quickly recovered. Smiling, she said provocatively, "Your cousin Yuvan will be part of the Gaudette family after today. I wonder if your contempt for us extends to him, too."
Sadly, Rebecca was not quite as witty as Beatrix, so she resorted to glaring at the woman instead.
Unaffected, Beatrix gave a half-shrug and pointed out, "Eurydice's wedding dress has a rather long train, so would you be so kind as to carry it for her later? Thanks."
With that, she brushed past a fuming Rebecca and left.
A guest happened to be walking up the stairs just as Beatrix was going down. When Beatrix was about to pass by, the guest stretched out her leg and tripped her. Caught off guard, Beatrix lost her balance and tumbled down the stairs.
There were about eight or nine steps, and they were not very steep, but Beatrix fell and rolled to the bottom of the stairs in a clumsy heap nonetheless.
The sudden fall made Beatrix break out in cold sweat. She scrambled to get on her feet, then glared at the silhouette on the landing and snapped, "Are you blind? You could at least help the person you knocked into!"
Had she not shielded her face with her arm in time, her face would have been bruised.
"Knocked into?" The woman on the landing turned around to look at Beatrix. "You were the one who lost your footing and fell down the stairs."
Beatrix thought the woman's voice sounded familiar. When she got a proper look at the woman's face, her eyes widened in surprise.
"A-Aren't you dead?" she found herself asking in bewilderment.
"Not that I know of," Genevieve replied. With wicked amusement in her eyes, she continued to mock Beatrix, "Don't you worry, Ms. Lowe. Chances are I'll outlive you."
Beatrix felt her heart leap to her throat.
She knew better than to pick a fight with Genevieve now that Armand was mayor. He had already put the Gaudette family in such dire straits, so there was no telling what else he could do to them. With that in mind, she skittered off.
Meanwhile, Rebecca was staring at Genevieve in disbelief.
It was not until Genevieve walked up to her and called out her name twice in a row that Rebecca came back to her senses. "Mr. Faulkner said you were still unconscious! How is it that you're awake and here right now?"
Genevieve grinned. "I've been awake for months, and I've been doing physical therapy, too." Then, she winked at Rebecca mischievously. "Armand just doesn't know yet."
Chapter 1244 Kiss Me
Half an hour later, with the invited guests as witnesses, Yuvan and Eurydice exchanged wedding rings and completed the matrimonial ceremony.
Rebecca sauntered up to Armand, beaming as she said, "Hey, there's someone who wants to see you."
Armand did not think too much of this and simply let Rebecca lead the way.
They walked out of the little garden where the wedding was held and followed the cobblestone path that led up to the hotel. There, Armand saw a woman standing in front of the fountain at the main entrance.
The woman wore a pale pink velvet dress, and her dark, wavy hair was pulled into an elegant updo to reveal her delicate nape.
She might be standing with her back to him, but Armand recognized her silhouette immediately, and his eyes went wide the moment realization dawned upon him.
Could it be?
It was only after he reached the end of the cobblestone path that he realized Rebecca had quietly disappeared.
Slowly, Armand made his way over to the fountain, then came to a halt when he was a few feet away from the woman.
"Why did you stop?" Genevieve asked, laughing.
Without waiting for his answer, she quickly turned around, only to see him staring at her with those obsidian, depthless eyes of his.
He looked so stunned that it was almost comical.
Genevieve tilted her head to one side. "Aren't you going to give your darling wife a hug?"
As she said this, she spread her arms wide.
It took a few seconds for Armand to snap out of his daze, and only then did he hurry up to Genevieve. He bent down and pulled her into a gentle embrace, burying his head in her neck.
He could not be sure if she was really there until he felt her warmth in his arms. Now that he knew he was not dreaming, his breathing grew calm and steady.
Genevieve's arms were wrapped around his waist. Nuzzling his chest lovingly, she pointed out with good humor, "I know you've missed me, but I didn't think you'd be so shocked that you wouldn't be able to string together a full sentence."
"You lied to me," Armand muttered.
He had been checking up on her, demanding that the nurses at the hospital send him footage so that he could monitor her from afar. Armand had believed that Genevieve was still unconscious, and he could not help wanting to tie up all the loose ends here so that he could rush back to her side.
