Ch. 1261..1270

Chapter 1261 Let Me Show You

Cooper slammed the glass of water onto the table, and his expression grew even colder.

Genevieve could tell Cooper wasn't in a good mood, so she stopped conversing with Armand and sat aside, quietly peeling the orange.

Armand sprayed the wounds on Cooper's face and asked, "Sally didn't appear?"

"She did." Cooper recalled what Sally had said in the hospital's parking lot and was dispirited. "You came up with such a trashy idea. I shouldn't have listened to you."

Armand replied, "If she really doesn't like you, she wouldn't have fallen into your trap. So, did you guys argue?"

The housekeeper handed Cooper a glass of iced whiskey, which he quickly took a huge sip. The burning alcohol placated Cooper's frustration, and he uttered in a low and deep voice, "She wants a home, which is something I can't give her."

Genevieve had no inkling of what Armand made Cooper do. She got curious after listening to their conversation and scooted over to Armand's side, wanting to know the whole story.

"Mando, what are you guys talking about?" She fed Armand one of the freshly peeled orange slices.

Armand told her the ins and outs without hiding anything.

Genevieve was stunned for a long moment after hearing the whole story.

Previously, when Sally and Cooper were together, she could vaguely sense that Sally had feelings for Cooper, but it wasn't obvious.

However, she didn't expect Sally to do so much for Cooper and even her child during the period she was unconscious.

After knowing all that, the slight resentment she harbored toward Sally vanished altogether.

Genevieve analyzed, "Sally likes you a lot, but she's afraid of the oath. Therefore, she used the excuse of wanting a home to make you give up."

Cooper massaged his temples in frustration and said in dejection, "I know that. I tried my best persuading her, but she remained indifferent."

Sally had seen through his ploy and would never fall for the same trick again.

"It's getting late. You guys should go and rest." Since Genevieve just returned, Cooper wanted her to spend more time with her children and not fret over such troublesome matters.

With that, he got up and headed upstairs.

After his figure disappeared around the corner, Armand bent down to eat the orange slice from Genevieve's hand. "There's one more thing I haven't told him yet."

"What is it?" Genevieve queried.

Armand leaned toward her and whispered, "Sally has submitted her application to join the border troops, and she will probably be leaving in two days."

Sally came from a military background. With her father being a commanding officer, it was easy for her to return to the army.

Armand pulled Genevieve into his arms and fiddled with her earlobe. "Although Sally was hesitant to leave before this, I think she's made up his mind this time since she's said such harsh words to Coop. I'm afraid she won't return," he stated flatly.

Upon hearing this, Genevieve furrowed her brows in frustration. "If she really leaves, that means it's over between her and Coop. Moreover, we still owe her a favor."

Armand sighed. "I already did my best."

Genevieve stuffed the rest of the orange slices into Armand's mouth and said haughtily, "What a useless man you are. Let me show you what I can do."

"What are you going to do?"

"I have an idea, but I won't tell you yet. If I can make Sally give up on going to the borders, will you reward me?" Genevieve arched a brow.

Armand smiled, leaned in, and kissed her. "What kind of reward do you want?"

"I'll take a rain check for now. I'll be sleeping with Amanda tonight. Goodnight!" Genevieve patted Armand's shoulder and got up from the couch, heading upstairs.

Words eluded Armand as he watched her leave.

The next morning, Sally stuffed some clothes and identification documents into her suitcase after washing up.

Her flight was scheduled for nine in the morning, so she should leave her house soon.

She heard footsteps sounding outside when she reached the door. The footsteps sounded steady and brisk, and she quickly realized it wasn't Cooper.

There are only two units on each floor. If it isn't Cooper, did he hire a housekeeper to clean the apartment?

Chapter 1262 Give Him A Chance

Sally peered through the peephole and noticed a woman standing outside the door with a lunchbox. The woman didn't ring the doorbell, but her voice traveled clearly through the door.

"Ms. Loake, I know you're inside. Please open the door."

After a brief moment of hesitation, Sally opened the door and looked at Genevieve, who was clad in a coat. "How did you know I was here?"

Genevieve smiled. "The most dangerous place is sometimes the safest."

She walked past Sally into the house and opened the lunchbox she brought with her. "Coop told me you like scones. Let's have breakfast together."

Sally pursed her lips slightly. Then, she walked over to sit across from Genevieve.

Genevieve pushed the box of scones toward her before taking a few sips of the hot soy milk and eating a steamed bun.

None of them said a word as they both took their time savoring the food.

After finishing her bun, Genevieve wiped her hands with a wet tissue. She then leaned back against the chair and fixed her gaze on Sally.

The latter's head was lowered as she munched on her scone, her expression devoid of emotions.

Genevieve said, "I bet Coop hasn't told you that I've already known Armand for a long time. His grandmother is from Jadeborough, so he frequently visits the city. His eyes were severely injured as a result of ar accidental explosion, and he was admitted to the hospital. I met him at the hospital, but I didn't realize it at the time..."

