Chapter 395


    From the stack of photos, Mark picked out another one and told her, “Your father loved cats the most and


    this was one of his.” In the photo, Cooper seemed to be about fifteen or sixteen, and he was holding a fat


    ginger cat with a brilliant smile on his face, eyes full of adoration as he gazed at the cat.


    Sophia learned from Woody that Cooper was outstanding and the pride of the Mitchells, as well as for


    Woody himself. As the future head of the family, he had to be exceptional! On the other hand, she


    learned about the true Cooper from Mark.


    Pointing at a picture, Mark said, “Your father was very caring and this was one of the stray cats he


    rescued from the streets. Since it had a blind eye, he didn’t dare to bring it home because his family


    would despise it, so he kept it here secretly.


    Every week, he woulde to visit me, but he was actually here to visit his cat! That rascal!” As he


    stared at the old photo, Mark shook his head and chuckled with his eyes full of affection.


    “Is the cat still around?” Sophia asked while looking at the photo.


    Shaking his head, Mark answered, “No. It died of old age the second year after your father did, and I


    buried it under a tree in the garden.”


    Sophia couldn’t help but feel a little sad. Tears stung her eyes as she gazed at Cooper in the photo. My


    father must have been a very gentle and kind person. What a pity…


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    Since Mark had watched Cooper growing up, he had endless interesting tales when he talked about him.


    “The Mitchells have a strict upbringing with many family rules, and your father was the eldest son of the


    head of the family. Therefore, he had to set an example for his family peers in everything he did. His


    happiest days were during summer break when he would spend his days here, ying with my children.


    Here, this cat is for you.


    It’s the offspring of that big ginger cat your dad kept! He really loved small animals and kept all of them


    here since his family wouldn’t allow him to keep any. There’s also a tortoise, which is kind of old now, but


    your father loved it to bits. Take it and keep it with you! I’ll also give you your father’s slingshot!”


    Even though more than thirty years had passed, Mark still remembered every detail when it came to


    Cooper. As he flipped through Cooper’s old belongings in the big chest, he gave them all to Sophia in a


    heat of the moment.


    Holding therge ginger cat in her arms, Sophia happily yed with it. For memory’s sake, Mark had


    kept Cooper’s cat this whole time and even found another ginger cat with a simr appearance to breed


    with it. In the end, it gave birth to several litters and they all looked like the one Cooper used to have.


    Now, the house was filled with ginger cats.


    As he stared at Sophia’s delighted face, Mark felt as though he was looking at the young Cooper who


    used to smile as innocently as this. Both of them look so alike! With that poise and eyes, she looks just


    like the old Cooper!


    So many years had passed and it didn’t ur to Mark that Cooper’s daughter would appear. Perhaps it


    was destiny that he was able to meet her at this age, and it left him with no more regrets in life.


    Looking at her, he said in earnest, “Child, I have no idea what happened between your parents back


    then, but Cooper was a good kid and he would have been a good father. He may have been forced to


    leave you and your mother behind, so you shouldn’t hold a grudge against him, alright?”


    There was a period when Sophia med him, wondering why he didn’t appear if he was still alive. By the


    looks of it now, it seemed like they could only meet each other a hundred yearster in another lifetime.


    She took out another photo from the chest where Cooper was smiling and holding a baby Stanley in his


    arms. In the photograph, Cooper was still a kid himself and was only eighteen as he held a newborn


    Stanley, a gentle smile on his face. Little did he know that his own child would soon be arriving into this


    world as well…


    She could tell that Cooper was a really gentle person; be it from Annabel’s diary or Mark’s memories, she


    could easily say that he was a genuinely kind person. Maybe things were out of his control.


    As she looked through the pictures, tears welled up in her eyes and she lifted her head, saying to Mark


    with a smile, “Grandpa, I won’t me him because he’s my father, the one who gave me life.”


    That day, Sophia left the militarypound with many things, including Cooper’s cat and tortoise as well


    as a bunch of his photos and toys. Holding the big ginger cat, Stanley eximed in surprise, “Hey, what’s


    up with the Old Master today?


    He actually gave you this orange pig which he loves so much? Usually, he won’t even let me touch it!” In


    fact, Mark spoiled that ginger cat so much and kept it so well-fed that it had swelled up like a balloon!


    Sophia then told Hale to keep everything in the car boot. Stanley heard that there would be a feast at


    Michael’s tonight and might even open wine from the cer, so he offered, “Here, Aunt Sophia. Let me


    carry this cat for you. The Old Master said that it’s so heavy that you won’t be able to carry it, so he sent


    me to help you.”


    Using the cat as a ticket, Stanley followed Sophia and made his way to Vi No.8 at The Imperial, even


    inviting Sean on the way. He wouldn’t forget his good friend when there was a free meal!


    However, he seemed to have forgotten that Mark wanted him to send Sophia back so that he could


    nurture his rtionship with her because it was Cooper’s genes which he was thinking about. Truth was,


    he wished that Stanley would make her his woman right now.


    Unfortunately, Stanley knew himself too well and it was close to impossible to make Sophia his with a


    competitor as strong as Michael around. Therefore, he might as well just give up but it still seemed


    alright if he just went over to their ce and had a free meal or to hangout.


    At home, Michael had originally prepared a candlelight dinner for two, but Stanley had showed up


    unexpectedly like a leech and even brought Sean with him. “Why are you here again?” he asked,


    annoyed.


    “Uncle Michael, the Old Master gave Aunt Sophia a cat and said that it was too heavy for her to carry by


    herself, so he sent me to help her carry it,” Stanley exined and passed the cat on his shoulder to him.


    Wow, it is heavy! Michael thought as he carried the cat. As far as he could remember, Mark did have


    several ginger cats and each one was chunkier than the other.


    All of them were his treasures and he wouldn’t allow anyone to touch it because they were all Cooper’s


    cat. Every roll of fat on the cat represented Mark’s love for it and unexpectedly, he had given one to


    Sophia today.


    Pacing into the living room with the ginger cat in his arms, Michael then passed it to Maria to keep it


    away in a cage. He even saw the old tortoise Mark had kept for almost thirty years, and he remembered


    that it belonged to Cooper as well, but Mark had always kept it.


    Surprisingly, Mark even gave it to Sophia. It seemed like he had shifted all his affection for Cooper onto


    her. Well, that’s not a bad thing since he now has someone to dote on, at least, Michael thought.


    The candlelight dinner Michael carefully prepared had now turned into a testosterone-filled gathering of


    friends; not only did Stanleye by himself, he broughtpany. As if that wasn’t enough, he even


    brought a dog along.