Ava saw this heartwarming scene as soon as she entered the door. After a slight moment of daze, she instructed the servant to place the things she brought on the table.
She smiled at the two little ones and said, "Darlings, Grandma has come to see you again. Today, I specially bought gifts for you. Let's see if you like them."
As Ava spoke, she took out a Barbie doll and a Transformer from the bag.
She had someone investigate and knew that this daughter had been divorced before. She had just returned with a pair of twin daughters, but now the twins had become fraternal twins. It should have been a mistake by the private investigator.
But strangely enough, as she looked at the boy today, he bore some resemblance to Dominic.
Upon careful thought, she felt it must be a coincidence. The Carter family's lineage was thin; how could they let their children wander outside?
The two little ones didn't reach out for the gifts handed to them but instead looked at Alessia.
Alessia gently touched the faces of her son and daughter. Her daughter was obedient and didn't mention it, while her son was lively and mischievous but also knew his boundaries well.
"Be good, call Grandma," Alessia said.
What exactly was that strange feeling? Since there was no way to know now, she would take it slow. As long as there was a flaw, it would eventually be revealed.
"Grandma!" the two little ones said in unison, taking the gifts, but they didn't seem very excited.
"Ah," Ava was very happy. This 'Grandma' meant that Alessia accepted her.
She looked at Alessia and said, "Sia, I've already arranged a room at home. When will you move in with the children?"
Alessia shook her head lightly and said, "I won't move in."
Upon hearing this, Ava couldn't help but feel anxious and persuaded, "You, although the house you're living in now is nice, it's still not comparable to home. Living there would allow your mom to take care of you up close. Are you still blaming me and unwilling to forgive me?"
Alessia looked up at the already teary Ava. She glanced at Mrs. Cate, indicating for her to take the two children upstairs first.
After the children left, Alessia's gaze became sharp as she looked back at the now tearful Ava.
"Do you think I should forgive you? Knowing that I was abandoned at the doorstep of an orphanage, with bruises around my neck when I was picked up, looking like I was strangled, who was the person and where is the father who looks like me? Where is he?"
With each question Alessia asked, Ava paused, then retreated, fear showing on her face, finally falling to the ground, tears streaming down.
But Alessia didn't offer to help her up.
After Ava seemed to have cried enough, she got up on her own and said in a trembling voice, "Sia, it's my fault for not protecting you back then. The situation back then was too complicated, I... I can't explain it to you for now, but believe me, I will tell you the truth sooner or later."
"Then let's talk about forgiveness after you tell me the truth." Alessia thought to herself that the day Ava spoke the truth would be the day she figured out what was wrong.
Ava's eyes dimmed, and after a long while, she seemed to accept Alessia's words.
She no longer insisted on Alessia but instead pleaded slightly humbly, "Sia, can you bring the children to dinner at the family tonight? Your uncle and aunt haven't seen you yet."
Alessia thought for a moment and agreed.
Since she acknowledged Ava but refused to move into the Ramirez family, if she refused to have a family reunion dinner, it would indeed be unreasonable.
Thinking of her plan, Alessia added, "Although I won't move into the Ramirez family, you're welcome to come here anytime."
"Alright." Ava smiled, but the smile seemed somewhat forced.
Upstairs, the two little ones who had been eavesdropping on the conversation downstairs took a deep breath.
Christian's pretty little face was full of anger as she stood with his hands on his hips. "I don't like this Grandma."
"I don't like her either." Eleanor pouted, only now realizing how pitiful Mommy was. She vowed to be extra good to Mommy in the future. "Then, are you going to the dinner tonight?"
"Of course, what if someone from the Ramirez family bullies Mommy?" Christian said.
Although Mommy was strong, he also had to protect Mommy.
In the future, with Brother and Daddy, the three of them would protect Mommy together.
At six o'clock in the evening, Alessia took the two little ones to the Ramirez family.
The old mansion of the Ramirez family was not as large as the Carter family's, but it was still luxurious. After all, it was an old and established family.
After entering, Ava introduced her to her uncle Harrison Ramirez and her aunt Margaret. Nolan was not at home.
Harrison and Margaret were neither cold nor warm towards her, polite yet not wrong.
Alessia was equally polite yet distant. Even if they were relatives, it still depended on the relationship.
At dinner time, Nolan came back, reeking of alcohol. "Oh, how come you're here again?"
Saying that, Nolan forcibly squeezed between Alessia and Christian, leaning on the table with both hands, staring frivolously at Alessia.
Nolan's sudden move, though abrupt, seemed commonplace to everyone present, with no intention of stopping him. Margaret even had a smile at the corner of her mouth, looking at the scene with a playful gaze.
Alessia's gaze turned cold.
Finally, Harrison spoke up, "Nolan, don't mess around with your cousin."
"Dad, I just think my cousin is pretty, and also good at fighting," Nolan didn't rise from his seat, but leaned even closer to Alessia.
Christian blinked his dark grape-like eyes, jumped off his chair, picked up the water glass from the table with his chubby little hands, and pulled Nolan's sleeve, "Uncle!"
Nolan impatiently turned his head.
Christian revealed his pearly white teeth innocently, "Please have some water."
After speaking, he tilted the water glass forward, and all the water spilled onto Nolan's crotch.
Startled, Nolan dodged to the right, and Alessia quickly got up, taking the chair with her. Nolan ended up sitting on the ground.
Everyone at the table stood up now.
"Nolan," Margaret called out concernedly, and a servant helped Nolan up.
Nolan looked dazed and closed his eyes, seemingly genuinely drunk.
Seeing Nolan was fine, Margaret breathed a sigh of relief, but her expression turned ugly. She couldn't even maintain the initial politeness anymore.
She glared at Alessia with dissatisfaction, "You came to visit, is this how you educate your children? Very uncultured, and the children you raise are even more uncultured."
Alessia looked back with a cold and threatening gaze, hinting at danger.
Margaret had crossed her bottom line.
Suddenly meeting Alessia's aggressive gaze, Margaret was startled and then became even more angry. "Why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?"
Alessia sneered, and just then, Harrison timely intervened, "That's enough, Margaret, what do you want?"
Then, Ava, with a pale face, also spoke up, "Margaret, Alessia is my child. Where she went wrong, I apologize on her behalf."
Margaret glanced at her husband who scolded her, then at her delicate sister-in-law, and, annoyed, she pulled Nolan away.
"You bastard, where have you been fooling around again? You drunk as a skunk, didn't even know you were bullied by a little kid."
As the scolding faded into the distance, Harrison awkwardly looked at Alessia, "Sia, please don't mind. Your aunt just tends to be protective, not specifically against you."
Alessia scoffed, her lips curling mockingly, and said bluntly, "It's okay, I'm also protective. I have something else to do, so I'll leave first."
With that, she prepared to leave with her two children.
Harrison choked, his expression also turning sour.
Ava, blaming herself, grabbed Alessia's hand from behind, "Sia, it's my fault for letting you suffer. I will take you shopping tomorrow, okay? In a while, I will hold a banquet to formally announce your identity."
Alessia looked at Ava, who was full of sincerity, then glanced at Harrison, who seemed troubled and hesitant. She retracted her hand coldly, and said indifferently, "As you wish."
With that, she left without staying any longer, taking her two children with her.
***