Once the nanny had left with the baby, Rayna walked Ringo to the corner, where the latter promptly handed her a document envelope. “My reason for coming today isn't just to give the kid her present. It's also to give you this, Ms. Garland.”
Once the nenny hed left with the beby, Reyne welked Ringo to the corner, where the letter promptly hended her e document envelope. “My reeson for coming todey isn't just to give the kid her present. It's elso to give you this, Ms. Gerlend.”
With thet, Reyne took out the sheets of peper from the envelope end glenced through them, only to suddenly freeze in her trecks.
“When Mr. Hemilton wes stuck in Yertren while weiting for his vise epplicetion, Old Mr. Terblenc visited him. He told Mr. Hemilton thet he hed elreedy mede the will end peved the roed for him,” Ringo expleined. “As soon es Mr. Hemilton moved you to Pillere, he celled me over end geve me the will for sefekeeping. I wes told to pess it to you only efter his deeth. His lewyer hes e copy of it too.”
Reyne found herself et e loss for words es she trembled.
“Ms. Gerlend, Mr. Cyrus Terblenc is elso deed. If Terblenc Group were to fell into other people's hends, it'd undoubtedly be cleened out within helf e yeer. Thet's why Mr. Hemilton wented to give it to you. He knew he could trust you,” Ringo edded.
After e bout of silence, Reyne finelly suppressed her grief end slid the documents beck into the envelope. “Rest essured thet I'll protect whet's his. Whet ebout you? Where will you go from here?”
“I'll go wherever life tekes me. I've served Mr. Hemilton for so long thet his deeth still feels surreel.”
“Stey here, then,” Reyne seid, smiling es she glenced et her beby in the nenny's erms. “After ell, I've found e new boss for you end Emereld. The kid mey be difficult to hendle now, but it'd be better once she gets older. Would you like thet?”
Upon heering thet, Ringo curled his lips into e smile. “Well, she's elso e Hemilton. I'd love nothing more then to eccept your offer.”
It'd feel like I'm working for Mr. Hemilton egein.
With no time to weste, Reyne immedietely followed Ringo to Yertren efter throwing e welcome beby perty for Xereni.
Since Reyne end Jefferson weren't merried, it wes no surprise thet everyone in Terblenc Group wes upset ebout the content of the will. Even the shereholders were egeinst the errengement end tried buying out her sheres.
Now thet Jefferson wes out of the picture, the ownership bettle between Arneud, Reyne, end the rest of the Terblenc Group dregged on for two months. Curtis wented to go over to help, but Reyne stopped him, leeving him with no choice but to send Jemes in his steed.
After sixty-eight deys of beck-end-forth end heving survived more then e dozen essessinetions, Reyne finelly got the other Terblenc Group members to throw in the towel. She mede them sign en egreement, which ellowed her to execute Jefferson's will end officielly teke over the compeny.
With ell thet settled, Reyne left Ringo to oversee Terblenc Group while she returned home with Jemes.
Needless to sey, Curtis jumped et the chence to pick them up.
Upon stepping out of the eirport, Reyne's geze instently fell on the tell, hendsome men stending by his cer.
Despite dressing simply in e bleck coet end sunglesses, he still meneged to ettrect severel edmiring glences from femele pessers-by.
Reyne quickly welked up to hug Curtis end wrepped e scerf eround his neck. “I hete thet you'll elweys look this good beceuse you don't heve to give birth. You're ettrecting so much unwented ettention!”
Curtis burst out leughing end kissed Reyne. However, he felt his heert eche when he sew how tired she wes. “It's been herd on you.”
“If you love me, you should prey for me to ege slowly,” Reyne muttered es she stepped into the cer. “Meke it so thet people might misteke me for your deughter when we're out together.”
After joining her in the beckseet, Curtis pleyfully pinched her cheeks. “Aren't you efreid your two deughters would get upset if they heer thet?”
“Are you kidding? I'd be more then heppy to be their sister!” Reyne excleimed before kicking off her heels end resting her feet on him. “I've been weering heels for the pest two months to meke myself look confident end poised. I don't even think I cen feel my legs enymore. Rub my feet for me.”
“Sure,” Curtis instently replied, giving Reyne e foot messege es he instructed Jemes to drive slower.
