Ch. 821..830

Chapter 821

"My right hand feels better now. Thank you for taking care of me. Let me buy you dinner. I'm going back to Xedells for school tomorrow morning," said Harry while swinging his right arm gently.

Since Genevieve had accompanied him the whole afternoon, she thought it was fine to accompany him for dinner, too. "Yeah, you should really buy me dinner. Let's go for barbeque!"

The two chatted while eating at the barbeque restaurant, and they did not leave until almost eight o'clock.

Walking out of the barbeque restaurant, Harry pointed at the light in the distance and asked, "Genevieve, is that famous?"

Looking at where he was pointing, Genevieve spotted a beautiful Ferris wheel.

It reminded her of her excitement when she first saw the Ferris wheel a long time ago. She had driven there and bumped into Armand, who was using the identity of Bruce. They then rode the Ferris wheel together.

"Yes. It looks even prettier at a closer look," the woman replied.

"I've never ridden a Ferris wheel. Can you take me there and let me take a few photos?" begged Harry.

Genevieve had no choice but to drive him there.

A lot of people came out to play at this hour, so the small amusement park was full of people. Harry ran to the ticket counter to get tickets.

Genevieve waited at the side. Scanning the surrounding, she noticed a familiar figure.

Armand?

When she looked again, the figure disappeared. At the same time, Harry came back with the tickets.

Entering the park, Harry saw some children gathering around a cart, so he ran over to join the crowd as well. After a while, he came back with a lollipop, handing it to Genevieve. "This is your reward for accompanying me here."

Genevieve took the lollipop without hesitation.

Then, the two walked toward the Ferris wheel. When they passed by some booths, Harry asked Genevieve, "Does anything catch your eye, Genevieve? I'll buy it for you.”

Genevieve glanced at him and paused her footsteps. "That one."

In front of a shooting booth, there was a 3D puzzle of Petalgrove Cathedral on a shelf.

Mandy should like this kind of beautiful little thing.

Harry walked to the booth. When he was about to speak, someone suddenly interjected, "Hello, how do I get the model of the Petalgrove Cathedral over there?"

The voice sounded familiar to Genevieve, as she turned around and saw Sally.

Genevieve noted she was wearing a long dress. It might be a little cold in the evening, so she was wearing a man's coat outside. Armand, who was standing next to her, was wearing a shit. He was tall and handsome, looking gentle yet indifferent.

What a gentleman! Genevieve sneered secretly.

Yesterday, when she went to Sally's birthday, she witnessed the two's intimacy. Today, he even put his coat on Sally.

Genevieve gritted her teeth in anger. She wished the booth had a real gun so that she could shoot him dead.

"What a coincidence, Ms. Loake and Mr. Faulkner!" Harry greeted them.

Apparently, Sally did not expect to meet Genevieve and Harry here. She responded briefly before raising her hand to grab Armand's arm.

"I'll get the puzzle after hitting all the balloons on the wall, right?" Harry asked the booth owner.

"Yes, but there's a time limit." Noticing how they all wanted the puzzle, the booth owner added, "The puzzle on the shelf is the last one. You can also choose a stuffed toy from there if you like." Shooting all the balloons on the wall within thirty seconds from a distance of four meters away was difficult even for an expert.

The owner set it up on purpose to make money.

"The Petalgrove Cathedral is so pretty. I want to win that for my niece," Sally said to Armand. "Armand, do you want to play?"

"I'm not good at that. You go ahead." Armand took out a token from his wallet and handed it to the owner.

Genevieve gave Armand a glare. With her heart filled with anger, she pulled Harry over and whispered, "Do you often play this kind of game?"

"I've played a few times, but I'll definitely win it for you if you want that," replied Harry.

Chapter 822

Genevieve was glad that Harry was better than Armand by tenfold.

Patting Harry on his shoulders, she requested cautiously, "You must win for me! I will treat you to a luxurious meal when you come to Jadeborough next time!"

Harry flashed her an "okay" sign.

While the two were chatting, Sally had already picked up the air rifle on the booth and fired a few shots to get the feel.

After a round of testing, Sally stood behind the yellow line and fired at the balloons on the wall with her air rifle.

Her posture in holding the gun was perfect, and she did not miss a shot. Soon, almost half the balloons on the wall disappeared.

Harry leaned closer to Genevieve and told her about Sally's background, "Her family has a special training course, and she grew up holding a gun. She might look delicate, but her skills are not any inferior to the male special forces. Two years ago, she managed to wipe out a team that tried to assassinate her uncle."

Genevieve stared at Sally with wide eyes. From the latter's appearance, one totally could not tell that she could break a person's neck with one hand.

Many years ago, she had held a real gun. Under the guidance of Patrick, she learned how to shoot. However, she was only able to shoot at close range.