She told Sally how Armand mistook Marilyn for her, the events that happened in the Rachford residence afterward, and how she met Armand again.

Genevieve said, "I actually took an oath before too. Marilyn stole a violin that was given to me by a close friend. I wanted to take it back from Marilyn, so I pledged an oath, swearing that I will never tell anyone about how Armand got the wrong person. Now that I think about it, I only did it because I don't want to admit I'm in love with Armand."

Sally listened to her wordlessly.

Genevieve glanced at Sally. "I know you don't believe in superstitious things. You obviously love Coop. Why won't you give him another chance?"

Sally cleared the table after eating and wiped her hands with a wet tissue.

"The food was delicious. Thank you." Sally took a look at the time on her phone before placing it back into her pocket. Then, she turned to leave with her luggage.

Genevieve tried to stop her. "Give me another three minutes. Then, I'll send you to the airport. I promise."

Sally stopped in her tracks and followed Genevieve into the study.

She had entered Cooper's study a few times before this, but she had never touched his belongings.

Upon stepping into the study, she watched Genevieve take a photo album from the bookshelf.

Genevieve explained, "A fire destroyed everything in the Sutton residence. You should have heard about this before."

"Yes. I know about this." Samantha grew up in Jadeborough, and with her capability, it was easy for her to discover any news that was buried deep, no matter how outdated it was. "I heard it was Ms. Samantha who had someone do it."

"That's right." Genevieve leaned against the desk and told her about the complicated relationship between Samantha and Zachary.

As Sally listened to Genevieve, she flipped open the album. She noticed that, with the exception of the family portrait on the first page and a few individual photos, the rest of the photos appeared to be oil paintings.

The appearance of the young man, woman, and little girl in the oil paintings seemed to grow and change over the years.

Genevieve glanced at the album and continued in a low murmur, "The fire killed Coop's parents and sister. There was nothing left. All he had left were a few photos that were stored on his phone. Afterward, Coop found a painter and asked him to paint a family portrait of him and his late family members every year."

When Sally reached the last page of the album, she spotted the date on the oil painting. It was this year's.

The young man and woman had grown into their forties, and the little girl beside them grew to be a gorgeous lady. With one hand on Cooper's shoulder, she tilted her head askew while wearing a faint smile.

Sally found herself tearing up upon thinking about how Cooper lost his parents and sister in a fire when he was only six years old.

How did he brave through the past twenty years or so all alone?

Chapter 1263 Will Not Be Waiting For You

Genevieve walked over and wrapped her arms around Sally's shoulders. "Even though he single-handedly destroyed the Rachford family, I know he made many sacrifices for me and the Rachford family. Since then, I've forgiven him."

She then added, "Because I consider him as my real brother, I hope someone will be by his side and not let him spend the rest of his life in suffering and pain. You should know if my brother genuinely loves you or not."

Sally didn't respond as she closed the photo album and returned it to Genevieve.

Genevieve understood her intention and let out a sigh.

She then placed the photo album back on the shelf and said, "Let's go. I'll send you to the airport. Don't worry, I'm not going to tell him where you're heading to."

Genevieve decided to respect Sally's decision.

Carrying her suitcase, Sally followed Genevieve downstairs and got into the latter's car.

Watching the scenery outside the window whizzing past her, there was somehow a hint of confusion in her gaze. However, it gradually disappeared, leaving a firm and resolute look in her eyes.

With a low voice, Sally said, "Bring me to the war grave."

The war grave at Jadeborough was pretty far from the city, and it would take almost an hour to get there. Genevieve parked her car in the parking lot outside the war grave and waited in it.

Sally walked slowly up the steps, passed through a row of veteran headstones, and came to a halt in front of one of them.

On the headstone was a black-and-white photo of a man. The man's gaze was as sharp as an eagle, and his eyes were filled with passion, vigor, and an intimidating aura unique to soldiers, which would strike fear in people's hearts.

As Sally lowered her gaze to look at the man in the photo, a cold breeze blew past and messed up her hair.

She stood there motionlessly, staring at the headstone until she felt tears welling up in her eyes. Blinking the tears away, Sally said in a low voice, "I won't wait for you anymore, Ethan."

Back when she watched Ethan die in front of her, she felt as if her entire world had collapsed, and she had been living her life in despair and darkness ever since.

It was tough for her to accept the fact that someone who had been by her side for over twenty years had disappeared just like that.

During that period, she was hell-bent on avenging Ethan's death. She intended to take her own life and reunite with Ethan after accomplishing her goal, for she couldn't bear to live a lonely life without him. However, she had not expected her plans to be derailed.

She encountered Cooper, who was just as lonely as she was.

Seeing the desolation in his eyes, she knew he had also lost people dear to him. They took comfort in each other's presence, becoming each other's rock.

Gradually, Sally began to distinguish Ethan from Cooper.

Slowly immersing herself in Cooper's gentleness, she found her cold heart melting and began beating once again.

At present, she wanted to live.

