novelraw Chapter 442 - 444: Recording Ends
Chapter 442 - 444: Recording Ends
Margaret Jennings also shared the story of how she and Miles Sanders met.
"We met quite naturally, at a banquet. According to him, it was love at first sight, but I’ve never believed in that sort of thing. Plus, he’s younger than me. When we first started spending time together, I always thought he was a bit frivolous. I mean, how could he throw around words like ’like’ and ’love’ after knowing me for only a few days?"
"Then, out of the blue, he became a junior colleague at my agency, and my manager asked me to look after him. I discovered he wasn’t just being frivolous; he’s a very passionate person who loves grand gestures. He was always considerate of my feelings and never let the conversation get awkward. We slowly became a couple. Because of our age difference, I was always hesitant about marriage. I wasn’t sure if he was just caught up in the novelty of it all. We dated like that for five years before he proposed, and I accepted."
"The public wasn’t very optimistic about us. I was extremely anxious when we first got married, and I had trouble adjusting to the new family dynamics. He was always by my side comforting me. He’s younger than me and can be quite clingy, but our relationship isn’t the ’mother and son’ dynamic the media portrays. In fact, most of the time, he’s the one taking care of me."
Carina Sanders tilted her head up and said with a mischievous smile, "Dad would be over the moon if he heard Mom praising him like that!"
A hint of envy flickered in Chelsea Raines’s eyes. Beside her, Jared Woods asked curiously, "Mom, how did you and Dad meet?"
Her son’s eyes were sparkling, and Chelsea Raines couldn’t bring herself to admit that she was after Gene Woods’s money while he was after her looks. Clearing her throat, she decided to embellish the story a bit. "Your dad and I also met at a banquet. He confessed his feelings for me, drove me to and from the set every day, and even pulled some strings to get me roles."
Jared Woods let out an impressed "Wow!" and asked, "So does that mean I was born from lots of love, too?"
Chelsea Raines didn’t know how to answer, but Ruby Preston chimed in, "Of course you were. Your parents’ hopes for you, the love from your paternal grandparents, the tender care from your maternal grandparents—that’s all love. You are a child who was born from love, Jared."
Jared Woods’s eyes lit up, and he unconsciously puffed out his little chest. But just as quickly, his shoulders slumped. "But why did Dad suddenly stop loving me? Does he have another son somewhere? He used to praise me when I ate a lot, saying I’d grow up strong and tall. But now, he just says I eat like a pig."
Chelsea Raines clenched her fists. She wanted nothing more than to fly to Veridia that very instant and tear that bastard Gene Woods’s mouth right off his face.
Ruby Preston said, "Jared, don’t pay him any mind. There are people all around who have always loved you, and in the future, even more people will love you. They’ll love you for a very, very long time..."
Jared Woods nodded. Hearing that so many people loved him seemed to lessen his disappointment in Gene Woods.
Ian squeezed Naomi Kenway’s hand and tilted his head. "Mommy, was I born from lots of love, too?"
"Of course, sweetie," Naomi Kenway said, pinching his fair, tender cheek. "From lots and lots and lots of love."
*
Since everyone got along so well, the cast members all worked together during the two-day, two-night shoot, completing their tasks in no time.
The trip for the ninth episode soon came to an end, and Naomi Kenway said her goodbyes to the others at the airport.
"Daddy!" Ian suddenly shouted, throwing himself into Ethan Shaw’s arms.
Ethan Shaw laughed, scooping him up with one arm. Then, as Naomi Kenway stared in stunned silence, he lifted her up too.
Ian let out an impressed "Wow!" "Daddy’s so strong! I want to grow up big and tall like Daddy, so I can hold both Mommy and Daddy at the same time!"
Noticing the crowd of fans screaming and taking pictures around them, Naomi Kenway blushed slightly. "Put me down. You can hold me when we get home."
"So you’ll let me hold you at home?"
Naomi Kenway nodded eagerly.
"Give me a kiss, and I’ll put you down."
"You... Ethan Shaw, since when did you get so shameless?"
"We haven’t seen each other for two days and two nights. Indulge my shamelessness a little. No kiss? Fine, we’ll just walk off like this."
As he spoke, he carried both Naomi Kenway and Ian a few steps forward.
Ian, finding this highly amusing, started giggling.
"Hey, wait..."
Naomi Kenway quickly planted a kiss on Ethan Shaw’s cheek. "There, happy now? Put me down." A faint blush crept up her cheeks.
Ethan Shaw chuckled, satisfied. "You still blush so easily."
True to his word, he set Naomi Kenway down.
Ian stretched his arms out to Naomi Kenway, clamoring, "I want a kiss, too! I want a kiss, too..."
Naomi Kenway gathered the warm, sweet-smelling bundle into her arms and smilingly planted a kiss on his cheek.
Ian happily wrapped his arms around Naomi Kenway’s neck and kissed her cheek in return. "MWAH~"
Ethan Shaw chuckled to himself, feeling a little jealous of his son. ’His wife certainly wasn’t that enthusiastic when she kissed him.’
Liam Sherman followed behind, carrying their two suitcases—one large, one small. He seemed completely accustomed to such scenes. As he walked on, he found himself wondering when his own wife would get a vacation.
*
Having taken over the family business, Naomi Kenway dove right into work the moment she got home.
Ethan Shaw stayed by her side, saying, "There’s a lot to deal with at Kenway Group. You’ll be swamped if you have to handle it all yourself. I’ve picked out a few highly capable people to help you. You should go meet them tomorrow."
Naomi Kenway’s eyes lit up. Kenway Group had been on a steady decline ever since Jackson Kensington took over, and it was impossible to retain any real talent. The current management team had almost no one she could rely on. She’d been trying to recruit new people, but that would obviously take a significant amount of time.
"You’ve been such a huge help. Thank you, honey."
"Your ’thank you’ isn’t what I want."
"Then..."
Ethan Shaw pulled Naomi Kenway into his embrace. He lowered his head, inhaling deeply from the nape of her neck. "How about you save some of that energy for me?"
"I’ll be gentler this time."
His touch was indeed much lighter, but the press of his lips on her sensitive skin sent an irrepressible tingle through her.
Naomi Kenway flinched back slightly, her arms tightening around his neck. "Y-You... even gentler..."
*
Following the latest lead from a private investigator, Naomi Kenway went to the Veridia Suburbs with her bodyguards, her heart heavy and conflicted.
Because the location was so remote, a worried Ethan Shaw had insisted on coming with her.
"Ms. Kenway, look. This is where the accident happened. According to the media reports at the time, this is where your mother’s car collided with a large truck. Her car exploded before sinking into the sea. The truck driver fled the scene. By the time police were alerted, they spent days searching the waters but came up empty-handed. It was deemed impossible for anyone to have survived. The case was ruled an accident, and the truck driver, a man surnamed Zhang, turned himself in five days later."