Evelyn nodded. She had to admit Alexander had a point. The hardest thing to understand was the human heart. And the hardest thing to satisfy was also the human heart. But she never imagined things would turn out this way.
"You're mean," Evelyn said, pinching Alexander's arm as punishment. "You deliberately left me hanging." "Why didn't you just say it clearly?"
"I did say it clearly," Alexander replied with a grin. "Didn't I tell you the whole story from start to finish?"
"No, you only said half of it." "I thought you really weren't Dad's son."
Alexander chuckled. "Were you worried I'd lose my share of the Sterling family fortune?" "Or that I wouldn't be CEO anymore?"
Evelyn rolled her eyes and refused to answer.
Alexander smiled, wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and let out a soft sigh.
"Evelyn, our future kids don't have to be brilliant." "But they must have good character."
Evelyn turned her head, confused.
"At least they won't hurt each other over money," Alexander added, looking at her.
Evelyn nodded in agreement.
"It's easy to be content." "But if you're never satisfied, no amount of money will make you happy."
"What about you?" Alexander asked, smiling. "Are you happy?"
"My last name is Vance, not Happy," Evelyn teased. "It's late. I'm going to bed." "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."
She stretched and walked away.
Alexander watched her go, his smile growing wider. He once read an article that said a woman was the blessing of a family. Whether a family thrived or not depended on the wife. It showed how important it was to marry the right woman.
The next morning, Evelyn knitted a scarf in a daze. She thought about what Alexander had told her last night. Honestly, she felt like he was telling her a fairy tale. How else could such a dramatic story exist?
First, there was a child who wasn't favored by his family. Then, he became the one who didn't care about them. Audrey and Scarlett were different from their mother. Evelyn had heard gossip about it before. Rumors were floating around outside. But seeing how the sisters and brother got along, they didn't seem distant or estranged. So Evelyn never believed those rumors.
Now she realized she was too naive. Everyone could act. It was just a matter of skill. And her skill was too shallow to see through it.
She sighed. Then immediately shushed herself. She couldn't sigh casually now. If Lily heard her, she'd think Evelyn was depressed. Then Lily would try to cheer her up.
Before, when Evelyn stayed at her mother's house, she thought her mother was too fussy. Now, staying at home, she thought Lily was just as fussy. They were all people who cared about her. They were afraid of not taking good care of her. So they paid extra attention to her every move. They were scared she might miss something.
Thinking about it this way, she was blessed without knowing it.
"Lily! Lily—"
"Yes, ma'am?" Lily came out of the kitchen.
"Are you almost done?"
"I'll finish your work first, ma'am."
"I don't have anything special to do. I just want to go see Mother in the main house. If you're done, we can go together," Evelyn said.
"Then I'll accompany you to the main house first," Lily replied.
"It's okay, I'm not in a hurry. We'll go after you're finished."
"Alright, I'll go change," Evelyn said.
Evelyn, accompanied by Lily, walked to the main house. Old Mrs. Sterling had just finished her health routine. Chloe pushed her out of the bedroom.
"Mother—" Evelyn called.
"Evelyn, you're here," Mrs. Sterling waved.
"I came to have tea with you," Evelyn said with a smile.
"Perfect timing. I asked the cook to make some pastries this morning. You like them. What a coincidence!" Mrs. Sterling said.
"That shows we're on the same wavelength. I knew you'd ask the cook to prepare something delicious, so I rushed over," Evelyn replied with a smile.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law walked into the sunroom, chatting and laughing. Chloe helped Mrs. Sterling settle down, then served tea. Evelyn couldn't drink tea because she was pregnant. Chloe had prepared a hot drink for her.
"Mother, have you been feeling better lately?" Evelyn asked.
"Much better. Maybe in a while, I can walk by myself," Mrs. Sterling replied with a smile.
"That's great! But, Mother, take your time. Don't rush. If you feel bored, I'll walk with you in the garden until you're fully recovered," Evelyn said gently.
"I'm not in a hurry. At my age, every day is a bonus."
"Mother, you can't think like that. You're not old at all. I read a news article today. It said an old lady started studying in her forties. Now, in her seventies, she's doing scientific research," Evelyn encouraged her mother-in-law.
Mrs. Sterling was a bit surprised.
"You mean I should go back to school now and try to do research in the future?"
"No, Mother. I mean you're not old enough to have the idea of just living day by day. We're still young. We have to love life. We can do a lot of things!"
"Evelyn, I find you're getting better and better at being a mother," Mrs. Sterling said with a smile.
"Huh?" Evelyn was both confused and embarrassed.
"You're coaxing me like I'm a three-year-old," Mrs. Sterling continued.
Evelyn blushed.
"But I like it very much. People say that when you get old, sometimes you act like a child. You need to be coaxed. You made me very happy. It's like I suddenly have strength. You said I'm not old. I said I'm not old. I'm quite old, but if I really want to do something, I can still do a lot!" Mrs. Sterling sighed with a smile.
"That's right!" Evelyn smiled too. "Mother, you're still the chairman of the Sterling Group!"
Mrs. Sterling was even happier at Evelyn's reminder.
"That's true!"
Then the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law burst out laughing.
Pastries, scented tea, and a hot drink specially prepared for Evelyn arrived. Mrs. Sterling urged Evelyn to eat more. Evelyn nodded and asked her mother-in-law to eat first. She took a piece of pastry for her mother-in-law, then tasted one herself. She wasn't being polite.
Mrs. Sterling ate the pastry and looked at Evelyn from time to time. A smile was on her face.