Bringing Seraphina back to the room, Ethan Sterling imdiately stepped into the kitchen and opened the fridge to take a look.
"What shall we have for dinner? Let see, darling, do you want dumplings or would you prefer noodles?"
Seraphina walked to his side and held onto his arm.
"Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything to Nathan another day."
"You don’t need to worry about and Nathan." Ethan turned around, lifted his hand and cupped her face, "Seraphina, are you really not having any second thoughts?"
Seraphina nodded lightly.
"Aren’t you afraid that, like Nathan Foster said... I’m just using you, deceiving you, toying with you!"
Seraphina raised her face, speaking calmly.
"The night I ca looking for you, I also intended to use you. We weren’t familiar before, and you had no reason to help ."
"So, are you also just using ?" Ethan gazed into her eyes.
"I was before, but not anymore." Seraphina curled her lips into a smile, "Now... I’m dating you."
Embracing her, Ethan buried his head in her hair, and after a while resurfaced with a restored smile.
"So... dumplings or noodles?"
"Dumplings!"
Seraphina indeed had a bit of selfishness.
She knew Chloe liked Ethan’s noodles, and she didn’t want to be like Chloe.
"Alright. Hubby will make crispy-bottom dumplings for you!"
Ethan took out frozen dumplings from the fridge, skillfully preparing the necessary ingredients.
Standing beside him, Seraphina watched his familiar movents with a look of surprise.
"You can actually cook?"
"Of course, I learned all this from my mom, she’s amazing at cooking. I’ve loved her cooking since I was a kid."
Ethan handed the fried dumplings to Seraphina, carried another plate himself, and placed it on the dining table.
"My mom said, if you learn to cook, you won’t starve even if you’re poor."
"But you’re from the Sterling Family, why would you be poor?"
"My ’Sterling’ doesn’t an the Sterling Family, it’s my mom’s surna. She also taught piano." Ethan handed her chopsticks, "Let’s not dwell on this, let’s eat!"
Back when Ethan just transferred schools, there were rumors going around.
Seraphina was well-educated since childhood, and at that ti, she was focused intently on the violin, not paying much attention to gossip, and didn’t know much about the Sterling Family’s affairs.
This was the first ti Ethan ntioned his mom, and talked about his family affairs.
Who doesn’t have a few ssy pages in their life?
Knowing he didn’t want to talk more, Seraphina didn’t press further.
Her father always told her, even the best friends should respect each other’s privacy; spouses should be the sa.
Picking up a dumpling and tasting it, she squinted her eyes in enjoynt, "Your dumplings are truly delicious!"
Ethan watched her face from across the table, smiling too, "Then have so more."
Their male and female, sitting across the table.
Eating earnestly, occasionally exchanging a few words, not feeling awkward when silent.
Sotis lifting their faces to et each other’s eyes, they naturally smiled.
Biting a dumpling, Seraphina watched Ethan opposite her, naturally thinking about her father and mother.
A house for two, three als, four seasons.
If she and Ethan could always get along like this, or...
It wouldn’t be bad!
...
...
The next afternoon, after finishing work with the orchestra.
Seraphina made ti to visit her father at the hospital.
Carrying a nutritious al, she stepped into the ward and saw Theodore Thorne sitting at the bedside following the instructions of a young doctor to lift his right hand.
"Dad!" Seraphina ran over with surprise on her face, "You... can sit up?"
"Sera... phina!" Theodore extended his right hand, holding her face, turning to the doctor, "My... daughter!"
"Yes, I know, she’s your daughter, right?" The young doctor proactively extended his hand to Seraphina, "Hello, I’m your father’s rehabilitation doctor, my surna is Larson."
"I know, the director ntioned you on the phone." Seraphina shook hands with him, "Thank you so much."
As Theodore’s recent physical recovery was good, the director had already updated his rehabilitation plan.
This young Dr. Larson beca Theodore’s rehabilitation doctor, mainly to help him regain so self-care abilities.
Once Dr. Larson finished today’s training with Theodore, Seraphina politely escorted him out of the ward.
At a distance where her father couldn’t hear, she whispered.
"Dr. Larson, based on my father’s current condition, how long until he can be discharged?"
"In my experience, another one or two months and he should be able to discharge, but..." Dr. Larson smiled, "Even post-discharge, he’ll certainly need soone to care for him."
"That’s great, thank you."
Seraphina expressed her gratitude, bidding farewell to Dr. Larson, and was about to return to the ward.
In the corridor, a familiar voice rang.
"Seraphina!"
Seraphina paused her steps and turned her face.
In the corridor, the Foster siblings approached carrying nutritional supplents and fruit.
Knowing they were there to visit her father, Seraphina eagerly went over to greet them and led them to the ward.
"Dad, look who’s here?"
Theodore looked at them and shook his head.
Seraphina explained proactively, "This is my brother’s good friend, Nathan Foster, our neighbor. He used to co over to play at our house when we were kids. Do you rember?"
Theodore scrutinized Nathan Foster, "Little... Nate?!"
"Yes, it’s , Little Nate!" Nathan laughed, shaking the elderly man’s hand, "My sister and I ca specially to see you."
As they were chatting, Nathan’s phone rang.
Glancing at the number on the screen, he got up to take the call outside.
Seraphina poured water, handing it to Chloe Foster.
Noticing the bandage on her hand, she asked with concern, "How’s your hand?"
Chloe extended her right hand, "A lot better."
As she moved her hand, a silver bracelet slipped from Chloe’s sleeve.
Seraphina glanced at it, feeling slightly familiar, but before she could examine further, Nathan hurried back to the ward.
"Seraphina, step out for a mont."
"Dad, I’ll be right back."
She inford her father briefly, then left the ward, trailing behind Nathan to the corridor’s end.
"Is sothing wrong?"
Nathan furrowed his eyebrows, speaking sowhat helplessly.
"I just got a call; your brother... has given up his appeal!"
"What?" Seraphina froze in place, "No... that can’t be. My brother wouldn’t give up his appeal; it’s his only chance to overturn the case."
If Caleb Thorne gave up the appeal, it ant his case was conclusively settled with no chance of reversal.
Even in the future, when Caleb completed his sentence and was released,
He’d always bear the sha of being blad for the building collapse, never able to clear his na or return to architectural design.
Caleb’s life would be completely ruined.
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