Chapter 7 Returning Home
986 Words
Brenda savored each bite for a long time. A tear slowly rolled down from her eyes. "Samantha," she murmured, "my Samantha."
Jasper immediately stepped forward to support Brenda, his voice soft and comforting as he said, "Grandmother, it's alright. It's me, Jasper, Samantha's son."
Witnessing this scene, Barbara couldn't help but be moved, her own eyes welling up. It had been a long time since she had seen her own grandfather and mother.
Brenda looked at Jasper with a confused expression, her cloudy eyes momentarily clearing. "Jasper, it's you. What are you doing here? Why is your mother back? She even made this delicious pasta for you."
Barbara was secretly delighted. It seemed she had successfully completed the task Jasper had entrusted to her, repaying his kindness.
Just then, Brenda turned to Barbara, her expression morphing into one of anguish. "Oscar, why is it you? Oscar? My Samantha, Samantha, where has my Samantha gone?"
Brenda's heart-wrenching grief intensified the ache in Barbara's heart. She looked at Jasper, confusion evident in her voice. "Who is Oscar?" she asked.
When he heard his grandmother's words and Barbara's question, Jasper's expression froze. Before Barbara could react, his face returned to its emotionless, icy demeanor. The sudden shift in his expression caused the atmosphere in the kitchen to become tense.
"Escort Miss Hart back," Jasper ordered coldly.
Sitting in the backseat of the Rolls-Royce Ghost, Barbara couldn't shake off the chilling gaze Jasper had given her. He was like a different person from the polite and courteous man she had met earlier.
'It's fine,' she thought to herself, trying to rationalize the situation. 'We were just cooperating. I completed my task perfectly, so we're even now. We probably won't have any further interactions.'
Despite her attempts to reassure herself, Barbara couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
After Barbara left, Jasper sat in silence for a long time, lost in thought. "It doesn't matter if she's forgotten everything," he whispered to himself. "As long as she's still her, that's enough."
A message from an unknown number popped up on Barbara's phone: Miss Hart, this is Jasper. You did an excellent job today. I hope we can collaborate on a long-term basis. Please name your price.
The businesslike tone brought Barbara back to her senses. The Mcmillan family's influence spanned across various industries. Jasper's words, "Name your price," held significant weight. After giving it some thought, she replied: It was a pleasure working with you. I don't need anything in return. I only ask that you lend me a hand when I'm in need.
Rebuilding her career and dealing with the Gordon family, Barbara still had a lot on her plate. Having Jasper's support would undoubtedly make things easier. Barbara wasn't foolish enough to forgo such advantages just out of pride.
"Alright," Jasper replied instantly.
Brenda reminded Barbara of her own family. For the sake of marrying Andrew, Barbara had been living with either the Hart family or the Gordon family all these years, but in her heart, neither of those places felt like her true home.
Asking the driver to drop her off at one of the townhouses in a row, Barbara rang the doorbell. It was time to return to where she belonged.
The door was opened by a sturdy-looking woman. Seeing Barbara, she froze for a moment, then shouted, "Madam, Miss is back!"
Patting her chest, she said to Barbara, "Miss, why didn't you let us know you were coming back? You scared me to death!"
Barbara smiled sweetly. "Aimee, I wanted to surprise you!"
Walking into the first-floor hall, a haggard-looking, beautiful middle-aged woman was coming down the stairs. Her face shared a striking resemblance to Barbara's.
"Mom!" Barbara called out excitedly, but for some reason, her voice carried a hint of a sob.
Seeing her daughter, Barbara's mother couldn't help but redden in the eyes. The events of the past few days had been blown up by the media.
"Barbara, you've suffered these days."
Barbara suddenly felt like a deflated ball, as if all her strength had drained away. In the past few days, she had lost her child, lost Andrew, and been humiliated by those people. She had no one to rely on, but she held her breath and refused to back down.
But at this moment, seeing her mother, Barbara suddenly felt more wronged than ever. She threw herself into her mother's arms and burst into tears.
Rebecca held Barbara, tears streaming down her face. Her daughter, whom she had single-handedly raised and cherished, had been treated so poorly by those people.
"What's going on? Why is it so noisy?"
A stern-faced, vigorous old man walked down the stairs. It was Zachary Barrett, Rebecca's father, Barbara's grandfather, the renowned chef.
When he saw Barbara, a flicker of surprise crossed Zachary's face, followed by a frown. "Why are you back? Didn't we agree that once you married Andrew, you wouldn't come back to this house?"
Zachary obviously didn't go online much and was unaware of the events of recent days.
Barbara collected herself and said seriously, "Grandpa, Andrew and I have broken up. I won't go back to the Gordon family. Please let me take over Moonson!"
Although Zachary was happy to see Barbara back, his face remained stern. "Moonson is not something you can just take over on a whim. A few years ago, you declined my offer, and you haven't even been home in years. I can't just hand over Moonson to you."
Tears welled up in Barbara's eyes, making her look pitiful. She hugged Zachary's arm and shook it, acting coquettishly. "Grandpa, I was wrong. Please forgive me."
Rebecca also stepped forward to persuade him. "Dad, Barbara has suffered a lot these past few years. Just forgive her."
Zachary said, "Then tell me, what did Andrew do to make you run back here after being so desperate to be with him?"
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