What a gem Noe was!
Even Helen, known for her notoriously critical eye, could see how much Palmer was smitten with
her. She saw how Noe stood by Palmer steadfastly, defending him with everything she had. In her
eyes, Noe was already the chosen one for the Pock family, a perfect match for her grandson.
And Garrick, that old curmudgeon, dared to upset her future granddaughter-inw!
With that, Helen was even more determined to set things right for Noe!
"Noe, dear, don''t you worry. I''ll make sure Garrick spends a month in the hospital if I have to. Let''s
see him try his tricks then! And as for the other incidents, leave them to me. I''ve got them covered."
Noe tried to interject, but Helen, clearly running out of patience, cut her off.
"You and Palmer should be out on dates, falling in love, doing what young folks do. Don''t you worry
about these adult matters. Just go shopping, buy some dresses, pick out some handbags - Palmer''s
credit card is yours to use! Don''t even think about saving his money. It''s all going to be yours
someday anyway!"
Hearing Helen casually nning Palmer''s finances, clearly siding with Noe, Palmer couldn''t help
but chuckle helplessly.
Then, amid the ngs and tters from the other end of the phone, Helen was rummaging through
her belongings, ready to storm Imperial University and settle the score with Garrick.
"Leave the rest to us old folks; we''re not gone yet! Go enjoy your shopping spree, and don''te
back until you''ve maxed out Palmer''s card!"
With her ns for Noe and Palmer''s date set, Helen hung up.
Listening to the dial tone, Noe couldn''t help but feel a bit helpless.
Horatio always mentioned how fierce Helen could be, but it seemed thedy was not just fierce but
downright explosive. One could only imagine the rough day Garrick was about to have!
...
In the hospital, Lavinia''s room was cluttered with research papers and files. Whenever she had a
moment, she''d sift through her past achievements.
ra took the papers from her hands. “You should rest, not strain your brain with this stuff.”
Seeing ra, Lavinia smiled softly. “I''m just browsing, not really thinking. Consider it an eye
exercise.”
Even though it was all things she had written in the past, it had been too long. Faced with so much
data and experimental samples, and with her mind feeling hazy and sluggish, it was just too
exhausting to delve into anything research-rted. Lavinia had only managed to get through one
paper, and even then, parts of it were puzzling.
“ra, could you check these figures for me?”
ra frowned slightly. “Your research area was different from mine. These statistics… maybe you
should ask Jacob to look at this.”
Lavinia and Jacob were once part of the same research team. If she sought rity on her own work,
Jacob would indeed be the quicker route. Besides, there were ssified materials that ra
couldn''t ess due to her clearance level.
Lavinia paused, thenposed herself. “I… I don’t really want to see him, but I do want a copy of
these documents. Could you ask him?”
After so many years, Lavinia didn’t know how to face Jacob. Fortunately, there was still ra
between them.
ra agreed and then tentatively mentioned, “Mr. Pock said he’d like to see you.”
Lavinia shook her head with a smile. She tenderly stroked ra’s hair, her eyes shining with
warmth.
“Having you is enough for me. Thinking about anything else just gives me a headache. I’ve been ill
for so many years, it’s like living through a foggy dream. And now, I look so unwell; I don’t want him
to see me like this.”
After surgery, she’d lost much of her hair, and just the thought of her appearance made her feel
somewhat absurd.
“But he wouldn’t mind. To him, your mere existence bringsfort.”
“You don’t understand, ra. It’s not your father I need to see, nor my past lover, but my former
self.”
Jacob represented Lavinia’s past. She couldn’t face her younger self, now confined to a hospital
bed, barely snatching back her life from death’s grasp, with all her dreams and ambitions turned to
dust.
For Lavinia, epting her secluded life over the years was a hard pill to swallow. Especially seeing
ra, it was like looking at her younger, vibrant self, full of dreams and confidence.
Lavinia softlyughed. “Let’s just let things be. As long as you’re with me, I’m content.”
Bowie Richardson entered, handing ra a medical report.
“Aunt’s condition is stable. She just needs peace and quiet now.”
“Thank you.”
Content ? N?velDrama.Org.
Seeing Bowie, Lavinia remembered Lorne Richardson’s funeral. She asked, “Lorne’s funeral…”
“We kept it simple. Everything’s been arranged. My parents won’t being back, and asked me to
apologize to you and ra on their behalf.”
The Richardson family’s eldest son had been adopted by Lucian and worked at an embassy
abroad, unable to return home without a significant reason.
“That’s alright. You’ve been a great help, Bowie. Don’t worry too much.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself, Aunt. Heaven sent ra as apensation to you. Everything will
look up from here.”
Lavinia shook her head with calm resolve. "ra is a person, not a means ofpensation. Even if
she doesn''t return to my side, she remains the Schnabel family''s pride and joy. My presence is
merely the icing on the cake."
For Lavinia, ra represented redemption, but she was well aware of how much the Schnabel
family cherished their daughter!
"It was Sienna who shared her daughter with me. It’s a gift from above, notpensation."
"You’re right."
Weariness evident on her face, Lavinia let ra tuck her in and sing her to sleep before she and
Bowie left the hospital room.
ra was dressed in a simple sundress, covered by a cardigan with unique stitching. The tiny,
handmade pearl buttons added a touch of chaos yet elegance to her outfit.
Bowie couldn''t help but inquire after a few nces, "Ms. ra, is that cardigan a bespoke piece
from some high-end brand?"
After some thought, Bowie couldn''t ce which luxury brand might have released such an item.
Could it be that the Schnabel family''s affection for ra was merely for show?
With that thought, Bowie''s mind started to race. If the Schnabel family didn''t care much for ra,
his ns could be much simpler!
ra looked down at her cardigan, grinning. "My mom knitted this for me! Both Noe and I have
one. She''s even nning to knit one for Ulrich''s girlfriend!"