"I'm sorry, Ethan." Her vision blurred, and she could no longer see the man in the photo clearly. "I can't be by your side anymore."

She wanted to live well, marry Cooper, and start a family with him.

From afar, steady footsteps approached her as a man placed a bouquet of wool flowers in front of the headstone.

Wool flowers symbolized the blossoming of hope.

Sally gazed at the bouquet of flowers as she held the man's hand tightly and whispered, "Ethan would be over a year old now if he had reincarnated."

Cooper hummed in response as he tucked the stray strands of her hair behind her ear.

After some time, Sally glanced at Ethan's photo again and murmured, "I'm leaving now. I won't come back here again."

It was time for her to let go of everything about him.

Cooper unbuttoned his coat and pulled Sally into his arms as the two of them made their way toward the war grave's exit. "I still have some work to do at the office. Would you mind coming with me to the company for a while?"

"Okay."

At ten in the morning, everyone was busy with their work. There was a constant flow of staff entering and leaving the building at Specter Corporation.

Upon receiving the various parcels delivered by the courier person, the receptionist was stunned to see Cooper and a woman entering through the revolving doors hand in hand.

The woman in question had a tall and slender figure. Her gaze was slightly lowered, while her face was devoid of expression.

There was an aura of aloofness and charm emanating from her, giving her a striking appearance.

Chapter 1264 Admit That You Love Me

The receptionist stared at the woman for a few seconds in a daze until she noticed Cooper approaching. She then kicked her colleague, who was equally as dumbfounded, and greeted him politely, "Mr. Sutton."

Cooper merely hummed in response. Following that, he stopped in his tracks and added something redundant, "This is my wife."

Both receptionists hurriedly greeted Sally, "Good day to you, Mrs. Sutton."

They waited until Cooper led Sally to the elevator before straightening their backs and whispering to each other in excitement.

"Mrs. Sutton is so beautiful! She's so domineering and gorgeous all at once!"

"It was rumored that Mr. Sutton was in a bad mood recently because he had a fight with his wife. Now, I believe what they say."

Meanwhile, Bertilla was informed by the receptionist that Cooper had arrived at the office and that he was not alone.

Apart from Sally, he couldn't think of any other woman who fitted the receptionist's description of a "domineering and gorgeous" woman. Hence, he went to the elevator to wait for them.

Once Cooper and Sally emerged from the elevator, Bertilla greeted them with a smile. "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Sutton."

"I'm treating the secretarial department to lunch and afternoon tea today. Order whatever you'd like to have," said Cooper to Bertilla as he brought Sally to his office.

He then added, "All the other staff can have their meals for free at the cafeteria today. Just put it on my tab."

"All right." Bertilla nodded.

Stealing a glance at the interlaced fingers of the couple before him, Bertilla sighed in amazement. Love is truly a magical thing.

Truth be told, he knew long ago there was more to their relationship than met the eye.

He thought Cooper didn't have to react so strongly about Sally's departure and even take his anger out on them. Now it seemed to him that Cooper and Sally had merely gotten into a lovers' quarrel at that time.

Bertilla had asked someone to prepare some fruits and snacks in the lounge area of the CEO's office. He even attentively said to Sally, "If you'd like to eat anything else, just let me know."

"Thank you, but I'm not picky." Sally swept a glance over the table and was speechless to see the various kinds of fruits and snacks laid out.

I'm just here to keep Cooper company for a few hours! Is there really a need to prepare so many food?

Bertilla was about to leave when Cooper called out to him while removing his coat. "Go downstairs to the finance department and give the staff monetary gifts from my personal account.”

"You mean all of the staff in the company?"

"Yes."

Bertilla chuckled. "Mr. Sutton, you're giving out free lunch and also monetary gifts to the staff. The perks are too good to be true. Are you and Mrs. Sutton getting married soon?"

Cooper's lips curved into a smile. "I'm just very happy, that's all."

Nevertheless, Bertilla's words reminded him of something important. "Instruct the purchasing department to order two sets of wedding favors. One set is to be distributed to all the employees in the company, while the other is to be gifted to our business partners."

Although Cooper and Sally did not hold a grand wedding celebration, they had already registered their marriage early on. It was fitting for them to gift everyone wedding favors.

After making sure Cooper had no further instructions, Bertilla left the room quickly.

Sally rested her slender arms against the back of the sofa, looking at the man standing before the table.

Noticing her gaze, Cooper picked up a tablet from his table and passed it to Sally as he said, "If you're bored, you can use this to watch some dramas. I'll try to finish my work as soon as possible."

"It's fine. I don't have anything better to do, anyway." She took the tablet from Cooper and grabbed his arm, pulling him toward her.

Cooper knelt on the sofa with one leg, looking as if he was embracing her in his arms. His posture appeared suggestive, and the atmosphere became thick with romance.

Sally gazed at him and asked, "You're happy, aren't you?"

