Sophia wanted to laugh.

"Cedric, do you really need me?"

"If you really wanted me to be with you, you would have told me when we saw each other last night."

"You didn’t say anything, which means you’d already made up your mind. You’d rather spend your birthday with your Auntie Joanna."

"That... I..."

Cedric Grant just couldn’t bring himself to say the words "I forgot."

He never forgot his own birthday.

"Even so, you shouldn’t always be with other people’s children!"

"I’m your son!"

Sophia’s smile was deep and resigned. She gestured toward Joanna Sherman, who was holding Stella Grant in the distance. "And weren’t you with your precious Auntie Joanna and little sister?"

"That’s... different."

"Are you saying that you can be with other people, but I can only be with you?"

That was exactly what Cedric Grant thought.

Auntie Joanna was exceptional. Spending time with her was a way to better himself! Auntie Joanna had sacrificed so much for Cathan’s rocket program. By helping her with her child, he was indirectly contributing to Cathan’s rockets too!

But he was too embarrassed to say any of this out loud.

He was her own flesh and blood, so Sophia naturally saw right through him.

"Cedric, you can’t be selfish. You can’t just expect others to give without giving anything yourself."

"Even a child shouldn’t act like that."

"I’m your mother, but I’m also a free person. My only obligations to you are your education and upbringing."

"And if I’m being honest with myself, I’ve fulfilled both of those duties."

Sophia’s words made Cedric Grant’s face flush red with shame. He pursed his lips, unable to say a single word.

Sophia squeezed his shoulder. "And one more thing, listen closely. The person I was with wasn’t just ’someone else.’ She’s your biological sister."

...

"Vincent, why isn’t Faye back yet?"

That evening, Eleanor Crawford and Miles Grant arrived at the couple’s marital home.

Given their special status, it wasn’t appropriate for them to be seen eating and drinking out, so Vincent had no choice but to host them at home.

He had cooked himself, and the meal was almost ready, but there was still no sign of Sophia.

Eleanor couldn’t help but ask.

Vincent glanced down at his watch.

His lips thinned. "I texted her," he said softly. "She should be here later."

Eleanor glanced at her husband and said no more.

Instead, she said, "I’ll go get Cedric for dinner."

Tonight, Cedric Grant hadn’t immediately started a video call with Joanna Sherman upon returning home, as he usually did.

Instead, he was sitting dazedly on the floor, propping his chin on his hands.

When Eleanor Crawford pushed the door open and saw him like this, she asked, "Cedric, what are you thinking about?"

"Aunt Eleanor." Cedric stood up, looking rather pale.

Eleanor touched his forehead. "You’re so pale. Are you sick?"

Cedric shook his head. "Aunt Eleanor, what are the symptoms when someone is pregnant?"

"Well..." Eleanor didn’t have children of her own and wasn’t familiar with the details, so she simply relayed what she’d heard from others. "In the beginning, there’s morning sickness, and they get very sleepy. Later on, their belly gets bigger, and many women’s feet swell up and look really big."

"Morning sickness, sleepiness? A bigger belly? Swelling?"

Cedric repeated the words, trying hard to remember.

"What’s wrong? Is someone pregnant?" Eleanor asked.

"No..." Cedric quickly shook his head.

He couldn’t bring himself to say it.

’If Aunt Eleanor finds out I don’t even know if Mom was ever pregnant with a little sister, she’ll definitely look down on me!’

"I’m hungry, Aunt. Let’s go eat."

He quickly ran out.

As they were setting out the bowls and chopsticks, the doorbell rang.

"Sophia’s back," Vincent said, seeing her on the security monitor.

At the mention of Sophia, Cedric instinctively ducked his head, wishing he could find a place to hide.

"I’ll go get her." Seeing Cedric just staring at the ground, Vincent went out himself.

"This..." Eleanor had felt something was off with the family last night. Now, seeing Sophia having to ring the doorbell to her own home, her suspicions resurfaced.

"Are Faye and Vincent having relationship problems?" Eleanor kept her voice low, so only Miles could hear.

Miles looked at her. "Ask Faye about it later. Try to talk some sense into her."

In this family, Vincent would never be the one to file for divorce. The one who would was, naturally, Sophia.

Eleanor shared Miles’s opinion. She sighed softly. "Vincent is just too cold. He could freeze the warmest heart a girl could have."

Despite saying that, Eleanor still understood the principle of encouraging reconciliation over separation.

"Don’t worry, I’ll have a good talk with her."

Outside, Sophia arrived alone, without Bun.

Eleanor and Miles had always been very polite to her. Since Vincent had invited them for dinner, it was only right for her to come back.

But when she had left, she’d left all her keys in their marital home and deleted all her information from the security system.

Sophia waited for a moment before she heard the sound of steady, composed footsteps.

Looking up, she was slightly taken aback to see Vincent.

She hadn’t expected him to come down personally to get her.

Vincent opened the door, his gaze deep as he looked at her. "In a rush?"

"It was fine."

Sophia didn’t want to say more. She tucked a strand of hair back and started to walk inside.

Vincent took the gift box from her hand.

It was a local specialty Sophia had bought for Eleanor and her husband.

"Don’t worry, it wasn’t over two hundred."

Eleanor and Miles held special positions; a gift worth more than two hundred would be considered a bribe.

Vincent grunted in acknowledgment but didn’t check the gift. He carried it as he walked beside her. "Cedric mentioned he ran into you at the amusement park, and that you were with a little girl?"

"The sister of my savior," Sophia said flatly.

She clearly had no intention of elaborating.

Vincent didn’t know that Jenson Forrest was the one who had saved her. Hearing the words "my savior," his expression darkened, a flicker of self-blame in his eyes.

"About that incident... I’m sorry." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Sophia didn’t respond, simply stepping through the door.

’I don’t want to forgive him, but there’s no need to harp on it constantly and play the victim.’

"Brother, Sister-in-law."

Eleanor and Miles replied, asking a few concerned questions.

Cedric mumbled, "Mom." He still couldn’t find the courage to look at her.

Sophia didn’t pat his head as she used to. After walking to her seat and sitting down, she asked if he had received his present.

The more Eleanor and Miles watched, the more their hearts sank.

"Let’s eat," Vincent said, walking over.

He sat down next to Sophia.

’There was a perfectly good empty chair opposite me, but he just had to come all the way around.’

The scent of pine from his body wafted over. Sophia, no longer infatuated, shifted away slightly.

"Happy birthday, Cedric," Eleanor said, raising her glass.

The others raised their glasses as well.

Everyone was preoccupied with their own thoughts during the meal, but the atmosphere was reasonably harmonious.

Until a few uninvited guests arrived.

Seeing the shameless faces of Chad Jennings and Yvonne Sherman, Sophia silently clenched her fists.

Hatred roiled within her.

"Grandpa, Grandma Sherman, what are you doing here?" Cedric exclaimed in surprise.

Chad Jennings glanced at the people sitting in the room and held up the cake in his hand. "It’s Cedric’s birthday. Of course we couldn’t miss it."

Making himself right at home, Chad Jennings placed the cake on a small side table and pulled Yvonne Sherman over with him.