lose to her feet and handed some tissues to Sexton “Grandpa Sexton, you don’t have to feel bad for
You’ve watched me grow up and I’ve always been well taken care of, never slighted.”
“Ah.. you’re right, kiddo. I’m not sad, not crying. Just old and my eyes are… leaky, that’s all.” Sexton
fumbled with his handkerchief, trying to dry his tears, but they just kepting.
If Wetto had truly forgotten her own child, even if ra found her, she’d be faced with a mother
who’d lost all memory of her past.
How much would that break ra’s heart? Why did this kid have to draw such a short straw in life?
Sexton heaved a deep sigh. “She was a Richardson. After Yvette’s ident, I couldn’t bring myself
to face Lucian. And as you all know, Jacob was never cut out for business; he was always into his
research. Yvette was like a junior colleague from his Institute.”
Sexton’s face was filled with bitterness as he shook his head with several sighs. “As old buddies,
crawled out of the trenches only to shuffle back towards the grave, the man I least dare to face is
Lucian!”
Marcel frowned. “The Richardson girl? Now that you mention it, ra does bear some resemnce
to the girl in her younger days. Why the heck didn’t you speak up about this before?”
Sexton let out a wry smile. “After Yvette left, Jacob always believed she was his wife, and I
respected his decision. But with her gone, we couldn’t very well knock on the Richardson’s door
asking for her hand in marriage, could we? Lucian would have my head! I was too ashamed to
speak of it, so I kept quiet. Jacob’s been carrying a heavy heart all these years. I’m not afraid to
admit it, even if it makes me the butt of your jokes. Just a few years ago, that boy was on the brink
of going after Yvette before I stopped him and sent him off to Emerald County, hoping a change of
scenery and some work would distract him. I can’t let my gray hair oust his ck hair, can I?
But the change did him good; he came back to life, and I was over the moon! Though Palmer’s dad
can be a bit of a fool, at least I’ve got Palmer. Jacob’s all alone, with nothing to his name, I dread
the day he might leave this world before me.”
Sexton wiped his face dry. “The thought scared me! Last year, Jacob came back, talked my ear off
at the hospital, even brought up Yvette, but he seemed alright, not upset, and I thought he’d moved
on, but little did I know…”
Little did he know that it was then Jacob discovered ra’s DNA could be a match with his in
Emerald
County!
“ra, my dear, I’m not asking you to forgive Jacob, nor am I asking you toe home, but
please… don’t hold it against him. His days have been hard too.”
Silence fell upon the room for a moment.
Marcel let out a heavy sigh. “He’s had it tough, but does that give him the right to mistreat our
ra? Both Noe and ra are innocent. We, the Schnabels, never once thought of abandoning
ra. Sexton, look at ra, such a fine young woman, the pride of our family! Even with his
reasons, your son’s gone too far. How could he deny such a wonderful child?”
Sexton managed a bitter smile, “He’s afraid!”
Suddenly, Noe spoke up, “Grandpa Sexton, does Uncle Jacob suffer from depression?”
Thest time Noe saw Jacob, she noticed he wasn’t in the best of spirits, very much closed off
inside.
Sexton nodded. “Yes, but he’s been doing much better in thest couple of years. At least he’s no
longer seeking death or chasing after Yvette.”
11:53
Preya looked at Sexton, who seemed to have aged significantly, and send with rough time toof
Jacob scares me, and I fear for Palmer being alone when I’m gone. That’s why I keep pushing him
to may but the boy just won’t listen
Palmer chuckled, “Grandpa, youe up with a different reason every time you bring up manage.
How can I take you seriously?
ra nced around at her gathered family, realizing that if it weren’t for her situation, they
wouldn’t all be here together.
She cleared her throat and spoke up confidently. “Tve made up my mind! I’ll acknowledge the
Pocks, but i am ra Schnabel, always ra Schnabel, Grandpa Sexton will be an extra
grandpa who adores me, so guess I’m winning here! As for him… I don’t want to see him just yet,
but I don’t me him.”
Sexton looked at ra, nodding relentlessly. “Eh, you decide. It’s all up to you. You stick with the
name Schnabel, a fine name indeed! Marcel, I owe you thanks for raising such a granddaughter.”
Marcel snorted, his face softening a bit. “Of course she’s wonderful, my granddaughters are the
best! Just so you know, ra’s only being kind. She’s still a Schnabel through and through.”
“I know, and the Pocks will provide for ra whatever she needs. Whatever she chooses to do,
both the Pock and Schnabel families will be her home!”