Little did he know that she had been awake for a while now and that she would secretly return to surprise him.
Genevieve patted his back soothingly, saying, "I did not lie to you. I just really missed you, that's all, and I thought it'd be nice to come here and surprise you.”
She paused, then asked a second later, "What, do you not like this surprise at all? You can't seriously be unhappy about this when I literally took an eighteen-hour flight and rushed all the way here to see you!"
Armand laughed. "How am I supposed to get a word in when you're doing all the talking?"
"Then don't say anything and just kiss me already," she said coquettishly.
Armand thought he might melt at the sight of Genevieve's vibrant and endearing smile. He cupped her cheeks, dipped his head, and kissed her on the lips.
He kissed her with a sense of urgency, as if desperate to let her know how much he had missed her.
The breeze cooled the skin on the back of his neck, and he suddenly remembered something. Quickly shrugging off his blazer, he draped it over Genevieve. "Aren't you freezing in that dress?"
"Just a little," she admitted sheepishly. "I thought I'd let you see how pretty I look in this dress before you covered me up with your blazer."
He gazed at her indulgently. "When did you become such a chatterbox?"
"Oh, are we complaining now?" She frowned and said in mock anger, "I'll just keep my mouth shut from now on, then."
"That wasn't what I meant."
"Yes, it is." She snorted. "If you already think I'm a chatterbox now, then what's keeping you from thinking I'm an ugly hag the next day? It's only a matter of time before you get sick of me and file for a divorce so you can have a shiny new wife. That's your plan, isn't it?"
The poor man was forced to surrender. "I'm sorry. Of course, you aren't a chatterbox, Darling. If anything, you're a sparkling conversationalist!"
She laughed and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
The both of them were still tangled up in each other's arms and basking in the happiness of their reunion when suddenly, an angry voice cut through the air. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Armand?"
When Rebecca had gone to pull Armand away from the wedding crowd earlier, Cooper had been standing right next to him. He thought Rebecca's grin had been suspicious, so he waited until they left the garden before he followed them.
The last thing Cooper expected to find was Armand canoodling with some random woman out there in the open.
Chapter 1245 I No Longer Owe Anyone Anything
Cooper could only tell the person was a woman since she was enveloped in Armand's embrace and wearing his jacket.
Thus, he stormed over to them angrily and undid his cufflinks to make it easier for him to punch the man. "What do you think you're doing? Are Genev and I dead to you?"
He approached Armand and was about to punch the latter when the woman in Armand's embrace pried his arms apart and showed her face.
"Coop."
Cooper was shocked. His fist stopped mid-air, and he stared at Genevieve unwaveringly, like he had seen a ghost. "I thought you were still in a coma?"
"I woke up a long time ago and asked the nurse to play along and put on an act with me," Genevieve replied, laughing mischievously.
Cooper parted his lips to speak but was unable to utter a word when he looked at her. However, he was finally able to heave a sigh of relief.
Genevieve walked over to him and gave him a hug.
Stunned by her actions, he stiffened up for a while before relaxing again.
He wanted to reciprocate the hug but decided against it when he felt Armand's cold gaze on him. Rolling his eyes, he put his arms down.
"I'm still here," Armand said.
"Coop..." Genevieve suddenly started crying. Her warm tears soaked through his shirt and wetted the sweater underneath.
Armand and Cooper began panicking.
"I'm sorry for letting you shoulder everything," Genevieve said tearfully between sobs.
She was aware of the sacrifices Cooper had made for the Rachford family and herself.
Cooper tousled his sister's hair as he whispered, "We're family, and I'm your brother. It's only natural that I help you out. In other words, if you didn't see me as your brother, you wouldn't have let me help you, right? There, there. Don't cry."
Armand had been trying his best to control himself but failed after hearing Cooper's gentle tone as he comforted Genevieve.
He couldn't take it anymore and yanked Genevieve out of her brother's embrace.
He wiped the woman's tears away and complained bitterly, "You didn't even cry when you saw me earlier and instead were all smiles, but you burst into tears when you saw your brother. Am I not worthy of you tears?"
