Chapter 988 Grand Reunion
The storm surrounding the Cunningham Group had finally calmed. William's death had cleared the suspicion from everyone else, as he had taken all the blame upon himself, minimizing the damage to the Cunningham family.
"Where on earth have they gone? The wedding is tomorrow!" Cordelia fretted, overwhelmed with preparations while Edgar, Edward, and Nolan were nowhere to be found. She could understand Edgar being irresponsible, but Nolan too?
"They aren't worried, so why should we be?" Arnold smiled as he helped Cordelia inflate balloons, the house already festive with decorations.
The children had decided to hold a collective wedding ceremony in Emberlyn, where Arnold owned an estate. The house wasn't even fully decorated yet, and they had disappeared—not one of them reliable.
"You're always taking their side," Cordelia shot Arnold a disapproving glance.
Arnold quickly defended himself. "I wouldn't dare. I just don't want you to worry."
Evelina and Alex were busy looking after the children, overwhelmed by the number of little ones running around.
Cordelia smiled as she watched Evelina playing with the kids. "This must be what it feels like when the hard times are finally over."
Arnold looked at Cordelia tenderly. "May the future outshine the past."
Life offered plenty of room for mistakes; there was no point dwelling on the past. The future would only get better.
"Mom!" Fiona called out.
Fiona arrived with Ryan. She had once run away from marriage, but Ryan had won her over in no time.
After that, Fiona became very clingy—she only felt safe when Ryan was around.
Cordelia beamed when she saw Fiona, rushing forward. "You must be exhausted from the flight. Come inside."
Ryan handed their child to Cordelia with a smile. "Thanks for watching the baby, Mom. Jasmine and my sister want us to come over to try on the wedding outfits and rehearse."
Cordelia took Ryan and Fiona's daughter in her arms, nodding. "Go ahead."
Fiona and Ryan had a daughter named Wilhelmina, born in Muskow. Fiona had chosen the name, insisting it sounded beautiful. Ryan couldn't understand the appeal but knew better than to argue.
Wilhelmina was a well-behaved little girl who fell fast asleep in Cordelia's arms, exhausted from the flight.
Arnold chuckled. "Wilhelmina's the only well-behaved child in our family. The rest are always bouncing off the walls."
"Who said anything about 'our' family?" Cordelia gave Arnold a pointed look, finding his presumption shameless.
"I see I still have work to do," Arnold sighed.
Cordelia turned away with a smile, carrying the baby inside to let her sleep properly.
Meanwhile, the wedding was set on the beach. With so many couples participating in the collective ceremony, they needed an outdoor venue.
Ethan carried Jasmine on his back as they walked along the shore, while Betty and Richard playfully splashed each other with seawater.
Ryan had arrived late after finishing his work, and Edgar's group immediately demanded gifts from him.
Amelia sat demurely under a beach umbrella sipping juice, with Nolan hovering protectively nearby.
Edgar remained as boisterous as ever, with Avery pretending to be annoyed but clearly adoring him.
Edward and Hestia maintained their proper demeanor. Hestia was still working, now with the authority of a senior manager, making overseas calls and demanding perfection from her subordinates. "We are the Legal Department!"
Edward fanned her attentively, looking every bit like her personal assistant.
Bradley looked sharp in his white suit, while Brandon had already rolled up his pants, ready to dash into the sea.
"Get those wet, and you'll be walking down the aisle naked tomorrow," Bradley remarked dryly.
Brandon reluctantly abandoned his plan.
Ethan's group had chosen Emberlyn for the wedding partly for him and Brandon.
"Are you two coming in or not?" Tom asked impulsively, already splashing into the water in his oversized shorts.
The splash wet Jasmine's dress, and Ethan kicked Tom in retaliation. "You're such a klutz."
Tom looked at Connor with wounded eyes. "Ethan kicked me."
Connor completely ignored Tom's complaint.
"Look over here!" On the beach, Evelyn launched a drone to capture the beautiful moment.
Henry had also arrived. He'd matured considerably since they'd last seen him, though he remained single. Having once found someone he truly loved, he found it difficult to feel that way about anyone else. But he had made peace with it and genuinely wished Jasmine and Ethan well.
"Keep treating Jasmine right," Henry said to Ethan with a threatening smile. "I'll always be watching, and if you ever mistreat her, I'll be right there to win her back."
"Then you're destined to die alone," Ethan replied with a smirk.
Ian had also joined them. His health still seemed fragile, but he was visibly better than before.
"Bring the drone down a bit, this way," Ian instructed Evelyn as they managed the drone together. His technical skills impressed her.
"The way you collapsed in front of my car, I thought you were trying to scam me," Evelyn said, slapping Ian's arm good-naturedly.
Ian nearly lost his balance—how was Evelyn so strong?
Ian had fainted by the roadside when Evelyn happened to drive by, initially thinking he was faking it for insurance money.
Their meeting had been comical, but it had created a bond between them.
"Me, a scammer? Would you take responsibility for me then?" Ian asked with a smile.
Evelyn pursed her lips. "I'd rather not. You look like you won't live long, and I don't want to be a widow."
Ian's breathing became uneven with indignation.
"If I die, all my assets go to you, and you're young enough to remarry," Ian attempted to persuade her.
"Don't listen to them! Men are all liars!" Selene called out with her mouth full of food, warning Evelyn not to believe him.
Vincent covered Selene's mouth. "You're everywhere, aren't you?"
Evelyn and Ian both laughed at the exchange.
At the rehearsal stage, Liam was grimly discussing the procedure with the venue staff, mentally calculating how much extra he could charge these wealthy clients.
"Honey! Look here!" Maeve, ever the optimist, called out as she took photos everywhere, cheerfully trying to brighten Liam's mood.
Liam's expression immediately softened. Maeve truly was one of a kind.
The story of how Liam and Maeve had confirmed their relationship was equally amusing. Liam had gotten drunk, and Maeve had dragged him home and boldly kissed him.
Maeve was a girl who dared to act on her feelings. Upon realizing she liked Liam, she couldn't hide it and immediately confessed.
Liam had resisted for two days before surrendering to Maeve's "persuasive techniques."
"Everyone, look here!" Maeve shouted from a high point.
Everyone gathered together, laughing and jumping, creating a joyful group photo.
Each person had found fulfillment; each had their happy ending.
Life might always have its disappointments and bumps, but facing them bravely, allowing oneself moments of weakness, and forgiving past mistakes was important. Life offered plenty of room for error—it was important to be kind to oneself.
May the future outshine the past.
On a distant cliff, a figure wearing a baseball cap watched the beach scene and smiled.
May everyone find happiness.
"Still don't want to see them?" Behind him, Elbert approached in a suit, asking the question.
"It's not that I don't want to. I don't deserve to," the man replied in a hoarse voice, smiling at Elbert. "That suit suits you."
Elbert shrugged. "I had no choice. They dragged me in as a groomsman."
The man smiled and limped away.
Seeing everyone happy was enough.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
