Falling for the Goddess

Sara is So Pretty!

Everyone turned toward the door. Karen Carter entered with a bag in one hand and holding Jimmy Blake with the other. Behind them, a servant followed, carrying several bags.

As soon as Jimmy Blake spotted Adrian Blake, he let go of Karen Carter’s hand and dashed toward him. “Adrian!” His childlike voice rang out as he threw himself into his big brother’s arms.

Adrian Blake instinctively caught him, his expression remaining as calm and distant as usual.

"Zelda is back too!" Karen Carter greeted with a smile, directing the servant to set down the gifts. “These are specially brought for you to help nourish your body. Drinking some every morning will be good for your health.”

Zelda Blake nodded toward her. “Hi Karen”

Grandma Blake smiled, “You’re so thoughtful. Where’s Thomas?”

Karen Carter set her bag aside and explained, “He’s still busy, but he told me to let you know he’ll definitely be back before dinner.”

Adrian Blake’s eyes darkened slightly. Sara Hart noticed and couldn’t help but feel a little worried, recalling the previous tension between Adrian Blake and his father.

“That’s fine, come have a seat,” Grandma Blake said, then turned toward Jimmy Blake, who was clinging to Adrian Blake. “Jimmy…”

Jimmy Blake, still leaning on Adrian Blake, finally looked up and greeted everyone in his childish voice, “Hello, Grandma! Hello, Auntie!”

Then he looked at Sara, tilting his head curiously before calling out, “Hello, pretty girl!”

Grandma Blake playfully tapped him on the forehead with her finger, smiling. “You should call her Sara!”

“But she’s a pretty girl! Sara is so pretty!” Jimmy’s innocent words made everyone laugh. Nearby, Kyle Thorne chimed in, teasing him.

“So did your teacher also teach you how to treat pretty girls?”

Jimmy Blake blinked, his big, round eyes darting around in confusion.

Kyle Thorne chuckled, about to continue his teasing, “You’re supposed to give pretty girls compliments ”

Before he could finish, Zelda Blake lightly smacked him on the head with a crisp slap. “Don’t teach him such things!”

“I was just joking…” Kyle Thorne pouted, looking wronged.

Karen Carter waved to Jimmy Blake. “Don’t cling to your big brother the moment you get home. Sara should be the one next to him.”

Jimmy turned his head, looking between Adrian and Sara. Pointing at the space on the sofa between them, he asked, “But there’s an empty spot between Adrian and Sara!”

Everyone froze for a moment.

Grandma Blake was the first to break into laughter. “You clever little rascal,” she said, holding out her arms. “Come here, let Grandma see if you’ve gained any weight.”

Reluctantly, Jimmy Blake moved from Adrian Blake’s side, though it was clear that he’d been clinging to his brother all on his own.

Jimmy Blake, not yet five years old and attending kindergarten, was an adorable boy with fair skin, rosy lips, and bright eyes full of curiosity. He often unintentionally made everyone laugh with his innocent comments. The entire Blake family, from relatives to servants, adored him. But despite being doted on by everyone, he always preferred sticking to Adrian Blake, who was aloof and distant. He had been like this since he was a toddler.

Curled up in Grandma Blake’s arms, Jimmy listened to the grown-ups’ conversation - most of which he didn’t understand - while he busily cracked nuts on his own, refusing help from anyone.

After a long while, Jimmy finally managed to peel a handful of walnuts, though none of them were intact and still had bits of shell attached. He eagerly ran to Adrian Blake, motioning for him to extend his hand. “Adrian, these are for you!”

Adrian Blake pressed his lips together and said, “I don’t really like walnuts. You eat them.”

Jimmy Blake, however, was insistent. “Mom says eating nuts makes you smarter. I eat a lot of them every day!”

Adrian Blake, seeing his determination, finally extended his hand.

Jimmy Blake gently opened his small fist, letting the walnut pieces fall into Adrian Blake’s palm, bit by bit. Just as they were about to finish falling, Jimmy Blake suddenly paused, then took two small steps over to Sara Hart.

“Sara, hold out your hand!”

Sara Hart opened her palm, and the remaining walnut pieces, still coated with tiny shell fragments, fell into her hand.

