Chapter 349

Joyce was about to say it was fine, that she needed to stretch her legs after sitting for so long, when the plane hit some turbulence.

She had no choice but to awkwardly make her way back to economy class.

Inwardly, she cursed, “Come on, shake harder! Maybe it’ll shake that seed right out of Kayla’s belly!”

Kayla couldn’t help but smile at Tuff’s decisive attitude.

She wanted to say something nice to him, but with the turbulence and the pain in her stomach, she didn’t feel like talking and drifted off into a drowsy sleep.

The plane had landed by the time Kayla woke up again.

Landen’s eyes lit up with excitement as he peered out the window. “Mommy, we’ve arrived in Lunova! Look at all the tall buildings!”

“Didn’t you see enough skyscrapers back in Dreicean?” Tuff teased with a smile.

Both cities were capitals, both full of skyscrapers. Landen shouldn’t be this easily impressed.

“You don’t get it. Landen grew up in the manor. Aside from school, he hardly ever went out,” said Kayla, feeling guilty inside.

It was her fault. She never had the freedom to take Landen out to play and to let him see the world. Most of the time, it was only Aiden who took Landen out once in a while so that Landen could get a glimpse of life outside.

“Landen, do you even realize how special your family’s manor is?” Tuff asked.

Landen replied, unimpressed, “Isn’t it just a big garden? There’s never anyone to play with me.”

“Your manor could trade for several skyscrapers! Most people work their whole lives and still can’t even dream of owning a place like that!”

“Really?” Landen said, surprised.

“Of course! Out of everyone I know, only your uncle could ever manage to build a manor like that. No one else could pull it off.”

Tuff’s praise made Landen puff up with pride.

‘Wow, my place is that cool? Guess I don’t have to be jealous of those skyscrapers anymore,’ Landen thought.

He made up his mind. Next time, he’d invite his friends over to the manor so they could see how awesome his home was.

Landen was practically bursting with pride, and Kayla couldn’t help but laugh. “Landen, let’s not show off too much, alright?”

“Okay, Mommy,” Landen nodded sweetly.

But in his mind, he was already thinking, ‘Guess I’ll just save the manor for my future girlfriend then.’

As soon as they stepped out of the airport, a sleek black SUV was waiting for them. “Mr. Prescott!” the chauffeur greeted.

“This is my wife and my son,” Tuff said, wrapping an arm around Kayla and holding Landen’s hand.

“Mrs. Prescott! Mr. Kimsey!” The butler, chauffeur, and bodyguards all bowed respectfully.

However, they couldn’t help but look surprised when they saw the scar on Kayla’s face. They quickly lowered their eyes, trying not to stare.

Kayla had never cared about the scar on her face before, but she suddenly minded now. Regret washed over her.

‘I should’ve gone with Amy’s plan and gotten the surgery done earlier,’ she thought.

“Honey, let’s get in the car,” Tuff said, his voice dripping with affection and pampering–so much that everyone around was left stunned.

‘Wait, is Mr. Prescott off the market now?’ they all wondered.

With Tuff fussing over her like royalty, Kayla felt her discomfort melt away. For now, she decided to hold off on mentioning it.

Tuff was treating her so well, and she wanted to be considerate of him, too.

Since they’d arrived in Lunova, Kayla figured they should pay their respects to the elders before doing anything else.

The Prescott family’s place was a classic courtyard estate. It was vintage on the outside but revamped and modern inside.

That mix of old-school style and sleek upgrades made the whole place stand out. One could tell right away it was the kind of home that screamed old money and serious family heritage.

Betty was a gentle old lady with snowy white hair, though her legs weren’t what they used to be. That’s why she hadn’t been able to travel to Norava for the wedding.

It was her first time meeting Kayla, her granddaughter-in-law, today. “Kayla, right? Come here, sweetheart,” Betty called out kindly.

Kayla lifted her hand, half-covering the scar on her face, afraid she might startle Betty.

Kayla thought, ‘My grandma has always thought I’m ugly, doting on Patrick and never giving me any love.

If even my grandma couldn’t stand me, there’s no way I should expect anything from someone else.’

“Why are you hiding your face? I know about your scar, and it’s nothing to worry about,” Betty said warmly, gently pulling Kayla’s hand down to get a better look. “It got this bad? It must’ve hurt a lot, right?”

“It doesn’t hurt anymore,” Kayla replied, shaking her head. She felt even more fond of Betty.

