Chapter 53
Janet's eyes gleamed with an almost crazed excitement. She nodded. "Yes."
"Lisa, get me a day off. I need to go to Hivalis," Janet said, as the thought crossed her mind.
Lisa, equally excited, asked, "Janet, are you going to Hivalis to try jewelry from Carter's Jewel?"
Janet touched her ear and nodded. "Yes, I want to buy the best-looking earrings for the opening ceremony of Carter's Jewel's new branch."
"Alright, I'll inform the company. Good luck, Janet!" Lisa said excitedly.
Janet smiled with a determined sparkle in her eyes.
Meanwhile, Lynn gave Rebecca a few days off to rest and fully prepare for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Carter's Jewel's new branch. With this rare free time, Rebecca finally had the chance to stay at home with her parents and her two adorable babies, Lily and Key, who were now two months old. She could buy some infant toys to help them develop their focus, fine motor skills, and grasping ability.
There were many small toys at home. Rebecca held the babies while Debra teased them with a cat toy, making the babies reach for the fluffy ball attached to it. With their bright eyes, the babies were fascinated by the fluffy ball. Every time they tried to grab it, Debra mischievously pulled it away, leaving the babies grasping at thin air. The babies were stunned. Seeing their surprised expressions, Debra smiled brightly to cheer them up. The babies laughed along with her, their giggles filling the room. Rebecca played with the babies, too, but she held a cute pink balloon instead of a cat toy. The babies, drawn to the bright balloon, reached out with their tiny hands, trying to grab it. Rebecca tied the balloon's string to one of the baby's feet. As the baby moved, the balloon bobbed up and down, and the baby played happily with it. It wasn't until the nanny reminded them to let the babies rest that they stopped, allowing the nanny to put the babies down for a nap.
Paul had a rare break at the hospital and immediately came to see his niece and two little nephews. Rebecca looked at Paul with immense gratitude. If Paul hadn't recognized her at the hospital, she might never have found her family and reunited with her parents.
"Paul, thank you," Rebecca said sincerely, when everyone was quiet. Some things were worth saying out loud. "Thank you for finding me and reuniting me with my parents," she explained again.
Paul laughed. "Silly girl, why are you thanking me? You were always our precious one. I'm just happy to have found you."
Debra also looked at Paul and said, "Paul, we really should thank you for what you did for Becky. How about we all go out for a family gathering? It's been so long since we had one."
"Sure, Debra. You and my brother haven't tried the local food here in Maeloria yet, have you?" Paul responded with excitement. He then turned to Rebecca and said with a smile, "I've been so busy with work that I haven't had time to go out and eat. But Becky, you grew up in Maeloria, so you should know some good places, right? How about you pick a restaurant, and we all go out for a nice meal together?"
"Sure, I'll take care of it," Rebecca immediately agreed with a smile.
Rebecca took the task seriously since it was her first time arranging a family gathering. She discussed it with her mom for a long time and finally chose a restaurant that everyone liked. There were many restaurants in Maeloria, but the Blue River Bistro was the best. Rebecca found the restaurant's page online and booked a private room in advance.
That evening, the whole family went to the Blue River Bistro, accompanied by the nanny and the babies. Although the babies were too young to eat barbecue, they could still be part of the outing. However, Rebecca was surprised to run into someone familiar at the restaurant: Theodore.
Theodore was there with his parents, Michael and Helen, and a girl Rebecca didn't know. The four of them seemed to be having a good time together—or, to be precise, Theodore's parents and the girl were chatting happily, while Theodore looked unhappy and followed them. But when Theodore turned and saw Rebecca, his gaze fixed on her. From a distance, Theodore's intense gaze locked onto Rebecca. Rebecca's steps halted, her heart instinctively fluttered, and she stood still, not daring to move forward.
Debra and the others also saw Theodore and his parents, Michael and Helen. Unlike Rebecca, who was looking at Theodore, Debra quickly noticed the girl chatting with Helen. Debra sneered and then turned to Rebecca, whispering, "The girl next to Helen is the one they brought back from abroad. They plan to marry her to Theodore."
Rebecca was shocked and turned to look at her mother. Patrick reminded them, "Let's go to our private room first." Rebecca, though filled with questions, held back and nodded. "Okay." Even though she agreed to her parents' suggestion, Rebecca's mind was still in turmoil, mostly in shock. An arranged marriage? She and Theodore hadn't officially divorced yet. Wasn't Theodore involved with Janet? They even had a child together, yet now Theodore was going to marry someone else? Was Theodore not going to marry Janet?
"Excuse me. Which private room did you book?" the restaurant's waiter came over and respectfully asked.
Rebecca snapped out of her thoughts and quickly said, "Room 403."
"Alright, please follow me," the waiter said respectfully, and then led them away. Rebecca and the others followed the waiter into the elevator. The waiter pressed the floor button and led them to their private room before leaving.
"Becky, the Edwards family is nothing but trouble. There's nothing worth holding on to with Theodore. If you're not happy, you should finalize the divorce as soon as possible," Debra advised as soon as the waiter left.
"Mom, you said Theodore is going to marry that girl?" Rebecca couldn't control her shock.
Debra nodded and explained, "Becky, after we found out about your relationship with Theodore, your dad and I had people investigate the Edwards family. The Edwards family has been doing well domestically and seems to be planning to expand abroad in the coming years."