Chapter 167
The maid, Penny Harwood, hesitated, but Sebastian frowned as his voice dropped cold. “I said, throw it in the trash.”
Those things should have been discarded seven years ago.
Since Jane and he were over, there was no point keeping them around.
The more Sebastian looked at it, the more it bothered him.
“Yes, sir.” Penny quickly stepped inside, picked up the box, and carried it out.
Watching her leave, Sebastian opened his mouth as if to say something, but his fists clenched tightly instead. Deep down, he knew this should have ended long ago.
On her way downstairs, Penny ran into Avery.
Avery saw the box she was carrying and asked, “Penny, isn’t that from Mr. Grant’s study?”
“Yeah. He told me to throw it away,” Penny replied.
Then, Avery advised, “Don’t throw it just yet. Put it in the storage room first.”
“But Mr. Grant seemed upset and told me to get rid of it… Avery, do you know who gave him this box? It’s been sitting in his study for years, and now he suddenly wants it gone.”
“Don’t pry into their affairs. Just put it in the storage room and, if he asks, say you threw it away.”
Around 2:00 pm, Martha arrived at Valeria’s neighborhood with Avery. She had been here a few times before, so she knew her way around, but this old building had no elevator. It was a real killer for the legs.
By the time she climbed to the sixth floor, her knees were shaking.
When Valeria opened the door and saw Martha, she froze. “Hello, Mrs. Grant Sr. Hello, Avery.”
Catching her breath, Martha nodded after she steadied herself. Then, she walked in and settled onto the couch, which felt comfortable.
She asked, “You got a new couch?”
Valeria replied with a soft hum.
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Avery set down two boxes of supplements and a gift box of handmade pastries. “Mrs. Grant Sr. heard Selena just had surgery. She is especially fond of Selena and came to visit her.”
“Lenny is taking a nap right now. Let me go-” Valeria didn’t expect Martha to come just to visit Selena, and even brought gifts.
“It’s okay. Let her rest,” Martha interrupted, gently holding Valeria’s arm. “Rest is important right now. I just wanted to drop by for a while.”
Valeria fetched two cups of water, then sliced some oranges.
From the living room, she could hear Martha telling Avery, “This couch is really nice. It’s so comfortable.”
Valeria blinked rapidly, feeling uneasy, but she walked over with the plate of fruits.
Then, Martha asked, “Is your husband not back yet? This long–distance thing isn’t good for a marriage. Couples should live together.”
Valeria replied, “He will be back the day after tomorrow.”
Martha nodded, then asked about Selena’s condition.
Valeria answered, “She was born with it. They found out when she was one year old. Dr. Gordon performed the surgery, and it went very well.”
“That’s good.” Martha sighed softly. “Don’t worry, she’ll be fine. I had congenital heart disease, too. And I’ve done two open–heart surgeries. Look at me now.
“With medical advances, things will only get better. My son’s a heart surgeon, you know. If he hadn’t mentioned it this morning, I wouldn’t have known Selena had already had her
operation.”
Valeria’s lips pressed into a thin line.
When Selena was one year old, she was diagnosed with a hereditary heart condition.
The elderly woman in front of them smiled warmly. She was slightly plump, and her hair was neatly styled. She was dressed more fashionably than many younger people, wearing a cape coat. Her manner was gentle and polite.
Family bonds were some of the most amazing and powerful connections in the world.
“Is Dr. Grant not working today?” Valeria asked.
“Oh, he’s been busy the past few days, but he has some free time now.” When Martha mentioned Sebastian, her smile softened even more. After all, he had really made her proud.
The two dogs near the couch barked. Potato stayed calm, but Pork Chop always got wary
Chapter YY
around strangers.
Valeria shushed him softly.
Martha beckoned to Pork Chop. “Sebastian has a dog, too. It’s a golden retriever–Samoyed mix named Nemo. Two years ago, when Nemo got sick, he flew back from Amaran in a rush. Pets… After a while, they become family.”
“Dr. Grant doesn’t seem like the type who would want a dog,” Valeria commented.
“No, he really isn’t. That’s why we were all surprised when he had Nemo.”
The thought of the past drew a soft sigh from Martha’s lips.
Chapter 168