"Chad! You’re so naughty! You said you wouldn’t betray us!"
Hank Thompson was the first to lose his patience, facing the camera, chiding Chad for abandoning his teammates.
"What are you guys up to, making video calls in secret?"
Charlotte Thompson was asking, but her tone was full of indulgence, without any blame.
"Grace said she was hungry, and asked when Mommy would be back." Hank was the first to raise his hand.
In a blink of an eye, he seemed to be on the same page as Chad.
"Second Brother, you’re hungry, too, and you even snuck some snacks."
Grace humphed. She was a lively and quirky child, which sometimes left Hank at a loss for words.
"I’m sorry, babies. Mommy has been busy with work all evening. I’ll come pick you up shortly, and then we’ll have a big meal together, okay?"
Grace clapped her hands and pulled Olivia Thompson up to jump around.
"Yay! We’re having a big meal!"
Olivia, quiet by nature, did not say anything though she held Grace’s hand tightly, but the joy on her face was unmistakable.
Not to mention Hank, who was just as lively, on the other side.
After hearing the cheers of the children, Charlotte hurriedly ended the video call. As it came to an end, Hank seemed to still have something more to say, so he stopped Cyrus from trying to turn off the video.
"Then Mommy, come back quickly with Jack and Chad. We’re waiting for you!"
Although Cyrus on the side looked somewhat helpless, his gaze was always on Charlotte.
"Alright." Charlotte nodded repeatedly.
After the call, she reached out to take Jack and Chad’s hands and walked out with Justin Battleson.
When Charlotte returned to the villa, the kids had already changed their clothes and were sitting obediently on the sofa.
Seeing Jack and Chad return, Hank was the first to run over, causing quite a ruckus.
"Mommy! Do you think Annie looks pretty?"
Grace took Olivia’s hand and led her in front of Charlotte.
Upon closer examination, Charlotte noticed Olivia was wearing a yellow dress, with pretty flowers scattered around the hem, and white shoes, revealing her cute and well-behaved side.
Raising her head, Olivia looked at Charlotte with her clear eyes, and though she seemed shy, she couldn’t hide her anticipation. The most update n0vels are published on novęlfire.net
"Annie, you are really pretty."
Charlotte didn’t skimp on compliments, and saw Olivia broke into a brilliant smile.
In an instant, Charlotte saw a glimpse of someone else in her.
She was like a warm sun, deserving of bright colors, yet the end was just a hopeless, pale sadness.
Charlotte felt as if her heart was suddenly being tightly clutched.
She always thought Olivia looked very much like Annie Anne, but now it seemed that the only similarity was their tender and modest personality.
"Mommy, don’t have Uncle bring us clothes shopping in the future, his taste is so bad. Thank goodness I picked this dress for Annie."
Jordan Thompson had enthusiastically offered to buy clothes for the kids. The clothes he picked for the boys were liked by all, but when it came to the two little girls, it was a different story.
Grace, a discerning child due to Charlotte’s influence, was particularly picky, and she didn’t like any of the dresses Jordan brought back.
Grace’s words pulled Charlotte back from her thoughts. She reached out and hooked Grace’s small cheek and turned to the rest of the boys.
"Let’s go, we’re going to dinner."
Justin had already reserved a restaurant, and Charlotte led the children directly to the private dining room.
But Charlotte didn’t expect that she would meet another person here.