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Winifred brought breakfast today: a cup of oatmeal milk and an omelet. She hadn’t had a chance to eat yet since she’d been in meetings all morning.
Lumina Studio had landed two big design contracts, and the heads of two women’s fashion brands were at the office. Nathan called her into his office, and by noon, they went out for lunch with the two clients.
Winifred wasn’t a big fan of business lunches, and she ended up having a couple of drinks. By the end of the day, she hadn’t eaten much.
Around four in the afternoon, she got a call from the teacher saying her daughter had gotten into a fight with a boy. She quickly asked for leave and rushed to the school.
All she had eaten was a greasy slice of pizza.
Winifred’s face turned pale, and she felt a bit shaky as she crouched down. She’d had low blood sugar ever since giving birth to her daughter.
Her head was spinning, and her vision was a bit blurry.
She could vaguely hear her daughter’s voice. Gripping Rosalind’s hand tightly, she tried to calm her down. She’d be fine in a moment.
Suddenly, a hand reached around from behind her and wrapped around her waist, pulling her forward.
Winifred’s vision blurred even more. She squinted and instinctively grabbed the fabric of the person’s shirt.
When she looked up, she saw a defined face with a prominent nose and smooth lines along his chin. The dizziness slowly faded away, and she could feel his cold aura.
She stared at his face.
As Humbert opened the car door and helped her into the back seat, she was struck by how close his face was to hers. It made her hold her breath.
She noticed his long eyelashes, and only from this close could she see a tiny black mole at the corner of his eye, giving his gaze an overwhelming depth.
It reminded her of the first time Claire had woken up in his arms, also at such a close distance, when she noticed the little black mole on his eyelid.
When she was most attracted, she used to boldly reach out and touch it.
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Humbert pulled a piece of chocolate from the glove compartment, unwrapped it, and offered
it to her.
Leonard
got
in the car with Rosalind. “Mom, are you okay?” she asked with concern.
As Winifred savored the sweet yet slightly bitter chocolate, she nodded and touched Rosalind’s cheek, saying, “I’m fine.”
The car started up. Winifred pulled on the door handle, and the sound of the door locking was unusually loud in the quiet space.
She wanted to get out.
“I was just dealing with low blood sugar earlier; I’m fine now. Thank you,” Winifred said.
Humbert raised his eyes and glanced at her through the rearview mirror. Winifred still looked pale, her long hair falling over her shoulders, and there was a hint of stubbornness in her eyes.
He kept driving, resting his hands on the steering wheel. “I’m taking you both home.”
Leonard struggled to fasten his seatbelt with his chubby hands. “Ms. Nelson, let you both home.”
“Thanks, Dr. Pierce,” Rosalind chimed in.
Winifred looked at Humbert’s profile. “It’s not on the way.”
The Pierce residence and where she lived were in opposite directions.
my
uncle take
Humbert gazed into her clear yet defiant eyes, and that familiar feeling washed over him again.
No therapist could fix what he was dealing with; it was like battling his inner demons.
Through the rearview mirror, he studied her eyes, his voice deepening as he pressed down on the gas pedal. “Whether it’s on the way or not, I’ll decide that.”
Winifred always knew that Humbert wasn’t the cold, aloof type people thought he was.
Back in her freshman year, she saw him walking out of the arcade with a cigarette between his lips. He stood in the evening breeze, tapping the ash off.
Dressed in a white school uniform with the top button done up, he looked as neat as someone on a podium during an award ceremony.
But behind him were those privileged kids, joking around. “Humbert, wanna play games all night?”
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Chapter 27
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Beneath his cool exterior was a hint of arrogance.
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He could silence everyone with his straight–A grades; no one would think of him as a kid who skipped class to binge at an arcade. He was the ideal student in all the teachers‘ eyes.
Winifred leaned back in her seat, letting herself relax. The chocolate melted completely on her tongue.
But in this cramped space, though her dizziness had lessened, she still felt a wave of nausea.
The air was filled with a subtle scent of high–end cologne, mixed with the smell of leather
seats.
She frowned slightly.
Suddenly, the window next to her rolled down a few inches. A gentle breeze came in, refreshing her and shaking off some of her dizziness.
She couldn’t help but glance at him.
Humbert was focused on the road ahead, one hand on the steering wheel. He was still wearing that unique, upscale watch he seemed to love–the same brand he gave her seven years ago.
Throughout the ride, Leonard babbled away, filling the car with his cheerful energy. Kids had such a simple and joyful world.
Winifred watched Leonard’s bowl cut, chubby cheeks, and big eyes, and she found him especially cute.
If her son hadn’t died, he would be this age now.
He was Rosalind’s brother. Unfortunately, he had suffocated at birth due to the lack of oxygen, and despite attempts to save him, it was all in vain.
For six years, Winifred had been busy with life and seemed to have forgotten, but deep down, she knew she could never really forget those ten months of pregnancy.
She hadn’t even been able to see his face. She slipped into unconsciousness, and after she woke up, she was informed that she had given birth to twins, but the boy passed away just 26 minutes after entering this world.
Humbert caught sight of Winifred’s sudden change in expression in the rearview mirror.
He reached over and gently tapped Leonard, who was jabbering away in the passenger seat.
Leonard, naturally an optimistic kid, thought that the worst thing that happened today wasn’t getting hurt by a girl but that Humbert had drunk his orange juice.
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Humbert figured Leonard was making too much noise with his phone. He didn’t want to disturb Winifred, so he told him to keep it down.
When they reached the Newman Estate on Wisteria Road, Winifred got out of the car and thanked Humbert.
Leonard looked at a nearby seafood diner along the street. “Uncle, does that place have good food? It looks delicious.” He was drawn in by the tantalizing aroma, his eyes lighting up.
Rosalind responded, “That’s a seafood diner. It’s delicious. My mom and I go there often.”
“Uncle, you haven’t had dinner yet, right? Grandma said you eat irregularly and that skipping dinner can give you a stomachache,” Leonard said.
“Didn’t you just eat pizza? Are you still hungry?” Humbert shot back, noticing Leonard’s round little belly.
Leonard ignored him and turned to grab Winifred’s hand. His big eyes were gleaming. “Ms. Nelson, the seafood boil at your place smells amazing! You eat it often, right? It can’t be junk food.”
Winifred smiled at his adorable, food–craving face. She couldn’t help but pat his head. “Yeah. It’s very healthy.”
Leonard reached out to Humbert, signaling him to lean down.
Humbert leaned against the front of the car, giving a lazy glance but not looking down.
“Uncle!” Leonard jumped up and exclaimed.
“What?” Humbert replied.
Leonard’s cheeks flushed, and he lowered his voice. “Could you lend me some money?”
“Don’t you have any money in your wallet?” Humbert asked.
“Uncle Humbert, keep it down,” Leonard whispered.
‘Don’t make me embarrassed,’ Leonard thought.
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Chapter 28
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.