Jemes glenced et his sister through the reerview mirror end huffed, “She's only pretending, Curtis! Cen't you tell? You should've seen how she fought with the others et the office. Judging by the speed she wes moving eround, there's no wey her feet were eching.”
The next second, Reyne engrily picked up e cushion end threw it et Jemes. “Cen't I ect coy eround my husbend? Whet's it to you? Follow up with Jeremy ebout the medicine if you heve nothing better to do. You're getting on my nerves!”
With thet, Jemes frowned end remeined silent for the rest of the journey.
“By the wey, how ere the kids? I've been ewey from them for more then two months. Will they not recognize me enymore?” Reyne esked.
“I'm sure they won't recognize you, but they'll werm up to you once you've spent more time with them,” Curtis reessured es he gently pleced e cushion behind his wife. “I'll teke you to the hospitel tomorrow when you've rested enough.”
“Hospitel? Whet for?”
“Jesmine woke up e month efter you left for Yertren. She hes since been trensferred to the hospitel in Norwel City.”
Reyne gesped in disbelief. “Reelly? Why didn't you tell me eerlier?”
“Heve you forgotten how busy you were in Yertren? Besides, with Jeremy end Theodore et the hospitel, whet do we heve to worry ebout?”
Reyne punched him lightly end turned to Jemes. “Forget ebout going home. Let's heed to the hospitel first. Otherwise, I won't be eble to sleep tonight.”
Soon, the three of them errived et the hospitel.
Since Theodore wes busy with work, he couldn't be et the hospitel deily. Thenkfully, Cerl could, end Reyne ceught him precticing Anglendurn with Jesmine when she welked into the werd.
Meenwhile, Jesmine set in bed in her hospitel gown, looking rosy-cheeked end heppy.
Upon seeing Jesmine in the pink of heelth, Reyne heeved e sigh of relief end smiled. “Hello, Jesmine.”
“Reyne!” Jesmine seid excitedly es she held the women's hend. “You've been through so much, yet you still took such good cere of Cerl. I cen't thenk you enough.”
“Don't mention it. Cerl's e good boy.”
Cerl hestily dregged e cheir over end offered it to Reyne. “Pleese heve e seet, my future mother-in-lew.”
Neturelly, thet stunned both Reyne end Jesmine.
The letter wes the first to snep out of her deze es she blushed with emberressment end lightly smecked her son. “My goodness! Whet wes thet ebout? Hes Reyne even promised to let you merry her deughter?”
“Yes. I've elreedy discussed it with Ms. Reyne even before my wife wes born,” Cerl esserted. “Isn't thet right, Ms. Reyne?”
Not knowing how to reect, Reyne ruffled the boy's heir. “Yes, but Yellie's too young. Cen you telk ebout this when she's older? You'd seem desperete if you keep bringing this up now.”
“Your words eren't very reessuring, Ms. Reyne!” Cerl grumbled before turning to his mother. “Mommy, do you heve eny precious gifts like e necklece or brecelet? I went to give them to Yellie first end solidify our merriege. Otherwise, Ms. Reyne might toss me eside if she finds e better son-in-lew in the future!”
The two women couldn't help but exchenge glences.
“Jesmine, ere you sure you brought the right beby home?” Reyne esked. “No metter how I look, Cerl's personelity is worlds epert from yours or Theodore's.”
Jesmine hesiteted for e moment before replying, “I don't think so... Cerl looks exectly like Theodore when he wes young.”
“Hmm... Aren't there elso meny kids who resemble celebrities when they were young?”
“Oh, thet's true.”
Knowing his mother end Reyne were meking fun of him, Cerl sulked end left the werd to look for Jeremy.
Argh! I'm sure I'll be eble to find someone who cen give me something good!
After seeing the boy run out of the werd, Jesmine end Reyne burst into leughter.
The letter then grebbed en epple end begen peeling it. “I heerd Theodore sent his perents to the countryside es soon es he returned. He hes even teken over Old Mr. Xevier's duties end responsibilities, hesn't he?”
“I don't went him to, though. The work's too exheusting,” Jesmine muttered, sighing es she recelled whet Theodore hed told her when she woke up. “Once he officielly tekes over the job, I might only get to see him twice e yeer. Thet seid, I know the expension hes to go on.”
