Eugene leaned forward and whispered to Ellen, âYou can just prepare a small room. Olivia wonât sleep with me otherwise.â Ellen glared at him before she patted him on his shoulder. âDid you bully her?â
He chuckled. âNo. I just want to have some alone time with Olivia. Youâre overthinking the situation.â âWell, then how have you guys been getting along? When are you planning to get married?â Ellen asked.
Eugene let out an exasperated laugh. Marriage? I would love that. But the main issue is that the woman isnât interested in getting married at all. âItâs still too early to think about that. You donât have to worry about it.â Eugene left after that, and Ellen glared at him speechlessly.
Meanwhile, Olivia was teaching Jewel how to speak. She had been taking the medication for so long, so there should have been some change in her speaking abilities. Yet, Jewel couldnât speak at all. Olivia suspected that Jewel had forgotten how to produce noises since she hadnât spoken for so long. So, Olivia tried her best to teach Jewel to speak. âTry making some noises. Ah...â
Jewel let out a laugh before she signed, âIâm not a kid. Do I need you to teach me this?â âJust try it. Ah... Olivia said. Jewel extended her neck and tried her best to speak, but no sound came. In the end, Jewel only ended up with sweat all over her forehead as she was too anxious. Olivia quickly tried to calm Jewel down. âItâs fine. Perhaps we can stop the medication after the new year. Then, we can run some tests at the hospital, and Iâll adjust the dosage for you.â
Jewel eyed Olivia dejectedly. âI donât think anything can save my throat. You can stop wasting your effort. Olivia shot Jewel an annoyed glare. âStop talking nonsense. You have to trust me-Iâm the genius doctor.â
Jewel smiled and nodded. When Eugene returned to the hall, he sat down next to Olivia and glanced at the other side of the couch, where Brian and North were playing games. âWho won?â âWho do you think?â Olivia chuckled. Eugene put on a smug look. âHeâs just asking for it if he wants to play games with our son, isnât he?â
Brian hadnât expected North to be so swift with his moves-Brian had lost every round so far. However, Brian refused to give in.
He wanted to win at least once. Yet, he hadnât won a single round after sitting around for more than one hour. In the end, Brian stood up and threw his phone aside with a loud smack. âIâm not playing anymore.â
âAre you ready to give up?â North asked playfully. Brian gave the young boy a fierce glare. This is your strength, so whatâs there to be proud of? If youâre that confident, why donât we play chess instead?â
A sly look flashed across Northâs face. âLetâs do it! Do you think Iâm afraid of you?â Eugene parted his lips to remind Brian of how North would often play chess with his grandfather when North visited the Nolan Residence. I donât think itâs a good idea to play chess with North! However, Eugene didnât know how good Brian was at chess. Perhaps his chess skills might have improved while I wasnât around. But...
One hour later, Eugene realized that he had overestimated Brian once more. âBring your son away, Olivia. Iâm going to be broke if I lose anything else,â Brian cried. Everyone laughed.
After dinner at night, Ellen spoke to Jewel. âJewel, I just prepared a room for you, and Iâll bring you over later.â Jewel nodded and signed a âthank youâ to Ellen. âItâs no worries at all. Letâs go,â Ellen uttered.
âLet me sleep with you,â Olivia suggested. Right after she stood up, Eugene pulled her back onto the couch. âJewelâs room is a little too small, so it canât fit two people,â Eugene said. Jewel beamed and moved her hands to sign to Olivia. I want to sleep on my own. Olivia was speechless for a second. After that, they all returned to their own rooms.