Merrick muttered, “How did this be your win? I was hoping ra might take on myst name
one of these days, but you old coot got lucky”
ra hugged Merrick’s arm, “Grandpa, I may have two paternal grandpas, but I only have one
maternal grandpa like you!”
“That’s more like it.”
Freya coughed. “In the future, maybe ra and Noe should just stay with us. The Schnabel
family is quite Erowded, and our ce could use some liveliness”
I
Sexton chimed in, “Sure thing, I could move in too, keep Noe and rapany.”
Freya snapped, “Have you no shame?”
“Why would I be ashamed? Marcel, you tell them Noe is going to be our granddaughter–inw,
and ra’s our own flesh and blood. They’ll be part of my family sooner orter, right?”
“Beat it! Getting too big for your britches, are ya? All these treasures belong to the Schnabel family,
now
scram!”
Marcel could feel his blood boiling just looking at Sexton, cursing under his breath as he shooed
him and
Palmer out the door.
“I get sick just hearing the name Pock!”
“And the Schnabel’s aren’t any prize either! Except for Noe and ra, the rest of you are no–
good
troublemakers!”
The Schnabel family pretended they didn’t hear a thing.
ra surreptitiously tugged at Noe’s hand, shielding her face as she whispered, “Noe, I need
to get out for a bit. Come with me, will you?”
“Where to?”
As ra pulled Noe into the car and buckled her seat belt, she exined, “I want to check out
the
11:54
Richardson family. Noe, you can drive, right?”
can.
Noe didn’t hesitate, firing up the engine and driving a good distance before admitting. “But I
don’t have a license.
ra was struck silent. She should’ve thought this through, maybe casually dragged one of their
brothers along. Noells didn’t have a license; what if something happened?
“Should we get Jasper toe? Should I call him?”
Noe’s gaze stayed fixed on the road ahead, her driving smooth, her eyes calm. “You didn’t want
them to know, right? My driving is not bad, and I know where the Richardson family lives.”
“But it’s not safe. Should we take a cab?”
Noe nced at a motorcycle parked on the roadside, tilting her chin up slightly. “Let’s take that. I
have a motorcycle license.”
Half an hourter, a sleek ck motorcycle pulled up outside the Richardson Manor,ing to a
stop by the flower beds.
ra had clung to Noe’s waist the whole ride, the chilly wind calming her frazzled nerves.
As they beheld the estate, ra’s gaze grewplex.
“Is this the ce?”
Was this the ce where her mother had lived?
A gentle voice floated from inside the gate. “Isn’t that Ms. Schnabel? What brings you to our
doorstep? And who might this be?”
Panor’s front door swung inward with a creak of old hinges.
roman, draped in an elegant, floor–length evening gown and clutching a parasol, greeted them
with a
smile, her face exuding gentle calmness.
Ma, Schnabel, since you’vee all this way, why don’t you and this youngdye in for a
bit?”
Nolls, gripping ra’s hand, nodded towards the woman, “Lavinia, this is my sister, ra.”
Lavinia wasn’t in the best of health, rarely venturing out of the Richardson family estate. This was
her first encounter with ra.
Her gaze settled on ra, taking in the girl looked vaguely familiar.
poised figure standing before her. For some reason, Lavinia felt the
She beamed, “I’ve heard tell of another formidable Ms. Schnabel, a researcher despite her tender
years. The rumors clearly don’t do you justice. Please,e in. The house tends to be quite
empty, it’s rare we have guests.”
Apart from the buzz during Lucian’s birthday, the vast estate remainedrgely deste.
Noe led ra into the heart of the Richardson Manor.
2 2 2 2 F F 95
“Then we’ll be imposing on your hospitality, Lavinia.”
“Think nothing of it. It’s my pleasure, truly.”
Lavinia ushered Noe and ra across the manicuredwns of the garden, eventually reaching
the drawing–room where she invited them to sit.
Her smile was especially warm, eyes shimmering, tinyugh lines adding character to her visage.
“Ladies, what would you fancy? I’ll have some afternoon tea sent over.”
ra found herself captivated by Lavinia’s features, reminiscent of someone they both knew –
Sienna, perhaps. Both bore the mark of schrly breeding, an air of refined gentleness about
them.
Noe spoke up, “Thank you. I have a fondness for honey cakes, and my sister here adores
strawberry shortcake.”
“I’m quite partial to strawberry shortcake myself. I’ll fetch some right away.”
Watching Lavinia retreat, ra scooted her chair closer to Noe, the entire seat scraping along
the floor.
“Noe, do you think she could be my mother?”
“The Richardson family only has the one daughter,” Noe said, having done her research on the
way over. Lucian had but a son and a daughter, the former an ambassador hardly ever in Imperial
City.
