Chapter 210 The Formal Introduction
The restaurant wasn't far, just a fifteen-minute cab ride away, so when Dorian and his parents arrived, Madison and her party had yet to reach it.
The server led them to a reserved private room, which was quite nice. It was situated on a high floor with large floor-to-ceiling windows offering a panoramic view of the river. Mrs. Sterling was immediately captivated by the view outside the window. "It's so beautiful here in Horizon City. The weather is pleasant, and the scenery is great. Honey, what do you say we move here?"
Upon hearing this, Mr. Sterling considered, "Our parents are still in Suncrest Heights. If you like it, we could come and stay for a while, especially since our daughter and her family are here."
"That's true. I could travel back and forth," Mrs. Sterling was not at all daunted by the prospect of traveling between places; she was actually looking forward to it.
The server came in, presented them with the menu, and asked them to start ordering.
Mrs. Sterling quickly asked Dorian to handle the order while she pulled Mr. Sterling over to the window for pictures. Dorian looked at the menu and shook his head. He started ordering the restaurant's signature dishes until the server reminded him to think about the number of people eating. The server suggested that what he ordered was sufficient and that they could finish with dessert.
"Alright, let's go with that," Dorian said, returning the menu to the server. "And bring us a bottle of red wine, too."
Just as Dorian finished placing the order, he received a call from Madison. "Hey, little sis, have you guys arrived?"
"Brother, we've just parked the car."
"Where at? I'll come down and get you."
"No need, we'll come up," Madison thought, remembering she already had the private room number, so there was no point in making him come down.
"Okay, then come on up. We've just finished ordering."
After hanging up the phone, Dorian reminded his parents, still taking photos, that "Madison and the others are down below. They'll be up shortly. My dearest Mom, have you finished taking pictures?"
Upon hearing they were about to arrive, Mrs. Sterling immediately became excited and slightly nervous, her hands unsure of where to rest. Mr. Sterling, noticing her tension, took her hands in his and offered silent strength before guiding her to sit down on a chair.
More than twenty years had passed since they last saw her, right after she was born. Now, their daughter was married and had a child of her own. Mrs. Sterling always felt guilty and sad, blaming herself for losing her child, even though it wasn't her fault. The baby was taken from the hospital by human traffickers. Despite having security footage from that time, it only showed a blurry figure of the trafficker, giving no other clues to follow.
Dorian, now a police officer, worked hard to find Madison but often came up empty. Meeting her in Horizon City was lucky, and he felt a strong bond with her, seeing his mother in her. Their determination paid off, leading to a long-awaited family reunion.
"Dorian, go check to see if they got lost." Mrs. Sterling, who had just sat down, fussed with her clothes and soon urged her son to go out and welcome them.
Obediently getting up, Dorian opened the private room door and walked to the entrance just in time to see Madison and her family coming out of the elevator, heading toward their room.
"Bro!" Madison called out as she saw Dorian standing at the private room entrance, waving for him to come over and greet him. Quentin and Hannah also shouted with all their might, "Dorian."
In the room, Mrs. Sterling and Mr. Sterling heard the noise and hurried to the entrance with excitement. Soon, everyone gathered around the doorway. Madison noticed two older people behind her brother and felt surprised. She tried to speak but found it challenging. Only the two young children blinked with curiosity, unsure how to greet the people behind Dorian.
Matthew stepped forward, wrapped his arm around Madison, and introduced them with poise, "Dad, Mom, hello. Quentin, Hannah, these are your grandparents," he said with elegance. Upon hearing Matthew, the two youngsters simultaneously chirped with bright smiles, "Hi, Grandpa! Hi, Grandma!"
The words' Grandpa' and 'Grandma' instantly brought tears to the elderly couple's eyes. They kept nodding and saying, "Good, that's wonderful." Mrs. Sterling even turned away to wipe her tears discreetly. Madison, seeing Mrs. Sterling, couldn't help but get emotional herself. This was her MatthewMom, and her brother was right—she really looked like Mom.
Seeing how the situation unfolded, Dorian hurried the group to sit in the private room before his mother could start an endless flow of tears. Quentin and Hannah immediately noticed the gifts on the side as they entered and ran over excitedly. "Dorian, are these for my brother and me?"
Hannah asked, tilting her head and picking up a doll. Dorian couldn't resist and swooped her up in a hug, kissing her cheek. He truly couldn't resist his adorable niece — with her delicate facial features, she looked just like a porcelain doll, and her baby voice was like something straight out of the 'irresistibly cute' series.
"Of course, it's for you, Hannah. Dorian and your grandparents didn't know what you'd like, so we'll take you shopping with us next time, okay?" Dorian hadn't realized how much softer his voice had gotten while talking to Hannah.
Quentin stood beside them, and Mr. Sterling took out a toy car and passed it to him, "Your name's Quentin, right? Do you like the toy car?" Quentin accepted the gift box from his grandfather and politely replied, "Quentin loves it. Thank you, Grandpa."
"No need to thank me; if you like it, Grandpa can take you to buy more another day." Mr. Sterling, despite his age, was moved to tears. He hadn't expected not only to find his son but also to have a grandson and granddaughter - both children raised so well, sensible and adorable.
At that moment, the server announced that the meal was ready to be served. Madison called the two young ones to put down their toys and wash their hands before taking their seats. The children ran pitter-patter into the private dining room's restroom to clean up.
The table for ten felt snug and warm. Food came swiftly, ordered in advance, offering tasty options. Mr. and Mrs. Sterling urged Madison and her group to try the dishes. With the two playful kids around, the dinner was full of laughter and activity, making the reunion feel like a casual family gathering.
Madison watched her parents being amused to fits of laughter by the children's innocent banter and thought to herself how right her brother was; her parents were indeed wonderful.
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