“That’s good to hear,” Betty said with concern. “You look a bit pale. Was the long journey too much for you?”

Maggie snorted, “So young and already tired out from just a short trip? What’s she going to do when she’s old?”

Kayla didn’t want to seem delicate, so she smiled and said, “Just a little airsick. It’s nothing.”

“I heard from your mother-in-law that you haven’t been feeling well lately. I’ll have a doctor come by and help nurse you back to health,” Betty said kindly.

She was hinting that she wanted a great-grandchild.

Kayla suddenly felt a ton of pressure.

Tuff scooped Landen up and set him right next to Betty. “Grandma, here’s your great-grandson.”

“Landen, is it?” Betty’s smile froze for a second.

Intimidated by the big family, Landen felt timid. “Great-grandma, hello.”

“Well, aren’t you a polite one,” Betty said, quickly recovering. She wrapped Landen in a gentle hug. “How about you sleep with me tonight, hmm?”

“Alright,” Landen replied, smiling.

Once Landen loosened up, he turned into an outgoing kid.

Betty found herself looking at him in a whole new light.

Maggie snorted.

‘Look at him, already trying to butter her up. Kayla must’ve drilled him on this behind the scenes,’ Maggie thought.

“Looks like your grandma’s feeling a little left out,” Tuff said with a wink at Landen.

Landen picked up on it instantly and turned to Maggie with a sweet smile. “Grandma!”

“Hmm…” Maggie just grunted, not hiding her feelings.

Maggie wasn’t about to make a scene with a kid, even if she wasn’t thrilled. She waved at the kitchen staff to bring out some fruit and snacks for Landen.

Kayla relaxed and called out softly to Maggie, “Maggie.”

“Now that you’re back, you should stay for good,” Maggie said, shooting a look at Tuff.

She was still hung up on that joke about Tuff marrying into the family. The idea of her son becoming a live-in son-in-law freaked her out.

“Maggie, Tuff was just joking around last time,” Kayla said quickly.

“I know!” Maggie lifted her chin, still as proud as ever.

However, she let out a long sigh of relief deep down. She thought, ‘Scared me to death! I thought my son was going to end up marrying into the Kingsley family.’

“Your grandma’s birthday party is tomorrow. I want you to help me with the preparations,” Maggie said.

“Okay,” Kayla nodded.

Maggie glanced at Kayla’s scarred face with obvious distaste. “There will be a lot of guests tomorrow. Make sure you do your makeup properly.”

“Mom…” said Tuff.

“Okay,” Kayla replied softly.

Tuff was about to speak up for Kayla, but Kayla beat him to it and agreed first.

Feeling for her, Tuff stepped forward and pulled Kayla into a comforting hug.

“Oh dear, my old eyes can’t take this!” Betty burst out laughing. “Go on, take your wife and son to get some rest. Don’t go showing off your affection in front of me, the old lady.”

So Kayla could avoid Maggie’s nitpicking, at least for now.

The three of them made their way to the east wing, where everything was spotless and ready for them.

The room’s antique charm made Kayla feel like she’d walked straight into another era.

She couldn’t help but ask in awe, “Tuff, were your ancestors big shots in the government or something?”

“One of them was a top scholar! My grandma’s great grandfather built this place. It got handed over for a while, but my grandpa went through a lot to buy it back and fix it up,” Tuff said.

“So this is a three-section courtyard, huh? Who lives here now?” Kayla asked, her curiosity piqued.

“The whole extended family lived here together back then. But after the families of Uncle Terrell and Uncle Maverick moved out, it’s just my parents and my grandma left,” Tuff replied.

“Doesn’t it feel a bit lonely in such a big place with so few people?” asked Kayla.

“That’s exactly why Grandma loves it when everyone comes back for a visit…” Tuff started, then added, “But she never insists we all stay under one roof. I already told her before we came that we’d be heading back to Norava.”

“Your grandma agreed to that?” Kayla asked, a bit surprised.

“Of course! She told us that as long as we are happy, that’s all that matters,” Tuff replied with a grin.

Kayla felt genuinely touched. “She’s so understanding.”

“Absolutely. Looking at my character, you know the Prescott family has great genes,” Tuff said with a cheeky grin. “You must be tired. Get some sleep. It is going to keep you busy tomorrow.”

“Alright,” Landen replied, smiling.

After washing up and getting ready for bed, Kayla shot a quick text to Amelia. [All good at the Prescott family. Don’t worry about me.]