Chapter 408

“Amber, I’ll take the stuff upstairs. My phone’s on the table—in the office? I didn’t get a chance to check it earlier,” Hudson said. Can you message Alex for me and let her know I won’t be going back to the…”

Amber rocked a black sweater and jeans, the outfit making her look even taller and more striking.

“Alright, got it,” she replied with a small nod.

Rowena cheerfully hooked her arm through Winifred’s. “Hurry up, hurry up! Sienna’s already called me several times. It’s time for dinner—New Year’s Eve dinner, you know!”

Winifred looked a bit embarrassed, dragging her feet. Rowena practically had to drag her along.

When they reached the door, Winifred stopped and gave Rowena a deep, searching look. “Rowena, I’m still kind of nervous.”

Rowena gave her a knowing smile and wrapped her arm around Winifred’s shoulders. “Come on, what are you so scared of? It’s not like they don’t already know,” she said.

“Look who’s here, the big star!” Thorn teased upon seeing them.

Winifred shot him a glare, but Thorn kept peeling grapes, unfazed. He peeled one and fed it to Renee. Renee opened her mouth wide, eating them one after another.

Caleb scampered over, eager. “Uncle Thorn, I want some…”

Thorn rolled his eyes. “Go away, kid.”

Caleb wailed, “Dad, you were right! Uncle Thorn’s such a cheapskate!”

But when he turned around, he realized his parents had disappeared. He’d been tricked—Julian had snatched Sienna away again.

“Uncle Thorn, just peel one for me, please?” Matthew pouted, trying to act cute.

Thorn shot him a squinty side-eye. Renee was still munching on her grape, but Thorn made a show of popping the freshly peeled one into his own mouth right in front of Caleb.

“Ugh! Uncle Thorn, you’re such a cheapskate! I’m not talking to you anymore!” Caleb huffed.

“Brat, like I even want to talk to you,” Thorn snorted.

Caleb snorted back, “Uncle Thorn, I saw you hiding something in your cabinet last night! I’m gonna go dig it out and show Dad!”

With that, he dashed upstairs.

Thorn’s heart nearly leapt from his chest. In a panic, he scrambled after him. “You little rascal, get back here right now!”

Renee blinked her big eyes, watching them.

“Renee.” Hearing someone call her name, Renee turned—it was Liam.

“Liam, Godmother, Wayne!” Renee called out sweetly.

“Oh my, whose little girl is this? She’s just too cute! Come here, let me cuddle…” Nora couldn’t help but want some snuggles.

Renee looked over at Wayne. “Wayne, give me a hug!”

“Sure.” Wayne smiled.

Nora let out a cold snort and shot Wayne an annoyed glare.

Chapter 408

Out on the balcony, Julian wrapped his arms around Sienna from behind. They could hear Thorn scolding Caleb upstairs, mixed with the laughter and cheerful voices of Vivian, Amber, and the others. The Hart family house buzzed with life.

“Still worried about Winifred?” Julian asked.

Sienna’s eyes showed a trace of helplessness. “They’re still so young. There are bound to be problems ahead. It’s not like Rowena is the only person Winifred could be with, right?”

Julian lowered his voice and whispered in her ear, “But that’s their path to walk. They have to figure things out on their own.”

“Vivian and Nathan basically control the business world in Vallaris, and Winifred’s influence has grown a lot over these years. Amber is the youngest math professor and the president of one of the world’s top academic societies. They’ve all got the ability to protect themselves now. And even though Hudson is a bit older, he can always support and accept Amber for who she is.”

Sienna gave a faint smile, took his hand, and turned to face him. “What about you? What do you want?”

Julian’s heart raced. He gazed at her with deep affection and leaned in to kiss her. “Whatever you give me, that’s what I want,” he said softly.

Sienna playfully pushed him away. “You only get one shot, you know. Remember, you said you didn’t want anything.”

Julian’s heart skipped a beat. He hugged her tight, blurting out, barely able to contain himself, “I want to marry you! Really, marry you!”

Sienna couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, I’ll give you what you want.”

“Really?” Julian was practically bouncing with excitement.

Sienna wrapped her arms around his neck, gave him a quick kiss, then pushed him away with a playful smile. “No. I was only kidding,” she teased.

Julian hurried after her. “Hey, wait up, my lady! I just did a quick fortune-telling—turns out tomorrow is the most auspicious day for a wedding!”

Sienna grinned. “Wow, didn’t know you were into fortune-telling…”

Julian was rendered speechless.

Downstairs, Thorn was still chasing Caleb. “Caleb, you better not let me catch you! When I do, I’m so gonna spank you so hard, your butt’s on fire!”

“Uncle Thom, you’re a cheapskate! You can’t catch me!” Caleb taunted, making a face.

Thom was furious. “Caleb! You’re so doomed!”

“Renee, want to go play with me?” Liam said, taking her hand.

“Okay!” Renee chirped.

“No!” Matthew appeared with a stern face, giving Liam a cold glare.

“Winifred, let me do your hair,” Rowena said.

Winifred nodded and sat still, letting her handle it.

Chapter 408

Hudson said, “Amber, you’ve got that speech at the university in Frandell next month. I’ll make all the arrangements ahead of time.”

Amber replied, “I’m not going. I’ll go visit your hometown with you instead.”

Hudson was over the moon. He leaned in, nibbled her earlobe, and whispered, “Thank you, honey.”

Nathan said, “Vivian, after the New Year, let’s go on a trip for a few months. I’ve got everything sorted out at the company…”

Vivian shot him a look. “Oh, really? Not being stingy this time?”

Nathan replied, “There you go, teasing me again. Last time at the beach, they sold me a floral shirt for twenty bucks—so overpriced! Can’t I just not complain for once?”

Vivian sighed. “Seriously, why do you even bother saving money? You rake it in every single day.”

Nathan said with total confidence, “To buy you presents, obviously! Didn’t you say that pink diamond was gorgeous last month? I looked it up—it’s literally the only one in the world. It was supposed to be 63 million dollars, but I paid 65 million for it. It’ll be here tomorrow.”

Sienna walked downstairs just as fireworks exploded outside, filling the night with a festive glow. Everyone turned to look out the window, taking in the lively scene.

Julian looked at Sienna with a fervent gaze, slipping his arms around her waist from behind. “Tomorrow’s an auspicious day to get married,” he murmured.

“Okay,” Sienna replied.