Yet, Ashton said nothing and merely shot him a glare before striding back into the kitchen. It was a warming sight.
The moment he walked away, Gregory and Audrey immediately resumed their chatter. They took the tray and returned to their toys.
The villa used to be deathly quiet, but it was lively because of the children chattering and clinking noises from the kitchen.
I chuckled. All my life, I wanted to lead a peaceful life just like this.
If nothing had happened six years ago, the twins wouldn’t be separated for such a long time. As parents, we had let them down.
I suddenly recalled something. “Where is Summer? Is she alright now?” I asked.
If I wasn’t mistaken, the time I gave Jared was up. Summer must’ve grown up to be a cheerful teen by now.
“Don’t worry. I need to tell you something, Letty.” John crossed his legs and leaned back into the sofa, his expression stern.
I couldn’t get used to how rigid he was. “We’re siblings, so just say it. There’s no need to hesitate.”
John inclined his head. He stared at the ground before meeting my gaze. “Emma and I have a three-year-old child.”
I didn’t know it was about his child. It took me a while to process the news before I flashed a warm smile. “That’s great. Is it a boy or girl?”
“A boy,” replied John shyly. “His name is Drew.”
“Drew.” I repeated the name happily. “It’s a great name. I hope he will be wise as his name.”
John flashed a sorrowful smile. “I thought you’d blame me.”
He paused at that. Taking a deep breath, he went ahead and said, “You were missing, but I got married and even had a son. I don’t deserve to be your brother.”
It seemed like he was mocking the past six years of his life, but I knew that wasn’t it.
John was no longer the frivolous and vicious young man he used to be. He had matured and was able to support his family and run a business empire.
The past six years had been wasted, but it wasn’t anyone’s fault. He shouldn’t blame himself for it.
Besides, he took great care of Audrey.
I stood up and went to him before sitting down. Patting his shoulder, I told him, “John, you’ll always be my brother. You have an additional responsibility now, but that doesn’t mean anything has changed between us. Thank you for what you’ve done for the past six years.”
John had suffered a lot when I was lying in coma, doing nothing.
In a foreign country, he had to search for my whereabouts while taking care of his parents. He also had to run a business. His responsibilities must’ve taken too much of his life, so he could only sleep for a few hours every night.
Hearing my words, tears welled up in John’s eyes. His gaze softened. Though he had a dominating presence, the sight of him forcing back tears was a little melodramatic.
I didn’t want to continue being sentimental and hurriedly changed the topic. “Tell me. How did you successfully court Emma?”
Before I left the country, I remembered Emma was focused on her career. She no longer wanted to be with John. Once a woman focused on her career, she wouldn’t want to get involved with a man anymore.
Thora was a great example.
John scratched his head as though he was still the handsome and innocent young man. “Err, I didn’t really court her. After you went missing, I traveled around the world to find you. I exhausted all means available and refused to stop. In the end, I collapsed from exhaustion and remained unconscious for three whole days. Back then, Emma took over the whole Stovall family. Sometimes, she doesn’t really act like a woman.”
