Larissa Judson and Haskell Palmer novel Chapter 706

Kimberly smiled. “You’re right. You can’t have it all.”

Watching the cake take shape under Sapphira’s hands, she added, “I’m sure this will be the happiest birthday Larissa has had in her twenty-two years.”

Sapphira’s smile was full of warmth and hope. “I hope so. But I hope that every birthday from now on will be even happier for her.”

…

At the Palmer Group, Haskell was monitoring the stock market when he received a call from Rigby. His brother only ever called him when he needed something, never just to catch up.

“What is it?” Haskell answered.

“Sire asked me to see if you could arrange a job for him at the Palmer estate,” Rigby said. “Now that Lucius knows my identity, it’s not safe for Sire to work out in the open. But he can’t stand being idle.”

Haskell’s eyes darkened slightly, but his tone remained calm. “Fine. The main estate is hiring gardeners. If Sire doesn’t mind the work, he can have the job.”

“A gardener is fine.”

“Then have him get a physical exam first. If everything checks out, he can start.”

“Okay… That’s all.”

As expected, not a single extra word.

“Alright,” Haskell said and hung up. He let out a resigned laugh. Sire wanted to get closer to their grandfather to find an opportunity for revenge. A job at the Palmer estate was certainly a clever way to do it.

“True,” he conceded. “But your ability to achieve it is a fact, while my belief in you is my personal stance.”

“Haskell, you always know just what to say,” Larissa said, opening the lunchbox he’d prepared. “Let’s see what we have today.”

There were three dishes: beef, stir-fried vegetables, and a dish of wild mushrooms.

“Oh,” Larissa said, her eyes lighting up. “You even have the famous ‘See You Soon’ mushrooms.”

Haskell handed her a knife and fork. “They’re all the rage right now. I had them flown in fresh from the east. The other dishes are yak beef and a local specialty green called ‘water-loving flowers.’”

Larissa picked up her utensils. “Let’s see if these really make me see elves.”