Chapter 678 Landon, long time no see!
When Landon heard Caitlyn's name, he was caught off guard for a moment. After a long pause, he forced a smile and said, "It's good that she's back."
Right then, Phoebe's ashes were being buried.
The sun was shining brightly, casting a heavy shadow on the tombstone. Her photo on the stone showed a young and beautiful woman. With her death, all the bad memories of her life had disappeared, and Landon no longer felt any resentment towards her.
Little Katelyn held Landon's hand. She bent down and looked at the beautiful Phoebe on the tombstone. Phoebe was a stranger to her. People said Phoebe was her mother, but if that was true, why didn't Phoebe live with her and Landon?
The long ceremony finally ended.
Landon bent down to pick up Katelyn, kissed her, and gently pressed her little head against his shoulder. He didn't say anything, just holding her close.
She was indeed Phoebe's child with another man, but Landon loved her very much.
He had looked into Katelyn's biological father, who was a college student, very good-looking, and he had even checked the man's health report up to three generations back to make sure there were no hereditary diseases.
At that moment, Katelyn also hugged Landon.
Nearby, Kingsley and Amara were dressed in black, each with a small white flower pinned to their chest. Amara was quite sad.
Kingsley, on the other hand, looked at Landon and Katelyn, shaking his head slightly. From the little girl's name, Katelyn, he could tell that she was Landon's only hope!
He thought Landon was quite cowardly. Back then, Kingsley's mother got married, so Landon couldn't be a homewrecker, and his mother didn't like him. Now that Caitlyn wasn't married, why couldn't they be together?
Kingsley thought, 'Just raising Katelyn with such dedication! Useless!'
He turned his head and saw Amara's eyes were moist, so he put his arm around her shoulder.
After the funeral, everything felt even more desolate.
Landon took Katelyn back to Phoebe's villa, which he hadn't visited in almost two years since he last left.
Unexpectedly, everything was as it was.
The servants who stayed there saw Landon return and couldn't help but approach, probably afraid of being dismissed, so their attitude was very apprehensive. "Mr. Carter!"
Landon nodded slightly and put the child down, saying, "Take Katelyn to the little garden to play for a while. I'll go upstairs."
The servant couldn't gauge his thoughts from his expression. She wanted to pick up Katelyn, but Katelyn wouldn't let her, twisting her little body and looking at Landon with tears in her eyes. She called out, "Daddy!"
Landon's heart softened immediately, and he bent down to pick her up and walked upstairs.
When they reached the main bedroom on the second floor, Landon pushed the door open. It was very clean inside, so clean that it didn't look like anyone lived there. He had heard that Phoebe rarely came home in the past six months.
It was Katelyn's first time here, and she was very curious.
Landon put her down and said softly, "Play by yourself for a while!"
Katelyn was very well-behaved.
Landon's eyes drifted upward, settling on the wedding photo that hung by the bed. He quietly stared at it for a while, then reached out to take it down and dusted it off. He then took out a pair of wedding rings from his pocket.
After Phoebe passed away, he had taken her ring off her finger. Since there was no love, she should be free after her death and not bear his surname. And he didn't want to be entangled with her anymore.
Landon quietly stared at the rings when a knock came from the door, and the servant's voice sounded, "Mr. Carter, a secretary named Cherie Smith is here to see you!"
"Let her in," Landon said. The door opened, and his secretary from Boston walked in.
Katelyn was put down and happily ran over. Cherie reached out to touch her little head and said, "Your daddy has important things to do; you play by yourself for a while."
Cherie turned her full attention to Landon, her expression shifting to one of professional concern. "Mr. Carter, is there something you need?"
Landon's voice was steady as he pointed to the wedding rings and the photo he had just taken down, "Take care of these and also handle the sale of this villa as soon as possible."
Cherie knew their marriage wasn't great, so she wasn't surprised. She just hesitated and asked, "What about the servants here? Do you want to take them to the city?"
Landon was very decisive and responded, "They haven't taken care of Katelyn, she's not used to them. Give them some money and let them go."
Cherie nodded and said, "Okay, I'll handle it as best as I can."
After giving instructions, Landon squatted down and said to Katelyn, "Come to Daddy!"
Hearing this, Katelyn wobbled over.
Landon bent one knee to let Katelyn sit comfortably, and then he gently asked, "We're going to Seattle soon; are you happy?"
