Chapter 910 Don't Hold So Tight
Trevor saw Donovan up early for once and teased, "Well, look who's up early today! Waiting for Ruby and Ethan to show up?"
Donovan's face soured, and he snapped, "Mind your own business."
"Alright, alright, my bad. I'll go check on breakfast," Trevor said with a grin as he headed to the kitchen. Donovan stood in the living room, feeling like he had just punched a pillow.
After breakfast, Donovan picked up a magazine and sat down. Toys started arriving at the door one after another. Every time the doorbell rang, Donovan couldn't help but glance towards the door.
To be honest, he wasn't mentally prepared to be a dad. Now, suddenly living together, he felt a mix of nervousness and a bit of anticipation.
Trevor was directing the delivery guys to bring things in. Seeing Donovan's eager look, he held back a laugh and said, "Donovan, it's just the delivery. It's still early."
Donovan pulled his gaze back and focused on his magazine, saying, "I'm waiting for the delivery."
Trevor didn't call him out on it. He led the delivery guys to the designated spots, signed the papers, and soon, all the local deliveries were in, including the installation workers.
Donovan had ordered a formaldehyde-free slide online, which could be installed indoors. The villa was spacious enough to accommodate it.
He had never raised a child and didn't know how to make one happy, so he bought everything he thought might be liked. He figured he'd see what Ethan liked and then buy more accordingly.
The workers spent two hours installing the slide. The colorful slide instantly made the living room bright and playful.
Trevor was particularly pleased. "Donovan, now it feels like a home. It's much warmer. It used to look so cold."
Donovan rolled his eyes, dismissing, "It's so colorful, like a kindergarten."
Trevor just smiled, knowing it wasn't wise to argue with Donovan at this moment. He said, "Kids these days are so lucky. They get to play on slides at home. We only had mud to play with."
Donovan's stern expression softened a bit. "They were born in a good time."
"Indeed."
They chatted for a while, but Ruby and Ethan still hadn't arrived. Donovan was getting restless. He frowned and asked, "Trevor, what time is it now?"
"Almost eleven. Should we start preparing lunch?" Trevor asked. "Ruby usually prepares lunch, but she hasn't come over yet. What should we do about lunch?"
Donovan lost his patience and abruptly stood up, heading outside. Trevor pretended to call after him, "Donovan, where are you going? Should I make lunch? I can whip something up."
Donovan ignored him, walked out of the villa, crossed the yard, and reached the gate. He saw Ruby dragging a suitcase, and Phoebe carrying a tearful Ethan.
He frowned and impatiently asked, "What's going on? Why is he crying like that? Did you hit him?"
Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Donovan, do you even know how to talk? If you can't, just shut up and take your son."
She then handed Ethan over to Donovan. Ethan stiffened and started wailing even louder.
Donovan had never held a child before. The soft, heavy bundle in his arms made him panic. Hearing Ethan's cries, he thought he was holding him wrong and hurting him.
He anxiously held him tighter. "Am I holding him wrong? Why is he crying so much? It's like I'm hurting him."
Phoebe silently cursed him, but couldn't help giving some advice. "Don't hold him so tight. Loosen up a bit."
Donovan's limbs were stiff, and he didn't know how to loosen up. Phoebe couldn't help but laugh at the sight.
Compared to this, Theodore adapted much faster. Hubert, Boris, and Noomi were younger than Ethan, but he never panicked like this.
Ethan struggled to get to Ruby, crying even harder as if Donovan's arms were made of needles.
Ruby had to put down her suitcase and take Ethan, soothing him gently.
Donovan's face darkened. He turned and walked back to the villa without a word. After a few steps, he instructed Trevor, "Take Ruby's luggage to the guest room."
"Yes, sir." Trevor watched him storm off and then turned to Ruby. "Don't mind him, Ruby. Donovan's just jealous."
Ruby stared blankly at Donovan's retreating figure, soothing Ethan. Her eyes dimmed. She knew Donovan didn't care about her, but his cold attitude still hurt.
Phoebe said, "I have to go to the office this afternoon. I'll leave you here. Try to get along with Donovan. If he bullies you, let me know, and I'll have my mom deal with him."
Ruby forced a smile. "Okay, drive safely."
"Go on in." Phoebe waved her off. Seeing Ethan still crying, she sighed. They say kids are sensitive. Ethan's rejection of Donovan must be because he sensed Donovan's attitude towards Ruby.
It seemed it would take time for this family to get along.
Phoebe went to the office in the afternoon. Lori brought her the meeting notes and said, "We have a lot of events coming up. We've received many invitations. You should go through them and decide which ones to attend. I'll respond to the rest."
Phoebe finished reading the meeting notes and set them aside. She picked up the stack of invitations, flipping through the elegant red and gold covers.
Most were from partner brands. Phoebe knew that attending one meant she couldn't skip the others. Otherwise, renewing contracts next year would be tough.
"Schedule them all. Whoever is the brand ambassador can attend with me. It's a good chance for them to get some exposure."
"There are so many, and some overlap. It's hard to schedule," Lori said, troubled.
Phoebe pursed her lips. "For overlapping ones, choose the big brands. You can attend the rest on my behalf, or send the ambassadors directly. Just make sure it's all arranged."
"Got it." Lori gathered the invitations. "This means you won't get off early until Christmas. That's tough."
"What can we do? Our company isn't big enough yet. We don't have stars like Evan and Patrick. No worries, in a few years, we'll have our award-winning actors," Phoebe said.
Lori said, "I think Noah and Claire have potential. Their shows are wrapping up. They should be back for the company party before Christmas."
Phoebe nodded. "Yes, I'm not worried about them. I'm worried about our future talent."
"Phoebe, we've signed several promising actors recently. With some grooming, they'll be the backbone of Superstar Entertainment," Lori reassured her.
Phoebe's eyes were thoughtful. "In this industry, some people just have that star quality but never make it big. It's all about fate. If it's meant to be, it will be."
Lori laughed. "You must be exhausted. You're talking like this. When I first met you in Canada, you told me, 'I control my fate, not the heavens.'"
"Get out, get out," Phoebe pretended to shoo her away. "Go work. If you keep talking, it'll be dark soon."
Lori left with a smile.
Phoebe thought about what she had just said and couldn't help but smile. She had become more sentimental lately. This had to change!
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