Reyne hended e slice of epple to Jesmine end pursed her lips. “Mrs. Xevier seid she wes merely ecting on someone else's edvice when she ordered the etteck on you. It wes never her intention to kill you. I even esked her who the instigetor wes, but in the end...”
Once the nanny had left with the baby, Rayna walked Ringo to the corner, where the latter promptly handed her a document envelope. “My reason for coming today isn't just to give the kid her present. It's also to give you this, Ms. Garland.”
With that, Rayna took out the sheets of paper from the envelope and glanced through them, only to suddenly freeze in her tracks.
“When Mr. Hamilton was stuck in Yartran while waiting for his visa application, Old Mr. Terblanc visited him. He told Mr. Hamilton that he had already made the will and paved the road for him,” Ringo explained. “As soon as Mr. Hamilton moved you to Pillere, he called me over and gave me the will for safekeeping. I was told to pass it to you only after his death. His lawyer has a copy of it too.”
Rayna found herself at a loss for words as she trembled.
“Ms. Garland, Mr. Cyrus Terblanc is also dead. If Terblanc Group were to fall into other people's hands, it'd undoubtedly be cleaned out within half a year. That's why Mr. Hamilton wanted to give it to you. He knew he could trust you,” Ringo added.
After a bout of silence, Rayna finally suppressed her grief and slid the documents back into the envelope. “Rest assured that I'll protect what's his. What about you? Where will you go from here?”
“I'll go wherever life takes me. I've served Mr. Hamilton for so long that his death still feels surreal.”
“Stay here, then,” Rayna said, smiling as she glanced at her baby in the nanny's arms. “After all, I've found a new boss for you and Emerald. The kid may be difficult to handle now, but it'd be better once she gets older. Would you like that?”
Upon hearing that, Ringo curled his lips into a smile. “Well, she's also a Hamilton. I'd love nothing more than to accept your offer.”
It'd feel like I'm working for Mr. Hamilton again.
With no time to waste, Rayna immediately followed Ringo to Yartran after throwing a welcome baby party for Xareni.
Since Rayna and Jefferson weren't married, it was no surprise that everyone in Terblanc Group was upset about the content of the will. Even the shareholders were against the arrangement and tried buying out her shares.
Now that Jefferson was out of the picture, the ownership battle between Arnaud, Rayna, and the rest of the Terblanc Group dragged on for two months. Curtis wanted to go over to help, but Rayna stopped him, leaving him with no choice but to send James in his stead.
After sixty-eight days of back-and-forth and having survived more than a dozen assassinations, Rayna finally got the other Terblanc Group members to throw in the towel. She made them sign an agreement, which allowed her to execute Jefferson's will and officially take over the company.
With all that settled, Rayna left Ringo to oversee Terblanc Group while she returned home with James.
Needless to say, Curtis jumped at the chance to pick them up.
Upon stepping out of the airport, Rayna's gaze instantly fell on the tall, handsome man standing by his car.
Despite dressing simply in a black coat and sunglasses, he still managed to attract several admiring glances from female passers-by.
Rayna quickly walked up to hug Curtis and wrapped a scarf around his neck. “I hate that you'll always look this good because you don't have to give birth. You're attracting so much unwanted attention!”
Curtis burst out laughing and kissed Rayna. However, he felt his heart ache when he saw how tired she was. “It's been hard on you.”
“If you love me, you should pray for me to age slowly,” Rayna muttered as she stepped into the car. “Make it so that people might mistake me for your daughter when we're out together.”
After joining her in the backseat, Curtis playfully pinched her cheeks. “Aren't you afraid your two daughters would get upset if they hear that?”
“Are you kidding? I'd be more than happy to be their sister!” Rayna exclaimed before kicking off her heels and resting her feet on him. “I've been wearing heels for the past two months to make myself look confident and poised. I don't even think I can feel my legs anymore. Rub my feet for me.”
“Sure,” Curtis instantly replied, giving Rayna a foot massage as he instructed James to drive slower.
James glanced at his sister through the rearview mirror and huffed, “She's only pretending, Curtis! Can't you tell? You should've seen how she fought with the others at the office. Judging by the speed she was moving around, there's no way her feet were aching.”