Cooper simply grinned as he dipped his head to kiss Sally's cold lips. "Yes. I'm happy that you chose not to leave, admitted your love for me, and remained by my side."

Pressing her fingers on his forehead, Sally tried to push him away as she retorted, "I didn't admit my love for you."

"That's okay. I know you love me."

A hint of a faint smile flashed across Sally's eyes as though she was amused by his narcissism. "Are you sure you want to make this public? My dad will see it for sure."

Since Cooper was also considered an influential individual, news of his marriage would most likely be known by everyone within a day.

Chapter 1265 You Are The Most Important

Cooper said, "All I did was introduce them to my newly-wedded wife and gave them monetary gifts. How is this making it public? Since I've chosen you, I will accept whatever difficulties your father may impose on me. It's easy for me to enter politics as I have connections, but unfortunately, I can't." He planted a kiss on the woman's cheek. "I don't feel at ease handing over Specter Corporation to anyone."

He received all of Genevieve's assets, including Specter Corporation, and now was responsible for protecting them.

Cooper didn't want Sally to overthink, so he quickly reassured her by saying, "Sal, I'm not comparing you with Specter Corporation. You're the most important thing in my heart."

Sally wrapped her arms around his neck and asked with a faint smile, "How important am I?"

Cooper didn't say anything. Instead, he gently removed Sally's hand from his neck and slid it underneath his sweater, pressing her warm palm against his chest."

Sally could feel the beating of his heart through the palm of her hand, and the look in her eyes softened a little.

Cooper asked, "Can you feel it?"

Sally raised her head and kissed him before pulling her hand out of his sweater, saying in a warm voice, "Go to work."

Cooper did have a lot on his plate, so he sat down at the desk and got to work.

Meanwhile, as the employees of Specter Corporation received monetary gifts and wedding favors, they quickly realized that their CEO had recently gotten married to a stunningly beautiful wife.

The surprising news spread throughout the whole company before lunchtime.

Specter Corporation's business partners in Jadeborough immediately called Cooper to congratulate him after receiving the wedding favors.

When Cooper and Sally came back for dinner in the evening, Genevieve said emotionally, "Cooper, you're so fast! You just went to the cemetery this morning to get Sally and were already sending out wedding favors in the afternoon."

Cooper responded, "It sounds like Bertilla is doing an excellent job. I think it's time we give him a well-deserved raise."

"Shouldn't you be praising me?" Genevieve poured Cooper some coffee and snorted. "If I hadn't gone to visit Sally in the morning, you wouldn't have had the reason to buy those wedding favors and send them out."

"Yes, it's all thanks to you." Cooper smiled. "But you are not short of money."

"Just because I have enough money doesn't mean that I don't have other things I want."

With that, Genevieve placed the coffee pot down and took a seat beside Sally. "Sally, how long will it take me to become as capable as you?"

"I began my military training as a child and spent over seven years in the military academy. You won't be able to bear that hardship." It was not Sally's intention to belittle Genevieve. She merely wanted to emphasize that their upbringings were different.

Genevieve was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She was delicate like a flower and was unlike Sally, who had always been tough since she was a child.

Sally lowered her eyes and pondered for a while. "If you are not afraid of a little pain, I can teach you some boxing techniques and combat skills. Once you've mastered them, you'll be able to fight average bodyguards to a draw."

"I'm not afraid of pain," Genevieve said with her eyes full of determination.

Over the years, she had faced various obstacles and incidents. Most of the time, she was persecuted and could only succumb to fate due to her lack of ability.

That did not feel good.

She still had a long way ahead with Armand, and she didn't want to be his burden. The last thing she wanted was to be too powerless to do anything to protect Armand whenever he was injured. She hoped to become someone capable enough to shield and support him.

Armand knew what was on Genevieve's mind. That was why he did not oppose her decision to learn combat arts from Sally.

He felt like the luckiest man on earth to have encountered Genevieve.

When Lucian overheard the conversation between Genevieve and Sally, he came over and looked at Sally, his eyes shining with excitement. "Aunt Sally, I want to learn boxing too."

Sally tousled his short hair. "Let's wait until you are eight years old. For now, I will protect you and your sister."

"Okay." Lucian nodded.

After dinner, Amanda hastily went upstairs and returned in less than a minute. She stood in front of Cooper with her hands behind her back. "Uncle Cooper, did you drop something?"

Cooper raised his eyebrows and thought for a while before asking with a grin, "Mandy, do you want to tell me what I may have dropped?"

Amanda crinkled her nose in disdain as she blurted out, "Uncle Cooper, you are so stupid. Why did Aunt Sally even come back to you?"

Cooper was rendered speechless.

Amanda then took Cooper's hand and gave him what she had been holding in her hand. "Here."

It was Sally's diamond ring.

Chapter 1266 You Can Only Think About Me

After Cooper lost the ring that day, he had asked the housekeeper to search the entire living room but to no avail.

He actually planned to take Sally to the jewelry store tomorrow to pick a new one. However, to his surprise, the lost wedding ring was found by Amanda.

