When Alia Garcia got ho and learned that the children were still at the Hart family’s old residence, she asked Fuller to drive over.
Upon arriving at the Hart family estate, Alia was mindful of Emma Carter’s health condition and didn’t intend to start any conflict with her. So, she stayed in the car and let Fuller go inside to bring the children out.
Unexpectedly, she waited for more than ten minutes, but Fuller and the children were nowhere to be seen.
She sent a WhatsApp ssage to inquire, but there was no reply.
After waiting a few more minutes and feeling impatient, just as she was about to call to find out what was going on, Fuller called.
"Brother Fuller, what’s going on?"
"Madam..." Fuller said with a tone of embarrassnt, whispering, "The old lady doesn’t want the children to return ho. She said you should explain to them that they should stay at the old residence for the next few days."
"These few days?" Alia uttered in surprise.
"Yes, but Miss Hope disagrees. She disagrees, and the brothers don’t agree either—so the old lady said, surely it must be you..."
At the entrance of the old residence, before Fuller finished speaking, Emma Carter stepped forward, reaching out, "Give the phone, I’ll talk to her!"
Fuller hesitated—he knew this forr mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had been at odds for a long ti, not even the boss could settle it, what if...
"Don’t worry, I won’t argue with her!"
Upon hearing Emma Carter say this, Fuller then instructed the other side, "Madam, the old lady wants to speak with you."
Alia hadn’t responded yet, and Emma Carter’s voice ca from the other end.
"Why didn’t you inform the family about Christopher being hospitalized and needing surgery? Such a big matter, you just went ahead quietly. Do we elders an nothing to you?" Emma Carter took the phone and started with complaints.
However, she didn’t realize that saying this—subconsciously already treating Alia Garcia as family, hence using the tone of a mother-in-law blaming a daughter-in-law.
Otherwise, she should have called her own son directly, why bother arguing with an outsider?
Alia was montarily stunned, not quite realizing this point, she instinctively questioned, "Christopher didn’t tell you? I thought... he had."
"Tell what! Ever since the company had problems, how long has it been since he ca back! Last night invited him for dinner, he said he wanted to be with you and the kids."
"..." At this, Alia didn’t know how to respond.
She hadn’t figured out how to reply when Emma Carter continued on her own, "With this health of mine... It’s impossible for to care for him, and his father, being a big man, also can’t do it. It seems like you’re the only one who can take care of him, and he listens to you."
"But you’re all busy, so how can you have ti to care for the kids? Staying here isn’t bad, right? After all, I am their biological grandmother, and despite any dislike towards you, I wouldn’t mistreat them!"
Alia pursed her lips and softly said, "But you, in the past, towards Hope..."
"In the past—" Emma Carter was montarily at a loss for words, then stubbornly said, "You can’t entirely bla , that girl was spoiled by Christopher, truly clueless about manners! I was only stricter with her, and she just saw as the bad person, constantly opposing !"
These words...
Alia didn’t fully believe.
Don’t think children, being young, don’t understand anything.
It’s precisely because they are pure and innocent that they can imdiately see who treats them well and who harbors bias and animosity.
Surely Emma Carter had directed her grievances and dissatisfaction onto Hope from the start. She claid to teach manners but it carried a bit of resentnt and disdain.
Hope is a sensitive child, how could she not feel it?
Nevertheless, Alia didn’t want to argue with Emma Carter about these things.
It wouldn’t be aningful, and neither would be able to convince the other.
"Since you’re willing, I won’t object, as long as the children are agreeable, I won’t oppose." Alia thought, there’s still two days before school starts, letting them stay here is also fine, and she can just focus on caring for Christopher in those two days without splitting her attention, running back and forth.
But Emma Carter added, "Don’t use the children’s opinions as an excuse! You know very well that if you don’t give in, they won’t agree!"
Alia cried silently and said, "You an, I incited them... to not stay at the old residence?"
"What else? They were playing so well during the day, but once it was ti to stay over, they started throwing tantrums, not even eating dinner properly!"
Alia was speechless.
Just a mont ago, she thought... Emma Carter slightly changed, thinking her illness had altered her thoughts and attitude.
It turned out, she was overthinking it.
"Believe it or not, I will explain once: I have never said anything in front of the children about not getting close to you; otherwise, I wouldn’t have actively sent them to accompany you several tis. If you insist on thinking this way, I can’t help it."
Adding sin without evidence, she didn’t want to waste words.
She firmly emphasized, stunning Emma Carter into silence.
In the living room, Hope seed to know her mom was there to pick them up, increasingly making a fuss, crying for "Mommy, want to go ho," neither brother could soothe her.
Alia listened to her daughter’s cries, her heart aching, and advised, "The children also need a process to adapt to being close to you. If you forcibly keep them, it might backfire, and next ti they might not want to co."
In fact, Alia wanted to say, caring for three kids isn’t sothing anyone can handle, even if there are servants at ho, adults still need to be attentive.
Emma Carter’s frail body can’t bear the strain; she’ll just get exhausted again, which would be even more troubleso.
