Having a mother might just be the most tragic thing for Emily Ginger.
Daisy Ginger returned to the ward and fell into a deep sleep.
She was too tired; as soon as she lay back on the bed, she lost consciousness.
Rarely, she had a dream.
A long time ago, a dream about having a birthday at home.
In the dream, there was Alice Lesser, her, and Edward Stephens.
Alice in the dream had white hair, wore a white dress, and her face still looked young, without any signs of aging. She smiled while sitting at the table, gazing at her gently.
The boy she often dreamt about in the past was now a tall young man, with a reserved and indifferent demeanor, having a pair of eyes much deeper than the average person.
She walked over and sat next to Edward Stephens, lighting the birthday candles in front of her.
The flickering flame gave her a sense of peace, and when the candle was blown out, she fell into a deep slumber.
This sleep lasted until the next morning.
She didn’t quite remember what happened in the dream, but her body was still suffused with the ease and joy of having had a pleasant dream.
Edward Stephens came in with a thermos, saw Daisy Ginger hugging a teddy bear with a silly smile, and raised an eyebrow slightly, "Hit the jackpot?"
"I had a dream." Daisy gingerly remarked, smiling, "A good dream."
"Oh?" Edward Stephens asked with interest, "What was it about?"
"..." The man paused, glanced at her, with a look that suggested he was seeing a fool.
Daisy Ginger was in a good mood and didn’t mind him. She saw Edward Stephens open the thermos and a rich aroma wafted out; she sniffed and leaned over, "What’s this?"
"Chicken porridge my mom sent over." Edward Stephens saw her eager to try, pressing down her hand, and commanded, "Go wash your face and brush your teeth, eat after getting cleaned up."
"...You take care of me better than my mom." Daisy Ginger pursed her lips, glanced at him, stuck out her tongue, and rushed into the bathroom before he could get angry.
After brushing her teeth, Daisy Ginger and Edward Stephens shared a pot of porridge by the floor-to-ceiling window.
The snow had stopped, and looking out from the floor-to-ceiling window, the entire view was covered in silver. A few sparrows hopping around on the snow-covered chimney, as if chilled by the snow, kept jumping, chirping.
Daisy Ginger ate for a while but got distracted by the sparrows, watching them with interest.
Edward Stephens, seeing her act like a child, tapped her bowl lightly with chopsticks, chiding in a low voice, "Eat quickly."
Even though the room was warm with heating, it was still winter, and the temperature dispersed quickly.
Daisy Ginger refocused, ate for a while, then couldn’t help but glance at the sparrows again.
She found them round and cute, couldn’t help but say to Edward Stephens, "What do you think about me keeping some birds at home?"
Edward Stephens responded slowly, "Who will keep them?"
"..." Daisy Ginger glanced at him.
She had to work, so of course it would be the unemployed who would keep them...
Edward Stephens took a sip of the porridge, "I also raised a bird when I was young, do you want to meet it tonight?"
Daisy Ginger: "........."
She looked incredulously at him, at Edward Stephens who calmly finished speaking, then looked at her seriously.
She really wanted to know where he learned this skill of spouting nonsense with a straight face! Doesn’t he ever blush about it!
Daisy Ginger’s fair face began to turn red bit by bit, until even her earlobes were rosy. Now, she didn’t dare to look around, nor at the sparrows, and kept her head down, quietly drinking the porridge.
Edward Stephens glanced at Daisy Ginger obediently drinking porridge, scoffing internally.
After the porridge, it was time for injections and medicine.
Daisy Ginger was still shaken by Edward Stephens’s teasing words, feeling dazed, daring not to meet his eyes.
All former boldness when she used to recommend sharing his bed was completely gone.
Edward Stephens ceased teasing her, called Lady Stephens who was worried at home about Daisy Ginger, assured her of safety, and coaxed Daisy Ginger to sleep.
Once everything was settled, he picked up his phone, opened the door, and quietly walked out.
He walked to the ventilator, flipped open his phone’s contact list, and stared at Ryan Smith’s number before dialing him.
Biting a cigarette, he thought, if he couldn’t get through this time, he’d head to Switzerland...
Just as he thought this, Ryan’s phone suddenly connected, and a flustered voice came through, "Ed, Edward?"
Hearing Ryan’s voice, Edward Stephens’s heart relaxed slightly, then he furrowed his eyebrows and asked in a deep voice, "Where have you been these days?"
"I’ve been traveling the world with a beauty." Ryan explained, "Went to Mauritius the other day, there’s hardly any signal there."
To Mauritius... traveling?
Edward Stephens maintained his voice steady and spoke in a low voice, "Stay out there and play these months, don’t come back."
Ryan paused, "Huh? Why?"
"It’s nothing." Edward Stephens didn’t explain much, "Just avoid running into a psychopath."
"Alright, as long as you’re okay, I feel relieved." Edward Stephens spoke softly, "If anything happens, call me."
Ryan stayed silent for a while, before calling his name, "Edward."
Edward Stephens responded, "Hmm?"
"I... I’m fine." Ryan said, "Haven’t seen you in a long time, kind of miss you, just wanted to call your name."
Edward Stephens: "..."
He retorted mercilessly, "You creep."
Ryan laughed cheekily a few times, Edward Stephens breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged a few more words with him, then hung up the phone.
As soon as the call ended, Ryan’s phone was taken from his hand.
Bruised and bound to a column, one of his legs already broken, hanging limp; the gun pressed against his forehead slowly moved away. Chapters fırst released on 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅✦𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾✦𝗇𝖾𝗍
A woman with short hair lowered her head to hand the phone to a man on a lounge chair, then walked behind him.
Ryan looked at the well-dressed man, gritted his teeth, and hissed, "Robert Stephens will get what’s coming to him!"
On the man’s face, dazzling and aristocratic like the work of God, a faint, nonchalant smile lingered as he toyed with Ryan’s phone, supporting his face. Hearing Ryan’s words, he chuckled softly, his voice tender as though it were a whisper to a lover, "Heh... What did I do that warrants karma? The one who chose to deceive Edward was you, the one who chose to betray Edward was you, I haven’t done anything at all."
Ryan spat, having been beaten until he was like a piece of rag, and he dared say he hasn’t done anything?
This guy is extremely pretentious.
Ryan sneered through gritted teeth, "Of course, you wouldn’t face karma, didn’t you get all of your due eight years ago?"
Robert Stephens’s eyes gleamed, speaking slowly, "Charlotte, cripple another leg. I think that’s the only way to get this noisy monkey to quiet down."