Cooper looked at the wedding ring that was once missing and bent over to kiss Amanda on the forehead. "Thank you for finding it, Mandy."

He was about to put the wedding ring on Sally's finger, but Amanda's little hand was resting on the back of Sally's hand.

"Wait! You have to ask Aunt Sally if she is willing to marry you. Uncle Cooper, how can you put the ring on Aunt Sally's finger while sitting there? You should kneel on one knee and propose properly. You're not romantic at all," Amanda commented in her angelically sweet voice.

Cooper was never one for romance. Back then, he married Sally because of their collaboration. He bought a ring and helped her put it on right away without getting down on one knee to propose.

If he hadn't been reminded by Amanda this time, he might have done the same thing all over again.

Thus, Cooper got up from the couch and knelt before Sally on one knee. A smile lit up his eyes as he said, "Miss Sally, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife and let me take care of you for the rest of my life?"

Feeling overwhelmed by the people surrounding them, Sally was at a loss for words. Hence, she simply hummed and extended her hand.

Cooper put the ring on her ring finger and bent over to kiss her.

Amanda clapped with enthusiasm, then rushed over to embrace Sally, crooning, "Aunt Sally, please give birth to a baby girl soon so I can spoil her to bits!"

Sally chuckled in response.

Genevieve, who was standing by the side, knew that Amanda was looking forward to having more playmates in the family. The girl was still young and innocent, unaware of the complexities of adult life.

Genevieve lowered her eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

The two children went to bed after nine.

Feeling a little drowsy herself, Genevieve retired to the bedroom early. She had just shut the curtains with the remote control when surprisingly, Armand returned to the room, too.

"I thought you were talking to Coop."

"He's now enjoying quality time with his wife. Why would he need me to be around?" Armand walked to the bedside table and lit the scented candle.

Then, he asked Genevieve, "Do you want to wear a nightdress or pajamas?"

Genevieve tied her hair into a bun, revealing her beautiful side profile. She snorted softly after hearing Armand. "Does it matter? You're going to strip it off me the moment I put it on anyway."

With that, Genevieve went straight to the bathroom. Seeing that, Armand headed to the walk-in closet and grabbed a night dress with spaghetti straps from the hanger.

Genevieve stood before the sink, carefully removing her makeup. Her palm-sized face was covered in white foam. "Mando, let's start taking baths separately from now on."

Armand took the towel off the shelf and soaked it in hot water. "Why?"

"I've heard someone say that married couples should keep things mysterious to keep the relationship interesting. If we see each other naked every day, we might get tired of each other and result in infidelity."

"Where did you heard that from?"

After washing her face, she accepted the hot towel from the man and dabbed her face with it. The temperature was just right. "I read it in an article by a blogger."

After getting no response from the man for a long time, Genevieve removed the towel and turned to look at Armand. "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"You already believe in what the blogger said, so what can I say?" Armand replied, his eyes flickering with a hint of resignation. "We'll take baths separately if that's what you want."

All of a sudden, Genevieve lost her temper and flung the hot towel at Armand. "Have you really gotten tired of my body?"

"No."

"You have, haven't you?" Genevieve glared at him. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone along with my words. You're now working in a different place. Have you set your sights on some of the pretty female employees?"

Armand pondered for a few seconds before he said, "There is indeed a good-looking female colleague in the office."

Genevieve wondered if Armand had been thinking about other women during the few seconds he had been silent. Livid, she kicked him. "You should only think about me. How dare you think about other women?"

Following that, she exclaimed in exasperation, "I don't want to take baths separately anymore."

If they took baths separately, no one would hand her a hot towel after she washed her face. No one would massage her scalp, either. Moreover, she would also have to squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube by herself when brushing her teeth.

Chapter 1267 The Only One

When Armand did not budge, Genevieve proceeded to help him take his shirt off. "Lift your arms so I can get this sweater off, and don't you dare suggest we take our baths separately again. Do you understand?"

He bent over and lifted his arms obligingly. "Weren't you the one who suggested it in the first place?" he asked, chuckling in amusement.

She glared at him.

Armand was tall and lean to begin with, and the sweater hung from his frame like a designer piece.

He was getting more attractive as he aged, his demeanor more composed and refined.

Physique-wise, his workout and training regime had accorded him muscles in all the right places. He looked trimmed and strong without coming off as exaggeratedly muscular.

Genevieve especially loved seeing him in suits.

Now that he had his shirt off, she could appreciate his well-defined chest, and she was obsessed with the sensation of his muscles coiling under his smooth skin.

She caressed his chest with her fingertips for a while longer, then planted a tentative kiss on his collarbone. "I'd take a bite out of you if I could."

Armand chuckled and reached around Genevieve's waist, switching places with her. He placed a soft towel over the bathroom sink counter and effortlessly hoisted her up so that she could sit on it.

She leaned backward and wrapped an arm around his neck, grumbling, "What is it with you and this position?"

"I thought it might be less taxing on you."

