Chapter 361 Shouldn't I Have Come Back?
<Chapter>Chapter 361 Shouldn't I Have Come Back? </Chapter>
"Girls like sweets, right?" Ethan casually picked up a lollipop from the table, unwrapped it, and handed it to Abella.
She took a bite and said, "Thanks, Ethan. It's really sweet."
"Miss Abella, you're back? Mr. Ethan had flowers planted on your balcony. They're beautiful. You should take a look."
Ethan had heard about his elder brother planting flowers on their sister's balcony and had done the same. However, when Abella went up, she found that the flowers Ethan had people plant were hanging in layers on her railing, perfectly blocking the view of the flowers his elder brother had planted earlier...
This childish act made Abella chuckle.
From the living room, Mrs. Medici's voice came, "Why did you come back alone? Where's your sister?"
"Where's Abella? Why didn't she come back with you?" Mr. Medici also asked, "Is she still at school? How could you leave her there alone?"
As Abella turned to go downstairs, she sensed that watchful presence again.
This time, she was certain. It wasn't her imagination. Someone was definitely spying on them!
"Check the front of the house for anyone lurking around," she messaged her people, then went downstairs.
"Abella!" Mrs. Medici exclaimed happily upon seeing her, "Come on, the food's ready! I made three dishes tonight!"
"I made three dishes, too! Come and tell us what you think!"
Ethan stood aside, puzzled.
His parents cook?
He was, for the first time, realizing that his parents could actually cook...
"Where's Phillipe? Why didn't he come back with you?" Mrs. Medici inquired.
"He got held up with something. We don't have to wait for him." Once Abella was seated, a servant approached to serve her some soup.
Ethan hurriedly offered, "I'll do it."
He ladled soup for his sister and dished out some rice, then passed her the fork.
"Abella, which dish would you like?" Ethan was ready to serve her some food.
"Go for my dish, of course! I just learned how to make shrimp scampi today! You've got to try it!" Mrs. Medici insisted.
Mr. Medici chimed in, "My three dishes are pretty good too. Have a taste of these first."
"What now, you're competing with me?"
"Not at all, not at all. Let our daughter try your dish first, then mine." Mr. Medici's desire to please his wife was palpable.
Suddenly, a voice exclaimed, "Miss Lola, you're back?"
Mrs. Medici looked in the direction of the voice and saw Lola standing not far away, still in her military uniform.
Mrs. Medici rose, slightly taken aback, "Lola, what brings you back?"
"What, shouldn't I be here?" Lola seemed a bit downcast and flustered.
Mrs. Medici quickly approached her, clarifying, "No, no... I mean, weren't you in military training?"
"I heard Ethan was back and wanted to check in... Isn't sister also supposed to be in training?" Lola implied her sister had also returned.
Lola cast a glance over the harmonious family gathering, biting her lip, "It's alright if there's no meal set for me. I just wanted to see Ethan. A quick visit, and I'll be on my way..."
"What, as if our home could run short of food?" Mr. Medici also stood up and walked towards her with a smile, patting her shoulder, "Drills must be tiring, right? Come on, join us for dinner."
He explained further, "Your brother Ethan came back unexpectedly and didn't mention it in advance. We thought you were busy with drills and didn’t want to bother you... Abella ran into Ethan at school..."
Lola was clearly unconvinced. She thought, “Yeah, right.”
She thought, “Ethan works in the Department of Homeland Security. Even if he came back on short notice, he wouldn't visit Abella at her school instead of me!”
After all, Lola and Ethan had been together for eighteen years, and Abella had just come back a few days ago.
“Dad's lies were getting out of hand. Did they really think I was a child to be so easily fooled?” Lola thought.
However, sharp-eyed Mrs. Medici suddenly turned to Maria, "Did you tell Lola?"
"Miss Lola always asks about Mr. Ethan, and when he came back today, I just slipped up in the excitement and said nothing..." Maria admitted, deliberately bowing her head, "I apologize, ma'am. It was all my fault."
Mrs. Medici thought, “...”
“It was as if I didn't want Lola to see Ethan!” she thought.
"Lola's back?" Ethan, seeing his other sister, didn't show any favoritism but warmly invited, "Come, let's eat."
"Ethan, you're finally back! It's been months since we last saw each other... I've missed you so much!" Lola approached Ethan, her eyes instantly welling up with tears, looking vulnerably hurt.
"Do people your age still cry out of the blue?" Ethan chuckled, pulling out a chair for her, "I’ve been swamped with work, but now that Abella's back too, I promise I'll make it home whenever I can."
The servant bowed slightly as he offered Lola her cutlery, "Miss Lola, here are your utensils."
Catching sight of the things in the living room, Lola couldn't help asking, "Ethan, did you buy those for me?"
Before Ethan left the house the last time, he had mentioned he'd bring her a gift upon his return.
Glancing guiltily at the living room, Ethan admitted, "No, I didn't."
"What?"
"They're for Abella."
The light in Lola's eyes dimmed, and she said nothing further.
"What do you like? I'll pick something up for you next time," Ethan offered.
He hadn't thought of Lola at all while shopping for gifts, having never bought anything for Abella before today.
Lola smiled sympathetically and said, "It's okay. Given that sister just got home, it makes sense to shower her with gifts."
Lola’s words only intensified Ethan's guilt.
Lola's gaze drifted back to Abella, and she couldn't resist complimenting, "Sister, your skin is still so fair. Look at me, I've gotten so tan! The sunscreen Blake bought you must have worked wonders... I'll have to ask him what brand he got you..."
Her comment was meant to remind everyone that Blake purchased things only for Abella, completely forgetting her.
Besides, Ethan also forgot about her today...
“Each time they claimed to treat me as their own, their actions spoke volumes about their favoritism.” Lola thought.
"I didn't use any sunscreen Blake bought," Abella suddenly interjected.
Disbelieving, Lola wondered how it was possible to not tan without sunscreen after training outdoors for so long.
"I just don't tan," Abella confessed honestly.
Lola was speechless.
The ever-tactful Lauren chimed in with a smile, "Abella's just blessed with great skin, just like Mrs. Medici!"
"That's exactly it—my skin never gets tan. If it does, it returns to normal after a few days," Mrs. Medici shared with a laugh.
"So, it's genetics..." Lola's thick lashes drooped, betraying a sense of alienation from the family.
The mood became awkward once more, but then a voice broke the silence, "Sorry, I'm late."
It was Phillipe!
Lola’s spirits lifted visibly. Phillipe came for dinner too?
"Phillipe, all set with your work?" Mr. Medici personally brought over a chair, "Come join us. We were just about to start dinner..."
He took the chair to Lola’s side and said, “Lola, stand up and give your seat to Phillipe.”
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
