Amber’s slender and beautiful body trembled.
Despite her efforts in putting up a strong front, she could not hold down the tears welling up in her eyes at this moment.
“I carried you for 9 months in my belly and gave birth to you, mum can read you like a book.”
With a soft expression, Rosie gently stroked a few strands of hair out of Amber’s face, tucking the hair behind her ears, “I can tell that something is bothering you. If you don’t feel like confiding, I won’t force you; if you feel like crying, let me hug you.”
Her mother’s gentle and loving whispers finally broke Amber’s containment.
She sank into her mother’s arms, tears rolling down her face.
Rosie embraced her daughter gently in her arms. Love and tenderness were written all over her face, her heart aching within, she caressed her daughter’s back softly.
The room reverberated with Amber’s sobs.
Right at this moment, Rosie’s mobile phone lit up, it was a WeChat text from her husband.
“What’s the matter with our daughter?”
“Oh, you noticed it too?” Rosie continued to comfort her daughter, replying to the text message at the same time.
“Needless to say! She’s the apple of our eyes, as her dad, I can tell from her reactions. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have agreed so readily earlier on.”
Rosie smiled to herself, replying to the message.
“She and Jack are now married. If she doesn’t want to share, we shouldn’t probe too much.”
“She continues keeping to herself, what if she suffers a breakdown?”
“If we meddle too much, it may get too exhausting for the young couple.”
Rosie sent off her last reply and put down her mobile phone, ignoring her husband’s concerns for the moment.
She was well-aware that Steve absolutely adored his daughter. Nevertheless, it was clear to her, this was not the time to interfere.
Frictions, clashes, and sad feelings in a marriage were unavoidable.
What could originally be solved between a couple, might eventually get too complicated and out of hand for the couple, if another family came into the mix.
In the end, Amber still did not confide in Rosie.
Fatigued from crying her heart’s out, Amber dozed off in her mother’s embrace.
The whole night passed without a single word exchanged.
The next day, early in the morning, Jack came through the door.
Having had a sleepless night, tiredness was etched on his face, dark circles around his eyes were slightly visible.
By the time he got downstairs, Amber was already having breakfast together with her parents.
“Hubby, I would like to go out with dad and mum today.” Amber suddenly announced cheerfully.
Jack was taken aback for an instant, he had not seen Amber smile for a few days by now.
These few short days felt to him like a few long years.
“Alright, let Brent and Ms. Hill accompany you later.” Jack nodded in agreement.
“Okay.”
After breakfast, Amber and her parents began their departure from the villa.
Jack watched the car drove out the villa, his face showed an expression of complex emotions.
Mr. Ward walked up to Jack and softly urged, “Young master, grab the opportune time and explain clearly to young madam. It hurts me deeply to watch Mrs. Hughes suffer like that.”
“And I’m not hurting?” Jack broke into a bitter and heartbreaking smile.
Jack rubbed his tired face to perk up and headed out to go to the office.
Seawater Mountain.
It was a natural scenic area in the vicinity of this city suburb.
Up in the mountain, the air was fresh and crisp, the scenery was beautiful to behold.
During the week, many hikers would climb up the mountain to enjoy the splendid panorama. On the weekends, the place would draw even more visitors.
The Rolls Royce pulled up at the roadside.
After getting out the car, Amber held her parents’ hands and asked cheerily, “Dad, mum, you haven’t come to Seawater Mountain for a long time already, have you?”
“It’s been many years.”
Steve heaved a sigh, glancing down at his overweight body unconsciously, he hesitated, “Amber, you really want me to hike up the mountain?”
“Exactly.” Amber beamed sweetly.
Rosie pinched her husband’s arm, “What a daddy you are, your daughter wishes to hike up the mountain, and you are turning her down because of your belly? Seawater Mountain is not steep at all, just take it as a chance for you to lose weight.”
“Okay, okay, okay.”
Steve drew in a breath of cool air, grimaced and agreed to the challenge.
Brent and Ms. Daisy Hill tagged behind the trio, watching the family treading merrily towards the mountain.
Brent shook his head in helplessness, “It is so hard to watch Mrs. Hughes suffer like that.”
“I really don’t know how her thin and frail body can withstand this.” Daisy concurred achingly.