She snorted. "Don't make yourself sound so noble. You and I both know that any position, regardless of where we are, will be taxing on me."

As she said this, she affectionately caressed his cheek with her free hand.

He had always sported a chiseled jawline and deep-set features. Whenever he looked at her, it was always with a gentle, indulgent gaze.

With her, he was never aloof or on his guard like he would be with outsiders.

Genevieve's fingertips brushed over his cheekbone, and she teased with a chuckle, "Who would have thought that our charming mayor, Mr. Faulkner, is actually an old man who's pushing forty?"

This earned her an exasperated look from Armand. "Must you tease me with my age?"

"Actually, I was praising you." She grinned. "Most politicians your age are already sporting beer bellies and bald patches, like a bunch of middle-aged geezers. You're the fairest of them all, and I'm lucky to have married a hot husband like you." With that, she tipped her face up and kissed him.

The water in the bathtub had gone cold from being left untouched for too long.

Armand drained some of it, then added more hot water. After making sure the temperature was just right, he slowly eased Genevieve into the tub.

She leaned against the side of the tub and said coquettishly, "Mando, I want a cocktail."

"Coming right up."

Armand put on his robe and went down to the pantry. He took out a few bottles of liquor and fruit cordial from the fridge, then expertly curated a mild tequila sunrise.

He plated some cherries as well and brought them to the upstairs bedroom along with the cocktail.

Genevieve picked up the cocktail and took a sip.

The fruity notes of the drink, coupled with the unique spiciness of the tequila, proved to be an addictive blend of flavors.

She soaked luxuriously in the warm bath and let Armand wash her hair, keeping up a steady stream of conversation with him. "Now that Mandy has become Lilian's ward, she will be studying in Dartan in the future. We'll be left with Lucian."

Genevieve owed Jack too much to repay him. She only hoped that Lilian would find companionship in Amanda.

At the thought of this, Genevieve gazed down at the bathwater and sighed. "I love children, and I wish we could have a few more of them just to liven up the house a little."

More importantly, she wished Armand would be surrounded with as much love as possible in this lifetime.

Armand rinsed off the shampoo foam from her hair and pointed out gently, "We're happy enough with Mandy and Lucian. Besides, kids eventually grow up and make their own way in the world. You're the only one who will stay by my side until the end."

Genevieve's body was weak, so much so that she had nearly died from giving birth to the twins. Armand did not want to put her through such intense suffering again.

As far as he was concerned, she was the most important person in his life, and the children just happened to be a happy surprise from the universe.

Parents had a duty to be with their children through the children's various stages of growth. One day, when the children were old enough, they would have their own families and significant others to care for.

Armand added, "I know what you're worried about, but don't dwell on it. I've already made all the arrangements."

Chapter 1268 Unknown Number

Genevieve turned around and gave him an incredulous look. "How would you know what I was worried about if I didn't tell you?"

"I've been your husband for years now. Don't you think there might be something wrong with our relationship if I didn't know what you were worrying about?" he countered wryly, laughing as he toweled her hair.

"Say, do you think Coop can be cured?" she probed.

Armand explained, "I've let the doctors review Cooper's yearly health report, but as for how long the treatment would take, it really depends on the doctor's skills."

Hearing this, Genevieve instantly knew that there was still hope for Cooper.

She let Armand carry her out of the bathtub, and while she was in his arms, she leaned forward to give him kisses. "Cooper has plenty of money, so go ahead and get him the best specialists to treat him."

Armand hummed in response. "I want him to have his own family, too, or he'd just keep fussing over you."

"You know I still have three uncles and a handful of cousins in the Zeigler family who spoil me, right? You'll have a hard time managing your jealousy if you take everything so personally," she pointed out blithely.

"It's not like you go back to the Zeigler residence that often. I can manage my jealousy just fine," Armand quipped.

He set her down in front of the vanity and took out a hairdryer from one of the drawers. Just as he was about to blow dry her hair, his phone rang.

It was his personal phone, and only less than a handful of people knew the number of it.

Worried that there might be an emergency, he hurried to the nightstand and picked up the phone.

However, he was surprised to find that it was a call from an unknown number.

"Hello?"

It took a while for the person on the other line to speak. It was a low, gravelly male voice. "Armand, let's make a deal."

Genevieve was toweling her hair. She saw Armand answer his phone, but she found it odd that he was remaining silent and letting the caller do all the talking.

After a while, Armand hummed curtly in response, then hung up.

Through the mirror, Genevieve watched him as he approached the vanity. His expression looked grim. "Who was it, Mando?" she asked.

"Someone from work." The sullen look on his face vanished in an instant. He then plugged in the hairdryer and gently blow-dried Genevieve's damp locks.

Seeing that he did not want to make her worry, she dropped the matter and did not press him any further.

When he was done blow-drying her hair, he applied a small amount of serum on the ends of it. Then, he waited until she had settled into bed before heading into the walk-in closet.