For the first time in her life, Genevieve felt frustrated because of a woman.

In terms of family background, Sally's was far greater than hers. Sally was on a level that she almost could not reach. In terms of appearance, Sally was a cold beauty, and Genevieve was on par with her. As for skills, however, she was totally no match for Sally.

Thirty seconds passed quickly, and there were only three balloons left on the wall.

Staring at the three balloons, Sally frowned. "Mister, the three balloons are obviously not fully filled with gas. It's impossible to blow them up."

"I filled the balloons with tools," the owner refuted sternly. "The problem lies in your skills."

Without another word, he quickly filled the wall with balloons again.

Harry's eyes glinted. Turning to look at Genevieve, he asked, "Can I have the lollipop?"

"Sure." Genevieve handed the lollipop over.

Harry chewed the lollipop in his mouth and walked up to try the gun. Then, he pointed the gun at the wall and started shooting the balloons-his speed was faster than Sally's.

In less than thirty seconds, all the balloons on the wall were blown up by him.

"How was it? I just won you the prize that you wanted." Harry turned around and gave Genevieve a smile of victory.

"That was incredible!" Genevieve gave him a thumbs up.

When Harry asked her for the lollipop, she knew what he was going to do next. However, she did not expect him to have such an amazing skill.

The owner had no choice but to give the prize to Harry.

Sally and Armand did not leave yet, and they witnessed the whole process of Harry shooting the balloons. With just a glance, Sally could tell that Harry had the skills—he was just pretending. Smoothening the coat on her body, she asked Harry, "Do you like Genevieve?"

"Of course. She's so cool." Harry put his hand on Genevieve's shoulder. "She can play the violin and is also a warrior on the tracks. She can speak eight foreign languages that are so difficult to learn. If she had the opportunity, she could even work at the Department of Foreign Affairs."

After a round of compliments by Harry, Genevieve felt she was not that bad compared to Sally.

Noticing that Sally was still wearing Armand's coat, Genevieve sneered and did not shake Harry's hand off her shoulder. The two then walked away together.

After walking for a distance, Genevieve smiled. "You really have a sweet mouth, kid."

"No, I meant it. I really think you're amazing. You're pretty and gentle. Sally is totally incomparable to you. I like women like you," said Harry seriously.

Looking at his pure and innocent eyes, Genevieve did not think much of what he just said. "Let's go. I'll ride the Ferris wheel with you."

"Okay." Two dimples were seen on his cheeks.

Chapter 823

Everyone came to the amusement park because of this Ferris wheel. There were a lot of people queuing for it. Genevieve and Harry waited for a few minutes.

When the Ferris wheel slowly rose, it seemed that the stars on the horizon were all within reach.

Harry took out his phone and smiled like a child. "I have been to the amusement park many times, but I have never been on the Ferris wheel. The scenery is so beautiful from up here!" Genevieve gave a perfunctory hum. She was still thinking about the scene at the balloon booth earlier, and she felt gloomy.

Why is he with Sally? Is he in love with her?

Suddenly, Genevieve felt that the Ferris wheel had stopped moving, and soon, she heard a series of panicked screams.

"Why is the Ferris wheel not moving?"

Before Genevieve came back to her senses, Harry, who was sitting opposite, suddenly walked over and sat beside her. He put one hand on her shoulder, and another hand on her eyes. Leaning toward her, Harry whispered warmly, "It's okay. I'm here."

Genevieve hummed, knowing that she was not alone.

However, when she heard those screams and thought of herself falling down from nearly one hundred meters in the air, which would result in her body shattering, she trembled uncontrollably. She did not expect that such an unfortunate event would happen to her.

Noticing she was trembling, Harry immediately wrapped her in his arms and let her lean against his chest. "The facilities at these amusement parks are under maintenance every night. It's dark outside, and I believe there is a power outage in this area because they haven't managed to start the backup generator. Don't worry, Genevieve. We won't fall."

"W-What if someone in the capsule runs around in fear, causing the screws to loosen and the capsule to fall?" Genevieve's voice trembled as she thought of something bad.

"If there's a slight chance of getting into an accident, I'll be with you too. You'll be all right," said Harry.

If I could die with you, I would be very happy too.

At that moment, Genevieve's phone rang.

She fumbled through her bag and fished out her phone. She even asked Harry who might be calling, but the latter did not reply. Her finger then slipped, which accidentally made her answer the call.

"Genevieve." The capsule was silent. Although she did not put the phone on the loudspeaker, Harry could clearly hear the other party's voice.

When Genevieve heard Armand's anxious voice, her eyes turned teary. "Oh, so you still can think of calling me, huh? Aren't I your ex-wife you divorced years ago?"

