Chapter 208 Grandpa Sterling Knows
Madison wiped the kids' sweat with a tissue and offered one to Matthew as he got close. When no one took it right away, Madison turned with a puzzled look, only to see the man looking at her with a playful sparkle in his eyes. "You help me wipe," he said.
With a playful glare, Madison pulled out a tissue and gently wiped Matthew's forehead. Under the sunny sky, the two exchanged glances, both absolutely radiant.
On the side, Quentin and Hannah covered their mouths to conceal their giggles. Grandpa Sterling and Uncle Liam quickly called them in for a meal, eager not to disturb the moment.
At dinner, Valerie served lots of favorite soups, including a special mango pudding for Quentin and Hannah. She's starting to cook more like Madison, who enjoys spicy food, so there were always spicy dishes for Matthew, too. This was different from Madison's first visit when there wasn't any spicy food. Madison deeply respected and appreciated Grandpa Sterling.
William suddenly asked Madison, "Madison, I just heard something from Hannah. What was it?" Madison quickly jumped in to explain, revealing to Grandpa Sterling that she had just found out about her biological parents and brother the previous night. "My brother had done a DNA test without telling me, and just last night, he showed me the results. My parents came to Horizon City today, and tonight Matthew, the kids, and I are going to have dinner with them."
Delighted, William repeated several exclamations of "good," "Too good! Madison has relatives, and Grandpa Sterling is surely pleased to know this. When you see your parents tonight, ask if they'd like to join us for a meal sometime if it's convenient for them."
"Okay, Grandpa Sterling." Madison knew Grandpa Sterling was offering his support. She was still determining how her parents would react to the invitation, which indicated she had someone to lean on. Indeed, Grandpa Sterling treated her just as if she were his granddaughter.
After dinner, everyone settled into the living room for a chat, but it wasn't long before Hannah, still brimming with enthusiasm from just learning how clamored to go rollerblading. Matthew, unable to resist her charming pleading, took both kids out for fun.
Grandpa Sterling called Madison into the study. Atop a bookshelf was a wooden box, and he asked Madison to fetch it. She tiptoed to get the box down and placed it on the desk.
"Open it up and have a look," Grandpa Sterling said.
Madison carefully opened the wooden box lid to find a scroll inside. With a nod from Grandpa Sterling, she gingerly picked it up and unfurled it on the desk. "Take this painting with you to dinner tonight, and give it to your parents as a small token of my goodwill," Grandpa Sterling offered.
Madison hurriedly declined the costly-looking gift, wondering how she could accept it. Even if she were to buy something for her parents, it should be with her own money. "Grandpa Sterling, I can't take this. It would help if you kept it; it's too valuable," she said.
Grandpa Sterling spoke with strong determination, "You must take it!" Then he walked over to Madison's side. "You know, you've been through so much hardship since you were little, and now that you've found your family, I'm just so happy for you. You have to take this. Consider it a token of my support for you. If they treat you well, that's wonderful, but just in case... anyway, take it. I insist. I have no use for it; it's all meant for you."
"Thank you, Grandpa Sterling." The old man's good intentions deeply moved Madison.
"Madison, there's something else I need to ask you," Grandpa Sterling said, suddenly serious.
"What is it, Grandpa Sterling?" Madison asked.
"Is Matthew hiding something from me?"
It seemed Grandpa Sterling was hard to fool. Madison sighed softly and recounted how Matthew went abroad to investigate his parents' deaths, which led to his injury and memory loss.
"Grandpa Sterling, don't worry. It's all in the past now, and Matthew is still alive," Madison comforted him, worried that he might have trouble coming to terms with it.
"Good girl, I'm fine. I've been restless recently, with Matthew saying he was on a business trip and you telling me you couldn't contact him. It's been weighing on my mind. But he's back now, and that's all that matters."
"I'm sorry, Grandpa Sterling, for making you worry. After the explosion, when there was no news of Matthew, I didn't dare to tell you," Madison recalled how desperate she had felt when she heard the news that Matthew's fate was uncertain after the explosion.
"Foolish child. Providence is kind; it spared me the agony of enduring another great loss," Grandpa Sterling said with emotion. Thinking about Matthew's current condition, he asked, "Have you seen a doctor? What did they say? Can he recover his memory?"
After examining the situation, they found that the brain clot, likely from the explosion, was pressing on the nerves. The doctor didn't advise surgery. He said that someday, with stimulation or as the clot dissolves, memories might return suddenly. Currently, there are no physical health issues; everything is fine. Madison explained in detail how to prevent older people from worrying unnecessarily.
"Thanks for all your hard work, Madison. If it weren't for you, Grandpa Sterling might not have his grandson anymore."
"It's what I should do, Grandpa Sterling. Matthew is my husband, the children's Matthew. We can't afford to lose him."
"Good girl, go see them now. Grandpa Sterling needs to rest."
"Of course, Grandpa Sterling."
Madison nodded with a smile. Before leaving, Grandpa Sterling insisted on giving her a framed painting. Unable to refuse, she accepted, saying, "Thank you, Grandpa Sterling."
"Go on," Grandpa Sterling said, his face showing a kind smile as he waved her off.
Madison watched Grandpa Sterling return to his room before taking the painting downstairs.
She passed through the kitchen just as Matthew came in to get a drink for the little ones. Showing off the item in her hand, she proudly said, "Grandpa Sterling gave me a gift for my parents."
Matthew smiled, put down the water bottle, and unrolled the canvas. He was momentarily surprised, then raised an eyebrow and looked closer. "Wow, Grandpa Sterling must've splurged."
"Is it really expensive?" Madison leaned in, a bit worried. "I said he should keep it. It's too valuable."
"It's not too pricey. I saw a painting by the same artist auctioned online; it was in the six-figure range." Matthew chuckled, then carefully stored the painting.
Madison's eyes widened. "That... that's so expensive!" She had thought it would be worth a few hundred thousand at most, knowing Grandpa Sterling's collection wouldn't be cheap, but she hadn't expected it to be in the six-figure range. "What should we do? It's too much. Maybe I should return it to Grandpa Sterling, and we can get something less expensive?"
Matthew stopped her as she moved to go upstairs, pulling her into an embrace. "Grandpa Sterling is already napping. He wanted you to have it, so keep it. Don't worry, your husband is well-off. Besides, it's all in the family now."
Madison turned red at his words, flustered by the gesture and the comforting embrace.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
