Alia Garcia returned ho to find the children had already finished their dinner.
Seeing only their mom coming back, the little ones curiously asked, "Where’s Dad? Why didn’t he co ho?"
Alia sat down on the couch, pulled her daughter onto her lap, and explained, "Your dad went to spend so ti at his parents’ house. He’ll be back later."
Hope imdiately spoke up, "That an grandma doesn’t even like Dad. Why does he still go there?"
"Hope, you can’t talk like that," Alia said firmly, once again correcting her daughter. "Every mother loves her children, and every child should respect their parents—understand?"
Hope pouted and muttered, "Hmph, she really is bad..."
Alia understood well that Emma Carter’s attitude toward Hope had indeed been too harsh. To expect such a young child to "return kindness for insult" was indeed asking too much.
So she gently hugged her daughter, kissed her cheeks, and chose not to emphasize the lesson further.
"Mom! I learned a new story. Can I tell it to you?" Hope, noticing her mother wasn’t in the best mood, tried to cheer her up.
Alia eagerly played along, "Of course! Mommy loves hearing stories from Hope the most."
The little girl leaped off her lap, stood squarely in front of the couch, and began her performance, imitating the characters perfectly.
Her two brothers quickly joined, sitting on either side of their mom, watching her attentively. All were absorbed in the performance until Alia’s phone buzzed.
She glanced at the screen—it was Snow Fitch calling.
Seeing Hope so engrossed in the storytelling, Alia hesitated to interrupt her and instead silenced her phone, continuing to be the perfect audience.
When Hope finally finished, she bowed ceremoniously, and the three of them sat upright together and clapped.
"Hope is amazing, even mimicking the little animals’ voices so perfectly," Alia praised.
Her brothers joyfully rushed to hug their sister and lavish her with complints as well.
Watching the children laugh and play together, Alia picked up her phone and stepped away to return her best friend’s call.
"Were you taking a nap? Did my call disturb you?" Snow asked.
"No, I was just with the kids. Hope was telling a story, and I didn’t want to interrupt her."
"Aww, such a good mom," Snow remarked before suddenly asking, "So that ans you stayed ho instead of being at the hospital?"
"That’s right. Christopher has been discharged, and I’m over at Imperial Garden now."
"Oh, in that case, I’ll head to Imperial Garden to join you guys! Hey, I just finished overti at work and haven’t had lunch yet. Mind if I freeload a al?"
Alia chuckled, "It’d be a great honor for Miss Fitch to join us!"
"Great, see you soon!"
After hanging up, Alia called Aunt Harper and instructed the kitchen to prepare a al for Miss Fitch.
Glancing at the ti—it was past 1 p.m.—Christopher hadn’t returned yet. She wondered how things were going at the old family ho. Were there more clashes and insults?
She considered sending him a WhatsApp ssage to ask, but worried it might feel like a nudge or pressure. After hesitating, she decided against it.
After all, they were family. Without her, the external presence, wouldn’t they find harmony on their own?
Ah...
What a tangled ss.
Snow arrived quickly and brought so fruits and snacks for the children. Ethan, their little foodie, eagerly claid an entire bag and cheerfully carried it upstairs.
Hope, drowsy in the afternoon, was taken for a nap by Aunt Harper.
Noah greeted Snow, but quickly returned to tinkering with his LEGO robot.
Soon, only Alia and Snow were left in the living room.
"Co on, you haven’t eaten, right? Lunch is freshly made and ready to enjoy," Alia said, leading Snow to the dining room.
Snow’s eyes lit up at the sight of the restaurant-quality steak on the table.
"Why is there only one portion? You guys ate already?"
"Yep, this one is specially made for you," Alia replied with a smile.
"Oh, I feel so spoiled. Guess I’ll have to devour every last crumb then," Snow joked.
They sat down, and a servant brought tea for Alia.
As Snow cut into her steak, she glanced up at her best friend’s composed deanor and teased, "You’ve mastered the aura of a true lady of the house—seems like a wedding is on the horizon!"