Armand heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing her loud scolding. "Stay calm. There is a power outage, and something's wrong with the amusement park's backup generator. The staff is urgently trying to start the generator now."

"Harry is by my side. He just comforted me and told me the same thing, too." Genevieve put the phone on her left ear.

"Stay away from him. Close your eyes and squat down," said Armand.

Genevieve scoffed. "Harry used his hand to cover my eyes because he knew I was scared. He's a gentleman, and he's much better than you. What about you? What have you done to me? I've been searching for you for months that I grew silver hair. And you? You've made acquaintance with a general's daughter and are busy being intimate with her."

The woman sniffed. "D*mn you, you only know how to bully me!"

Over the years, she had carried so many responsibilities because of him. She handled so many things and even raised their children all by herself. However, her heart had never changed. Armand, on the other hand, had found a new partner.

"Say something. You know you're an a*shole too, don't you? Tell me, Armand! Why are you with Sally?" scolded Genevieve through gritted teeth, as he did not speak a word.

As long as Armand gave her a reason, she would believe it.

However, he remained silent.

When she could not even hear his sound of breathing, she knew that the phone had been hung up.

Chapter 824

Under the Ferris wheel, Sally snatched over Armand's phone and ended the call.

When Armand looked back and saw it was Sally, the worry in his eyes quickly disappeared. He then reached a hand out to her. "Give me the phone. I have something urgent."

"I know you just called Genevieve. It's just a power outage at the amusement park. Are you afraid that the Ferry wheel's capsules would fall?" Sally stared at Armand, not returning the phone. "Anyone hanging in the sky like that would be afraid."

"But she's on the Ferris wheel with Harry. Armand, don't you think you're caring too much about your ex-wife?" said Sally.

Armand just kept quiet.

Armand and Sally looked at each other for nearly a minute. Letting out a sigh, the man then uttered, "Sally, you know I'm not him."

"I know, but all of his things belong to me. Since you've taken his things, then you're mine." Sally stepped forward, raised her hand, and stroked Armand's face. Her eyes were gentle. Armand wanted to swat her hand away, but he did not do so.

Their intimacy lasted for a few seconds before Sally put the phone in the coat she was wearing and held Armand's arm. "Let's go.

Thinking that Genevieve was not alone up there, Armand decided to leave the amusement park with Sally.

In less than two minutes, the backup generator of the amusement park started. Under the operation of the staff, the Ferris wheel descended slowly, and everyone was relieved. After the capsule's door opened, Genevieve left in a hurry.

She looked around for Armand in the small amusement park and shouted "Mando" many times.

"Stop shouting, Genevieve. You've searched the amusement park twice, but you still can't find him. I think he left with Sally," stated Harry helplessly as he grabbed Genevieve. "We came here by chance, but he came here to accompany Sally," Harry added.

When Genevieve heard those words, her heart sank.

Back then, she went abroad with Jack for the sake of Armand. Other than that, she never used any other man to anger him.

What about him?

First, he contributed so much to Marilyn. Now, Sally was in the picture. His intimacy with this woman made Genevieve feel extremely devastated.

Genevieve thought of Charice's words. If he's willing to stand on my side, I'm willing to die with him."

Sadly, Armand did not stand on her side and did not care about her at all.

"Are you okay, Genevieve?" Seeing Genevieve's pale face, Harry hurriedly opened a bottle of water and handed it to her.

Shaking her head, Genevieve mumbled, "I'm just tired. Let's go."

On the way back, Harry tried to make Genevieve happy, but the latter merely grunted halfheartedly in response. She sent him back to the hotel and wished him a safe journey back to Xedells the next day. After that, she drove back to Swallow Garden.

Cooper sent the two children back at six o'clock and then rushed to attend a dinner.

"Mommy!" Amanda immediately threw herself into Genevieve's arms as soon as she saw her mother.

Trying hard to cheer herself up, Genevieve hugged and kissed Amanda a few times. She then gave her the 3D puzzle Harry won from the amusement park.

As she expected, Amanda liked it so much that she immediately went to the living room with the puzzle and asked her brother to help.

Genevieve then went to the pantry to make a glass of sparkling water for herself. When she came out, she saw Steven holding flowers in his arms and opening the door with a shopping bag in his hand.

"Mrs. Faulkner-"

"Stop calling me Mrs. Faulkner. Armand and I divorced a long time ago. Call me Ms. Rachford," said Genevieve coldly.

Seeing Genevieve's expression, Steven knew she was furious.

Walking over, he handed over the beautiful bouquet of green bellflowers and a gift to Genevieve. Steeling himself, he informed, "Mr. Faulkner asked me to send these to you."

Chapter 825

The corners of Genevieve's lips lifted into a smile.