Katelyn's eyes widened as she lifted her little head and asked, "Are there pretty puppies in Seattle?"
Landon said, "Yes! Lots of pretty puppies, daddy will buy you one."
Katelyn leaned into his neck, feeling very warm. She said, "If there are puppies, I'll go."
Cherie watched from the side and couldn't help but smile slightly. She thought, 'Katelyn is very close to Landon.'
An hour later, at Boston International Airport, a private jet took off.
Kingsley and Amara were also traveling with them.
Kingsley poured himself a glass of brandy, smiling charmingly. He said, "Mr. Carter really knows how to enjoy life."
Landon couldn't stand him and said, "Don't act like you can't afford it."
Kingsley, seeing that Katelyn wasn't around, spoke without reservation, "I was just being considerate of your feelings and chose to be low-key. I didn't expect you to be even more high-profile than me!"
Landon said to Amara, "How do you put up with him being so sarcastic?"
Kingsley still smiled charmingly and responded, "Everyone's ideal partner is different."
Their bickering was a regular occurrence, so Amara grabbed a blanket and went into the lounge to sleep, not wanting to deal with it.
Inside, Dione and Katelyn were playing happily together. The two little girls, both around two or three years old, got along very well. When Amara came in, Katelyn respectfully greeted her.
Then she asked for Snowflake, "I want Snowflake! Mrs. Hawkins, can I play with Snowflake for a few days?"
Dione, a few months younger, immediately started crying. "Snowflake is mine!"
Seeing this, Amara couldn't help but laugh. The two little girls, both pampered by their fathers, argued fiercely over Snowflake's custody, with tears and snot flying, so the two hours were far from boring.
The plane landed at Seattle Airport.
The two families went their separate ways. Later, Amara heard that Katelyn cried for half an hour in the car because she couldn't have Snowflake.
Kingsley drove home to a quiet villa at three in the afternoon. As soon as Dione got out of the car, she ran to find Snowflake. The poor giant poodle, half-asleep with droopy eyes, was tightly hugged by Dione.
Dione murmured, "Snowflake, you have to stay with me and Jesse forever."
Amara and Kingsley exchanged a glance.
Kingsley found it amusing. Dione looked like him, but her personality was like Sienna and Chloe, a typical Hawkins family daughter, carefree.
Amara said softly, "I'll coax her to take a nap; she hasn't slept all afternoon."
Kingsley nodded, craving a cigarette. "You take her for a nap," he said, "I'll go have a smoke and then head to the office."
Amara felt a bit sorry for him, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed his chin, murmuring, "Come back early tonight."
With no servants around, Kingsley spoke less formally, his voice hoarse. "Didn't satisfy you last night?"
His tone became more suggestive. "I'll make it up to you tonight!"
He whispered something quite explicit in her ear.
However, Amara didn't mind; after all, they were married, and she considered it part of their intimacy. She used her slender fingers to straighten his shirt and said, "Go and come back soon."
Kingsley looked at her deeply for a while.
Amara then went to coax Dione, who was willing to sleep but wanted to hold her beloved Snowflake. Amara found it both amusing but agreed.
As they went upstairs, Kingsley lingered at the foot of them for a moment, pulling out a cigarette and taking a couple of deep, satisfying puffs. A few years ago, he had a heavy smoking habit.
However, in the past two years, with Dione around, he smoked much less, only indulging when he couldn't resist. As he exhaled thin gray smoke, he looked up at the second floor.
Thinking of Amara and Dione, Kingsley chuckled softly, stubbed out the cigarette, and crushed it underfoot. As he got into his car, the luxurious black vehicle quickly drove away.
Amara hadn't rested well for several days and ended up sleeping until 6:30 in the evening, waking up with a start, only to find there was no one beside her—not even the dog.
Amara patted her face and murmured, "How did I sleep so long?"
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps came from the door, a child and a dog.
Dione, wearing a floral dress, had a wary look on her pretty little face. She half-hugged Snowflake and shouted from the bedside, "Katelyn came to steal the dog!"
Hearing this, Amara was slightly stunned.
Dione put her hands on her hips, her voice clear and crisp. "Her dad brought her over for dinner, but Mom, I think she just came to steal the dog."
Amara propped herself up and touched her face. "They're here as guests."