"I need to head out for a bit, so don't wait up for me," he said as he walked over to her side of the bed and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

Genevieve asked, "What time will you be home?"

Armand left the night light by the headboard on but turned off the rest of the lights in the bedroom. "A few hours. I'll have breakfast ready for you when you wake up tomorrow."

He went to the first floor, and a moment of thought later, he pulled out his phone to call Cooper.

Meanwhile, Cooper was annoyed when he saw Armand's name flashing on his phone screen. Picking up the call, he said, "You know we're staying in the guest room to the left, don't you? Why can't you just knock?"

Armand explained that he wanted Sally to go somewhere with him for a bit, so Cooper assumed it was for business.

Steven had been in Baykeep all this time and had yet to return.

Sally did not ask for details, either, only put on a change of clothes and left Swallow Garden with Armand. Before long, the car pulled away from the mansion and drove into the night.

At five o'clock in the morning, just as dawn began to break, a Maybach slowly rolled up to the alleyway behind an orphanage.

Standing at the back doorstep of the orphanage was a woman with black-framed glasses. She had her hands in the pockets of her long suede coat to keep warm in the weather.

When she saw the Maybach pull up at the door, she hurried down the steps.

Armand came out of the backseat of the car, then reached behind him to grab an intricately woven baby basket.

"Mr. Faulkner," greeted the woman in the long suede coat.

Armand nodded at her in acknowledgment, then handed her the basket.

She took it, and he proceeded to hand her a card. "This child will be under your care from now on. The money in this bank card is a donation from the child's father to the orphanage and includes the child's daily expenses as well."

"I understand." The woman, who happened to be the director of the orphanage, took the card. She could not resist asking, "When will her father come to pick her up?"

Armand's gaze darkened as he replied curtly, "Her father passed away. I think it's best if you let her grow up here instead of letting her go into foster care."

At once, the woman knew what Armand was trying to tell her. This child was an orphan.

Chapter 1269 Why Me

Before getting into the car, Armand turned and advised Gracie, "Just pretend you found this abandoned child while taking a walk nearby. You've never met me before, and I won't come here again."

Gracie nodded in response.

The Maybach quickly reversed out of the narrow alley as a light rain pattered on the road, washing away the tire tracks on the ground as if no car had ever passed through the path before.

Seeing that it was raining, Gracie swiftly ascended the stairs with the basket in her hand, then proceeded to open the back entrance to enter the orphanage.

She opened the outer windproof cover of the basket upon returning to the warm indoors.

The blanket within the basket was enveloping a tiny baby who was awake.

The little baby had tender-looking facial features and a pair of beautiful eyes that resembled amethysts which were filled with purity and innocence.

Taken aback, Gracie stiffened, for she didn't expect the baby to have such exceptionally pretty eyes.

Is she of mixed parentage?

She searched the basket but couldn't find anything pertaining to the baby's identity.

There wasn't any information about the baby's date of birth or name.

The sun was already up by then. A teacher who came looking for Gracie spotted the basket on the table and asked, "Ms. Brown, did you come across an abandoned child again during your walk?"

"Yes, I did," Gracie replied, making sure to maintain her composure as she smiled at the teacher. "It's a beautiful baby girl."

Six months ago, Johanna woke up from a deep slumber not knowing how long she had been asleep. She asked drowsily, "Lorraine, have we arrived at the General Hospital?"

To her confusion, she received no response.

Only then did she realize something was amiss. If she was in a taxi, she should be sitting upright, but she was lying down instead. Moreover, she couldn't smell the faint osmanthus fragrance that existed in the car anymore.

She propped herself up on the bed and fumbled to sit up, shouting, "Loraine?"

After around a minute, she vaguely heard the sound of footsteps approaching followed by the creaking of a door as someone pushed it open. At the same time, a familiar yet distinct scent wafted into the room.

Johanna immediately realized that the person who entered the room was not Timothy.

Timothy would respond immediately whenever she called out to him no matter how far away he was. In addition, his scent was always refreshing and soothing.

At that moment, something occurred to Johanna, and she could feel her blood go cold and her breathing growing rapid. Before she could react, the man had already approached with a plate of food and set it on the bedside table.

"Would you like to have some water?" asked the man in a soft tone. After that, he brought the glass close to her lips.

Despite being unable to see, she sensed the glass pressing against her lips. In response, she lifted her hand and forcefully swatted the glass away.

"Aren't you dead?"

Timothy told me that this jerk had died on a ship.

The knowledge put her at ease, so she was no longer plagued by nightmares ever since returning to the country. She couldn't fathom why the man would reappear after some time and abduct her again.

Zephyr smiled and leaned toward her. "Darling, no one can take my life away from me unless I choose to give it up myself."

His breath on her face made her tremble with fury and raise her hand to give him a slap across the face. She shrieked, "What is with your obsession with me? Why can't you just let me go? Numerous women in this world are beautiful and have distinct personalities. You can have your pick. So why specifically choose me?"

Just when she thought she could finally put that nightmare behind her, he appeared again, reminding her of everything horrible that had happened.

