Chapter 229
They arrived at the Galeana family''s house around six-thirty in the evening. Emma was munching
on some fruit in the living room when they walked in. She paused for a moment before saying, "Izzy,
Ethan, you guys made it."
Both Ines and Ethan sensed a change in Emma''s tone; it felt more genuine than theirst encounter
which seemed pretty phony.
"Take a seat, guys. Dad and Ss are upstairs handling some stuff. Dinner will be ready soon."
Emma said with a smile.
The change in Emma''s demeanor caught them off guard, so they just plopped down across from
her.
Emma nced at Ines, struggling to find the right words. After a moment, she managed to say,
"Thanks, Ines."
Ines didn''t respond, so Emma dropped the subject.
After a while, Shirley sauntered in. Her attitude was a stark contrast to their previous encounter
when she greeted them with a fake smile. This time around, she didn''t say a word, just shot them a
nce before heading upstairs to fetch Hunter and Ss.
Ines couldn''t help but re at Ethan. She knewing here would only ruffle her feathers. They
would''ve been much better off chilling at the Base.
Ethan brushed it off, patting her hand to signal that she shouldn''t sweat the small stuff.
Soon enough, Hunter and Ss descended from upstairs. Hunter didn''t seem surprised by their
presence, just gave Ines'' belly a quick nce.
"Thank you foring," Ss said with a smile.
They both nodded. Hunter turned to Ines and asked, "Still dealing with morning sickness?"
Ines didn''t reply, creating an awkward atmosphere. Ethan quickly chimed in, "After taking your
advice, the morning sickness has subsided and her appetite has improved."
Ines was a bit irked by Ethan''s friendly exchange with Hunter, shooting him a disapproving look.
"That''s good. Your mom had severe swelling in her limbs during theter stages of pregnancy,
Ethan. Make sure to give her plenty of massages, or she''ll get cramps at night," Hunter advised.
Ethan nodded.
Hunter was in an unusually good mood today, patiently offering advice even though Ines remained
unresponsive. This sudden change got Ines'' heart pounding.
Before Hunter could continue, Eda announced that dinner was ready. She walked over to Ines,
studied her for a moment, then said with a smile, "You''re looking good, Ms. Ines."
Ines responded with a quiet "Thank you."
Ethan handed a prepared gift to Hunter, "This is a gift Izzy picked out for you. We hope you''ll find
some time to rx by the river."
Ines shot Ethan a disapproving look, but he didn''t mind.
Ss took the gift, nced at it, then turned to Hunter with a smile, "Mr. Galeana, it''s a fishing set."
A sh of excitement crossed Hunter''s face, "I''ll definitely need to find time to learn fishing and
enjoy theid-back lifestyle."
Tonight''s dinner was avish spread. However, there was no birthday cake, nor did anyone mention
it was Hunter''s birthday. Hunter invited Ss and Eda to join them for dinner, and they graciously
epted.
Unlike their previous encounters, Hunter was more talkative this time, either chatting with Emma or
Ines, much like a typical father. He bbered on about his pregnant daughters while Shirley quietly
ate her meal without uttering a word.
"Pour me a drink," Hunter suddenly asked Ss.
Ss frowned at the request, "Mr. Galeana, perhaps you should refrain from drinking."
Hunter chuckled, "It''s alright. I''m in a great mood today. Both of my daughters are pregnant, I''m
about to be a grandpa. I''m ecstatic. Fill my cup, but just this once."
Upon hearing this, Ines nced at Hunter. She had seen him a few times since returning to A City,
but she had never seen him smile, let alone appear so genuinely happy. Clearly, he was truly ted
tonight.
Despite his reluctance, Ss poured Hunter a drink. Hunter took the ss and downed it in one
gulp.
A hint of worry crossed Ss'' face, even Emma couldn''t help but chime in, "Dad, you should take it
slow. This is strong."
"I know, it''s just been a while since I had a drink. I couldn''t resist." Hunter said.
Afterward, he asked Ss to fetch the gifts he had previously purchased. Ss put down his utensils
and went upstairs. He quickly returned with two beautifully carved wooden boxes, which Ines
recognized from the day he had returned to the country.
Hunter handed one of the boxes to Emma. Emma looked at Hunter in disbelief, "Dad, is this for
me?"
"It''s not for you. It''s a pair of pearl earrings for my granddaughter. They have a history of several
centuries, so handle them with care." Hunter said.
Emma was beaming with joy, "Thank you, Dad. I''ll thank you on behalf of my baby. Speaking of
which, we haven''t named the baby yet. Would you like to give the baby a name?"
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Hunter paused for a moment, then said, "Let''s call her Jasmine."
"Jasmine, that''s a beautiful name." Emma softly repeated the name, then broke into a smile.
Ines watched Emma and found her more endearing than before. It was clear that she truly loved the
child growing inside her.
Hunter nodded slightly, then handed the other box to Ines. Ines knew the box contained a pair of
gold rings, but she didn''t take it right away.
Hunter didn''t seem bothered, he stared at Ines and said, "These are for your twins. They are
heirloom gold rings."
Ethan was also gazing at Ines, a hint of something deeper in his look. Ines was dragging her feet on
taking it, and Hunter wasn''t about to put the box down either, so the father and daughter were
locked in this silent standoff. After a while, Ines finally caved and took the box. She was a bit ticked
off, so she grabbed the box a little too hard, identally hitting the spring button on the box, and
bam, a pair of gold rings popped out in front of everyone. Emma''s smile froze on her face, and
Shirley''s temples started to throb, her hand gripping tight under the table.