Chapter142.
At the top–floor restaurant of Westfield Southcenter…
When
Sebastian arrived, Gabriel was waiting for him in the private room.
Both men were distinguished figures in their own right, but since Los Angeles and Seattle were far apart, Sebastian’s first sight of Gabriel had been at Hazel’s wedding.
The second time he met Gabriel was when he recently visited Seattle to discuss a collaboration.
Today marked their third meeting.
Both men were aware of each other’s relationship with Hazel.
While Sebastian had known about Gabriel for seven years, it was only this year, after an investigation into Hazel’s past, that Gabriel had learned of Sebastian’s existence.
They were usually rational, and despite this layer of connection, they could still shake hands and work together on a project.
“Mr. Campbell, I wish for a smooth collaboration between the Stevens Group and the Campbell Group.”
***
A week passed.
On Saturday morning, Ethan had arranged to race cars with his friends, so he was out of the house early.
After breakfast, the three children practiced writing for a while and then played with a puzzle on the carpet in the playroom.
Leila handed pieces of the puzzle, and Jaxon and Joshua worked together to assemble it. The three siblings worked in perfect harmony.
They had been working on a 2,000–piece puzzle for several days, and there were only a few hundred pieces left to complete.
Hazel was sitting with them.
Just as they finished putting a piece together, Joshua ran over holding his bank card, smiling widely as he said, “Mom, can I treat you, Jaxon, and Leila to a meal today?”
Hazel was a bit confused but didn’t want to dampen the kids‘ excitement.
She held Leila in her arms and said, “Sure. Leila, Joshua’s treating us, what should we say?” Leila tilted her head and said, “Thank you, Joshua.”
Joshua scratched his head and said, “That’s okay.”
Jaxon ran over and said, “Mom, I have a card too. I can treat everyone to a seafood feast, which Leila loves the most.”
Hazel patted both of her sons heads and said, “You two are both great.” Leila, curious about the cards in Jaxon and Joshua’s hands, thought of her own piggy bank.
She wondered, “Does a black card mean a big feast?
“Well, I have one too! And a lot more!”
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Menu
Leila
crawled out of Hazel’s
arms and ran over to grab her piggy Leila stretched out her little hand.“Mom, it’s for you.”
bank.
Her chubby face broke into a smile with two adorable dimples. Jaxon and Joshua were both curious about what was inside the piggy bank.
With Leila’s permission, they opened it, and several black cards tumbled out, along with a few beautiful gemstones.
Hazel was astonished.“Leila, where did you get these cards?”
She immediately thought of Leila’s two godmothers, Lucia and Joe. These two must have had a hand in this, and the rest of the cards were probably from senior colleagues at the lab.
“Godmother… Ethan… Auntie Claire…”
Leila giggled and started counting on her fingers, and when she finished, she didn’t forget to tell Hazel, “Here, Mom, a big meal!”
Hazel was at a loss for words…
Upon receiving Hazel’s call, Lucia responded casually, “What’s the big deal? I’m so wealthy. It’s okay to give my precious goddaughter a little something.
“By the way, I was at a jewelry exhibition abroad recently and bought a necklace for our little girl. I’ll have the bodyguard send it over in a few days so you can put it
put it on her.” Hazel had a strong feeling that the necklace Lucia was talking about wasn’t just any ordinary piece of jewelry.
When
she saw the photo that followed, she thought to herself, as expected.
It was a 180–carat heart–shaped sapphire set in platinum, surrounded by 108 diamonds. The value of this necklace was definitely over 20 million dollars.
Hazel replied, “Lucia, do you still remember that Leila is under two years old?/ Lucia, with her wealth and confidence, responded, “So what if she’s not yet two? My goddaughter deserves the best thing the world can offer.”
“Alright, I won’t argue with you. I have to go earn some milk money for Leila now.” Lucia hastily hung up the phone and jumped into her next round of shooting.
Hazel got a similar answer from others when she called them.