A misunderstanding.
Everyone was aware that it was a misunderstanding.
However, Amber could not see clearly beyond her circumstances, thus, what she had to endure was way more than anyone could imagine.
Despite all that, she still managed to put up a brave front for her parents, pretending as if nothing had happened. This was especially distressing for both Brent and Daisy.
Just as the five of them were heading for the top of the mountain.
In the middle of the way.
“Grandpa, Jack Hughes and his family were completely out of line, what are we still waiting for? Isn’t it better to just leave now? You seem to take it very well. After all that humiliation, you’re still in the mood to come hiking, even delaying our return to the Grand Freemasons.”
Rena Yales grumbled while she trekked along.
Seawater Mountain was not steep, very suitable for a physical work out. Hiking up this mountain was light exercise and quite easy for her.
However, when her thoughts floated back to the incident at the Hughes, Rena felt infuriated.
Fancy that the Grandmaster of the Grand Freemasons, the Lieutenant of the Grand Freemasons, coming personally to your home to offer a sincere apology, should it not be a huge honour?
Yet on the contrary, they were actually being driven away by the mere servants of Jack Hughes, and the servants even intimidated them.
Rena had never felt so humiliated in her life before.
“Oh, Rena, there are things you don’t understand.”
Carlos Juan Yales smiled calmly as he watched Rena fuming in anger. He charmed, “Your character is so outspoken and upright, you need to change, otherwise you’ll suffer in future.”
“Whoever lets me suffer, I’ll not let that person off!”
Rena, like a fierce, little tiger, punched her fists forcefully in the air.
Carlos shook his head. It was futile trying to persuade her, he and the entire clan of Grand Freemasons had indulged her since she was young.
Carlos felt disappointed that he did not get to see Jack the day before.
Jack just joined the Grand Freemasons; it was most critical to establish a good relationship right now.
If they were to depart right away and left things as they were, then it did not matter anymore whether Jack had been roped into the Grand Freemasons.
That was the reason why Carlos decided to postpone their departure, spending a few days longer, to have one more proper meeting with Jack before returning to the Grand Freemasons.
In order to while away the time they had on their hands, he decided to let Rena choose a nearby scenic spot, where they could enjoy themselves.
“Grandpa, I heard that many chrysanthemum plants grow in the Seawater Mountain. It’s the chrysanthemum blossom season now, it must be exceptionally beautiful.” Rena mentioned out of the blue.
“Chrysanthemums?”
Carlos smacked his lips, gasped, “That’s right, this is the season, the timing is just right.”
Grandfather and granddaughter quickened their footsteps towards the mountain.
In the mountain.
Amber appeared to be rather cheerful, her face glowing with smiles all the while.
Steve and Rosie were delighted. However, they threw each other glances from time to time, sharing their secret mutual understanding of the other person’s inner worries.
Their daughter was pretending to be happy; the couple was also hiding their gloominess.
No one was willing to expose this compassionate, white lie.
Brent and Daisy, following closely behind, observed the dynamics between the parents and daughter, their anguish was indescribable.
“Dad, mum, we’re almost at the peak. The mountain has chrysanthemums blossoming everywhere right now, it must be gorgeous.”
Amber pulled her parents along, as she hastened her pace in excitement.
Steve was startled, “Oh, my darling daughter, slow down, you are pregnant with a baby.”
Instead of slowing down, Amber quickened her pace still further.
Shortly after, the party of five arrived at the peak of the mountain.
As far as one could see, the mountain was covered with a thick carpet of chrysanthemum blossoms, the flower fragrance lingered in the mountain air.
Even though it was still rather early in the morning, there were already many people playing in the flowers, enjoying the scenery and snapping photos.
The family of trio let out a loud “wow”, overwhelmed by the stunning scenery right before their eyes.
But alas, right at this moment.
An old voice rang like a shot in the air.
“Awaiting the arrival of autumn, hundreds of flower will fade while I am in full bloom.”
Through the low and quiet recital, one could sense an air of formidable oppression.
Upon hearing this ringing old voice.
The smile on Amber’s face was wiped away immediately.
The colours were drained from Daisy’s face, she grabbed Brent’s arm.
She whispered heavily, “Brent, something is going to happen.”