Genevieve chuckled. "I couldn't help it. He's my brother, after all.”
"I don't care. This will be the last time. You're not allowed to cry anymore. My heart aches when I see you cry," Armand ordered.
"What if you make me cry?"
"I won't." He lowered his head and kissed her. "If we ever argue or if you get angry, it'd be my fault. I will apologize to you and console you till you're no longer upset."
Genevieve pursed her lips. "If you do that, others will think I'm being unreasonable."
"Anyone who thinks that definitely doesn't have a wife."
The smile on Cooper's face gradually faded as he watched the couple acting all lovey-dovey with each other, ignoring everyone else in the world.
Why am I even here?
Unable to bear watching them exchange sweet nothings, he interrupted Armand, "The bride and groom are probably giving a toast now. Are you two going back there or not?"
"No. I came here for Mando. We'll be leaving for the hospital soon."
Armand gently caressed her ear, the corners of his lips slightly curled up.
Cooper immediately spun on his heel and left. Out of sight, out of mind.
Herbert was still lying unconscious in the VIP ward, but his vitals and heart rate were normal recently.
After arriving at the hospital, Genevieve stayed by the old man's side and kept him company for a long time.
Herbert was treated using the most advanced medicine and equipment. However, he remained unconscious due to his old age and existing illnesses.
Unlike Genevieve, who was young, he couldn't recover that quickly.
Genevieve remained by his bedside and only left reluctantly when a nurse came to remind her and Armand that visiting hours were over.
They exited the hospital building, but Genevieve suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Armand opened the car door and saw that she was just standing there. He lowered his gaze to look at her. "What's wrong? Do you want to stay in the hospital with your granddad?"
"No." She glanced at him before hugging him tightly.
Armand wrapped his arms around her and caressed her back.
After a long silence, Genevieve said, "Mando, I've returned everything to them. I don't owe anyone anything anymore."
"Yeah."
"From now on, I will focus on being your wife. I will live well and grow old with you." She leaned against his chest and took in his soothing scent.
My dear Mando has had it tough, and no one feels sorry for him. From now, I will be Mando's alone.
Chapter 1246 Give Me A Kiss
Genevieve went straight to the wedding venue right after returning to the country. After leaving the hospital, she went to the airport with Armand to fly back to Jadeborough.
Half an hour later, the plane smoothly took off from Baykeep Airport.
Genevieve turned away from the window and hugged Armand. "It's been a long time since I've seen Luc and Mandy. Have they grown taller?"
"Yeah, they've gotten quite a bit taller. Luc is growing very fast."
Armand caressed Genevieve's hair with one hand and picked up his phone with the other.
He had asked Cooper to send him the photos of the children he had taken every week while they were away.
His photo album was full of Genevieve and the kids.
Genevieve checked the most recent photos. "Mandy is getting more and more adorable. Her cheeks are so chubby. I wasn't as cute as her when I was a child."
Armand chuckled. "If you weren't a pretty child, how would you have an adorable daughter like Mandy?"
"I like it when you compliment me." Genevieve lifted her head to kiss him.
The light peck wasn't enough to satisfy Armand. He leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Mrs. Faulkner, please give me another kiss."
Before he could kiss her, Genevieve quickly lifted the phone in her hand and pressed the screen against his lips. "I'm in the photo on the phone. So, it counts."
Armand glanced at the photo on the screen and was speechless.
He moved his hand down to hold her waist before pulling her closer and planting a light kiss on her hair.
At that moment, he felt relaxed.
Since Yuvan and Eurydice were not actually getting married and the kids had school on Wednesday, Armand didn't bring them along to Baykeep.
It was past three in the morning when the plane landed in Jadeborough.
Armand took Genevieve to Only One and personally made a few desserts for her to fill her stomach.
She leaned against a workstation in the kitchen and happily enjoyed a slice of red velvet cake.
The cake was fluffy, sweet, and melted in her mouth.
Genevieve's mood instantly improved after she savored the dessert Armand made himself. "Mando, were you a chef who worked for a royal family in your past life? The desserts you make are so much tastier than those made by master chefs."