“These are for me? Thank you,” Sara Hart said softly, unable to resist reaching out with her other hand to gently pat Jimmy’s head.

Nearby, Kyle Thorne couldn’t help but feel left out. “Hey, little Jimmy, why are you playing favorites? Don’t I get any?”

Jimmy Blake turned to look at him, thought for a moment, then picked up two unpeeled walnuts from the table and handed them to Kyle Thorne. “Here you go, Kyle.”

Kyle Thorne looked at the two intact walnuts in his hand, then at the peeled ones in Adrian Blake and Sara Hart’s hands, and let out a resigned sigh. “I guess I really have no place in this family…”

“If you were half as well-behaved as Adrian Blake, I’d buy nuts for you every day,” Zelda Blake remarked, her tone full of exasperation.

Karen Carter tried to smooth things over with a smile. “Kyle is still young. He’s at an age where he enjoys having fun. He’ll settle down once he’s older.”

Zelda Blake glanced at her son, knowing exactly what kind of troublemaker he was, but she still left him a bit of face. “Let’s hope so.”

While Grandma Blake, Karen Carter, and Zelda Blake continued chatting about family matters, Kyle Thorne started fidgeting, unable to sit still.

“You young people can go do your own thing,” Grandma Blake said, noticing their restlessness. “No need to stay here with us.”

“Adrian, take Sara for a walk in the garden. You don’t need to sit here with us,” Grandma Blake suggested.

Adrian Blake nodded. “Alright, Grandma.”

“I want to go too!” Jimmy Blake immediately raised his hand. “I’m young too!”

Grandma Blake couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course you can come, silly.”

Karen Carter added, “Jimmy, listen to your big brother, okay? Don’t be naughty.”

“I won’t, Mom!” Jimmy Blake promised.

—

The Blake family’s old residence was expansive, complete with orchards and tea gardens on the hills behind the house. It was practically a self-sustaining estate, though Grandma Blake usually stayed in the front courtyard.

As soon as they stepped outside, Jimmy Blake instinctively reached for Adrian’s hand. Though Adrian Blake rarely initiated any affection toward the boy, he didn’t push him away either.

Thus, Adrian Blake walked ahead, holding Jimmy’s hand, while Sara Hart and Kyle Thorne followed behind them.

Kyle Thorne lowered his voice as they walked, turning to Sara Hart with curiosity. “So, Sara, when did you and Adrian get married?”

Hearing him call her caught Sara Hart slightly off guard for a moment.

“About two months ago,” she replied.

“Two months ago?” Kyle Thorne quickly did the math on his fingers. “So, you were already married when we met at the bar?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Kyle Thorne frowned, clearly puzzled. If they had already been married, why had they acted like strangers back then?

He had only learned about their marriage after eavesdropping on a conversation between his parents. When he tried to ask for more details, his mom refused to tell him, and he hadn’t dared to ask Adrian Blake.

Now that he finally had the chance, he wasn’t going to let it slip away. His curiosity had been burning for weeks.

“So, how did you and Adrian meet? How long have you two been together?”

“You know how Adrian is with women - cold as ice. No one could’ve imagined he’d suddenly get married without a word!”

“When’s the wedding going to be?”

Kyle Thorne’s questions came rapid-fire, leaving Sara Hart unsure of how to respond or which question to answer first.

At that moment, Jimmy Blake, who was walking ahead, suddenly turned around, grabbing Sara’s hand and pulling her forward. “Sara, come walk with us.”

“Hey! I wasn’t finished talking yet!” Kyle Thorne called after them.

Jimmy Blake placed himself between Adrian Blake and Sara Hart, holding each of their hands, creating a picture that looked remarkably like a family of three.

Seizing the moment, Kyle Thorne pulled out his phone and quickly snapped a photo of their backs.

The sound of the camera shutter caught both Adrian Blake and Sara Hart’s attention. They turned around simultaneously to see Kyle Thorne, still holding his phone in the same position.

Not only did Kyle Thorne show no signs of embarrassment, but he also shamelessly pressed the shutter again. After all, since he had already been caught, why not take a few more photos?