She casually plucked the petals of the flowers, one by one. After a while, all that was left of the bouquet of bellflowers were barren stems and lonely leaves. The ground beneath her was carpeted with velvety petals.

"You clearly know he's not dead. In fact, you know exactly where he is! Why did you keep insisting that you didn't know anything?"

"Mrs Ms. Rachford, I really didn't know where Mr. Faulkner was before this," Steven said earnestly. "He only contacted me yesterday morning and requested that I collect the gifts that he had prepared." Looking straight at Genevieve, Steven added slowly and sincerely, "If I'm not telling the truth, I swear I-"

"Okay, okay, I believe you," Genevieve quickly interrupted Steven before he could swear any oaths.

Glancing at the bag in Steven's hand, the woman stated coldly, "Next time, when he asks you to bring me breakfast or flowers or anything at all, just throw them all away. I can afford to buy myself a hundred airplanes. Do you think I need or want these silly little gifts from him? Now, go get rid of whatever's in your hands!"

With those final petulant words, Genevieve turned and huffed her way upstairs.

To the undiscerning eyes, the two little rascals seemed to be playing with a puzzle. However, in truth, they were straining their ears to eavesdrop on the adults' conversation.

"Mommy sounds so angry. She's even angrier than she was that time when I annoyed her." Amanda leaned over to her brother and whispered in his ear, "What do you think Daddy has done? Are we never going to eat breakfast from Daddy ever again?"

Lucian tapped his chin thoughtfully for a moment. Then, he murmured quietly into Amanda's ear. Her eyes lit up as she nodded vigorously.

Genevieve threw herself onto the bed as soon as she reached her bedroom. She inhaled the woody, masculine smell still lingering on the pillow. Thoughts of Armand and everything that had happened in the past two days flooded her mind.

She walked over to the closet, pulled out fresh pillowcases, and changed out the ones that still smelt like Armand.

After she switched the pillowcases, it suddenly dawned on Genevieve that Swallow Garden was Armand's residence. Shadows of his presence lurked in every corner. What's the point of even changing the pillowcase? What I need is a new home, a new man!

"Mommy!" Amanda knocked on her bedroom door and sauntered in with her chubby hands behind her back. "Mommy, aren't you curious why I wasn't upset that day when Daddy didn't show up for my birthday?"

"Of course I'm curious." Genevieve knew how much Amanda wanted to see Armand. "Would you like to tell me why?"

"Okay!" She tugged Genevieve onto the couch and revealed the light blue envelope that she had been hiding behind her. "The answer is in this letter."

Genevieve pulled out two pieces of paper from within the envelope and began to read.

The letter stated: Hello Amanda, this is Daddy. I am so sorry that I was not with you when you and your brother were born. I am so sorry that I did not help your Mommy and ease her burdens when you were both young. I missed you and your brother's first four birthdays, and I promised to spend your fifth birthday with you this year, but I broke this promise. I am sorry that you and your brother, and Mommy, worried about me all this while. I think I may be the worst daddy in the world! I was not there to watch you grow up, neither am I a good husband. I did not take good care of Mommy, but I love all of you so much. The three of you have taught me the meaning of responsibility and duty. All of you are my everything! Don't forget that you are my favorite little princess! Sadly, I will have to be away from you for a long while. I'm so sorry. It is all my fault! When I return, you can punish me, okay? I owe you a hundred favors! If Mommy is furious and does not want to wait for me, it's all right. I will respect her decision. I hope that you and your brother will be well, and please take good care of your mommy for me.

After that, Genevieve read the letter that Armand had written to their son. The contents of the two letters were similar. She now understood why her son had suddenly run into her room last night and said what he had said.

Earlier, Genevieve had made up her mind that she would move back to Regality Gardens and remove Armand from her life.

However, reading the letter had given her second thoughts.

Chapter 826

"Mommy, don't be upset!" Amanda tugged at Genevieve's arm. "If you don't want to wait for Daddy, we'll follow you to Mr. Valentine's house!"

"Really?" Genevieve gazed at her daughter. "Then, let's go abroad tomorrow. What do you think?"

When Amanda heard Genevieve's response, she could no longer control herself. "Come on, Mommy! Daddy has broken so many of his promises to me, and I have already forgiven him! You're a grown-up! You should be more forgiving than me! Let's wait for Daddy to come home! I'll let you have fifty of my hundred favors from Daddy! We'll punish him together!"

Genevieve rubbed her cheek, lost in thoughts. Suddenly, she burst out in anger, "He keeps saying that he cares about me, but why does he only write letters to you guys and not to me? Am I not worthy?" "But Daddy folded a thousand paper cranes for you," Amanda muttered. "The birthday gifts that Daddy has given to me and Lucian are not as cool as yours! We're still jealous of you, Mommy! Daddy also makes breakfast for you and sends you flowers. Why didn't he send an extra bouquet for me? Mommy, you're clearly Daddy's favorite!"

