novelraw Chapter 381 - 382: Beloved Wife and Daughter in Arms
Chapter 381 - 382: Beloved Wife and Daughter in Arms
Chapter 381: Chapter 382: Beloved Wife and Daughter in Arms
A week passed. Lucas Robertson and Kiki still hadn’t returned, but Kiki did send a postcard and many little gifts for Curly. In the postcard, she told Sienna Johnson that she was fine and not to worry, promising she would be back soon.
"Are you still looking at it? You’ve read this postcard so many times... Did Kiki write it in some kind of code that you need to decipher?"
When Adrian Desmond walked in, he saw Sienna staring at the postcard in a daze. He was very displeased. These past few days, all Sienna had been doing was worrying about Kiki.
I wonder what Lucas has done to Kiki? She sighed softly and put the postcard away in the topmost drawer.
"Doesn’t Lucas like Kiki? What could he possibly do to her? He wouldn’t abuse her, would he?" He hated that her mind was occupied with people who had nothing to do with them.
"That Lucas is too much! How could he just kidnap someone without a word?" Sienna said, both angry and exasperated. "Samuel Palmer came by today asking where Kiki went. I didn’t even know how to answer him."
"Just tell him the truth."
"If I tell him that, Samuel and Kiki’s engagement will be off."
Adrian Desmond walked over behind her and began to massage her stiff, sore shoulders, his touch perfectly gauged. "I’ll have someone speak to Samuel Palmer about Kiki’s situation," he said. "You don’t need to worry about it."
"I know you mean well, but how can I not worry? Kiki is so gentle; she’s the type who wouldn’t even whimper if someone slapped her..."
"If anyone bullies Kiki, I’ll get revenge for her. How about that?"
Sienna turned her head, smiled at him, and said playfully, "Then I’ll thank you in advance on Kiki’s behalf, Sixth Master. You mustn’t forget. If Lucas dares to bully Kiki, you have King Yama torture him thoroughly!"
Adrian Desmond bent down to kiss her lips. "I’ll remember. I’ll remember everything you say..."
Sienna gave him a coquettish glance that swept over his lips. She leaned into his embrace with a soft smile, as docile as a Persian cat.
...
With Kiki gone, and Sienna unwilling to leave their child entirely with the nanny, she took on most of the childcare herself. This was manageable as she was pregnant and spent most of her time at home anyway. It was only then that she truly realized how exhausting raising a child could be.
"Hurry, hurry, we’re going to be late! Get up quickly!"
Sienna pulled open the pink curtains in her daughter’s room. Sunlight flooded in, and another busy day began.
"Mom, help me get dressed." Curly sat up, rubbing her eyes, clearly not fully awake yet.
"You’re a big girl now. Dress yourself."
"Kiki always helps me get dressed."
"I’m not your godmother; I’m your mother! OK? Dress yourself!" Sienna didn’t indulge Curly’s bad habits.
Curly mumbled as she fumbled with her clothes, "Doesn’t everyone say a child with a mother is a treasure? Why is my own mother not as good as my godmother?"
Sienna was speechless.
"Mom, when is Kiki coming back? I miss her..."
"How would I know?"
Curly had put her clothes on inside out. Seeing her daughter struggling and making a mess of it, Sienna finally stepped in and dressed her. Otherwise, who knew when they’d ever get to school.
When Adrian Desmond entered his daughter’s room, he found Curly sitting on the bed, fists clenched, sulking, while Sienna was lecturing her.
"Jayce, you’re four years old; you’re a big girl now! You have to learn to dress yourself and feed yourself... Look at you! You have hands and feet, why can’t you do these things yourself?"
Curly remained silent.
"How can you be so clumsy as to put your clothes on inside out?"
"Mom, all you do is criticize me! When you were four, did you know how to dress yourself?" the little girl retorted, unconvinced.
"When I was four, I was already washing my own clothes."
"Liar!"
"When I was little, I wasn’t nearly as fortunate as you. You should be grateful, my little highness."
"What’s wrong now?" Adrian asked, walking in.
Mother and daughter both started complaining to Adrian Desmond at once.
Curly scrambled over to hug Adrian Desmond, looking pitiful. "Daddy, Mommy is so mean! She’s been scolding me all morning... When Mommy did my braids, she pulled my hair so hard it hurt! Look, she even pulled out several strands... This is my precious hair, and Mommy pulled it out..."
Sienna huffed. "She’s four years old and still can’t dress herself! Adrian, you have no idea how much of a handful your daughter is. She even complained that the braids I did for her weren’t pretty. If they’re not pretty, she should try doing them herself! She can’t do it, yet she complains about others. People like that are the worst!"
"Dad, look how fierce your wife is."
"Adrian, I’m telling you, you two can’t keep spoiling her like this! They say to spare the rod is to spoil the child—or worse, that indulging a child is like killing them! If you keep spoiling her, she’ll grow up to be a useless spendthrift who can’t do anything for herself!"
"But I’m not spending *your* money!" Curly shot back.
"You’re talking back!"
"Dad..."
Seeing his wife’s exasperated expression, Adrian Desmond took the socks from her hand. "You go on," he said. "I’ll help her put on her socks..."
Sienna glared at him, and he quickly corrected himself, "I mean, I’ll *teach* her how to put on socks!"
"Hurry up and wash your face and brush your teeth, or we’ll be late again..." Sienna called out as she left.
"It’s all your fault! Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?" Curly yelled after her.
"If I had woken you earlier, would you even be awake now?" Sienna retorted. "Less chatter, more speed! Don’t dawdle."
Curly hugged Adrian’s neck and stuck her tongue out at her mother’s retreating back, a look of stubborn defiance on her face. Sienna feigned a slap, and Curly ducked into her father’s embrace.
Once her mother had left, Curly flopped back onto the bed, wanting to sleep more. Adrian lightly patted her small bottom. "Didn’t you hear your mom? It’s time to get up..."
"Just five more minutes, then I’ll get up."
"But we don’t have time."
Curly feared Sienna but had no fear of Adrian whatsoever. In public, a single glance from Adrian could make strong men wet their pants, but it had no effect on his daughter. He had spoiled her so thoroughly that she even dared to ride on his head.
"Oh, by the way, George said he’s coming to see you."
Curly shot up. "Dad, don’t let him come! I don’t like him!"
"That depends on your behavior... You know your mom is pregnant, don’t you? She’s only just started to be able to eat a little these past couple of days. Can you try not to make her angry?"
"Daddy, ever since you got a wife, you’ve forgotten your daughter! You’re playing favorites! Hmph, you only care about your wife now, not me."
"How about I give you another pony?"
"I want two!"
"Alright!"
"And, you can’t let George come to our house," Curly added another condition.
No longer sleepy, Curly stretched out her little feet for Adrian to put on her socks. "Daddy, smell my feet. Are they stinky?"