She wasn't angry with Kevan. She didn't even resent Muffin for scratching Aster."Hey," she said, suddenly changing the subject. She asked seriously, "Have you considered taking your daughter to a psychologist?"Although Muffin had always been more mischievous than Cookie since she was little, she was not a cat that would scratch people for no reason—otherwise, Kevan wouldn't have brought her to Larissa.In Larissa's opinion, Muffin's strange behavior had been caused by Bethany's mistreatment.Larissa had noticed earlier that Muffin and Cookie's soft, beautiful, long fur was particularly sparse in certain parts of their bodies—it was clearly not due to shedding, but rather, someone had been plucking their fur. There was no one else she could think of except Bethany.Previously, when Bethany bullied classmates at school, Larissa attributed that behavior to her family spoiling her. However, she likely had an innate antisocial personality or a mental illness if she abused animals for
Kevan stayed quiet. He knew better than anyone how stubborn Larissa could be.On top of that, it was not the best time to pursue her—his intention was just to test the waters and gauge how open she was to the idea. As expected, she was still the same as before, unwilling to give him even the slightest chance. She probably trusted him even less than before—after all, he had hurt her in so many ways in the past.His amnesia could barely allow him to be around her; it couldn't bring her to let her guard down. Although he had dug his own grave in the situation, he didn't regret his choice. For her safety, nothing else mattered.The car soon pulled into the compound of Larissa's residence. Kevan got out of the car first to pick up Aster, who was still sleeping, from the backseat. Suspended in mid-air, Aster let out a groan of discomfort as he opened his heavy eyelids.In the dim light of the street lamps, he could barely make out Kevan's face."Daddy ..." He smiled sweetly, murmuring s
Larissa needed a person who could remain neutral and objectively analyze the pros and cons of each choice for her. The only person she could think of who had no connection to Kevan and had a wealth of life experience was Gary.Due to the family sports day, the kindergarten started an hour later than usual.When Kevan told Larissa to head to work as he would take Aster to the kindergarten, Larissa hesitated for a moment.Noticing that, Kevan smirked and said, "I'll leave after dropping him off at the kindergarten."Larissa was taken aback, feeling a sudden pang of guilt."Alright, thank you," she replied, forcing a smile as she lowered her head.Instead of going to the hotel, Larissa went to the hospital. Gary would be discharged that day, and it was only right for her to go and pick him up.Since Gary had woken up early, he had already dressed up and packed all his clothes and belongings into a suitcase by the time Larissa arrived."Why did you come so early?" Gary stood up qui
Larissa had never met her biological father before. By the time she was old enough to remember, Yvette was already with Xavier.She could only piece together a vague image of her father's appearance from Yvette's poor descriptions."He's an incompetent piece of trash." Perhaps he was skinny and meek. "He was always tongue-tied and clumsy." Maybe he was a silent and introverted man who always doubted himself. "He's a freeloader who couldn't earn a penny by himself. He depends on women to pay his bills." He probably dressed in the simplest clothes, maybe even a bit sloppy.In short, he was not particularly impressive or good-looking.However, Larissa always had an inkling that Yvette was not telling the truth. Just because they didn't share a close relationship didn't mean she didn't understand her.Yvette was vain and materialistic, and if her biological father was truly as unbearable as she had described, Yvette would never have married him in the first place.Then again, per
Larissa was taken aback, "Huh?"Gary avoided her gaze and asked in a low voice, "What about your father?"Although Larissa was trembling, she put on a smile and said, "My mom said he passed away when I was very young. I've never seen my dad, and I don't even know what he looks like. That's the biggest regret of my life. Because of this, I can't bear to let my son's hopes be shattered."Gary's heart, which had just calmed down, began to ache again. He wanted to tell Larissa that he was her father.But he was worried that she would blame him for not appearing all these years, and might even refuse to acknowledge him. He wouldn't be able to maintain even a simple friendship with her."Do you miss your father?" he tentatively asked."When I was little, I thought about him, especially when I was sad," Larissa recalled the past, as if all the pain had disappeared, leaving behind a faint trace of melancholy, "But as I grew up, I stopped thinking about it because I knew it was pointless.
Larissa froze in her tracks.She thought Kevan had already left, but with so many variables in between, it was highly likely that he was persuaded by Aster to stay.She sighed inwardly and resumed walking.As she approached them, Aster ran up to her in a few steps and held her hand.His little face was flushed, his nose covered in sweat, and his big, bright eyes were filled with a smile."Why are you so late?" His tone carried a hint of reproach. "Daddy and I have been waiting for you for a long time!" He deliberately emphasized the word "daddy," speaking loud enough for everyone around to hear. The gazes they received stunned Larissa—especially when she noticed that most of those gazes were filled with envy.She lowered her head, forcing herself to smile as she silently wished to disappear. They quickly returned to where Kevan was.As soon as Larissa met Kevan's gaze, she noticed the remorse in his eyes."I'm sorry," Kevan said. "I didn't feel at ease leaving Aster alone. I
"Friendship first, competition comes second." She tried to indoctrinate them. "It's fine if you don't get first place."Both males turned to look back at her with disapproving looks."Mommy, don't you dare hold us back!" Aster "warned" her.Larissa was a bit angry. "Fine, I won't." She turned to leave. "Have fun on your own, you two! I'll be going now!""Hey—" Kevan reached out quickly to stop her.Larissa was unable to pull the leg she put out in time, and her body fell back from the momentum right into Kevan's broad chest. Kevan wore a thin sports t-shirt, so his protruding pecs were rather obvious. The moment Larissa's back hit them, she felt them immediately.Her face went beet-red in a second before she hurriedly straightened up and put some distance between herself and Kevan.A few mothers nearby let out cries of amazement. Those who were familiar with Larissa came over to tease her. "That scene earlier was totally from a tv show!"Larissa's blush deepened.…The first
Kevan did not move, however. His hands hovered protectively at Larissa's sides, forming a hug of some sort that kept her encircled. He looked down at her, her silhouette clearly reflected in his eyes."Are you hurt?" Kevan's voice was low and cool, but there was a hint of warmth in there. His concerned gaze made Larissa's heart skip a beat before pounding furiously. She began to feel rather hot under the collar, and the heat of her blush was enough to fry an egg."No," she replied very quietly.They had not had any physical contact nor had they said anything romantic, but there seemed to be an amorous atmosphere surrounding them, which made other people jealous."Daddy! Daddy!" Aster began jumping with anxiety. "We're going to lose!"Kevan finally returned his attention to the competition.Just like that, several people had already turned back. Even if he raced to catch up with them, he could not escape the fate of coming in last. Having figured out the situation, Larissa quickly