Chapter 11
Elizabeth looked listless, her eyes avoiding Jack’s gaze. Her long eyelashes shielded the expression in her eyes.
Jack opened his mouth and his voice was slightly strained, “You are not used to it, are you? Take your time.”
Elizabeth tilted her head and responded with an indifferent nod.
Jack thought that Elizabeth was afraid of him. He admitted to himself that he sometimes appeared too stern.
Pondering this, he felt a bit frustrated. How could he build a better relationship with Elizabeth?
“Elizabeth, pass me the cup.”
Sophia, coming out of the kitchen, noticed the siblings standing awkwardly by the stairs. She took the cup and affectionately rubbed Elizabeth’s head.
“Alright, go and get some rest.”
Elizabeth nodded obediently and went upstairs.
Jack stared at his mother’s hand for a while before grudgingly saying, “How come you get to touch her?”
“Because I care for Elizabeth,” Sophia replied proudly.
“I care for her too; I just haven’t shown it,” Jack was displeased.
Sophia had to remind him.
“Look at how you treat Elizabeth versus how you treat Linda. They’re both your sisters. You shouldn’t treat them differently.”
“When have I ever treated them differently? I haven’t,” Jack denied.
“You have, and if you continue, Elizabeth might never treat you as her brother again.”
Sophia couldn’t bother to argue with her foolish son any longer and returned to the kitchen.
Jack stood still for a while, sighed tiredly, and thought that only Linda truly understood his good intentions in the household.
In the bedroom.
Sophia looked at her moisturizer for a long time before finally taking a deep breath and applying some.
A pleasant and refreshing scent wafted through the air, and it smelled quite nice.
It took a great deal of courage for her to apply it to her face.
Once applied, the texture felt light and refreshing, without any sticky sensation.
Sophia was a bit surprised. As she massaged the product into her skin, she walked out of the bathroom.
“Ray,” she called.
Ray, with his sharp eyes, was focused on the bedside when he heard her speak and then turned his head to look at her.
Oh, my God.
Looking at Sophia’s face, which was tinged with a green hue from the product, Ray resisted the urge to blurt out, “Who are you and what have you done to my wife?”
Ray gathered his thoughts and said, “You’re actually using it! Aren’t you worried about allergies? Don’t you have sensitive skin?”
He and Sophia had been childhood friends, growing up together, dating, and eventually marrying. He knew every quirk about her.
Sophia shot him a glare, “You don’t understand. This is a gift from our daughter. What if she asks me later about how it feels? Of course, I have to use it first to know what to say.”
Ray shook his head and chuckled, “You’d do anything for our daughter.”
Sophia glanced at the bedside table and laughed, “Speaking of which, aren’t you the same? Hanging the painting in such a conspicuous place. Isn’t this coming from you, the one who hates fakes the most?”
Ray cleared his throat, “Even though it’s a forgery, it’s still the first gift our daughter ever gave me. It’s her signal of goodwill toward us.”
Sophia took a closer look at the painting and hesitated, “Why does this look like an original to me?”
Ray immediately dismissed the idea, “Impossible. Master Andrew Lawrence has stopped painting. Even if we had the money, we couldn’t buy it. Not to mention that Elizabeth has just come from the countryside; there’s no way she could afford it.”
Sophia also felt that her idea was absurd. Seeing that it was almost time, she turned back to the bathroom to wash her face.
Ray took another look at the painting, and just then, a shrill scream echoed through the room.
“Oh, my God!!!”
Ray jumped, rushing toward the bathroom.
“What happened? Did you have an allergic reaction? Let’s go to the hospital quickly, or your face will really be ruined.”