"Really?" Dione asked again, and once she was sure Snowflake wouldn't be taken away, she got excited. "Katelyn's dress is so pretty. I've never seen one like it! But I have Snowflake, and she doesn't! Mom, will she come over to play often from now on?" she asked.
Amara smiled and nodded. "Probably!"
Dione was delighted and said, "Dad is cooking himself! He said to wake you up! He also said if you don't get up, there won't be any reward tonight!"
Amara was exasperated and thought, 'How on earth does Kingsley teach the child?'
She quickly freshened up and went downstairs.
Sure enough, Landon had brought Katelyn over. After some persuasion from Landon, Katelyn no longer yearned for Snowflake as much. She raised her little head and said, "My future dog will be named Cola!"
Hearing this, Dione made a funny face. The children played and quarreled, while the adults just smiled indulgently as they watched them. Amara discussed some business matters with Landon.
After a while, Kingsley brought out a dish.
Just as they were about to start eating, a white BMW slowly stopped at the villa entrance. The person who got out was none other than Caitlyn, carrying a bouquet and some children's toys, including a very nice picture book for Jesse.
Amara saw her from the hall and was surprised. It wasn't that she didn't want to see Caitlyn, but why did she come suddenly, especially with Landon here! They hadn't seen each other for three years, right?
Kingsley placed the last dish of prawns and looked at Amara with a calm smile. "I invited her. Why, do you have a problem? Aren't you usually the closest to her?" he said.
Amara couldn't help but look at Landon who seemed calm, but having been his confidante for years, Amara could tell he was actually tense, just controlling his emotions well. And his eyes couldn't lie!
Amara sighed softly, getting up to greet Caitlyn, almost embarrassed to look at her shocked face.
The flowers scattered on the ground, with the toys and the picture book unavoidable.
Compared to Landon's calmness, Caitlyn felt she was too out of control. She really hadn't expected that just after she returned to Seattle and he lost his wife, they would meet so soon.
She squatted down, hurriedly picking up the items.
Amara squatted down too, trying to explain. "Caitlyn, I didn't know... it was Kingsley's idea."
Caitlyn understood her and knew Kingsley well enough to know he meant no harm, but she really couldn't handle this kindness. Her fingers trembled almost uncontrollably, and after a long time, she softly said, "I'll come back another day."
Amara didn't want her to feel too embarrassed. She grabbed Caitlyn's hand and whispered, "Don't go! Mr. Carter has moved the headquarters to Seattle, so we'll see each other often. Caitlyn, if you don't want to lose face, just have dinner gracefully. If you want to cry, I'll be there for you later."
Caitlyn's eyes were teary. "Amara!"
Amara gently patted her arm. It was hard, but she thought Caitlyn could do it. Just then, a tall figure approached, followed by another.
Landon picked up a rose and handed it to Caitlyn, and Katelyn placed the toy in her hand, her voice sweet. "Miss, you dropped your things!"
Caitlyn's whole body trembled. She looked down, her gaze almost unable to move away. She saw a very beautiful little girl, so small and cute. She thought, 'She is Landon's child with Phoebe!'
Caitlyn always thought she wasn't a magnanimous person. She would even hold grudges against a child.
But the little girl in front of her was so thin and small, pure and cute, looking at her so directly, and gently said, "Miss, my name is Katelyn! Katelyn Carter!"
At this moment, Caitlyn had already stood up. Listening to Katelyn, she felt her fingers tremble even more. Landon had named his child as Katelyn.
She looked into Landon's deep eyes, his gaze deep and hard to read, like the gentleness she knew and his usual habit... Caitlyn suddenly felt like crying, and even more, she felt it was ironic.
Her voice was so low. "Mr. Carter, why pretend to be affectionate."
After saying that, she felt it was pointless. She tried to speak gracefully, "Like Mr. Carter, I'm here as a guest."
Landon's emotions were much more stable, and he didn't explain anything to her. He looked down at Katelyn's disappointed face, probably because Caitlyn didn't pay attention to her.
Landon bent down to pick her up, gently stroking her little head. He said, "In time, Ms. Robinson will like you."
Katelyn leaned into Landon's arms. She was always pampered, and for the first time, she showed a timid expression.
Caitlyn resolutely didn't look at her, but she despised herself for it, arguing with a child.
Fortunately, Kingsley came over, standing at the entrance with a faint smile. "Catching up! During dinner, Mr. Carter and Caitlyn can have a good chat! It seems like you haven't seen each other for years!"
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