Zephyr didn't attempt to dodge the slap and took it head-on. The slap was packed with force, causing Zephyr's cheek to burn and go numb. The man merely smiled despite the pain. Looks like Kitty is really enraged.

Zephyr grabbed her hand before she could put it down and brought it to his lips, planting a gentle kiss on it. "There are many beautiful women out there, but you are one of a kind. Unfortunately for you, fate brought us together by chance."

Johanna yanked her hand back forcefully, then pushed Zephyr away and groped around, wanting to get off the bed.

She nearly stumbled and fell, as she wasn't paying attention to where she was stepping.

Chapter 1270 You Can Leave

Zephyr held Johanna's waist just in time to prevent her from falling. As he reached out, part of his hand brushed past her protruding belly through her clothes. Remembering that she was pregnant, he quickly placed his hand on her shoulder instead to steady her.

Johanna struggled to pry the man's hand off, but he wouldn't budge despite her repeated attempts. He then pushed her back onto the bed.

"You're blind and pregnant. Even if you are lucky enough to escape this place, how are you going to return?" Zephyr gently held Johanna's hands to prevent her from doing anything reckless.

"This place is located in the outskirts. You won't run into anyone within a few kilometers radius. Even if you're lucky enough to come across a car, they'll notice that you're pregnant and blind, making it very easy for them to take advantage of you."

Johanna lifted her leg and kicked him hard since she couldn't move her hand. "Do you think everyone is as wicked and shameless as you?"

Zephyr chuckled lightly upon hearing her comment. "No one has ever dared to use those words to describe me before," he said.

Johanna's anger blew out of proportion when she heard him laugh. "You're not just despicable and shameless. You're also a f*cking animal! If I were your mother, I would regret giving birth to you!"

Zephyr's casual smile slowly faded away, and his gaze turned grim as something she said hit a nerve with him.

Johanna sensed the sudden change in his aura and stiffened.

"If you want to leave, fine." Zephyr released his grip and took a few steps back. "Go ahead, then. Walk eighty meters east and you'll reach the door of the room."

Johanna immediately got up from the bed and groped her way to the east. Eventually, she touched the doorknob.

She opened the door and walked out of the bedroom, trying to use her acute hearing to distinguish where the exit was. However, the house was eerily silent, as if there was no one else besides her and Zephyr

Johanna walked in the dark and soon bumped into a wall. She turned and walked in another direction but bumped into another wall.

When she finally found the stairwell, she almost lost her balance and fell. After steadying herself by gripping the stair's handrail, she slowly descended the stairs. Alas, she couldn't locate the front door despite fumbling around for a long time.

Johanna was exhausted after everything that had happened, especially since she was pregnant. The baby in her belly began giving her a hard time, too.

She caressed her stomach and could feel her eyes brimming with tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks any moment.

I shouldn't have argued with Timothy and run away from home.

If she had brought Timothy to the gynecologist at General Hospital, where she had her first prenatal checkup, and clarified things, perhaps there wouldn't have been so many issues, and she wouldn't have been abducted by Zephyr again.

Zephyr had been secretly trailing behind Johanna, and when he saw her almost fall down the stairs, his heart skipped a beat.

By the time he reached out to help her, Johanna had already stabilized herself by clutching the handrail.

Upon seeing Johanna turning and walking back toward the stairs, Zephyr asked, "Aren't you leaving? Did you change your mind?"

Johanna sneered. "Now that I'm in your hands, how can I possibly leave?"

Before this, she didn't think it was a big deal to be blind since she had the housekeepers and Timothy around to help her. However, now that she was in an unfamiliar environment, she found her visual impairment troublesome.

Besides, Zephyr's words made sense. Even if I did manage to get out of this place, I don't have my phone or my wallet with me. What am I going to do once I'm outside? I can risk my life if I was alone, but now that I'm carrying a baby, I can't endanger the child's life, too.

Johanna spoke calmly. "Zephyr, I'm no longer a young lady. I'm a mother, and I'm pregnant with my second child. Just what do you see in me? Why are you so obsessed with me?"

Zephyr sauntered toward Johanna and lowered his head to look at her. "He's mistreating you, and I want to save you from him."

"It's normal for couples to have arguments," Johanna said. Upon finding out he had been secretly stalking and watching her all along, she was disgusted. "And if it weren't for you, we wouldn't have argued in the first place!"

With a gentle smile, Zephyr replied, "The absence of trust in a relationship means the love isn't genuine."

"Shut up!" Johanna snapped.

"See? Even you yourself are doubting whether Timothy really loves you." Zephyr stroked Johanna's cheek and spoke in a soft voice. "Jojo, I'll accept you for who you are. Please stay by my side."

Johanna raised her hand and slapped his hand away viciously.

She found it ironic for Zephyr to claim that he was trying to save her when it was actually him who had ruined her life. If he hadn't kidnapped her in the first place, there would never have been a rift between her and Timothy later on.