Alia played dumb, "What wedding?"
"Co on, you and Christopher. Are you really just living together without making it official? You might not care about what people say, but have you thought about the kids?"
"Who said we’re living together?"
Snow looked surprised, "You an you two haven’t reconciled?"
Alia sipped her tea before replying slowly, "Even if we have reconciled, it doesn’t an we have to live together. I still plan on moving back to where I lived before. As for the kids... wherever they feel comfortable, they can split their ti between both places."
Snow sighed while chewing her steak, "You still haven’t fully made peace, huh? There’s a grudge you can’t let go of."
Alia’s expression dimd. After a pause, she murmured, "The conflicts and barriers between us are too daunting. Just because I compromise and let go of everything doesn’t an it’ll be smooth sailing."
Snow had co over because Christopher had recently called her, saying Alia had been down and keeping things bottled up—she decided to drop by to help cheer her up.
Hearing Alia’s lancholic words, Snow jumped at the chance to probe further, "What’s really been bothering you these past few days? Surely it’s more than just missing your mom and grandma?"
Alia stared blankly at her teacup, unsure of where to start amidst the chaos in her mind. Before she could open her mouth, her phone buzzed again.
Seeing the caller ID, she imdiately answered, "Hello..."
"Sis, it’s Jacob. I just left ho and thought I’d give you a quick update," Jacob Garcia said cheerfully, his tone as warm as ever, showing great respect for her as his "big sister."
Alia smiled faintly, choosing not to comnt on the idea of "updates."
"Did you manage to talk so sense into him?"
"You think that’s possible? Sigh..." Jacob sighed helplessly. "I’ve argued with him until my tongue nearly broke, but it’s useless... I just found out the company is on the verge of bankruptcy. After several failed projects, the cash flow has collapsed. Now partners, clients, and banks are all chasing debts. He’s desperate and trying to blackmail money out of people as a last resort."
Hearing this, Alia didn’t know how to respond.
She feared Jacob’s next words would be—Sis, you’ve got plenty of money, why not help him out? After all, he’s your biological father—blood is thicker than water.
If it ca to moral coercion like that, she didn’t know whether to let him suffer or give in soft-heartedly.
She chose silence, refusing to reply.
Unexpectedly, Jacob was clever enough to catch on. He chuckled, "Sis, you’re probably thinking I called to persuade you, right?"
Ha!
Alia chuckled inwardly, realizing this younger brother might be more perceptive than she’d given him credit for.
She felt ashad for tiptoeing around the conversation herself.
Could a newly independent young man really scare her into hesitation like this?
She decided to be direct, "Even if you tried to convince , it wouldn’t work. I’m a businesswoman, not a charity. Besides, I don’t have that kind of money right now, and even if I did, I wouldn’t be foolish enough to throw it away."
Michael Garcia had no business sense whatsoever. In today’s struggling economy, even renowned companies were facing challenges and losses—how could he keep his shaky operation afloat?
Even if she bailed him out this ti, it’d only be temporary relief and prolong the inevitable.
Michael wouldn’t have the ability to make the money back, and instead, he’d feel emboldened by the safety net and act even more recklessly.
There was no way she’d willingly dive into such a bottomless pit.
Better to squash any hope right from the start.
Jacob wasn’t surprised by her response. He paused briefly before saying, "Honestly, I think the sa way. That crappy company should’ve been dissolved ages ago. Otherwise, if it were left for to inherit, it’d just be a load of trouble. I don’t want to deal with that ss."
Alia was stunned, "You really think that?"
"Well, of course. Let’s be real. If the company were thriving, I’d jump at the chance to take over and enjoy a few years living like a rich heir. But given the current state... If Dad can’t handle it, there’s no way I could. Why bother stressing myself out?"
"But if the Garcia Family goes bankrupt, you’ll have nothing left."
