After finishing dinner and handling the household affairs the previous night, I headed up to my room for a peaceful night’s rest.
The next morning, I woke up refreshed, took a warm shower, and dressed in a comfortable casual outfit. By the time I stepped out of my suite, it was already 9:00 AM. Downstairs, everyone was already gathered at the grand dining table, enjoying a lively breakfast spread.
As I walked into the dining room, Seraphina looked up with a bright, welcoming smile. "Julian, while you were resting, the four of us had a short discussion about our weekly schedule."
"Oh?" I asked, pulling out the chair at the head of the table. "What did you decide?"
"We agreed that during the day, we will all spend time together as a family," Sera explained smoothly. "However, for our private evenings, we set up a rotating system so everyone gets dedicated one-on-one time with you. On Monday, I’ll spend the evening with you. Tuesday belongs to Clara, Wednesday will be for Sophia, and Thursday is reserved for Belle."
I chuckled, leaning forward with a curious smirk. "And what about Friday, Saturday, and Sunday?"
Sera flushed slightly, gesturing for me to lean in closer. As I tilted my head down, her soft voice whispered right against my ear: "We decided to share those three days together... so don’t worry."
Even with my usual composure, hearing her quiet confession made a slight blush touch my cheeks. I looked at the four of them with a warm, genuine smile. "I like that arrangement very much."
Sitting back in my chair, I felt a gentle tug on my sleeve. Little Daisy was sitting right beside me in her boosted chair, her big eyes sparkling with excitement. "Papa! Are we still going for my bike ride at the park today?"
"We sure are, sweetie," I smiled, patting her head before glancing around the table. "Is anyone else free to join Daisy and me at the park today?"
Sera offered an apologetic smile. "I have to decline today, honey. I promised my father I would spend the afternoon with him since I’ve been so busy with household administration all week."
Sophia shook her head gently. "I can’t come either, Julian. I need to review the monthly health and medical reports for all our household staff and family members today."
Clara took a sip of her coffee, letting out a small sigh. "Tomorrow is a public holiday, which means Cosmos Group is still open today to finalize the transition paperwork. I have to drop by the office for a few hours."
I turned my eyes toward Belle, who was quietly eating her breakfast. "What about you, Belle? Are you free today?"
Belle looked up, blinking in surprise. "Me?"
"Yes," I chuckled softly. "Is there any other Belle at this table?"
"I... yes, I’m completely free today," she answered, glancing around at the others.
"Then it’s settled!" Sera chimed in cheerfully. "Belle will accompany you and Daisy to the park today."
"Sounds like a plan," I smiled, looking at Belle. "After breakfast, we’ll head out together."
Belle nodded quietly, a faint, contented smile touching her lips.
After finishing breakfast, I asked the house staff to load Daisy’s custom-made unicorn bicycle into the trunk of my Valence & Co. executive SUV. I took the keys from the driver, telling him he could take the rest of the day off to rest.
Climbing into the driver’s seat, I adjusted the rearview mirror. Belle sat comfortably in the front passenger seat, while Daisy sat happily on her lap, holding her stuffed toy bear.
I started the engine, gliding the SUV out of the estate driveway and onto the main road. "Daisy, when you’re riding your bike at the park today, make sure you stay alert, okay? Ride safely so neither you nor anyone else gets hurt."
"Okay, Papa! I’ll be super careful!" Daisy cheered from the passenger side.
After a smooth ten-minute drive through the city, we arrived at the Central Municipal Park. I parked the vehicle in the main lot, retrieved the small bicycle from the trunk, and guided Belle and Daisy through the grand stone arches of the park entrance.
"Stay within this paved playground area, sweetie," I instructed, pointing to a smooth, circular path surrounded by lush trees and green lawns. "Belle and I will be sitting right on that wooden bench over there watching you. Don’t wander off too far."
"Okay, Papa!" Daisy hopped onto her pink bicycle and happily pedaled away down the path, her training wheels clicking rhythmically.
Turning toward Belle, I gently took her slender hand in mine, guiding her toward the park bench under the shade of a large oak tree. We sat down together, the crisp morning breeze blowing gently past us.
I looked at our intertwined fingers, then turned my gaze toward her side profile. "Belle... have you gotten used to the new environment at the villa yet? Did you sleep well last night?"
Belle was staring at our locked hands, seemingly mesmerized by the warmth of my touch.
"Belle?" I chuckled softly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Did you hear what I said?"
She snapped out of her daze, her cheeks flushing slightly as she pulled her eyes away from our hands. "Ah! Yes... I stayed up a bit late thinking, but... I finally managed to sleep peacefully for the first time in years."