But seeing Emma Carter’s expression, she couldn’t bring herself to say these words of concern.
Emma Carter also has her pride, and taking the initiative to ask Alia Garcia to let the children stay is already a concession.
She thought if Alia Garcia respected her as an elder, she should coax the kids into staying—this way, the conflicts between them, the "mother-in-law and daughter-in-law," could also be eased.
But the expected result did not happen, which made her furious again. She snapped, "Take them, take them, I’m not forcing you!"
Without waiting for Alia Garcia’s response, she hung up.
Not long after, Fuller ca out with the three kids.
Hope saw her mom and, eyes brimming with tears, rushed into her embrace, "Mommy... I don’t want to co again next ti."
"Why not? Grandma really likes you now." Alia Garcia squatted down, gently brushed the hair from her daughter’s tear-streaked face, and asked softly.
"I just don’t want to co... She’s always, always trying to separate you and us..."
Sotis the most innocent words of a child can be the most truthful.
Alia Garcia also understood that Emma Carter indeed hoped the children wouldn’t be close to their mom but would only bond with their grandparents and dad.
"That’s not true, you little head, thinking so complicatedly."
Noah said, "Mom, I don’t think sis is overthinking. Grandpa and Grandma are good to us, but they still don’t like you... so they always want to take us away from you."
Ah...
Alia Garcia sighed silently in her heart, patted the children’s heads, and changed the subject, "Alright, let’s go ho. Since you don’t want to co, then just stay at ho tomorrow."
After the children left, Emma Carter was still sulking.
The maid brought over so dicine, and George Hart handed it to her, advising, "Alright, health is more important. What’s there to be upset about? Whether they stay here or not, the blood of the Hart family runs in their veins, and that won’t change."
Emma Carter took the dicine and drank it. After catching her breath, she said, "Do you think I care whether the kids stay overnight? It’s that woman’s attitude that makes angry!"
"I refuse to believe she couldn’t tell I was trying to give us both an out!"
"Even though I was surprised and touched by her sacrifice for Christopher and the Hart family this ti... After opposing her for so many years, she died and ca back, still entangled with Christopher—I accept it! But is my gesture of goodwill not enough? Do I, an old woman with barely a few days left, have to get on my knees and apologize to her?"
"I see she’s just relying on the favor Christopher shows her, and now that she’s got credit, she thinks she can put on airs! I had so fondness for her, but now... hmph!"
George Hart saw her indignation and enraged face and quickly advised, "Alright, alright, these issues have built up for many years and can’t be solved overnight. Considering her genuine feelings for our son, don’t hold grudges against her."
"Oh! Now you’re speaking up for her? Didn’t you dislike her too before?"
George Hart looked a bit awkward and said irritably, "Different tis! If it wasn’t for her this ti, Seal-Cloud would have been forcibly taken over! Do you want us to be the sinners of the Hart family?"
Emma Carter opened her mouth but hesitated to speak, finally raised her hand to rub her head and murmured weakly, "I feel unwell, help back to lie down. The kids have been noisy all day, it’s a headache, fine if they don’t stay..."
————
The next morning, Christopher Hart’s surgery proceeded as scheduled.
Before entering the operating room, George Hart and Emma Carter ca.
Alia Garcia was in the ward, holding Christopher Hart’s hand and talking. Upon seeing the two of them arrive, she instinctively stood up and moved away, not wanting a direct confrontation with them.
Not that she was afraid, but with Christopher Hart about to undergo surgery, she didn’t want to get into a heated argunt with Emma Carter and make him uneasy as he went into the operating room.
Last night, George Hart had called his son.
Christopher Hart insisted they didn’t need to co over.
So seeing them now, Christopher Hart frowned slightly, "Didn’t I tell you last night, you don’t need to co? It’s just a small surgery, it’ll be over quickly."
"What are you saying? You’re my son. Do you think such a major thing as being hospitalized and having surgery wouldn’t warrant your parents coming to check on you? Or do you just not want to see us because you’re well taken care of?" Seeing Alia Garcia stand up and avoid them without greeting, Emma Carter felt a subtle annoyance and didn’t speak kindly to her son.
Christopher Hart knew his mother’s temperant and didn’t want to bicker with her, so he could only say, "You’ve seen now. I’m fine, about to go into surgery soon. You can rest assured."
George Hart asked, "How long will the surgery take?"
"If all goes well, three hours."
Three hours, that would be into the afternoon.
Emma Carter’s body couldn’t endure waiting here until the afternoon.
Seeing their hesitant expressions, Christopher Hart understood and proactively said, "You’ve co to see , that’s enough; you can go back."
Emma Carter nodded, "I’m here for a follow-up, have an appointnt with the doctor, I’ll go over first. Let us know when your surgery’s over."
"Okay."
The couple turned to leave, but Emma Carter couldn’t help but look at Alia Garcia, purposely staying by the window sill, and after holding back, she finally raised her voice to say, "You... take good care of Christopher, and call the family if anything happens."
Alia Garcia was taken aback and turned to look at Emma Carter.
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