With each word that came out of her daughter's mouth, Genevieve's heart melted and melted until finally there was no more anger or resentment left. Planting kisses on Amanda's face, she replied, "Okay, okay, I'll give Daddy another chance for your sake."

She decided that she would simply forget about the incident at the amusement park earlier that day.

The next day, Steven arrived at Swallow Garden bearing breakfast and a bouquet again. He had not forgotten how angry Genevieve had been the day before. However, he still had to do his duty and deliver the food and flowers to her.

Genevieve came downstairs and greeted Steven, "Good morning, Steven!"

"Good morning."

Steven glanced at Genevieve's smile. It seems she's in a good mood this morning! He then handed the flowers to her.

"Gradient-colored roses?" Genevieve took the bouquet from him. An expression of surprise and delight lit up her face. "I've seen many kinds of roses, but I've never seen this type before!"

"This is a rare breed of roses. It's very difficult to grow them as they only survive in very specific environments," Steven uttered with a smile.

"Some time ago, Mr. Faulkner bought a piece of land. He built several greenhouses on it and imported various specialized equipment from abroad just to cultivate and grow these rare roses. Every single rose in the greenhouses was planted by his own hands. If he's unable to tend to them, then only will he request me to do so. He wants to ensure that every single rose planted is well tended to and of the very best quality."

Genevieve was shocked by Steven's revelation as she gazed down at the bouquet of roses in her hands. "These roses were planted by him?"

"Yes, but these roses are truly difficult to grow. He planted fifty seeds, and in the end, only these eighteen roses bloomed."

"What about the bellflowers from yesterday's bouquet? Did he also plant those himself?"

Steven nodded.

Women valued sincerity and thoughtfulness in their lovers. They also loved roses which, to them, represented romance. If a woman were to receive a flower grown especially for her by her beloved, she would surely show it off to the whole world.

Genevieve had thought that Armand was clueless about romance. She had not expected him to build greenhouses and grow rare flowers just for her.

What a gentleman! How can I not love him?

Genevieve was moved by Armand's romantic gesture. "Steven, why didn't you tell me this yesterday? Such beautiful bellflowers and I plucked them all bare! I feel so guilty!"

"Don't be," Steven replied. "I have received instructions from Mr. Faulkner. I'll be sending you a bouquet of different flowers every day from now on."

Genevieve could not help but ask, "When were the greenhouses built?"

"About five years ago; after you left for Dartan," Steven answered. "Mr. Faulkner had no experience in growing flowers. In the beginning, even under the guidance of experts, he wasted a lot of flower seeds. The flowers grown in those early days were particularly ugly."

Genevieve laughed at his words. "And here I thought he could do everything! I would never have expected that he'd fail at growing flowers!"

This man who had been planting flowers for her since five years ago could be forgiven. She could still accept him.

Chapter 827

Genevieve couldn't help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside. When she saw Amanda hopping down the stairs, she quickly beckoned the latter over.

"Sweetie, do you think these flowers are pretty?"

"Wow! Those are bi-color roses!" Amanda exclaimed. "They're so beautiful!"

"That goes without saying! Your father planted them himself!" Genevieve said proudly. "Did you know he built a few greenhouses to plant flowers just for me? Are you envious?" "Very much so!" Amanda replied with a pout. "Doesn't Daddy love me the most? Why isn't he planting flowers for me too?"

Genevieve playfully pinched her daughter's nose. "That's because I'm his wife, and his roses are for me only. When you grow up, there will also be someone who'd do the same for you."

"I doubt it," Lucian muttered as he strutted down the stairs, dressed coolly in sports attire. "Given how much of a crybaby she is, whoever marries her must have the heart of a lion."

"I'm not a crybaby!" Amanda whined. "Mommy, why was I born a minute later than Lucian? If I were the older twin, he wouldn't be able to bully me!"

Lucian pursed his lips. "Even if you were born earlier than me, you'd still be an idiot."

Unable to put up with the siblings' bickering so early in the morning, Genevieve brought the roses into the dining room and placed them in a vase. Steven had long laid out a breakfast spread, and thankfully, the food was still piping hot from having been kept in a thermal bag.

"Steven, have you had your breakfast?" Genevieve asked as she sat down at the table.

"I've eaten at Golden Restaurant."

Genevieve was happily savoring a scone when she suddenly recalled something and looked up at Steven. "By the way, Steven, do you have a girlfriend?"

"No," the latter replied, his mouth twitching ever so slightly. "I like my life the way it is now."

Before Genevieve could say anything else, Amanda interrupted in her sweet, saccharine voice, "But isn't it better to have someone by your side, Mr. Sullivan? It'd be just like my daddy and mommy! Mommy always said Daddy was lonely until he had us."