"Good," I smiled warmly. "I’m glad to hear that. So... what did you thinking about ?"
Belle looked at me, a soft, puzzled expression in her eyes. "About what?"
"I mean, everyone else already knows what they want to do on the days they spend with me," I teased gently. "Don’t tell me Miss Young doesn’t want to spend one-on-one time with her fiancé?"
"Of course I want to spend time with my fiancé!" Belle answered instantly, before her tone softened into rare vulnerability. "It’s just... until yesterday, my entire life was built around corporate battles, power struggles, and proving my worth. And suddenly, today, I have a real fiancé who is willing to carry the heavy burdens for me, a warm family full of people who genuinely care for each other..."
She paused, turning her eyes toward the paved path where Daisy was happily riding her bike under the bright morning sun.
"I even have a sweet little daughter cycling right in front of me," Belle whispered, her voice filled with deep emotion. "I... I just don’t know how to react to all this sudden love and warmth. Before moving into your villa, I never experienced true family bonds. Everything in my life was treated like a business transaction."
I looked at her earnest, delicate expression and let out a light, comfortable laugh. "Why overthink it so much, Belle? Just give me one simple answer: are you happy right now with the relationships you’ve built with Daisy, Sera, Clara, and Sophia? Do you care about them as much as they care about you?"
Belle looked into my eyes, her expression settling into pure sincerity. "Yes... I am genuinely happy. I’m enjoying all these new feelings and emotions."
"Then that’s all that matters," I said softly, wrapping my arm around her shoulder to pull her closer. "Show what you’re truly feeling. You don’t have to hide behind a cold, professional wall anymore. I’m here with you, and our entire family is standing behind you."
Belle leaned her head gently against my shoulder, letting out a soft, relaxed sigh. "Okay..."
"Papa! Mom Belle!"
Daisy’s urgent, cute voice suddenly broke the peaceful atmosphere. She came pedaling her bike back toward us, stopping right beside the bench with a worried look on her small face. "An elderly grandma fell down over by the bench near the flower garden!"
Hearing her words, Belle and I stood up immediately. "Show us where she is, Daisy."
We followed Daisy down the paved path toward the flower garden, where an elderly lady in simple, elegant clothing was sitting weakly on a stone bench, resting her back against the frame with a pale complexion.
"Belle, pass me the fruit juice box we brought for Daisy," I requested quickly.
Belle handed me the juice box from her bag. I unsealed it, stepped forward, and handed it gently to the old lady. "Ma’am, try sipping this slowly."
The elderly lady took the juice box, drinking half of it in small gulps. After a couple of minutes, the color slowly returned to her face, and her posture stabilized.
She set the juice box down, offering a gentle, embarrassed smile. "Thank you so much, young man... I’m sorry for causing such trouble for you and your family."
"No trouble at all, ma’am," I replied politely. "Just please be careful when walking alone."
I looked down at the lady carefully. For some inexplicable reason, as I looked at her sharp, aristocratic features and dignified posture despite her weakness, an unmistakable sense of familiarity washed over me.
"Are you okay, Grandma?" Daisy asked innocently, tilting her head.
The lady looked at Daisy, her eyes softening with immense fondness. "Yes, my dear... I’m feeling much better now. I’m sorry for scaring you."
I looked at the elderly woman again. "Ma’am, are you sure you don’t need me to call an ambulance or contact your family?"
"There’s no need," the lady shook her head gently, standing up from the bench with effortless grace. "It was just a sudden drop in my blood sugar, but the juice helped stabilize it. In any case, I shall take my leave now. I’m sure we will meet again soon."
I smiled faintly. "I don’t think so, ma’am. I don’t live near this park, and I’ll be moving out of Metro City soon."
The elderly lady looked at me with a profound, knowing glint in her eyes—one that carried an aura of immense authority and ancient background. "I don’t live in this city either, young man... but I am certain our paths will cross again very soon."
Without another word, she turned and walked gracefully down the tree-lined path toward a sleek, unmarked black luxury vehicle waiting at the park boundary.
I stared at her departing figure, slightly puzzled. I hadn’t even gotten her name, otherwise I could have had my shadow chief pull her full background file. But shaking the thought off, I turned back toward Belle and Daisy. She seemed like an innocent, wealthy senior... what harm could she possibly cause?
Just as I took Belle’s hand to resume our walk, a clear, crisp chime echoed directly within my consciousness:
[System Notification:] System upgrade completed successfully! 24-hour update period has ended. All cashback features, privilege tracking, and real-time notifications are now fully operational!