“And she does look quite a bit like you,” Noe added, almost understating the resemnce. From
the moment sheid eyes on Lavinia, Noe felt an uncanny familiarity, an unforgettable blend of
features and demeanor.
The simrities to ra were striking!
But ra, raised by the Schnabels, had a liveliness that Laviniacked.
ra responded with her usual cool logic, “Without DNA evidence, it’s just a theory. I need data
before I draw any conclusions.”
Years of research had honed her mind to trust only in empirical evidence, emotions trailing far
behind in
The sound of coughing and the whir of an electric wheelchair approached, and Lucian, in the
driver’s sest, aped over to them.
ra was taken aback.
Returning with the afternoon tea, Lavinia scolded, “Dad! How many times have I told you not to
zoom around so fest indoors? Have you not seen the news about those old gentlemen getting
hospitalized doing Just that?”
Lucian waved her off. “I’m well past my sd days; I won’t be drag racing. Besides, I was excited
to see Noe here!”
“You’re aware of your age, yet you act like a child. You never make it easy, do you?”
easy.do
Lucian covered his ears, feigning deafness, and navigated his wheelchair towards Noe.
“This is?” His eyesnded on ra and suddenly froze.
ra met Lucian’s gaze, one of shock and disbelief, and introduced herself confidently, “Hello. I’m
ra, the daughter taken in by the Schnabel family.”
As Lavinia arranged the cakes on the table, she chimed in with a smile. “Don’t underestimate Miss
ra here. She’s quite the researcher. I remember reading one of her published papers – a very
thoughtful piece!” Lucian’s eyes flickered with curiosity.
A child taken in by the Schnabels? And so brilliant, too, an experimenter…
But it was her face, the spitting image of his daughter in her youth, though ra exuded more
confidence, her short, smart haircut adding a touch of modern chic.
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“So, Marcel raised you? And your birth parents, have you found them?” Lucian’s voice trembled
unknowingly. his fists clenched on hisp as he awaited ra’s response.
ra grinned. “Just found them recently. Turns out my dad’s my boss, and I’m still getting used to
that idea! As for my mom… she’s gone.”
Lucian’s grip on the wheelchair tightened, his voice eager, “Whichb? Which number? Your boss,
is his surname Pock?”
“How did you know? I work at Phoenix Lab, number three, under Jacob. But perhaps not for much
longer.”
Jacob!
Lucian’s hands fell away as he slumped back in his seat. “Why might that change?”
“I’m being transferred back to an Imperial Cityb. It’ll be easier to visit home.”
Lucian nodded, exhaling heavily.
Watching Lucian’s emotional reaction, Lavinia asked with surprise, “Dad, what’s gotten into you?
Do you know Mr. Pock?”
“It’s nothing. Could you fetch the photo album from my room? I’d like to show these young women
how dashing I was in my day.”
Lavinia rolled her eyes. “You always want to show off when we have guests. Fine, I’ll get it.”
As she left, Lucian’s gaze returned to ra. “It might be a bit forward of me to ask, but it’s
important. ra, could you share your life story with me?”
Of course, ra sald, willing to share,
Noe gently lifted her mug of coffee to her lips, taking a soothing sip as she sat beside ra in
quietpanionship,
With a voice as calm as the evening breeze, she recounted tales of her childhood antics, her hands.
trembling ever so slightly. Thankfully, they were intertwined with Noe’s steady ones.
Having a sinter like Noe by her side was truly a blessing.
As she spoke of her seamless academic and personal life, Lucian silently nodded in approval.
The mention of being punished by Marcel for a misdeed caused Lucian to Inwardly curse Marcel for
treating a young girl so harshly.
So what if she had broken a few antique vases? They weren’t worth a fortune!
Hearing her speak of her brothers‘ kindness, Lucian blurted out without thinking, “We’ve got a
couple of grandsons too, they’re like brothers to you as well.”
Catching ra’s puzzled gaze, Lucian realized his slip and quickly waved his hand. “Keep going,
I’m listening.”
When ra mentioned Sienna and Tristan, Lucian let out a soft sigh. “They’re good parents,
certainly better than the ones you started out with!”
Lavinia came down with Lucian’s old photo album, chuckling. “Dad, what are you rambling on
about?”
“Oh, nothing much. Come on, let’s show the kids how dashing I was back in the day!”
With a smile, Lavinia flipped through the album, sharing each memory with Noe and ra.
One particr photo caught their attention a young Lavinia.
In the picture, Lavinia, dressed in a white sundress, stood on the deck of a cruise ship, her hair
elegantly coiffed to appear short from the front.
“Hey, doesn’t this photo look a lot like Miss ra?”