"Only two people truly in love will be happy together," Steven explained while pouring a glass of warm milk for the little girl. "Unfortunately, there isn't anyone I love. Besides, I like spending time with you and your brother."

"I like you too, Mr. Sullivan!" Amanda remarked with a megawatt smile as she gave him a heart-shaped hand gesture.

Genevieve, on the other hand, couldn't get over how heart-rending the conversation was.

She knew Armand had always regarded Steven as family and vice versa, but she still hoped the latter could find someone special to be with for the rest of his life.

"That reminds me, Mrs. Faulkner, I've sent you Mindy's information earlier," Steven added.

"Okay," she answered as she unlocked her phone and skimmed through the material. "Ah, so she's a top graduate from an arts college in Petalgrove. No wonder those photos went viral so quickly on Instagram."

"She's indeed very good at packaging herself. While her degree is bona fide, her claims about her various awards and achievements are nothing but a pack of lies," Steven scoffed. "That said, she can forget about carving out a career in the arts from now on."

"Is Timothy responsible for that?"

Steven nodded. "Asel had a high fever the day before, so Dr. Jensen and Ms. Joule took her to the hospital. As luck would have it, Mindy was also there. She even ran to the ward to look for Ms. Joule..." Even though Steven had refrained from going into the details on account of the children, Genevieve knew Mindy must have gone to provoke Johanna.

"How did she find out, though?" Genevieve asked, a curious frown on her face. "Only a handful of us knew about Timothy's marriage to Jojo and their subsequent divorce. Furthermore, the one he had a scandal with was Charlotte."

"I guess she must have paid good money to hire private investigators."

After thinking long and hard for a moment, Genevieve turned her attention back to Steven. "Steven, you've known Timothy for as long as you've been with Armand. Do you think he'd do a thing like that?" To her surprise, Steven nodded without hesitation.

Chapter 828

Amanda, who had been listening intently, was baffled. "Mr. Sullivan, what will Uncle Tim do? Also, who's Mindy? Why was she looking for Aunt Jojo?"

"That's enough questions, Sweetie," Genevieve gently chided as she handed her daughter a scone. "Come on, eat up."

"Okay," Amanda muttered before tucking into her breakfast obediently.

After glancing at the adorable little girl, Steven turned to Genevieve. "Lucian and Mandy are now five, aren't they? Shouldn't it be time to send them to school?"

Growing up in Dartan, the twins had started taking language and music lessons from private tutors when they were around two or three years old. With their classes running daily from Monday to Friday, it really wasn't any different from attending a mainstream school.

Moreover, the knowledge they had acquired thus far easily surpassed their peers, so Genevieve had never once thought about sending them to school.

"Yes, you're right," she replied. "Does that mean they'll have to attend kindergarten first?"

Upon hearing that, Lucian furrowed his brows. "I don't want to go to kindergarten. The kids there are crybabies and way too childish. I want to be in first grade."

Genevieve instantly burst out laughing. "Weren't you also like them when you were three or four?"

Instead of replying, Lucian merely tapped away on his tablet and handed it to his mother. "This is a list of all the private and public schools in Jadeborough. The six private schools don't have any minimum age requirements, so even five-year-olds are allowed to enroll in first grade."

"If Lucian doesn't want to attend kindergarten, then neither do I!" Amanda chimed in.

Genevieve browsed through Lucian's list of schools and handed the tablet to Steven. "Can you check out these schools when you're free, Steven? Let me know which are the better ones."

"Sure."

When everyone had finished their breakfast, the children scampered off to play in the living room while Genevieve went to the pantry to make a call.

"Genevieve?"

"Yes, it's me. Good morning, Mr. Zeigler," Genevieve greeted, making a point to lower her voice when she heard the hint of annoyance in the man's tone. "Is this a bad time to talk?"

Yuvan perked himself up. albeit reluctantly. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes," she mumbled, gaze darkening as she sipped her water. "You're the only one who can help me with this matter."

Three minutes later, the call ended.

Genevieve returned to the living room, only to see that her twins had almost completed their model kit of the Petalgrove Cathedral. "Sweeties, I'm going to Baykeep and might have to be there for a day or two. Where do you guys want to stay during this time?"

Amanda's hand immediately shot up. "Aunt Jojo's! I want to play with Asel. She's so cute!"

"Very well, then," Genevieve said with a smile.

After packing her clothes and travel documents, she sent the children to Johanna's and promptly left for the airport.

It'd have been too troublesome to wait for the pilot of the private jet, so she decided to take the plane instead.

Upon arriving at the airport, Genevieve waited in the VIP lounge until boarding time, when a flight attendant ushered her into the first-class cabin.