"I wasn't," Armand replied as he continued working on the next dessert.
"Humans are humans because they are smart and learn things fast. Since you and the children like desserts, I signed up for a baking class. The desserts I make naturally taste better after I mastered the necessary skills."
Genevieve chuckled and gave him a look that indicated she knew he was going to say that. "If you say this to others, they'd think you're bragging and beat you up."
"Huh?" Armand glanced at her in confusion. "Why do you say that?"
Genevieve stuffed another mouthful of cake into her mouth. "Because it's a tough thing to master. You've already mastered it, but you just had to make it sound like it's easy."
"But it is easy. Or at least to me, it is," he replied.
Genevieve rolled her eyes at him.
Armand picked up a cream puff from the baking tray and offered it to her. The cream puff was a lot bigger than the normal ones. Genevieve couldn't fit the entire thing in her mouth, so she bit half of it.
It was delicious and had a wonderful texture. Genevieve's eyes lit up. "What kind of cream puff is this? The filling doesn't seem to be cream."
"It's a strawberry ice cream puff. Mandy loves it. I'll bring one box when we go to pick them up later." Armand lowered his gaze to look at her, wearing a faint smile.
Genevieve finished the remaining half of the ice cream puff before saying deliberately, "You're working so hard because your daughter wants to eat ice cream puffs, yet you just dismissed me with two puddings and a slice of red velvet cake?"
She poked him in the chest. "Mr. Faulkner... You're being biased."
Chapter 1247 I Shall Wait
Armand chuckled. "I asked what you wanted to eat, and you said anything is fine. I was afraid you'd go hungry, so I made some pudding to satiate your hunger first. Besides, red velvet cake is not easy to make!"
Genevieve snorted in response. "I don't care. You're biased! No wonder they said daughters will always have a special bond with their fathers. I don't want to be your wife anymore."
Genevieve inched closer and embraced Armand as she said coquettishly, "I want to be your daughter too. Is that okay, Daddy?"
Armand almost could not resist the urge to ravage her when she came onto him suddenly that way.
If they weren't in the kitchen and somebody could walk in any time, he would have done it with her.
The past few months had been hard for him. It wasn't easy for him to suppress his desires for such a long time.
Armand bent down and kissed her lips aggressively. As he did so, he could taste the lingering sweet scent of strawberry ice cream on Genevieve's lips. The temptation was too strong for him to stop.
After a while, Armand reined in his urges and pulled away, but soon reached into her sweater and pinched her waist as punishment.
"Just you wait till we get home tonight."
"Sure, I shall wait then!" Genevieve's seductive eyes narrowed as she smiled provocatively. "I was worried that you won't have the energy to do it since you're too old."
What an irritating remark!
Armand then made a box of ice cream puffs and a piece of tiramisu crepe cake before heading to the school with Genevieve to pick up the kids. The bell rang just when they arrived.
The school was crowded with parents busy picking up their children. Though Armand was taller than average, he was dressed in plain clothes and was wearing sunglasses, his attire inconspicuous. As such, when he stood amidst the crowd with Genevieve, no one paid any attention to him.
Amanda spotted her father at first glance as soon as she walked through the school's main entrance. Subsequently, she quickly let go of Lucian's hand and ran toward Armand excitedly.
Armand bent down and gave her a big hug.
Amanda blinked and asked confusedly, "Daddy, I thought you went to Baykeep with Uncle Cooper to do something? Why are you back so soon?"
After kissing his daughter on the cheek, Armand said with a smile, "That's because someone's very excited to see you, so I brought her back with me."
"Who wants to see me?" Amanda was curious.
Lucian guessed who it was before he even saw the person hiding behind Armand. In a cool tone, he said, "Who are you trying to fool, Mommy?"
Genevieve popped her head out behind Armand with a smile. "You have sharp eyes, Luc! I can't believe you saw me."
"Your dress stands out, Mommy. It's impossible to not notice it."
Amanda immediately turned to look at Genevieve. After blinking in disbelief, she stretched out her hands for a hug.
"Mommy! Mommy!"
The little girl wriggled out of Armand's arms, eager to embrace her mother.
