C219 Time Heals Many Wounds

By the time we arrived at the Mooney residence, the sky had already grown dark. The lights around the mansion illuminated the entire courtyard, making the estate look warm and welcoming. As Alicia slowly parked the blue Hyundai, we noticed another familiar vehicle already waiting outside. David Chambers' car. "So they've already arrived," Alicia said with a smile. We all stepped out of our respective vehicles. The maids immediately welcomed everyone before leading us inside.

The moment we entered the living room... Valeria stood up first. Her eyes immediately landed on Sarah. "My daughter!" Without waiting another second, she hurried over and hugged Sarah tightly. Sarah laughed awkwardly. "Aunt Valeria..." "You'll suffocate me." Valeria refused to let go. "I haven't seen you properly since that lunch." "I've missed you." David walked over more calmly before smiling warmly. "Welcome." "It seems you've become even prettier." Sarah blushed. "Thank you, Uncle."

Chris immediately wrapped an arm around Sarah's shoulder. "Of course she's prettier." "She's my wife." David burst into laughter. "You little brat." "You've become quite protective." Chris grinned proudly. "I learned from my brother." I looked at him speechlessly. "When did I teach you that?" "You've always been like this." Everyone laughed as we followed the maids toward the dining room.

The long dining table had already been prepared. Dozens of dishes filled the table. Healthy soups... Fresh vegetables... Roasted meat... Fish... Freshly baked bread... Fruit juice... Even Alicia stopped walking for a second. "...That's a lot of food." Georgia smiled proudly. "When two pregnant women are eating together..." "There is no such thing as too much food." Another round of laughter followed. Everyone slowly took their seats.

Almost immediately... Valeria stood up. "No." "I'm sitting here." Without waiting for anyone's permission, she moved her chair between Sarah and Alicia. "There." "Perfect." David looked at his wife helplessly. "You planned this from the beginning, didn't you?" She smiled proudly. "Of course." "They're both carrying my future niece and grandchild." "I need to keep an eye on them." Mary wasn't about to lose either. She immediately moved her chair to Alicia's other side. "I'm sitting here."

Peter laughed. "What are you doing now?" Mary smiled confidently. "I'll personally feed my daughter-in-law." Alicia blinked. "...Aunt?" Mary nodded seriously. "The doctor said you must rest." "You barely have any appetite." "So tonight..." "You only have one job." "What?" "Open your mouth." The entire table erupted with laughter. Alicia covered her face in embarrassment. "Aunt..." "I can feed myself."

Mary immediately shook her head. "No." "I don't trust you." "You'll say you're full after two bites." Valeria quickly joined in. "Exactly." "Sarah is the same." "They both need supervision." Sarah looked at Chris helplessly. "Save me." Chris raised both hands. "I surrender." "I've learned never to argue with my mother." Since the seats had been completely rearranged... I found myself sitting beside Chris instead.

He leaned closer before whispering dramatically, "Brother..." I looked at him. "Yes?" He glanced toward Alicia, who was already being served soup by Mary. "See?" "Your wife doesn't even need you anymore." I laughed. "I noticed." Chris sighed dramatically. "One day that'll be me." "My mother and wife will completely ignore me." I patted his shoulder. "You're getting used to married life." He nodded seriously. "...It's dangerous."

The two of us laughed quietly while watching the women fuss over Sarah and Alicia. Mary carefully blew on a spoonful of porridge before holding it toward Alicia. "Careful." "It's still hot." Alicia smiled helplessly before opening her mouth. "There..." Mary said proudly. "See?" "Much better." On the other side... Valeria was peeling an apple. After cutting it into tiny pieces, she placed the plate in front of Sarah. "No spicy food." "No oily food." "And absolutely no skipping meals."

Sarah smiled obediently. "Yes, Aunt." Chris leaned closer again. "Brother..." "I think we're becoming invisible." I nodded. "We definitely are." Peter overheard us and laughed loudly. "You two finally know your place." "The husbands come last." The entire table burst into laughter once again. Dinner had barely begun... Yet the dining room was already overflowing with warmth. For the first time in a long while... We all sat together without tension. Without fear. Without worrying about tomorrow. Simply enjoying one another's company.

After everyone had eaten for a while... Mark gently put down his chopsticks. He smiled as he looked toward Sarah. "Sarah..." She immediately looked up. "Yes, Uncle?" "I heard Ben has finally been released." The cheerful atmosphere became slightly quieter. Mark continued gently, "How did he react after learning about your relationship Chris?" Sarah paused. Her smile slowly faded.

The painful confrontation at breakfast resurfaced in her mind. Ben's accusations... His anger... His disappointment... She lowered her eyes for a moment before answering softly, "...He hasn't accepted it yet." Chris quietly looked at her. Sarah looked at him before smiling faintly. She then continued, "I believe..." "One day..." "He'll eventually accept it." No one spoke for a few seconds.

Peter finally broke the silence with a warm smile. "Time heals many wounds." "I'm sure he'll come around eventually." Wanting to change the mood, Peter smiled again before asking, "So..." "I also heard you're officially the new Director of Wood IT Company." Sarah nodded politely. "Yes, Grandpa." "I officially took over after my father's retirement." Peter smiled proudly. "Very impressive."

Georgia laughed before waving her hand dismissively. "Enough business." "We can talk about companies another day." She looked lovingly at both Alicia and Sarah. "Tonight..." "We celebrate something much more important." "Our two daughters..." "...are both expecting babies." Immediately, the atmosphere became lively again. Everyone raised their glasses of juice. "To the mothers-to-be." Cheers and laughter echoed throughout the dining room as the celebration continued...

For the first time in a long while... No one was talking about conspiracies. No one was talking about prison. No one was talking about revenge. Tonight... We were simply one family enjoying dinner together. Mark gently cleared his throat. "Ahem..." The table gradually fell silent. He looked at Alicia and me before smiling. "I think..." "...it's finally time." Everyone turned toward him.