Since she didn't sleep well the night before, she wasted no time putting on a sleep mask to catch a few winks. Unfortunately, she had barely closed her eyes for a few minutes when an announcement came on for all the passengers to get off the plane.

By the time Genevieve removed her sleep mask, one of the flight attendants had entered the first-class cabin to guide everyone out.

As soon as she disembarked, Genevieve saw ground control directing passengers to the shuttle buses while other airport staff members gathered near the plane. To make matters worse, they all looked incredibly worried as they unloaded the checked luggage.

What's going on?

Perplexed, Genevieve was about to join her fellow passengers on the shuttle bus when a voice rang out behind her.

"Genevieve."

She whipped her head around and instantly saw a strapping man striding toward her. Unable to control herself, she rushed forward and threw herself into his arms.

Armand hugged her tight and gently cupped her face. "Are you okay?" he asked, voice tinged with worry.

"I'm not!" Genevieve replied as she bit his hand hard and glared at him. Interestingly, though, her hands remained wrapped around his waist. "My heart's broken, and I can't fix it!"

Chapter 829

Armand breathed a sigh of relief and tried to kiss Genevieve, only to have the latter duck from him.

"Did you kiss Sally with those lips?"

"No."

"Oh? I saw what she did that night, though," Genevieve scoffed. "She was beside you the entire time, talking and pawing at you, so who'd believe you didn't make a move on her?"

"I really didn't," Armand uttered with exasperation. "How do you want me to prove it to you?"

"I'll believe it if you cut your tongue off!"

When she saw how much more helpless Armand looked, Genevieve couldn't help but burst into laughter. Before he could ask anything else, she wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him.

It was as though she had done everything intentionally, from hugging him to letting her fragrance rub off on him. After the kiss, she even went so far as to bite his bottom lip until she drew blood. Genevieve smirked as she wiped off the blood on Armand's lip. "If you dare kiss Sally or let her kiss you, I'll dump you!"

Armand merely murmured his assent and ran a hand through her long, windblown hair.

"Go on, take a good look. See how much of my hair has turned white from the stress of searching for you," Genevieve said with a snort. "You have to give me an explanation now! Also, why on earth were you with Sally?"

True enough, Armand found several white strands nestled with the rest of her jet-black hair and felt a sudden pang of sadness. "Why didn't you take the kids to Dartan?"

"Armand Faulkner, what do you mean by that?" Genevieve asked as she narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying I should be with Jack instead of looking for you? Have I ruined your plans with Sally?" Armand caressed her face and sighed. "No. But Jack can take better care of you guys..."

Genevieve angrily slapped his hand away, her expression darkening with every second. "I asked what you were doing with Sally, so why are you deflecting my question and bringing up other matters? Why do you want others to take care of me?"

Unbeknownst to her, Armand had a lot that he couldn't say out loud. "Genev-⚫"

"Stop calling me!" Genevieve interrupted. "I shouldn't have returned after going to Dartan. I should've let you grow old and die alone! A scumbag like you doesn't deserve to have a wife and children!" With that, she walked away in a huff and boarded the shuttle bus.

Armand, however, didn't go after her. He was an emotional wreck as he watched the shuttle bus drive toward the airport terminal, and even his breathing was ragged.

He stood in the cold wind for what seemed like an eternity until one of the airport staff walked up to him.

"Mr. Faulkner, there were more than fifty pieces of luggage in the cargo, and we've checked them thoroughly. We didn't find any dangerous items."

"In that case, someone must have made a false report," Armand uttered, his expression even more menacing than before.

"I've already informed the Communications Department to trace the number," one of his subordinates reported as a chill ran down his spine. "Could it be Ms. Loake?"

Armand continued to stare at the shuttle bus in the distance, but his gaze had become so terrifyingly calm that it made everyone's hairs stand on end.

When he learned that Genevieve had gone to Dartan, he thought Jack would take good care of her. Who knew she'd suddenly show up at Sally's birthday party?

Furthermore, despite his best efforts to distance himself from her and feign unfamiliarity, Armand realized he couldn't stop worrying about her. That was also why he almost lost his control after what happened at the amusement park the night before.

"No. It's not her," Armand replied calmly.

Even if Sally suspects me after last night's incident and wants to test me, she wouldn't do something so blatant.

Meanwhile, Genevieve returned to the VIP lounge and stayed for more than half an hour before being ushered back onto the plane.

In the end, it was past eleven by the time the flight landed at Baykeep Airport.

After she made her way out into the arrival hall, it didn't take long before Genevieve spotted Yuvan in the crowd. Dressed in a spiffy blue shirt, the tall and handsome man stood out from everyone else and even attracted many glances from the ladies around him.