Genevieve quickly took her daughter from Armand's arms and felt the girl weighing her down. "Wow, Sweetie. You've grown taller and heavier!"
Amanda kissed Genevieve repeatedly and rubbed her soft cheeks against the latter's face. "Mommy, I've missed you so, so much! I wanted to call you every day, but I was afraid I would disturb your rest."
"I missed you very much, too." Genevieve began tearing up as she planted kisses on the little girl's face. She was so excited and emotional to see her daughter again after a few months of being apart.
Armand watched their interaction at the side and smiled affectionately. "All right. Let's go home first."
Genevieve put Amanda down and was about to give her son a hug when she realized he had grown a lot taller than his sister.
She cradled the boy's face and gave him a kiss instead. "We haven't seen each other for a few months. Did you miss me?"
"Yes."
"Do you love me?"
Although Lucian had indeed missed his mother, he felt embarrassed to be kissed by her in public.
He maintained an expressionless face, but his reddened ears betrayed his embarrassment.
Chapter 1248 Proven Wrong
Genevieve sat in the backseat with the kids while Armand drove. The woman fed Amanda an ice cream puff on their way back.
Amanda nestled in her mother's arms while she savored the dessert, swinging her legs happily every once in a while.
She could not help but ask, "Mommy, will you be leaving again?"
"I've fully recovered, so I won't be going anywhere. Daddy and I will stay with you guys every day from now on. How does that sound?" Genevieve said gently as she pecked Amanda on the cheek.
"That's awesome!" Amanda nuzzled her mother's face.
The girl missed her mother so badly after being separated from her for a long time. She couldn't stop asking Genevieve whether the latter missed her. All of a sudden, she recalled something.
"Mommy, Aunt Jojo is pregnant!" she chirped.
Genevieve was not up to date on many matters since she had just taken an over-ten-hour flight to fly back to the country.
After hearing what her daughter said, she was surprised. "Is that so? Since when is she pregnant?"
"Since a long time ago, I think..." Amanda racked her brains to remember the exact time.
"During Asel's one-year-old birthday, Uncle Tim said Aunt Jojo was pregnant. After that, Daddy said she needed to rest because of her pregnancy. So we haven't been to her place for quite a while now."
Genevieve calculated the dates. If Johanna has been pregnant since Asel's birthday, that means she's going to give birth around this month.
Then, she turned to Armand, who was driving. "Mando, let's go straight to Timothy's place. I haven't seen Jojo in a long time."
She did not blame Timothy at all for what had happened. After all, Zephyr was her half-brother, so she would be the one at fault for Johanna's kidnapping.
Genevieve had known Johanna for a long time and knew the latter had it rough to get to where she was today.
They wouldn't grow distant just because of what happened.
After telling Armand to go straight to Timothy's place, Genevieve took out her phone and wanted to call Johanna.
Armand glanced at her through the rear-view mirror and said placidly, "You just came back. Why don't we head home first? You can always visit Johanna tomorrow."
"That's right. Uncle Tim's house is not far anyway. It's only a ten-minute drive away," Amanda chimed in.
"Lucian and I have some art and craft homework. Can you help us with it when we're home, Mommy?"
Genevieve missed her two children so much that she didn't want to be apart from them even for a second.
Tousling Amanda's hair, she said, "Okay. Let's go home first then."
Back in Swallow Garden, Melissa was making soup. She was over the moon upon learning that Genevieve was home.
"Let me handle dinner tonight."
Armand passed the kids' school bags and coats to Melissa, rolled up his sleeves, and looked toward Genevieve. "What would you like to eat, Love?"
Genevieve replied, "I would like to have pork belly and meatloaf, please."
"Daddy, I want barbeque ribs and scrambled eggs! Daddy makes the yummiest and fluffiest scrambled eggs," Amanda ordered what she wanted and didn't forget to compliment her father.
Armand's lips curved up in a smile. He then looked at Lucian. "What would you like to have, Luc?"
Just as Lucian was about to say anything was fine, Amanda interjected seriously before he could even open his mouth. "Lucian, eating is life. You can't just settle for anything."
Lucian's lips twitched. Then, he said, "I'll have steamed crayfish then."
