Samuel had a fondness for shrimp. Jessica smiled lovingly and said, “Okay, let’s get some.”
“I want some too!” Simona chimed in, always eager to follow her brother’s lead. It didn’t matter if she actually liked shrimp or not; as long as her brother wanted it, she did too.
“Alrighty then, let’s get some,” Jessica replied, accustomed to Simona’s behavior.
Coral looked at Samuel and then at Simona, who was speaking. Her eyes widened. How could these two children have such angelic faces? Their eyes were so bright, much like Matthew’s when he was a boy.
“When it comes to shrimp, I know exactly which stall sells the best,” Coral approached them and looked at the two kids. “They are…”
Jessica wasn’t surprised by the attention from strangers. Whenever she took the two kids out, people would often stare or even strike up a conversation with them.
She had grown used to it.
“They’re my grandchildren,” Jessica proudly stated.
“They’re absolutely adorable,” Coral couldn’t tear her eyes away from the two kids. They were simply charming.
Jessica smiled. It was true. These two kids were her reason for living. Taking care of them for her daughter was her lifelong duty, and it also brought her immense happiness.
“Hello, Madame,” Samuel spoke with a mouthful of honey.
“Hello to you too,” Coral reached out to ruffle his hair. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Samuel Flores.”
“That’s a lovely name,” Coral thought to herself. This child not only looked adorable but also had a beautiful name.
“Madame, why don’t you ask me?” Simona pouted slightly. She looked at Coral, blinking her eyes.
Coral had asked her brother but not her. Was it because she wasn’t as pretty as her brother?
“It’s your turn now,” Coral said, smiling. This kid was so endearing. She was so young and already felt jealous of her brother.
“What’s your name?” Coral smiled and asked her.
“I’m Simona Flores. My brother and I both inherited our mother’s surname,” Simona replied, pleased.
Coral froze. They both inherited their mother’s surname?
“You mentioned knowing which stall has the freshest shrimp. Which one is it?” Jessica interrupted Coral’s further inquiries. Normally, children inherited their father’s surname. So as soon as people heard that they inherited their mother’s surname, they would start asking about their family.
Jessica didn’t like others prying into their family matters.
“Oh,” Coral pointed to a nearby place, “That one. Come on, I’ll show you. I’m a regular customer. They won’t overcharge me.”
Coral led the way, brimming with enthusiasm, and Jessica pushed the cart, following her.
When they arrived at the stall, Coral greeted the shopkeeper, “Are today’s shrimp fresh?”
“Of course. Take a look,” the shopkeeper scooped out some shrimp using a net. They were lively, jumping around, and full of life.
“You’re a regular customer. This isn’t the first time you’re buying shrimp from me. You know if it’s fresh,” the talkative shopkeeper said. “If you want to buy shrimp, I’ll give you the best price. How about 48 RMB per 500g? For anyone else, I wouldn’t go lower than 60 RMB per 500g.”
“I’ll take 1. 15kg, then,” Coral spoke crisply. The card Matthew had given her had unlimited credit.
She had money.
Coral only bought shrimp from this particular shopkeeper and knew he wouldn’t cheat her.
“1. 15kg should be…” the shopkeeper began.
“110. 4,” Samuel quickly answered before the shopkeeper could punch the numbers into the calculator.
The shopkeeper froze and pressed the “equals” button on the calculator, confirming Samuel’s precise answer.
“How old are you, little boy? You’re so smart,” the shopkeeper smiled. It was the first time he had encountered such an adorable and clever boy.
“I’m five years old,” Samuel replied, unaffected by the shopkeeper’s praise. The mathematics involved in the question were too simple for him.
The shopkeeper handed the shrimp to Coral. “Is he your relative? Who has the blessing of raising such an exceptional child?”
Coral took the shrimp but wasn’t pleased with the shopkeeper’s remark. After all, this adorable child wasn’t her relative.
Her face darkened, and she handed the shopkeeper the money. “Here.”
The storekeeper maintained a smile and remained calm.
Coral, clutching the bag of shrimp, handed it to Jessica. “Here you go.”
Jessica immediately waved her hand. “We can’t accept this. I can buy it myself.”
“It’s nothing valuable. I’m giving it to you because your grandchildren are so adorable. If it were someone else, I wouldn’t be so generous,” Coral insisted, placing the shrimp in their shopping cart in a way that couldn’t be refused.
“We really can’t accept this,” Jessica reached for the shrimp in the cart, intending to return it to Coral. But just then, Simona unexpectedly said, “Thank you, Madame.”
Jessica’s expression froze.
This child!
“You’re welcome,” Coral replied, delighted by Simona’s soft and sweet voice.
After Simona’s gratitude, Jessica couldn’t refuse any longer. She mustered a grateful smile and said, “You’re so kind. Thank you.”
Coral waved her hand dismissively. “No need. It’s not necessary.”
“We still need to get a few more things. We should go now,” Jessica suggested.
“Okay.”
Coral gazed at Samuel, wanting to spend more time and interact with the two kids. However, they were children from another family, and this was their first meeting. She had already been quite hospitable. If she proposed to accompany them upstairs, they might mistake her for a human trafficker and feel disgusted.
She let out a sigh.
Thoughts of Matthew, whom she had cared for since he was a young boy, flooded her mind. Since his divorce, he hadn’t remarried. He was now in his thirties without a wife or even a child.
Her face darkened. If he hadn’t gotten divorced, he might have a child by now.
After all, Dolores was already pregnant back then.
Matthew was responsible for everything.
He reaped what he sowed.
In the end, he lost everything. He ended up alone without a wife or child.
Coral was no longer in the mood to shop. There were still cooking ingredients at home, and Matthew might not return today. So she headed back and left the market.
Observing Coral returning empty-handed, the driver turned to her and asked, “Aren’t you buying anything?”
Coral responded with a tinge of sadness, “I’ve lost interest. Let’s head back.”
The driver remained silent.
Coral arrived back at the villa. The house was vast and empty, lacking vibrancy.
The villa no longer felt like a home, as there was no hostess or children present.
Coral entered with her empty bag and placed it on the table. She sighed repeatedly. Recalling Samuel’s appearance, Coral walked to the table and opened a drawer, retrieving a picture from it. The photo depicted a young Matthew.
Matthew disliked having his picture taken, so this was the only photograph from his childhood.
Coral scrutinized the picture closely, pondering Samuel’s striking resemblance to the little boy in the photo.
They looked nearly identical.
How could two unrelated individuals resemble each other so much?
Matthew was the sole heir of the Nelson family. His mother only gave birth to one child, which was Matthew. Later, Jayden Nelson remarried, but they didn’t have any more children.
Therefore, Matthew had no siblings.
Hence, Samuel couldn’t possibly be a relative of Matthew.
Was it truly possible for two unrelated people to bear such a striking resemblance?
Lost in her thoughts, Coral didn’t even hear the doorbell.
Matthew discarded his jacket and approached Coral, curious about what had captivated her attention to the extent of ignoring the doorbell.
She hadn’t even noticed someone entering the house and approaching her.
Noticing the picture she was fixated on, Matthew raised an eyebrow. “Why are you looking at this?”
Surprised, Coral glanced at him, emerging from her daze. “I saw two children today, and they looked nearly identical to you when you were a boy.”
Coral emphasized the words “the” and “same.”