C40 I Have Decided To Stay

Before the conversation could continue, Sarah suddenly remembered the shopping bags she had placed beside the sofa earlier. "Oh almost forgot." She stood up quickly and walked over to them.

Tracy watched with curiosity. "Why did you buy so many things?" Sarah smiled. "I couldn't come home empty-handed." She first picked up a small, beautifully wrapped gift box and walked toward Samantha. Samantha looked surprised. "For me?"

Sarah nodded gently. "I haven't properly met you yet, but you're already part of the family." Samantha hesitated for a moment before accepting it. "Thank you… Sarah." When she opened the box, she found elegant jewelry and carefully selected accessories. Nothing overly flashy, but clearly chosen with taste and thought.

Her eyes softened. "This is beautiful." Sarah smiled. "I wasn't sure what you liked, so I chose something simple." Then Sarah's expression softened even more as she looked at the cute baby lying in Samantha’s hands.

"And this one..." She placed a second, smaller gift beside her. "For Monica." Samantha froze slightly. Kelvin immediately leaned forward. "Oh, that one is for her?" Sarah nodded. Inside was a soft collection of baby clothes, tiny shoes, and small toys.

Samantha's expression changed instantly a gentle warmth filling her eyes. "This… is very thoughtful." Tracy watched the scene quietly, then smiled. "You really did your homework, Sarah."

Sarah laughed softly. "Dad wouldn't stop talking about her." Kelvin coughed awkwardly. "I was just giving updates." The room burst into light laughter again. Even Ben, who was watching from the side, smiled at the interaction.

The mansion felt completely peaceful as if the family had already expanded by one more generation. Sarah's return brought an energy to the Wood Mansion that had been absent for years.

The household was unusually lively. Even the servants seemed to be smiling more. At dinner, Kelvin sat proudly at the head of the table, glancing toward Sarah every few minutes as if he were afraid she might suddenly disappear again.

Tracy found the behavior amusing. "Kelvin, she's not going anywhere." Sarah laughed. "Dad has checked on me three times since I came." "Four times," Ben corrected. Everyone laughed. Only Samantha remained quieter than usual. Not because she was unhappy. In fact, she was beginning to enjoy the atmosphere.

The warmth of the Wood family was very different from what she had expected when she first entered their lives. Looking at Sarah interacting with everyone so naturally, Samantha couldn't help feeling slightly envious. Some families truly cared about one another.

Sarah noticed her silence. Without warning, she stood up and moved to the chair beside Samantha. "So..." Samantha looked surprised. "So?" she repeated. Sarah smiled mischievously. "I've heard a lot about you."

Samantha immediately became nervous. "I hope they were good things." Sarah laughed. "Mostly." The table burst into laughter again. Even Samantha couldn't help smiling. Then Sarah's attention shifted toward Samantha's new born baby.

Her expression softened. "May I?" Samantha nodded. Sarah gently took her from her mother and carried her around. For a moment, nobody spoke. They all watched Sarah carrying the baby. A strange warmth filled the room. Sarah smiled.

On the other side of the city, three young interns were preparing for what promised to be an exciting few days. The picnic was tomorrow. The overseas assignment was the day after. And none of them could focus properly.

On Weibo in the Wood IT Company group chat, the atmosphere was just as lively. The news of the overseas partnership had spread throughout every department. Employees were discussing it. Most people were excited.

A few were jealous. And some simply couldn't understand how three interns had managed to earn such opportunities.

In the Cybersecurity Department group chat, Alex was practically bouncing with excitement. "Nerd!" I replied. "What now?" Alex typed very quickly. "Have you packed your suitcase?" "We haven't even left yet." "So?" "We're going overseas."

Bright immediately joined the conversation. "We must buy something expensive." I laughed. "With whose money?" "The company's." Before I could respond, Josh went online. The entire department immediately straightened.

"Instead of planning how to spend company money," Josh typed dryly, "why don't you focus on solving the problems we'll actually face there?" Alex immediately kept quiet. Bright pretended to be asking something. Josh shook his head. Sometimes he wondered whether he managed cybersecurity professionals or kindergarten children.

When i switched to Chris and alicia group chat they were both online. Chris then started typing. As always. Some things never changed. Alicia entered shortly afterward. The moment she started typing, she proudly took pictures of her notebook.

Chris narrowed his eyes as he received several images from the group chat. "What is that?" "My masterpiece." I immediately became suspicious. "Alicia..." She sent a smiling emoji. "The picnic plan."

Chris and I opened the images. The first image contained a detailed schedule. The second image contained a list of activities. The third image contained food arrangements. The fourth image contained emergency contacts. The fifth image contained backup plans. The sixth image contained backup plans for the backup plans.

Chris was surprised. I was surprised. "How much free time do you have?" Chris finally asked. Alicia looked offended. She typed. "This is called preparation." "No," Chris replied. "This is called planning a military operation." I responded immediately. "Agreed." The group erupted into laughter.

Despite the joking, everyone could tell she had worked hard. The picnic clearly meant a lot to her. Not because of the activities. Not because of the food. But because it would be one of the last carefree moments before the overseas assignment.

For several weeks, they would likely be occupied with work. All three of them had become part of something much larger than themselves. And strangely enough... None of them felt afraid. As long as they were together, everything seemed manageable.

That evening, the three families were preparing in their own ways. The Smith family carefully discussed travel advice for the overseas trip. The Chambers family checked weather forecasts and overseas customs.

The Mooney family was busy arguing over how many security precautions Alicia actually needed. Mark still wasn't entirely happy. "If anything happens.." "Nothing will happen." "If someone bothers you." "I'll survive." "If..." "Dad." Mark sighed.

Peter laughed from across the room. "Our granddaughter is growing up." Georgia nodded. "Let her spread her wings." Alicia smiled. The support warmed her heart.

Later that night, Sarah stood alone on a balcony overlooking the city. The cool breeze played with her hair. She had only been home for a day. Yet somehow she already felt that many things had changed. The company was changing. The family was extending. Even Ben seemed different.

And somewhere in the distance, several young people were unknowingly walking toward futures that would eventually intertwine with hers. Sarah smiled. Life had a strange way of bringing people together.

Behind her, Kelvin stepped onto the balcony. "What are you thinking about?" Sarah looked toward the city lights. "Nothing." Kelvin raised an eyebrow. "That usually means something." She laughed. Then she leaned against the railing.

"I think..." "What?" "I am thinking of coming back for good. It seems like it been a busy couple of months here."

Kelvin followed her gaze toward the glowing city. He was very happy to hear that her daughter wanted to come back home. For some reason, he understood what Sarah meant. Everything was happening very fast, Neither of them knew exactly why.