I rolled my eyes at her and said, "How is everyone lately?"
She explained, "My brother and sister-in-law have aged a lot. Without Anne's company, both of them would have died of boredom. You should let the bygones be bygones. Do you really want to be this stubborn? To drive everyone away and die a lonely soul?"
I pursed my lips and said no more.
The car stopped outside the Moore Family's villa. I was stunned for a moment, but I didn't think much about it and got off. Before I could react, Anne came running towards me and hugged me.
While she hugged me, she also kissed me, telling me how much she missed me.
Holding her in my embrace, I felt all my worries and tiredness disappear. Valerie and Pedro then came over. They were in their fifties, and I had not seen them for quite some time. So, they seemed to have aged a lot compared to before...
I looked at them and didn't know what to say. So, I just smiled.
Valerie looked at me with her loving smile. "Welcome home. It's great that you're back!
Come on, let's go inside!"
As she spoke, she pulled me into the villa. Perhaps Freya had informed them beforehand about my arrival, so they had asked the servants to prepare a grand feast.
Anne was a little over-excited. She should have been in bed by nine but she refused to. She wanted to remain in my arms the whole time. Valeria tried to pry her off gently a few times.
But Anne would not stay in her room for long and kept running back to me. She then climbed onto me and said softly, "Mom, can I sleep with you tonight? I want to sleep in your arms. I haven't slept with you for a long time. I miss you so much!"
Freya looked at me and asked, "Do you and Hendrix really not want any more children?"
I nodded and didn't continue with the topic.
After lounging for a while, night fell and Anna was fast asleep on my lap. Freya and Zachary brought Oliver upstairs to rest. Pedro had returned to his study since he had matters to settle.
Valerie looked at me and said, "It's getting late. As a woman, you should not stay up late as it is detrimental to your health. Go to your room and have a good rest. Anne hasn't seen you for a long time and she misses you so much. Take her to bed tonight!"
I nodded and carried Anne upstairs. The Moores' villa was huge and had three stories. The design and interior decoration were extremely modern. Clearly, it was a tasteful, luxurious home that was probably unattainable even if one had money.
"Your father had prepared this room ever since he knew of your existence. Andrea lived here before, so he was worried that you wouldn't want to stay here. Hence, he hired contractors to redesign it. However, after the renovation, he was afraid that you wouldn't like his design. Hence, he secretly asked Hendrix about your preferences. A few days ago, he took Anne to Hovell. He then asked Aaron to bring him to where you lived when you were a kid, to learn about your preferences."
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