"Do you really think I have anything now, even without bankruptcy?" Jacob laughed bitterly. "Ever since my family’s situation beca known, all my friends stopped answering my calls, scared I’d ask to borrow money. I know what the world is like, trust ."
Alia chuckled quietly, unable to say much.
The dining room was silent, so even though Alia hadn’t put the call on speaker, Snow, seated nearby, could vaguely make out so of the conversation.
She couldn’t resist raising her thumb.
Alia understood her gesture.
Truthfully, she, too, was surprised that Michael Garcia, for all his faults, could produce such a clear-headed and morally grounded son.
She’d always assud she was the only "different" one.
"Sis... You’re still there?"
"Go on."
"Sis, I know... My mom and my other sister treated you poorly in the past, and more recently, they even frad you. But they’re them, and I’m ... Sigh, I know it sounds hard to believe, but I genuinely an it. Can’t you help out, even just a little, since we share half our blood ties?"
Alia finally understood why her younger brother seed so perceptive.
In the end, it was still about self-interest.
"What is it you want to do?" She was curious to hear what kind of "plan" Jacob had in mind.
"Nothing much. I just an... Let work with Brother Lucas for now. In the future, if I have the ability to start my own business, can you help out a little? Of course, if I can’t manage it, then just forget it."
"That’s all?" She had expected him to ask for sothing more outrageous.
"That’s all... I an, I don’t want to take over Dad’s business. Bankruptcy would be a relief. But I also don’t want to spend my entire life working for others. Let gain so experience first, and we’ll see what happens later."
Alia thought about it but didn’t make any promises. She simply replied, "We’ll talk when that day cos."
"Alright."
Before hanging up, Alia rembered sothing. "By the way, I need a favor from you."
Jacob sounded intrigued, "Sure, what is it? Just say the word!"
"Add on WhatsApp. I’ll send you an address. I need you to check who’s living in that place. And this matter... Don’t tell anyone—anyone, understand?"
Jacob replied, "You an don’t tell Dad, right?"
"Ha, you really are smart."
Jacob was indeed quick-witted.
He guessed that, given his sister’s capabilities, she wouldn’t need his help for such an investigation. With Christopher on her side, she could solve this in no ti.
But instead, she chose him—a younger brother with distant ties.
There could only be one reason—the matter must involve their family.
Which ant, of course, it needed to be kept from their out-of-control Scumbag Father.
Alia ended the call, just as Snow finished her al.
After wiping her mouth and sipping her tea, Miss Fitch asked curiously, "Since when did your little brother get so close to you? Calling you for a long chat like this."
Alia sighed, "I haven’t had the chance to fill you in yet. There’s been a string of troubleso issues these past few days. It’s driving crazy."
"A string of issues? What happened?"
Alia, weighed down by frustration, felt the urge to vent. She figured sharing with Snow might lighten her mood and perhaps yield so advice. So, she laid out the details of Michael Garcia’s recent antics.
Snow listened, growing increasingly outraged, nearly slapping the table in righteous anger.
"This is just... monstrous! He’s your biological father, yet he abuses you like this? Doesn’t he fear divine punishnt?"
Alia silently sipped her tea, having long run out of words to describe Michael Garcia.
"Wait... Does this an Christopher isn’t ho?" Snow suddenly asked.
"No, he’s still at the old house. I ca back first."
"Oh, I didn’t notice him when I walked in earlier. I thought he was upstairs resting." Snow sighed, looking sympathetic. "No wonder you said you’re not ready to live together yet. Your ss of problems—who knows when they’ll finally settle."
"Who knows..." Alia felt drained.
At least she and Christopher were aligned now. That gave her so strength inside.
"But wow, your little brother is exceptionally pragmatic! What a surprise! He sees his original family as unreliable and cuts ties decisively. Even willing to abandon his own mom!"
Alia was adding Jacob’s WhatsApp and sending him the address of the Ancient Town’s courtyard house so he could investigate the residents’ identities.
