Chapter 31: Chapter 31

That evening dinner at the Calvin family’s residence went quite well. Harmonie, Richard’s younger sister, welcomed Anxia as warmly as Meisya. Harmonie was two years older than her, but the girl looked up to her with great respect as a sister-in-law.

As for Stanley... he didn’t say much, but he wasn’t cold to her either. She felt that her father-in-law was a bit distant from her.

Is it because Stanley knows her identity? If so, it’s no wonder the man has a slightly intimidating aura.

Ordinary people like Meisya and Harmonie couldn’t possibly feel Stanley’s cold, intimidating aura, but Richard and Anxia could feel it.

Anxia didn’t care, nor did she feel scared. But when Richard’s hand slipped under the table to hold her hand on his lap, Anxia felt an indescribable warmth as if the gesture wished to comfort her.

Anxia closed her eyes and shook off the warm feeling in her heart. She couldn’t be fooled by his action. Anxia also had to think about her mother’s safety, and she would not be able to sleep peacefully if she did not know her mother’s current state in Frankfurt.

Ugh! She had to think of a way to contact Ling Meng without getting caught to discuss their plans further.

.....

Anxia pulled her hand roughly, then immediately raised it and brought it to the table. That way, Richard would have no reason to hold her hand.

“Daddy, when are we going around Gierthoon town?”

“Tomorrow morning,” Richard replied with a big smile, then glanced at his wife. “I hope you will like it.”

“Me too?”

“Of course. What’s the point of me going around without my wife? It won’t be complete.” Richard answered in a seductive tone with a wink in his eye.

Hearing the seductive tone of his son, Stanley felt like throwing up blood. Why in the world is his son trying to hit on an assassin?!

“Richard. Come to my room.”

Richard took a deep breath, realizing that his conversation with his father would be exhausting his brain.

“Okay.”

Stanley got up and kissed his wife’s forehead before heading to his study.

Even though it was a trivial act, it was enough to make Anxia feel touched.

She recalled the several times she had stalked Raymond with Michele. Raymond also treated Michele with the same warmth. Because of this, Anxia planned to take Raymond and ruin the couple’s happiness.

At first, she thought Raymond was the only one who could be warm and loving without knowing that the entire Calvin family also treated each other with equal love.

What a harmonious family. Anxia thought sadly because the family she once had would never come back.

***

Meisya and Lori invited Anxia to go to the back, which surprised Anxia. This house did not look so big from the outside, but this building extended to the back. There was even a river path and several boats parked behind their house.

“Oma said we will take the boat to tour the city tomorrow,” Lori exclaimed happily.

Oma?

“Ma’am, is it possible that Richard already told Lori that...”

“I don’t think so. But this kid is so smart. I think she figured it out herself.”

Anxia didn’t answer and glanced at her daughter, who was currently looking at the beautiful flowers.

“Xia Xia, why do you still call me ma’am? You are my daughter now, and I’d prefer it if you called me mom.”

“Okay.” Anxia only gave a short answer without calling the older woman as she wanted.

She should have been able to call this good woman ‘mom.’ After all, she just needed to act, and acting was her mastery. She married Richard not out of love but because of the man threatening her with her daughter. She could play the role and be a good daughter-in-law, but she would soon leave this place.

But, for some reason, Anxia couldn’t harden her heart to act. Somehow her heart would be tied to this family if she allowed herself to call this kind lady ‘mom.’

“Mom! Have you seen papa when he was little? He is so cute!”

Anxia froze in place, not understanding what made her daughter think she wanted to see Richard’s photos in his younger days.

Anxia had no idea that Lori was currently carrying out a critical mission in her life: to make her mommy and daddy fall in love with each other.

Even though Lori seemed to be enjoying beautiful flowers, her ears were listening to the two women’s conversation. In her heart, Lori blossomed because her grandmother immediately loved her mother. However, her joy was shattered when she felt that her mother was still reluctant to accept her father’s family in her life.

That’s why Lori immediately suggested looking back at her father’s photos when he was young. Lori had seen it all this afternoon while waiting for her handsome father to arrive.

She didn’t know that Richard was her birth father, and they all expected Anxia to tell her. Even though Lori didn’t know, she had made up her mind to make Richard her father.

Lori loved Richard and the family very much. She didn’t expect to hit the jackpot when she was about to be taken by a stranger. She met a handsome father-to-be; she also gained a super fun aunt and pampering grandpa and grandma.

How could she possibly let go of this jackpot prize that doubled up on everything she yearned for?

“Oh, that’s right. Come on, go inside. I’ll show you Richard’s pictures.”

“No need...” Anxia wanted to refuse because she didn’t want to know more about Richard’s private life. But her protest was cut short when Meisya and Lori pulled her hands inside, making her unable to do anything.

Anxia was highly frustrated that this was beyond her expectations. She was a professional assassin; never once did she run out of ideas for dealing with other people. Especially when she was about to kill her target, sometimes she played around like giving hope to her target, when in fact, Anxia never let her target off alive once caught.

But now, she couldn’t act or argue at all. For some reason, when Anxia saw her mother-in-law’s face, which was full of affection for her, her tongue felt numb, and her body didn’t want to listen to her brain and follow whatever Meisya wanted.

The kind old lady sat Anxia on the soft sofa while Lori sat on her lap cheerfully. Not long after, Meisya brought two large albums and three small albums and placed one of them on Anxia’s lap after opening it.

Anxia’s pair of black eyes were drawn to the two baby boys sleeping side by side, stealing her breath. The faces of the two babies were almost the same as Lori’s when she was born. His dark brown hair, clean white skin, the shape of his face, and the way his mouth opened slightly when he fell asleep... were all just as she remembered admiring the beauty of her newborn baby girl.

Lori’s hair was dark brown as a newborn, only recently turning light and golden blonde.

It turns out... her daughter’s beauty and the shape of her face and perfect eyebrow shape were inherited from her father.

Without realizing it, Anxia gave a faint smile, and her eyes softened at the photo of baby Richard.

She knew right away which one was Richard and which one was Raymond. She wondered why.