"Roo is such a big spender, just look at this chess set he got ," Darren exclaid with a mix of admiration and bewildernt. "You can’t just find a fine set like this every day, even if you had the cash. I can’t figure out where the kid managed to dig this up. He’s really outdone himself this ti."
Belinda chid in with a warm smile, "And the painting he gave , it’s just to my taste. Not only is the craftsmanship top-notch, but every flower, every tree in it is so full of aning. The boy is wishing a life filled with blessings, longevity, and smooth sailing."
Her grin was so wide it looked like it wouldn’t fit on her face.
Bard, holding the vase in his hands, added his praises, "The kid really put his heart into this one. I saw this vase at the auction earlier this year. Missed out on bidding, and it nagged at for a while. How he got wind of it and managed to get it from that collector, of all people, and even in the original box... It was no small feat, that was for sure.
"The collector who had snagged the vase was a man who wouldn’t part with his treasures for all the money in the world. So for Roo to have gotten his hands on that vase was a marvel in itself."
"Last ti Roo visited, he must have noticed my love for tea. He went out of his way to bring this beautiful tea set," Eunice said, her eyes softening at the mory.
The set had caused quite a stir at the auction because of its unique design. It was known to enhance the flavor of the tea, making it a coveted item among tea enthusiasts.
Eunice had wanted it, but out of consideration for a business partner who was also set on acquiring it, she stepped back.
"Roo filled a gap I had resigned myself to," Eunice said, her smile as beautiful as it was grateful. "We really need to show our appreciation for all these precious gifts he’s given us. It’s clear he values Rose and respects us elders. But with things happening so suddenly last night, I feel awful we couldn’t host him properly," Darren said, feeling apologetic.
"Don’t worry about it," Belinda reassured. "Let’s have Rose ask him when he’s free to co over. We should return the favor. Eunice, you always have the best ideas. What do you think we should give him?"
They wanted to find a gift that was far from ordinary, sothing that would really touch his heart, but Belinda was at a loss for what that could be.
"Rose knows his tastes best, doesn’t she?" Eunice suggested with a knowing smile, turning to Rosemary.
All eyes turned to Rosemary, who suddenly realized that she hadn’t paid much attention to Roo’s preferences. She was at a loss for what he truly liked or wanted.
"Rose, what have you given him in the past that he’s been happiest with?" Belinda asked curiously.
"?" Rosemary said truthfully. "Even if it’s just a mug or a tie, he’s always happy."
"He’s not picky," Belinda realized. "Well, that makes it easy then. Whatever’s rare and valuable, that’s what we’ll go with."
"I think," Eunice said thoughtfully, "that boy just wants to be accepted by our family. It probably doesn’t matter what we give him. Even just inviting him over would make him happy."
Although Eunice said this, everyone agreed that they should still reciprocate Roo’s thoughtful gifts with sothing that showed their affection and approval.
As the family discussed the matter of the gift, Serena stord off to her room, fuming. She checked her phone, and still, Martin hadn’t reached out to her!
She thought Martin was playing hard to get with her! She was seething with frustration and indignation. With a huff, she tossed her phone aside, refusing to reach out to him first.
Martin sat behind his desk, his usually bright eyes now shadowed by a cloud of lancholy and dejection.
His deputy, sitting nearby, was at a loss for words on how to comfort him.
Since this morning, Martin had been planted at his desk, silent, not working, lost in his thoughts.
The scenes from last night replayed in Martin’s mind.
Serena, full of heartfelt emotion, kept calling him Roo and saying those things.
How much she liked Roo, how her boyfriend was Roo, and that he, Martin, was nothing in comparison—not even fit to be her boyfriend.
When he offered her a cup of soup to sober her up, she had scorned it, telling him to get lost and stop interrupting her "date" with "Roo."
The way she tiptoed to plant a kiss on "Roo" was so loving, so lost in the mont, so shy and endearing—a stark contrast to how she was with him usually.
The more Martin thought about it, the more his heart ached.
Until the screen of his phone lit up, showing a text from Serena.
He quickly opened it to find a picture of a wound and a crying emoji, with the ssage:
[It hurts so bad.]
Martin imdiately called her back to ask what had happened.
"Last night I had a bit too much whiskey and said so things I shouldn’t have. My sister thought I was flirting with her husband, and without any discussion, she stord into my room and gave a beating. Slapped several tis and hit with a vanity stool. I’m in so much pain. The doctor says my injuries will take about a month to heal, and my hand is fractured."
By the end, Serena’s voice was filled with such self-pity.
"What are you saying? That’s outrageous!" Martin’s anger swelled in his chest. "Does she always get away with this at ho? What about your family? Didn’t anyone stand up for you?"
"I didn’t want to disturb the peace at ho, so I didn’t say anything."
"How can you be so naive! She can’t just treat you like that!" Martin was irate. "I’m going to settle this with her."
"Martin, I don’t want to upset my family. I want to continue living in this house."
"She was the one who started hitting you—she’s in the wrong. Mr. Darren and Mrs. Belinda would surely see to justice if they knew. If you don’t want the family to know, I can deal with her privately."
"She’ll definitely tattle! Besides, she has Roo backing her. Forget it, Martin, it was my fault last night. I said things I shouldn’t have and caused a misunderstanding."
Sensing the mood set just right, Serena then asked in a pitiful tone, "You don’t misunderstand , do you?"
Martin, caught by her question, suddenly felt a bit guilty.
"Did you not look for today because you were busy with work? I know—even if the whole world misunderstands , you, Martin, will always steadfastly stand by my side, right? After all, you’re my boyfriend—the person I trust and like the most in the whole world."
Martin’s heart was suddenly touched, and with a tremble in his voice, he called out softly, "Serena."
"Thank goodness for you. No matter what the world turns into, no matter how much malice cos my way, as long as you are with , I’ll always have a place to belong."
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