Chapter 15
“Yeah, I’m his wife,” Layla immediately said.
The group of children curiously asked more questions.
Layla’s arrival thrilled the children at the orphanage for a long time. It was as if they had met their idol.
Layla looked at the girl at the back with a cleft lip and noticed that she was always covering her mouth. She felt a pang of guilt. “Actually, I wasn’t scared. I was just a bit surprised at first, but I feel like I might have hurt her feelings,”
Stephen addressed the girl, “Bree, Layla is calling you.”
The little girl hesitated but, encouraged by Layla’s wann smile, gathered her courage and approached.
Layla picked her up, gently pulled her hands away, and looked directly at her lips. “You look lilo a little bunny. You’re quite cute.”
During nap time, Layla’s single command carried more weight than the caregivers‘ shouts “Everyone, go to sleep now, or I’ll get angry.”
All the kids ran off, and the place finally fell silent.
Layla sighed in relief and glanced at Stephen. This seemed to be her first time entering his world..
“Where are you going on your business trip?” This was the first time she asked about Stephen’s schedule.
“Yaldoria. I’ll be inspecting a project. I’ll be back in two days,” Stephen replied.
Layla hummed in acknowledgment..
Stephen had to leave in the afternoon for an appointment, so Layla went to Maya’s office instead of leaving with him. “Madam Thome, why does Stephen talk so much about me?”
Maya’s affection for Layla stemmed not only from the support the Mumay family provided but also from the admiration Layla received from Stephen and the children.
“When you were little, Stephen would visit here on his own to see his friends. They all law that he had a little sister in his adoptive family and were curious. Before long, he started telling them all about you.
“Later on, they all learned how adorable you were and how happy your life was. The children began to spread the word that only by being like you–cute and lovely -could they be liked by others and be adopted.”
Layla was moved. She felt she wasn’t as perfect as the children imagined her to be.
Curious, Maya asked, “By the way, why did you suddenly come today, Layla?”
“Oh, I heard from Lucy that I came here when I was young. Stephen mentioned something about me wanting to switch brothers. What’s that about?” Maya recalled the story with a smile. “When you were five, you had a fight with Stephen and cried, saying you didn’t want him anymore and wanted another brother. Mr. Murray Senior couldn’t handle you, so he brought you and Stephen here. Stephen even let you choose a new brother.”
“And then what happened?”
Maya’s smile grew. “Well, you didn’t choose a new brother. A little girl saw Stephen holding you and wanted to be held too. You got jealous, started a fight, and cried that the girl was stealing Steph
“In the end, you cried so much you were drenched in sweat. Stephen and Mr. Murray Senior were worried you might get beatstroke, so they hurriedly took you home.”
Layla was speechless.
It made sense now why Stephen hadn’t finished his story the night before. She might not have believed it if it had come from him, but hearing it from Maya made it believable.
That aftemoon, Layla stayed at Blossoms Home with the children until after dinner before taking Dylan down the mountain.
That day, her emotional guard began to crack, though she was unaware of it herself.
all for another argument. I won’t go back, no matter what, unless you and
When Layla called Robert, intending to ask him to come back early, he mistook her call for Stephen give me a great–grandchild.”
“Let’s see if you can stay away forever!” Layla snapped,
She ended the call abruptly and tossed the phone aside. Seeing this, Dylan remained silent in the backseat.
Chapter 16