No matter what, Hazel kept in mind the love these people showed her daughter and intended to repay it in her way later.
Leila saw her on the sofa talking on the phone and obediently climbed into her lap.
Hazel smiled as she looked at her daughter’s obedient demeanor. The little one still didn’t know that she was now a little rich girl.
Leila, swaying two little pigtails, tugged at the corner of Hazel’s clothes, her pure eyes gleaming with expectation.
“Mommy.”
Jaxon and Joshua also came over, eagerly awaiting her reply.
Hazel smiled and nodded.“Alright, we’ll
go out
for
meal big a
tonight.”
The three children cheered joyfully, already discussing what sibling outfits they would wear fo
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the outing.
In a private restaurant called Olive Park…
Menu
Hazel got out of the car with Leila in her arms and called out to her two sons behind her,“Be careful.”
“Okay, Mom.” Jaxon and Joshua promptly exited the car.
This private restaurant had previously hosted the children and was part of Hazel’s catering business.
The private room had already been arranged in advance.
Leila said, “Mom, down.”
Leila slid down from Hazel’s arms, holding Jaxon and Joshua’s hands as they walked inside.
The restaurant had over thirty independent private rooms, with a tranquil atmosphere, perfect for business talks or romantic dates.
The restaurant manager immediately greeted them upon seeing Hazel and led them to the room with the best view, the one Hazel always
her. used, reserved exclusively for
The path to the private room was a bit winding and long.
Jaxon noticed Leila had stopped walking and asked curiously, “What’s wrong, Leila?”
Leila shook her feet and pouted, complaining, “My feet hurt.”
Leila was wearing silver crystal shoes adorned with glittering little diamonds. Her favorite part was the satin bow on the front, with a shiny diamond of around 20 carats in the center that sparkled under the light.
These shoes were a special gift from Lucia for Children’s Day, custom–made abroad. Jaxon didn’t quite understand why Leila liked these shoes, but it didn’t change how much he pampered her.
He
crouched
down and said, “Leila, how about I carry you on my back?”
Leila’s eyes lit up, and she replied happily, “Okay.”
She shifted her crossbody bag to the back to avoid it getting in Jaxon’s way and stretched her hand out to wrap around Jaxon’s neck.
Seeing this, Hazel quickly went over to support Leila’s body.“Leila, let me carry you.”
Jaxon
stood Leila’s legs and, hands interlocked,
hooked his arms around
- up.
He turned to Hazel and reassured her, “Mom, see? I can do it. She’s really light, not heavy at all.” Leila wrapped her arms around Jaxon’s neck and looked up with her fair little face, smiling at Hazel.
Joshua, standing nearby, stretched his hand protectively around Leila and said confidently, “Mom, I’ll protect her too!”
“Mom, I’ve been practicing lately. I’m strong now!”
Hazel praised both of her sons, “You’re both such good brothers.
“Jaxon, take your time. If you get tired, I’ll help you.”
Jaxon nodded, holding Leila tighter as he continued forward, while Joshua was trailing behin
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and protecting Leila.
Menu
Watching the harmonious scene of her children, Hazel felt so warm in her heart.
But just as she turned a corner, her smile hadn’t even faded when she saw Sebastian.
He wore a well–tailored pair of black pants and a white shirt, topped with a long khaki trench coat. His hair was casually tied halfway up, giving him an easygoing vibe. With gold–framed glasses perched on his nose, he exuded the aura of a refined scholar.
Sebastian called her name softly,“Haze, what a coincidence.”
Hazel was speechless.
Was it just a coincidence? She didn’t think so.
Inside the private room, Sebastian greeted the three children softly.
Joshua looked at Hazel, then at Sebastian, and took out his phone watch secretly to snap a photo, sending it to Gabriel, who was still working overtime at the company.
Gabriel, who had just finished dealing with a few proposals and was closing his eyes to rest, heard the special notification sound from his two sons‘ devices and opened his phone.
Joshua:“Dad, there’s a handsome guy! Danger! Danger!”
