Chapter 51
Hearing that Martha would go with him, Leo gave a little grunt, jumped off the toilet, and opened the door. However, his sobbing hadn’t stopped yet. “Where’s the macaroni?”
Martha quickly wiped away his tears. “It’s really not a big deal, sweetheart. I’ll go with you tomorrow. The macaroni is in the kitchen. Avery even made you fried chicken with your favorite honey mustard sauce.’
Of all the grandchildren, Martha felt the most tender affection for Leo.
There were only two young ones in the entire family. One was Gabriella, the daughter of her eldest son, Alexander. But Alexander was the son of her late best friend.
As for Gabriella, though the Grant family had watched her grow up, she was adopted.
After Alexander and his wife, Wendy, struggled with infertility, they adopted a girl from a welfare home and named her Gabriella.
Her youngest son, Sebastian, didn’t even have a partner yet. At this rate, Martha doubted she’d live long enough to see a grandchild born from him.
She usually spoiled Leo the most, always feeding the little one until he was chubby and round. She had a soft spot for him.
Right then, she took Leo by the hand and brought him to the kitchen for a snack.
The next morning, Martha changed into something more casual and comfortable. However, her body wasn’t as agile as it used to be. While coming down the stairs, she accidentally
twisted her ankle.
Avery rushed to help her sit down. “Mrs. Grant Sr., are you alright?”
With his little backpack on, Leo bounced happily down the stairs. He was full of excitement. Not only would he get to go out and play, but he’d also get to see Valeria and eat all sorts of
delicious food.
When he suddenly heard Martha’s voice, he quickly ran back up, grabbed her arm, and looked at her with concern. “Grandma, are you hurt?”
“No, I’m fine. Ouch…” Martha had meant to say she was fine, but as she took a step, the movement pulled at her sprained ankle, and she couldn’t help but frown from the pain.
Seeing what had happened, Avery quickly helped her down the steps.
Hearing the noise from upstairs, Nicholas came out of his room. “Seriously? You’re not young anymore. How do you still manage to twist your ankle just walking around?”
Leo, sitting in the living room, looked solemn. All the joy from earlier had vanished.
“Grandma, can you still come to school with me?” he asked worriedly.
“Of course I can, Leo. I’ll definitely go with you.” Martha tried to stand but stumbled slightly. She held onto Leo’s hand. “Leo, maybe Grandpa could go with you instead…”
Nicholas shot her a look, and Martha immediately fell silent.
Letting out a sigh, both of them couldn’t help but think of Florian, who had passed away.
In his younger years, Nicholas had dominated the business world, and he had made more than a few enemies along the way.
21 years ago, the kidnapping case that shook Slate City involved Florian and Sebastian. They were abducted by someone Nicholas had unknowingly offended. It ended in tragedy.
Since then, Nicholas had chosen a quiet, withdrawn life. He only occasionally met old friends for fishing, and he rarely appeared in public. He was afraid someone might still recognize him.
Just then, Leo began sobbing again. A bubble of snot formed as his tears streaked down onto
Martha’s sleeve.
He wasn’t just sad about missing the event, but he was genuinely worried about Martha. ” Grandma, does it hurt?”
Martha felt a tug at her heart. “No, sweetheart, not at all. You’re such a good boy. It’s all my fault. I haven’t worn these shoes in ages. I just wanted to look nice today for your school
event…’
11
“Mr. Grant, you’re back,” Avery called out as she saw Sebastian walk in from outside. “Mrs.
Grant Sr. twisted her ankle.”
Sebastian had stayed at the Grant residence the night before. As usual, he went out for his
morning run.
After taking a quick look at Martha’s ankle, he said, “It’s nothing major. Just ice it for now.”
Leo was still sobbing softly nearby.
Martha was struck by an idea, and she immediately grabbed Sebastian’s hand. “Sebastian.”
Sebastian saw the look on her face, raised an eyebrow, and leaned down slightly. “Yes?”
She continued, “Sebastian, Leo’s school is organizing an outdoor event today, but your sister is tied up with work at the company.”
Sebastian replied with a faint, amused tone, “The company won’t stop running just because she’s not there.”
Martha shot him a sharp look.
That tone sounded just like Nicholas. They really were father and son.