"All right." Armand turned around and entered the kitchen.
"Come on. While your dad is preparing dinner, we'll work on your arts and crafts homework." Genevieve tied her hair into a ponytail, looking professional and full of vigor.
In order to help the students cultivate their dexterity, the teachers would assign them arts and crafts homework each month.
The teachers would even judge and choose the most outstanding work among all the students in class. The winner would then be exempted from homework on one subject of their choice for that month.
It wasn't a big deal to be exempted from doing homework, but the most outstanding artwork would also be exhibited on the display cabinet at the back of the class. That privilege would very much boost the student's sense of achievement.
Therefore, all the students were very proactive and put a lot of effort into their art projects.
At first, Genevieve was not bothered by it, thinking that an arts and crafts homework for kids couldn't be that difficult to tackle. However, she was soon proven wrong.
Chapter 1249 Use Your Hands To Hug Me
"How does the nest look? Is it good?" Genevieve showed the end product to her daughter.
Amanda was painting the fake eggs. She turned around and looked at the bird's nest in her mother's hand, and her shoulder slumped in disappointment.
"Mommy, it should be a bird's nest, not a box."
"It is a bird's nest," Genevieve said matter-of-factly. "I even laid some cotton inside it. The whole bird family will move in if we put the nest on the tree."
Amanda pouted. "Mommy, have you seen any birds live in a box before?"
Genevieve looked at Lucian, who was sitting across the desk. He had made a vivid bird. She turned to Amanda again and saw the realistic bird eggs made of painted pebbles.
On the contrary, the bird's nest in her hand looked like crude craftwork with no aesthetic appeal.
Amanda waved her hand dismissively. "Forget it. Mommy, you can go and have fun. I will finish the craft with Lucian."
On their way back, Amanda was pestering Genevieve to help her with the handicraft, but now she was chasing the latter away for slowing their progress.
Genevieve was slightly disheartened.
She went to the kitchen and wrapped her arms around the man who was cooking. "Mando, your daughter scorned my poorly made bird's nest and shooed me away."
Armand asked her, "Did you just get a paper box to get by the task?"
"I can't simply pluck a real bird's nest from a tree. Although it does look a bit crude, I guarantee you that it's a genuine bird's nest," Genevieve retorted.
She then complained, "Can't the teacher spare us the trouble? Painting a family portrait of the birds is more than enough. Why are we asked to do a handcrafted bird's nest?"
Armand fed a piece of barbeque ribs to Genevieve when the dishes had cooled down. He chuckled. "You should only use your hands to hug me. I will help them out with the handcraft later."
Genevieve wanted to say something, but her mouth was stuffed with the barbeque ribs. She pinched his waist in response.
Half an hour later, dinner was ready.
It had been some time since Genevieve had a taste of Armand's cooking, so she missed it a lot. She gobbled up two plates of pasta and drank a bowl of corn chowder before sitting back, stuffed.
Armand brought her digestive pills. Then, he washed his hand, went to the living room, and started working on improving Genevieve's bird nest.
Genevieve leaned on the couch, wondering how Armand would modify the paper box. She watched as his dexterous hands turned the paper box into an arched bird's nest.
A layer of white paste was applied to the exterior of the bird's nest before it was painted with light brown watercolor. The finished product looked just like a real bird's nest woven from twigs.
Amanda cheered again, "Daddy, you are amazing. This bird nest is superb!"
Then, Amanda put the birds and a few little birds' eggs into the finished nest. The birds made by Lucian were lifelike. It was as though the bird's nest was plucked straight from the tree.
Seeing that it was getting late, Armand urged the children to go upstairs to sleep before he proceeded to tidy up the mess.
He looked up and saw Genevieve watching him intently from the couch.
"What is it?"
"It's just a simple bird nest. Why can't I get it right?" Genevieve was a little dispirited.
Armand came over and squatted beside her. Cradling her face, he gave her a light peck on the cheek. "Mandy won first place in violin performance during the school arts festival. The credit goes to you. My wife is the best."
Genevieve's heart fluttered at the man's flattery. "Mando, how did you become so good at complimenting people? Did you get a secret lover when I was unconscious_"
Before Genevieve could finish her sentence, her lips were sealed by Armand's.
