A week later, they flew back to Ithaca Town from Paris.
Recently, they had been having frequent sex.
One night, just as Andrew and Isabella were entangled with each other, there was a knock on the door from outside the room.
Isabella hurriedly pushed him away, got out of bed, and quickly went to open the door.
Standing outside were Amelia and Asher.
Asher, dressed in cartoon pajamas and holding a stuffed toy, pouted slightly, looking so adorable it melted everyone’s hearts.
Amelia looked helpless and said, “Asher was crying and fussing, insisting on sleeping with you two.”
“Oh, okay,” Isabella smiled as she brought Asher into the room.
Andrew is sitting on the bed, looked at his son with a somewhat helpless expression.
“Daddy,” Asher said, climbing onto the bed with his small arms and legs, hugging Andrew’s neck and giving him a kiss. Then, he unceremoniously crawled under the covers.
Andrew: “…”
He felt it was necessary to have a good talk with his son. As a little man almost thirty months old, it was inappropriate to always cling to his parents’ room.
“Asher,” Andrew began to say, but Isabella interrupted him.
“Whatever you have to say, do it tomorrow. Let’s go to bed early. We have a flight to catch in the morning. What if Asher can’t get up?” Isabella also got into bed, lying on the other side of the child.
Asher, wrapped in the blanket, placed his slightly cold feet directly on Andrew’s stomach, and his small hands unconsciously slipped inside Isabella’s neckline.
The little wolf cub lay contentedly between his parents, closing his eyes. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he felt his hand being grabbed and moved away from the soft spot. Asher unhappily struggled a few times, put his hand back, and then it was moved again. After several attempts, the little guy finally got angry and started crying loudly, feeling extremely aggrieved.
“Asher, be good, don’t cry,” Isabella hurriedly hugged the child and comforted him, glaring angrily at Andrew. “Andrew, is this really necessary?”
Andrew: “…”
Clearly, the little brat was invading his territory, yet he ended up being the one getting scolded.
Asher cried for a while before falling asleep in Isabella’s arms.
Isabella placed the child back on the bed, keeping herself and Asher far away from Andrew, deliberately maintaining a distance from him.
That night, Andrew felt particularly frustrated while sleeping.
A week later, Isabella followed Andrew, carrying large bags, as they entered the Harris family estate.
Whenever they returned, the Harris family was bustling with activity. The sofas in the living room were packed with people. Mrs. Ada and Aria sat on one side of the sofa, while Idris rarely accompanied Aria, trying to please her.
Victoria and Caleb sat on the other side, with Emily squeezed next to Victoria. Although she had just gotten married, she looked full of resentment.
Since Charlotte had been kicked out, Elowen had become the de facto mistress, accompanying David in and out.
“Isabella and Andrew are back! Your grandmother and father have been eagerly waiting for you all morning. They even specially instructed the kitchen to prepare all your favorite dishes,” Elowen said, instructing the servants to take the bags from them, smiling attentively.
“Thank you for the trouble, Grandma and Dad,” Isabella replied with a forced smile, linking arms with Andrew as they sat down on one of the sofas.
Caleb and Andrew, being old acquaintances, quickly struck up a conversation. Idris, trying to join in with a forced smile, managed to engage in some conversation with Andrew.
Victoria, being sensible, warmly greeted Isabella and pulled Emily along with her. Aria sat beside Mrs. Ada, maintaining an aloof demeanor, and did not take the initiative to speak to Isabella.
When Isabella greeted Mrs. Ada, she also greeted Aria in passing. Aria responded indifferently, her chin practically pointing to the sky. Isabella found it baffling.
The living room was crowded and noisy, giving Isabella a headache. She asked, “Where is Ava?”
“Ava knew you were coming back and insisted on cooking herself. She’s busy in the kitchen,” Elowen answered with a smile.
“Then I’ll go to the kitchen to give Ava a hand,” Isabella said and headed straight to the kitchen.
Ava and Lily were both busy in the kitchen. When they saw Isabella come in, Ava quickly pulled her aside.
“Ma’am, why did you come in here? The kitchen is full of smoke. What if it chokes you?”
“It’s okay, don’t worry about it,” Isabella said, holding Ava’s hand with a bright smile.
Ava looked her up and down, then asked with a smile, “Is Andrew treating you well? Are his family members easy to get along with?”
“They’re all fine, really,” Isabella replied, skirting the issue.
“Really? Don’t just brush me off. I’ve heard that in prestigious families like the Four Great Families, human relationships can be very complex. They’re all wolves in sheep’s clothing. You need to be careful,” Ava warned her.
Isabella could only manage an awkward laugh in response.
“Auntie, stop worrying so much. Haven’t you seen how Andrew treats Miss like she’s his treasure? He wouldn’t let her suffer any grievance!” Lily pulled Isabella over. “Miss finally comes back, so you should talk about something important.”
To Lily, important matters meant gossip about the Harris family. She grabbed Isabella’s hand and began chattering about Emily’s marriage.
“Emily is about to marry her boyfriend, Stellan Clark, but she’s unhappy with the marriage arrangements made by the Clark family. She’s been making a fuss, insisting on having the wedding abroad, or she won’t get married. Stellan had no choice but to discuss it with his family. Mrs. Clark, however, is very strict and even came over personally to scold Emily.”
Thinking of the commotion that day, Lily couldn’t help but laugh with a hint of schadenfreude.