Yuvan waved to Genevieve and approached her. "Wow, you look angry. Is it because I wanted you to come to Baykeep?"

"No. I met an acquaintance at the airport, and he pissed me off."

When they finally drove off from the airport, Genevieve managed to recompose herself and turned to Yuvan. "So, why did you want me to come to Baykeep? What can I help you with?"

Chapter 830

"Drink some water first," Yuvan said as he handed a bottle to Genevieve.

The next second, he leaned back in his seat and shared his story. "Since last month, my grandfather's health has been deteriorating. He had made six hospital visits in total, but when he returned home, he started coughing up blood again. It got so bad that he could only stay in bed most of the time. At Grandpa's age, it doesn't help that his old problems are acting up, and he's been so gloomy and depressed. The doctor said that if his mood doesn't improve, he might only have three months left..."

One thing was for sure-there was no hiding the quaver in Yuvan's voice toward the end.

Although Genevieve had only met Herbert Ziegler a few times, she knew he was a warm and kind person.

He wasn't even eighty years old, yet his body was already in such a terrible state. That, without a doubt, made her incredibly sad.

"I'm so sorry..." Genevieve said softly. "I shouldn't have exposed Sylvie in front of General Zeigler that day."

Even after his wife passed away from the pain of their loss, Herbert never gave up searching for their long-lost daughter. If he hadn't learned that Sylvie was a fraud, he wouldn't have become so sullen and moody.

Of course, it was never Genevieve's intention to hurt Herbert, but at the same time, she couldn't let Sylvie wreak havoc by taking advantage of the Zeigler family.

"If you truly feel sorry, show it with your actions," Yuvan replied. "Come stay at the Zeigler residence for a few days and spend time with my grandfather."

For a moment, Genevieve was stunned. "Why me? Don't you have many female cousins?"

I've only met General Zeigler a few times, for goodness' sake.

"Our driver said Grandpa really enjoyed talking to you the other time, probably because you and Grandma share the same personality traits. Did you know that she used to be a diplomat?" "Yes. Your grandfather has mentioned it before. However, are you sure he'll feel better with me around?"

"I have no idea either, but it's worth a try," Yuvan answered with a bitter chuckle. "My cousins and I have taken turns looking after him, yet no matter how hard we try, we just can't seem to cheer him up." After pondering for a moment, Genevieve took out her phone. "Does your grandfather have any hobbies?"

"Oh, yes. Grandpa loves walks, fishing, chess, and reading foreign language books. However, for the languages he doesn't understand, he'd need someone to translate for him..."

As Yuvan went on, Genevieve made it a point to note everything down on her memo.

A while later, she stretched her wrists and looked out of the car window, only to realize they were now in the city.

She rattled off a restaurant's address to the driver without further ado. "Please take us there first."

By the time they had bought everything and arrived at the Zeigler residence, it was already four in the afternoon. When they stepped into the house, it just so happened that Zayne was also making his way down the stairs.

However, as soon as the latter's eyes fell on Genevieve, his grip on the railing instinctively tightened.

"I'm the one who invited Ms. Rachford over," Yuvan announced as he handed his coat to the housekeeper and glanced at his cousin. "What's past is past. That fraud got what she deserved."

Zayne instantly tensed up while his lips curled into a sneer. "If she didn't show up at Grandpa's birthday party, he wouldn't have ended up the way he is today!"

Genevieve remained unfazed. "If I hadn't shown up, Sylvie would've played the Zeigler family for a fool."

"So? What's it to you?"

Seeing how angry Zayne was, Genevieve couldn't help but feel amused. "Indeed, it has nothing to do with me, but is it not right for me to collect a debt that she owes? Besides, you should thank me, Mr. Zayne Ziegler. If it weren't for me exposing Sylvie, can you imagine what the public would say if they found out you were in love with her? They'd think you had an incestuous relationship with your cousin and drag your family's name through the mud."

Yuvan was shocked. He knew that Genevieve was a tough nut to crack, but it was only now that he realized she could be so sharp-tongued.

"Why don't you go home first, Zayne?" Yuvan quickly interrupted, not wanting the two of them to start quarreling. "You can take a break for the next few days. I'll stay here to look after Grandpa."

On account of his grandfather, Zayne decided to ignore Genevieve and left the house in a huff.

"See? Your cousin's the one bullying me. Is it wrong for me to stand up for myself?" Genevieve grumbled.

"Of course not," Yuvan replied with a nod. "Are you hungry, Ms. Rachford?"

"Yes, but I'm not picky. Any food is fine," Genevieve answered as she walked unabashedly into the living room with a little wooden box. "Can you check if your grandfather's feeling well enough to come down for a chat?"

With that, Yuvan instructed the housekeepers to prepare a quick meal before marching up the stairs to look for Herbert.