"Speak a word again and see what I will do to you." He shot her a threatening look.
"Okay. I will talk no more." Genevieve wrapped her arms around the man's neck and nuzzled against him, crooning, "Mando, I don't feel like walking. Can you carry me upstairs?"
A
Chapter 1250 Are You Satisfied With Your Man
Armand hummed a response. His hands went under Genevieve's knees to pick her up from the couch.
On the way upstairs, seeing that there was no one around, Genevieve kissed and nibbled on the man. Armand almost lost his marbles, struggling to contain his desire.
When they were in the bedroom, Armand threw Genevieve on the bed and showered her with kisses.
Genevieve almost couldn't catch her breath. She regretted provoking a hungry beast that had been craving her for months.
She knew she would be screwed if she did not do something to quench the beast.
When the man finally broke contact to catch his breath, Genevieve panted heavily. "Mando, I just got off a ten-hour flight. I smell bad."
"I don't think so." Armand nibbled at her neck. He said in a low croak, "You smell good."
His passionate kisses trailed down Genevieve's body and stoked up the fire in her heart.
Armand was being particularly patient in unwrapping this special present. He was worried that he would hurt Genevieve for being too rough, but Genevieve wished he could just lose his restraint and be more aggressive.
It was such a torture to drag things on.
She didn't know how many times she was carried to take a bath. When she was finally tucked back in the soft bed, she instinctively wrapped the quilt tightly around her body when she saw the man again.
Armand laughed and handed a glass to her, gesturing for her to drink water using the straw.
Genevieve finished half a glass of water before she let go of the straw. Armand bent over and licked off the droplets by her lips. He asked, "Now do you think your man is capable?"
"Yes! He's awesome!" Genevieve planted a huge kiss on the man's face as a gesture of affirmation.
She exclaimed with righteous indignation, "Any woman who says a man can't perform after thirty clearly hasn't been with a real man. It's just a baseless, biased assumption."
Following that, she cooed, "Hubby... My back feels sore."
Armand tugged on her quilt.
Genevieve didn't loosen her grip on the quilt. Instead, she continued to act coquettishly with the man. "I have to go visit Jojo tomorrow. We will have fun again some other day, okay?"
She was now facing a ravenous beast whose appetite had gone unsated for months. Thus, she had to set some rules first to prevent things from spiraling out of control later.
Armand's eyes glinted with a hint of a smile as he replied, "Okay."
Genevieve breathed a sigh of relief and let the man take the quilt away. Soon, she was laying naked on the pillow.
Her snow-white skin was marred with dense hickey marks.
Armand retrieved a bottle of essential oil from the drawer and poured a few drops onto his palms, rubbing them together to produce heat. Then, he started gently massaging Genevieve's lower back.
Genevieve felt drained after a few rounds of intense exercise. The man's excellent massage technique and the soothing lavender fragrance in the air made her feel relaxed and drowsy.
When she was about to fall asleep, she heard Armand. "Darling, I have something to tell you."
"Sure... What is it?" Genevieve mumbled.
"Timothy had a fight with Johanna."
Genevieve's foggy mind cleared up when she heard that. Wide awake, she turned her head to look at Armand. "Why did they quarrel?"
"Not sure," Armand said. "Timothy wants Johanna to abort the baby."
Armand had been busy dealing with the Gaudette family affairs since he came back. There were too many things for him to take care of, and he didn't have time to pay attention to Timothy's affairs.
He found out about the fight between Timothy and Johanna during that weekend when Amanda asked to go to play with Asel. He brought his two children there, but there was no one in the mansion.
Neither Timothy nor Johanna was there.
One of Timothy's housekeepers told Armand that Timothy and Johanna had a bitter quarrel in May.
The housekeepers dared not stay in the house and went outside.
During that time, they vaguely heard Timothy mention he didn't want the child Johanna was pregnant with. However, they couldn't make out what the two of them said afterward.
Not long after, the housekeepers saw Loraine helping Johanna out of the house. Johanna didn't bring anything with her, but they had never been back since that day.