Chapter 426: Chapter 426: Sudden Change in Temperament
Bella Hawthorne’s little heart was instantly touched by the little baby in front of her, and she couldn’t help but hug him again, "Hello, little Kenny, it’s so nice to see you. Auntie brought lots of gifts for you."
Upon hearing this, Kenny quickly wrote another sentence, "Thank you, Auntie, seeing you is the best gift."
"Ah!!" Bella Hawthorne couldn’t help but let out a squeaky scream, "Where did this little angel come from? Although he’s a mini-version of my brother, my brother isn’t even one-tenth as cute as him, I swear!!"
The first time Bella Hawthorne met this little dumpling, she really liked him. Not only was he adorably handsome, but also polite and gentlemanly, and his sweet little mouth was as honeyed as if it could bring joy to one’s heart.
Back then, she even thought about bringing this little dumpling home to raise.
Never expected, this little dumpling turned out to actually be the Hawthorne Family’s baby!
Kenny blinked, looking a bit puzzled at his own mommy, silently asking why Auntie was so excited?
Ann Vaughn held back a laugh, rubbing Kenny’s little head, "Auntie likes Kenny so much, that’s why she gets so excited."
Ah, I see. Kenny nodded, there’s no helping it, being too cute is indeed a burden, sigh.
"Vera, Kenny’s illness hasn’t fully healed. I’ll take him upstairs to sleep first, put your things away and meet me in the master bedroom." Ann Vaughn reminded Bella Hawthorne as the time approached.
Only then did Bella Hawthorne reluctantly let go of the little dumpling in her arms, "Good night, little Kenny."
Kenny also wrote, "Good night, Auntie."
...
After reading the world’s top ten scary stories to Kenny as usual, and waiting until he slept contentedly, Ann left the children’s room and went back to the master bedroom.
Bella Hawthorne had just finished her shower and changed into pajamas, and upon seeing Ann return, she immediately walked forward anxiously, "Sister-in-law, I didn’t ask directly earlier, but is there something wrong with little Kenny’s throat?"
Seeing her cautious look, Ann Vaughn couldn’t help but chuckle, "Don’t worry, it’s just a side effect of a high fever, he’ll recover in a while."
Bella Hawthorne immediately patted her chest in relief, "Oh, that scared me into asking several doctor friends and even considering taking little Kenny to see them; good thing he’s okay."
Upon hearing this, warmth also flickered in Ann Vaughn’s eyes. She was initially worried that Vera would be unfriendly to Kenny because of Laura Quinn, but it turned out she overthought it.
When she told this to Bella Hawthorne, Bella was incredulous, "Sister-in-law, you overthink it! My mom is my mom, and I’m me. We think differently."
"Besides..." Bella Hawthorne looked at Ann Vaughn with a conflicted expression, "I was worried you’d dislike me because of what my mom did."
Speaking of which, even she found it hard to believe the things her mother did when she heard them, let alone imagine such things from a once gentle and generous mother.
Making excuses once or twice saying it was accidental was possible, but when it happened often, Bella Hawthorne couldn’t excuse it.
"Sister-in-law, my mom really wasn’t like this before. Grandpa and the Hawthorne Family all used to say she was gentle and virtuous, blessed with both fortune and wisdom. They said her temperament changed drastically only after my dad disappeared because she took it too hard."
Gentle and virtuous, blessed with fortune and wisdom?
These words felt incredibly inconsistent when used to describe Laura Quinn, Ann Vaughn thought.
Also, from a medical perspective, she didn’t believe anyone could change this drastically from a single shock; even if it happened, it would be exceedingly rare.
Ann Vaughn didn’t say any of this, not wanting to upset Bella Hawthorne, instead asking, "Don’t you have an uncle as well?"
"Yes, his name is Henry Quinn, have you met him, sister-in-law?"
Ann Vaughn nodded, the image of that bloodied middle-aged man in the family courtyard flashed in her mind, and even the thought of that bloody smell made her stomach churn.
Saying she wasn’t afraid would be a lie.
But somehow, Ann Vaughn had a gut feeling that if she overreacted, that middle-aged man and Mark Joyce might not survive.
That’s why she forced herself to suppress that aversion, pretending to be unfazed.
"They say, originally I had a little aunt too, but she supposedly died at sea in an accident. The family doesn’t dare mention it to avoid upsetting my mom, so I’m telling you in secret!" Bella Hawthorne clung to Ann Vaughn’s arm, speaking softly.
Ann Vaughn chuckled lightly, "You’re young but know a lot."
"Of course!" Bella Hawthorne raised her head and puffed up her chest, "Sister-in-law, if you want to know anything about the Hawthornes in the future, just ask me, I know it all!"
Ann Vaughn thought that it was such a pity Bella didn’t become a paparazzo.
How many exciting stories did the entertainment industry lose out on?
Bella Hawthorne, after all, had flown back overnight and quickly fell asleep after stirring things up for a while.
Seeing her asleep, Ann Vaughn casually threw on a coat and went downstairs to the glass conservatory.
Once she saw it, Ann Vaughn was startled.
The seed planted not even half a month ago had sprouted, the green vine grew upwards, and a few tender leaves with occasional small buds seemed ready to bloom.
"Are there plants that grow this fast?" Ann Vaughn muttered while watering.
This wasn’t some fairytale magic vine, after all.
"Plants from outside the domain naturally have special traits." A deep, magnetic voice suddenly sounded from behind, and Ann Vaughn promptly turned to see him, only to be wrapped in a still warm black trench coat, "Aren’t you cold?"
Ann Vaughn struggled to poke her head out, her eyes meeting the man’s stern and sharp face, her heart raced a bit, "Have you settled everything at the company?"
"Mm, small matter." The man casually referred to the group’s internal security system attack as a trivial issue, his dark eyes glancing over the plant in front of Ann Vaughn, his brows slightly furrowed, "Bone-removing Vine?"
"Bone-removing Vine??" Ann Vaughn was taken aback, "Could it be something terrifying like a carnivorous plant?"
"It can be used medicinally."
Ann Vaughn searched her memory but found no relevant information, "I’ve never heard of such a medicinal plant."
"Plants that grow outside the domain are mostly unknown to outsiders." Cyrus Hawthorne answered slowly, then adjusted the coat on her, his gaze somewhat probing.
It is said that places with clearly marked domains on the map are considered inside the domain, while those not shown or known to outsiders are outside the domain.
Meaning, a realm beyond the domain.
So, was the woman who casually handed out Bone-removing Vine seeds from outside the domain?