Hearing Snow’s critique, she smiled faintly. "There’s an old saying—self-interest drives behavior. Biological ties an nothing in the face of survival. When his mother and sister beco liabilities later, of course, he’ll abandon them."
"But soone that cold and ruthless—you’ll have to stay cautious dealing with him," Snow warned.
Alia, having sent her ssage and put down her phone, took another sip of tea. "I know. But if I don’t pretend to maintain a sibling relationship with him now, I’ll just end up with another enemy. A treacherous father is enough—no need to add a calculating younger brother. That would ruin completely."
"Ah, I see..." Snow nodded approvingly, raising two fingers in admiration. "I thought you were simply chard by his sweet words. Turns out, you’re playing your cards wisely!"
Alia frowned slightly, pondered for a mont, then said softly, "Still... If, in the future, he doesn’t try to manipulate , and there’s sothing he genuinely needs my help with—I wouldn’t refuse."
"I get it. You’re saying, as long as he doesn’t betray you, you’d help—because after all, you’re family, and you have a soft heart. If not pushed to the brink, you wouldn’t abandon him completely."
Exactly.
Though Alia had never revealed this to anyone, deep down, she still yearned for the warmth of family.
This was her lifelong regret.
Reflecting on it, she felt sowhat grateful for Christopher.
Grateful for his stubborn dominance that eventually brought her back around.
Whether or not their relationship would ever return to the innocence of their childhood days, at least he realized the children’s dream—saving them from enduring her past regrets.
The dining room was quiet. As Snow replayed Alia’s recent words in her mind, she suddenly recalled sothing. "Earlier, you ntioned Wendy Hart framing you was just a front. What did you an?"
"Oh, I ant... I suspect that the person who truly disliked and wanted to split and Christopher apart was Emma Carter."
Snow was startled, "Why? Didn’t you say... she treated you wonderfully back then? Practically adored you like her own daughter?"
"She was kind to at first. But today I realized, her kindness was all because of my mom. My grandparents were wealthy, and my mom was a well-off young lady. She and my mom were as close as you and ."
"After my mom passed away, my useless father—drinking, gambling, womanizing, and incapable of business—depended entirely on my grandparents’ connections and fortune to survive. If not for their backing, he wouldn’t have lasted this long."
"After my mom passed, Emma Carter probably realized the Garcia Family was dood to fall eventually, so naturally, she wasn’t keen on marrying her son and becoming part of the Hart Family."
Snow nodded, understanding. So it all boiled down to profit-driven motives. Still, she didn’t understand one thing. "But after your mom passed away, they treated you so well for years?"
"Probably out of sympathy... She had a long-standing relationship with my mom and presumably couldn’t bear to ignore —so small and pitiful. But as I grew older and got closer to Christopher, Christopher’s care for even made Wendy jealous. We were just one step shy of being officially together. She must have sensed what could happen and decided to act..."
Snow added, "She felt pity for you and decided to care for you, but when she saw you growing closer to her son—it hit her. Fearing you clinging to her son forever and eventually marrying into the family, she panicked and sched to break you apart."
"Mm, that’s likely it. Wendy, being spoiled and an-spirited, already resented . She thought I’d stolen her brother and beca obsessed with chasing out of the picture.
Piecing it together, Alia felt much less anger toward Emma Carter now.
Ultimately, it wasn’t about her—it was her lack of self-awareness.
"Honestly, if I hadn’t relied on the Harts so much as a child, if I hadn’t leaned on Christopher Hart to the extent I did, none of this might have happened later. Looking back, I overstepped. We were not truly family. Why would they have any obligation to care for ? It was my lack of boundaries that led to the ss that followed."
Feeling a sharp pang of empathy, Snow shook her head and gripped Alia’s arm tightly. "Don’t think like that. You were a kid. You’d lost your mother. Desperation and instinct drove you to seek warmth elsewhere. You didn’t know it wasn’t genuine care on their part...
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