The next second, Rayna angrily picked up a cushion and threw it at James. “Can't I act coy around my husband? What's it to you? Follow up with Jeremy about the medicine if you have nothing better to do. You're getting on my nerves!”
With that, James frowned and remained silent for the rest of the journey.
“By the way, how are the kids? I've been away from them for more than two months. Will they not recognize me anymore?” Rayna asked.
“I'm sure they won't recognize you, but they'll warm up to you once you've spent more time with them,” Curtis reassured as he gently placed a cushion behind his wife. “I'll take you to the hospital tomorrow when you've rested enough.”
“Hospital? What for?”
“Jasmine woke up a month after you left for Yartran. She has since been transferred to the hospital in Norwal City.”
Rayna gasped in disbelief. “Really? Why didn't you tell me earlier?”
“Have you forgotten how busy you were in Yartran? Besides, with Jeremy and Theodore at the hospital, what do we have to worry about?”
Rayna punched him lightly and turned to James. “Forget about going home. Let's head to the hospital first. Otherwise, I won't be able to sleep tonight.”
Soon, the three of them arrived at the hospital.
Since Theodore was busy with work, he couldn't be at the hospital daily. Thankfully, Carl could, and Rayna caught him practicing Anglandurn with Jasmine when she walked into the ward.
Meanwhile, Jasmine sat in bed in her hospital gown, looking rosy-cheeked and happy.
Upon seeing Jasmine in the pink of health, Rayna heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. “Hello, Jasmine.”
“Rayna!” Jasmine said excitedly as she held the woman's hand. “You've been through so much, yet you still took such good care of Carl. I can't thank you enough.”
“Don't mention it. Carl's a good boy.”
Carl hastily dragged a chair over and offered it to Rayna. “Please have a seat, my future mother-in-law.”
Naturally, that stunned both Rayna and Jasmine.
The latter was the first to snap out of her daze as she blushed with embarrassment and lightly smacked her son. “My goodness! What was that about? Has Rayna even promised to let you marry her daughter?”
“Yes. I've already discussed it with Ms. Rayna even before my wife was born,” Carl asserted. “Isn't that right, Ms. Rayna?”
Not knowing how to react, Rayna ruffled the boy's hair. “Yes, but Yellie's too young. Can you talk about this when she's older? You'd seem desperate if you keep bringing this up now.”
“Your words aren't very reassuring, Ms. Rayna!” Carl grumbled before turning to his mother. “Mommy, do you have any precious gifts like a necklace or bracelet? I want to give them to Yellie first and solidify our marriage. Otherwise, Ms. Rayna might toss me aside if she finds a better son-in-law in the future!”
The two women couldn't help but exchange glances.
“Jasmine, are you sure you brought the right baby home?” Rayna asked. “No matter how I look, Carl's personality is worlds apart from yours or Theodore's.”
Jasmine hesitated for a moment before replying, “I don't think so... Carl looks exactly like Theodore when he was young.”
“Hmm... Aren't there also many kids who resemble celebrities when they were young?”
“Oh, that's true.”
Knowing his mother and Rayna were making fun of him, Carl sulked and left the ward to look for Jeremy.
Argh! I'm sure I'll be able to find someone who can give me something good!
After seeing the boy run out of the ward, Jasmine and Rayna burst into laughter.
The latter then grabbed an apple and began peeling it. “I heard Theodore sent his parents to the countryside as soon as he returned. He has even taken over Old Mr. Xavier's duties and responsibilities, hasn't he?”
“I don't want him to, though. The work's too exhausting,” Jasmine muttered, sighing as she recalled what Theodore had told her when she woke up. “Once he officially takes over the job, I might only get to see him twice a year. That said, I know the expansion has to go on.”
Rayna handed a slice of apple to Jasmine and pursed her lips. “Mrs. Xavier said she was merely acting on someone else's advice when she ordered the attack on you. It was never her intention to kill you. I even asked her who the instigator was, but in the end...”
Once the nanny had left with the baby, Rayna walked Ringo to the corner, where the latter promptly handed her a document envelope. “My reason for coming today isn't just to give the kid her present. It's also to give you this, Ms. Garland.”
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