At RedQueen, Noah sat stiffly in her chair, occasionally glancing at the woman who had been glaring at her since she entered the office that morning. Beatrice's intense stare felt like it could bore a hole through her head and suck her brain out.
Noah shuddered at the thought, unsure of what she had done to earn such animosity.
Rachel noticed the stare and slid her chair closer to Noah, whispering, “Did you hear? Hallie made Beatrice do the reports for the same files she gave you.”
Noah was shocked. “What? But that pervert… I mean, Mr. Spencer told me those reports were useless.”
Rachel shrugged and grinned. “She’s been working on those reports for two days. Did she really think those eyeshadows would hide her panda eyes?” She giggled.
Noah shushed her and told her to return to her seat. She glanced at Beatrice again, who was still glaring at her.
She should write the reports instead of wasting time glaring at me, Noah thought.
But she was sure that it was all that pervert's doing.
“At least he has a conscience,” she muttered to herself, ignoring Beatrice and focusing on her work.
Meanwhile, Beatrice seethed with anger. She recalled the day Hallie had summoned her to the office.
She knocked on Hallie's cabin door and entered with a full smile when she heard a faint "come in." Hallie had been working at RedQueen for the past three years, and Beatrice knew about her special connection with the CEO. She was aware that Hallie was Hardin Spencer’s grandmother.
Beatrice didn’t know why Hallie had called her, but she hoped to gain her approval and, eventually, a place in the Spencer family. Hallie’s experienced eyes saw through Beatrice’s ambitions and sneered internally.
Did she think she could hide her greedy thoughts from someone who had walked the dark paths of the world? Still, Hallie maintained her professional smile.
“Beatrice, isn’t it? I’ve heard you’re quite talented from Chris, and I have a special task for you.”
Beatrice beamed with happiness and immediately nodded. “Of course, Mrs. Hallie. I’m glad to be of use.”
“Of course you will be. After all, you’re an employee of RedQueen. Only talented individuals survive here. Let’s see how talented you are.”
Hallie gestured towards a pile of files on her desk. Beatrice was shocked at the stack, her lips forming a thin line. But she couldn’t disappoint her superior, so she stiffly moved towards the files and carried them in her arms. When she looked at the folder names, her eyes widened.
It was the same file she had told the new intern to do the reports on. How did it end up in Hallie’s hands? She was confused.
"But... but Mrs. Hallie, these files are from ten years ago. Our company no longer invests in these games and characters. Writing a report on them will be useless," Beatrice replied, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Hmm, so if you're aware of this, may I know why you told the newbie to do the same work?" Hallie asked, her eyes narrowing.
"That... that, I thought she could understand our company’s current technology if she studied the past records," Beatrice said nervously.
"Is that so? Then make sure you read every file clearly and write a detailed report on it. It will broaden your horizon. Take it as if I am personally training you for a bigger project. You may leave now," Hallie said coldly, turning her gaze back to the monitor before her.
Beatrice's body shook with anger as she bit her lip until it bled. She knew she couldn't do anything about it. It was all Noah's fault. If not for her complaining to Hallie, how would she have found out about the reports?
Noah! I will make sure you regret this.
Back in the present, Beatrice slammed her hand on the table, catching a few stares in her direction.
"What?" she snapped, and the people immediately diverted their attention from her.
Beatrice turned back to her reports, seething with anger.
Two days passed, and the carnival at Aiden’s academy approached. Alex, excited for his grandson's performance, prepared everything meticulously: a big basket containing fruits in case Aiden got tired from running, a medical kit for any injuries, warm water for a sore throat, even a diaper just in case, and last Aiden's favorite fruit jelly cake from Pakpao’s shop.
Siren’s eyes twitched at the sight. But it didn’t end there. Sam also had a basket of his own. Siren gave a blank look at Ruth, who simply shrugged his shoulders and calmly ruffled Sam’s head.
Raven had not been home for two days, and Siren didn’t contact him, knowing that he would leave a message if he was free. Considering that he hadn’t, she assumed his work was important and decided against texting him.
Ruth drove the car to the academy with Alex, Sam, and Siren.
When they reached the academy, a large crowd had assembled. As it was an inter-school carnival, students from many schools were present along with staff and parents. The entire academy was bustling with joy, and students from the social committee organized the event and guided the guests inside.
When they entered the venue, they saw Conan and Amber already there. Conan greeted them and handed over a gift he had prepared for his granddaughter-in-law. Alex scoffed when his eyes fell on a large basket, double the size of his own, being carried by Conan’s butler.
Amber couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of the three baskets in everyone's hands.
Ron and Jerome, now admitted to the Imperial Academy, were also participating in various competitions. Amber accompanied Conan, while Daniel mentioned he would try to come in the evening, fully aware he would face a good amount of scolding from his wife if he failed to make it.
The sports events were scheduled during the day, with stage performances pushed to the night. The first event of the day was the track event for juniors. Aiden, standing at the starting line, looked around for his family. His eyes immediately fell on his grandfather Alex and uncle Sam at the end of the track, holding confetti in their hands.
Embarrassed, he quickly averted his eyes and scanned the sidelines for his mother.
Spotting her, he smiled and waved enthusiastically while shouting, "Mommy!" His call attracted quite a bit of attention from the people around, who observed how much the young master of the Grey family adored his new stepmother.
Siren smiled and waved back.
After a while, the event started, and with the whistle, the participants began to run. Aiden's physique had improved recently from exercising along with his mother in the early mornings. He gave his best effort and finished in second place.
Alex and Sam, with tears in their eyes, popped confetti to celebrate his first victory. Others rolled their eyes at their exuberance, but they didn’t mind. Alex caught Aiden in his arms while Sam wiped the sweat from his face.
Amber felt her chest swell with happiness. Raven had lost his parents at birth. It was her who had taken care of him, along with Conan, watching him grow into a mature man who upheld their family legacy.
Aiden was an unexpected blessing for the Grey family. Even Raven was initially shocked to learn he had a son, and Amber had feared he wouldn't be able to care for Aiden properly. However, he had done an excellent job as a father for the past four years.
Due to Daniel’s job, Amber and her son hadn’t been able to stay in one place and missed many of Aiden’s days . Aiden had grown up mostly around Raven and his grandfather Conan. The little boy was serious and calm for his age, but everything changed when Siren became his mother.
He now had a normal family, smiled often, and behaved like a child his age should. Amber smiled and sighed with happiness as she watched Aiden munch on the fruit jelly cake fed by Sam.
“Happy?” Conan asked, noticing his granddaughter's smile.
“Yes, very,” Amber replied, her eyes moist with joy.
“Siren not only became his mother but brought along a family for Aiden," Amber said softly.
"Hm, true," Conan agreed and they fell silent, watching Aiden chatting and laughing with Siren.
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