Chapter 249
The moment Maxine said it, she instantly regretted it. But Sebastian was already lying down beside her, so it was too late to take it back. Left with no choice, she turned over and thought, ‘If I can’t see him, maybe I won’t feel so bothered.
Perhaps it was the warm glow from Sebastian’s bedside lamp that dispelled the darkness and eased her fears, or maybe just having someone sleeping beside her brought her comfort. Either way, Maxine didn’t have any more nightmares for the rest of the night.
By the time she woke up, it was already past nine in the morning.
She walked into the living room to find both of them had already left, but the familiar thermal bag was still sitting on the table as usual.
“Maybe living with Sebastian and Brian wouldn’t be so bad,” Maxine mused as she sipped her oatmeal. But then, catching herself, she gave her cheek a light slap. “Focus!” she scolded herself internally.
She couldn’t afford to dwell on this. The lawsuit was her top priority now.
As Maxine sat on the couch scrolling through Hamlin’s case documents online, her phone suddenly lit up with a video call from someone she hadn’t heard from in ages.
As soon as the call connected, a familiar face popped up on the screen, Vivian Bernard, lounging in a bikini with a sunhat perched on her head, adjusting her pink sunglasses. “Max, when are you coming back? Christmas break has been over for ages now!” she called out.
Maxine smiled and said, “Just a few loose ends to tie up, should be wrapped up in a month or so.”
Vivian took off her sunglasses with a sigh and gave her a helpless look. “What took you so long? Did you run into any trouble?”
Vivian shrugged casually and said, “No worries! I was actually planning a vacation to Hatholand anyway, might as well swing by and give you a hand.”
“Vivian, really, it’s okay, I can handle it. Just a minor thing,” Maxine said with a resigned sigh.
“No,” Vivian declared firmly, “I’ve made up my mind, visa’s done, ticket’s bought. In a week, at Capital Airport, if I don’t see you there…”
Maxine chuckled, “Or what?”
Vivian chuckled softly, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “You’ll come pick me up, Max. I know you too well.”
Maxine finally couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Alright then, just remember to send me your flight details later.”
Vivian blew her a kiss through the screen and said, “Alright, gotta go now!”
After the video call ended, a small smile played on Maxine’s lips. Vivian was a friend she had met abroad, more precisely, someone she’d gotten to know during her hospital stay.
Vivian’s daughter was just a few years younger than Maxine. When she had appendicitis surgery at Maxine’s hospital, Jessic struggling with the language, was sometimes bullied by local kids. That was when Vivian stepped in.
to the place and
Although Urban had already arranged for Jessica to enroll in a local school, the nanny he hired was primarily responsible for taking care of Maxine, so Jessica sometimes ended up being overlooked.
Jessica was walking back to her hospital ward with her backpack when she encountered a group of bullies.
“You are gross! Get out of our country!” one of the boys yelled angrily at Jessica.
Though Jessica couldn’t understand their words, the hostility in their expressions was unmistakable.
Disoriented in a strange place, afraid that Maxine might leave her just like her mother did, and now bullied by these unfamiliar kids, all of Jessica’s pent-
up frustration suddenly exploded. Without thinking, she hurled her backpack at them and shouted, “Get away from me! You meanies!”
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Chapter 249
The backpack hit the boy square in the chest, and he immediately burst into tears.
AD
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
