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“Nothing. I just think it's a rare last name.” Allie was a worldly woman, so she knew how to look calm
even when she was not.
Avery Rumpley, huh? Allie repeated the name to herself inside her mind.
Avery gave Allie one last glance and decided not to overthink it. Even though there are a lot of
Rumpleys, Chanaea is a big place. It's only reasonable that she's never met one before. Heck, I'm
probably the only Rumpley my classmates and colleagues knew.
After watching Cayden, Avery, and the children drive off, Allie was only the one left in the garden.
The woman then took her phone and ensured no one was around before walking to the swimming pool
nearby to call someone she hated.
“Sorry. The number you have dialed is currently unavailable.”
Allie furrowed her eyebrows impatiently when she got the automated response and tried calling the
number again.
She kept trying until her fingers started shaking, but still, the other party did not pick up.
Cayden brought Avery and the children to a high-end condominium in the city center.
Having undergone renovation, the two-thousand square feet unit with a great location looked luxurious.
“Why haven't you brought us here before, Daddy?” After going around the house, Zachary lifted his
head to ask Cayden, who was seated on the couch.
The man glanced coldly at his son before replying, “I just bought it yesterday.”
“You're not planning to stay at home?” inquired Zachary.
“This is closer to my office.”
“It's not far from my school either. I recognize the route Mr. Dartsley always takes to send me to school,
and this place seems pretty near,” stated Zachary, who had a good memory.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThe boy was correct since the condominium was located at the heart of the city and not far away from
his school. On top of that, the transport system was very convenient in that area.
“What are you trying to say?” With all ten fingers interlocked, Cayden gazed sternly at his chattering
son.
“I'm saying this is a big house with three spacious rooms, so maybe Rory and I should move in too.”
Zachary then looked toward the bathroom before continuing, “I've got it all worked out. Ms. Ery and
Rory will each take a room; you and I will share the last one.”
“No! I want to share a room with Ms. Ery so I can hug her in my sleep,” protested Rory, washing up in
the bathroom.
“I have my own place, and I've paid six months' worth of rent for it,” chimed in Avery timely.
Because of that, Cayden gave his son another cold glance. Thanks for ruining it.
“I probably shouldn't have said that, Daddy.” Zachary felt guilty after hearing Avery.
When the woman was finally done helping Rory wash up, she used a towel to dry the girl's face before
hanging it up.
“Ms. Ery, will you please come live with us?” begged Zachary while hugging Avery's leg, trying to make
up for his mistake and get his father to stop glaring at him.
“You saw what it was like at my home, right? I don't want to go back there. However, if we stay here,
Daddy's going to starve us to death. Just look at how stern he always is with us!” Zachary continued to
plead with a pair of puppy-dog eyes.
After some thought, Avery squatted down to talk with Zachary. “I pass by here on my way to work every
day, so I'll just come over to cook and take you guys to school. How does that sound?”
Zachary was not satisfied with the suggestion but would rather not risk making things worse by pushing
his luck.
After dinner, Avery checked the time and realized it was time for her to leave.
Even though it was already midnight, Zachary could not sleep in his new room, so he went to the living
room and picked up the remote to open the curtains.
The boy then lay in front of the floor-to-ceiling window and frowned at the night view.
“Can't sleep?” asked Cayden when he found his son still awake. After lighting a cigarette, the man
threw his lighter onto the coffee table and sat on the balcony.
Zachary followed his father outside. “Daddy, are you mad?”
“Why would I be?” Cayden raised an eyebrow but did not turn to look at Zachary.
“Because Ms. Ery's not moving in to live with us,” answered Zachary like a grown-up. “You shouldn't be
selfish, Daddy. It's only reasonable that she doesn't want to move in. After all, why would she agree to
take care of someone as difficult as you are? Not to mention the fact that you have us in tow.”
I'm difficult?
Cayden finally turned around to give Zachary an annoyed look before uttering, “I guess I can't expect
someone who hasn't even started elementary school to be cultured.”
The boy could not believe that his father was calling him uncultured. I'm only two months away from
elementary school!
Zachary wanted to swallow his emotions, but just before he returned to his room, he decided to retort,
“I know you finished elementary school and made it into a well-known university with excellent results,
but you're almost thirty now, and you still haven't gotten yourself a wife! When I grow up, I'm going to
do much better than you!”
After that, Zachary rushed back into his room and locked the door, afraid his father would barge in to
teach him a lesson.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThe following morning, Nina offered to send Avery to the hospital.
“Are you really going to your boss' place to cook for his children? Fulfilling your duty as their
stepmother so soon?” teased Nina before Avery got out of the car.
Instead of responding to Nina, Avery simply lowered her head to unfasten her seatbelt.
“Come on, Ery. Give me something.” With one hand on the steering wheel, Nina smirked deviously at
Avery as she tried to pry for information. “Since you're so willing to take care of the children, I bet
you've made significant progress with them. What about their father? How are things between you two?
Have you guys done the deed yet?”
“What deed?” Avery played coy while opening the car door to hurry out.
“You know what I mean. Rolling in the hay!” Nina shouted at Avery, who was already making her way
into the hospital.
After seeing how Avery reacted, Nina gasped in realization. “Does that mean they actually did it? Then
she should've asked him to marry her as soon as possible!”
Avery gently pushed the door open and entered the ward where Leonardo was.
The man was more than glad to see his daughter.
“How are you feeling, Dad? I couldn't reach you on the phone.”
When Avery arrived, the caretaker immediately walked away to give the father and daughter the room.
Leonardo felt much better since he did not have to do anything but lie on the hospital bed idly. “Speak
of the devil. I just realized that my phone ran out of battery. It's charging now.”
Then, Avery pulled up a chair to listen to her father.
“Ery, you know they're going to demolish the old house in Livingsfill, right? I've already sent the
contract. All we have to do now is wait for the compensation to—” Before Leonardo could finish his
sentence, he started coughing.
Hence, Avery reached out to pat her father on the chest to help him feel better.
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