Chapter 145 He Got What He Wanted
Since she was worried that the nap would only disrupt the children’s sleep cycle at night, Madeline woke Quincy and Joel up after an hour, not wanting to let them sleep in any longer.
Quincy woke up as soon as she called him, and after lying in bed to wait for the grogginess to pass, he slipped down from the mattress and headed into the shower to wash up.
Joel, on the other hand, was a stubborn one; he refused to get up even after Madeline had tried to wake him up several times.
Sebastian couldn’t help thinking that his son was adorable even while he was throwing a tantrum. As he smiled indulgently, he pulled the little boy into his arms and pinched his chubby cheeks. “Come on, let’s wake up and have some fruits and drinks before we go hiking.”
The hills and mountains made up the backyard of the Hart Residence. In fact, it was as if their backyard had been carved out of the hills themselves.
There were plenty of exotic fruits and woodland creatures like game birds and hares in the hills, and Joel often discovered new things on each hike. He treated it as something like a treasure hunt.
He woke up immediately at the thought of this. He moved around in Sebastian’s embrace until he could wrap his arms around the latter’s neck and cheered, “Hiking! Hiking!”
“Good boy,” Sebastian praised as he patted the kid’s back. “Come on, let’s wash up.”
Joel tumbled out of bed happily and ran into the bathroom to splash water on his face.
Meanwhile, Madeline watched Joel’s retreating little figure and gave an exasperated shake of her head. She turned to look at Sebastian and asked in a somewhat accusatory tone, “I take it you won’t be going to the company today?”
For the president of a large enterprise, he didn’t seem the least bit concerned about doing actual work—in fact, he was taking time off every two or three days. “Lucas is keeping an eye on things there,” he said as he put on a change of clothes. “Relax, the company’s doing just fine without me, and even if it isn’t, our family is rich enough to take care of the three of you for the rest of your lives. Cut me some slack, will you?”
She was at a loss for words. She was never too concerned about not having someone to provide for her family of three; she was only asking about his job because he seemed a little too insouciant about it for comfort. It was like he didn’t take his work seriously at all.
She was a workaholic, and if it weren’t for the fact that she had Quincy and Joel to take care of, which limited her working hours, she would have worked twenty-four hours every day without fail. Also, the way he just said ‘our family’ makes it sound as if we really are a family… It does make me wonder what he’s implying. Is he so used to having us around that he has integrated himself as a part of us?
It didn’t take long for the children to wash up.
After changing their clothes, Sebastian and Madeline washed up as well and brought the kids downstairs, where Philip was already waiting for his precious grandsons in the living room.
At the sight of the twins, Philip lit up and beckoned them over.
Joel wasted no time in climbing into the old man’s lap, thereafter wrapping his little arms around Philip’s neck as he asked, “Grandpa, Dad is going take me and Aldo hiking! Are you coming with us?”
“No,” Philip answered with a lighthearted chuckle. “These old bones of mine aren’t made for hiking. I’ll be waiting right here at home, and I’ll have the kitchen whip up a delicious dinner for the both of you!”
If his grandchildren were going hiking, he was sure that Madeline would tag along as well. He wanted to give Sebastian and Madeline the quality time they needed, and he prayed furtively that that would be enough to send some sparks flying between them.
Right now, Sebastian and Madeline were only together because of their sons. He hoped that the both of them could one day develop an attachment to one another and eventually come to discover they were in love. By then, they would be married for real.
When that happened, then Quincy and Joel would finally have the happiness they deserved, and Philip could rest easy.
Madeline and Sebastian indulged in the fruit platter alongside their children. After a few sips of water and a brief conversation with Philip, they brought the kids over to the backyard and the hills beyond.
The foliage in the hills provided cool shade, and they would come across pretty wildflowers every once in a while. The scenery around them was perfect, and the air was especially fresh.
As they followed the trail, Joel was at the peak of his excitement; even Quincy had brightened up considerably. It was clear to see just how much the kids loved being out in nature.
After hiking for a while, Joel turned and ran over to Sebastian. Then, he clung to his waist as he looked up and said, ‘Dad, the hills are so pretty. You’re amazing! I love it here!”
Madeline looked at her child with a raised brow. She didn’t think Sebastian had anything to do with how pretty the hills were.
Joel still had his arms wrapped around Sebastian’s waist as he said cheerily, “My dad’s rich and handsome, and he has a mountain to call his own. I get to be the foolish son of a hill-keeper!”
A foolish son of a hill-keeper sounds a lot like an insult, Madeline thought wryly. It does have that condescending undertone to it.
“You’re so stupid!” Quincy pointed out disparagingly. “Dad doesn’t own the hills—the government does!”
Joel tilted his head to the side and eyed his brother inquisitively. “If that’s the case, why is it that we get to live in the hills and climb them whenever we want after reuniting with Dad?”
Quincy thought about this for a moment. Then, he decidedly nodded and said, “Fine, Dad’s amazing, but I’ll be even more amazing when I grow up!”
“That’s right!” Joel said supportively. “You’re definitely going to be more handsome than Dad when you grow up, Aldo. You’ll be even more amazing too! Oh, Aldo—look over there! A chicken!”
Upon seeing a chicken trekking up ahead and clucking, Joel grew excited and quickly dragged Quincy with him as he barreled further into the hills.
“Buddy, slow down or you’ll fall!” Madeline called out after him.
The boy didn’t even turn back to look at her as he responded, “No, I won’t! Aldo’s holding my hand!”
Fred and Simon hurried after the kids, saying, “Don’t worry, Mrs. Hart. We’ll keep an eye on them and make sure they don’t get hurt.”
They were two of the best bodyguards in the Hart Family, and they would never allow the twins to get hurt. Otherwise, they would lose their credentials.
The hills were immediately filled with the children’s rambunctious cheers and laughter, and it was as if the world had slowed down, filled with a serenity that accompanied the twins’ idle chatter.
When she heard how happy her kids sounded, Madeline turned to thank Sebastian as if on instinct. She loved her sons to the moon and back; she would give up everything for them, but no matter how hard she had worked in the past, she had never been able to provide them a life as carefree as the one they had now.
While she had not deprived them of material needs since they were born, she could never have given them the same level of moral support that they now had from both parents.
This was the life that her children deserved, and they could look back on their childhood and say they had a happy one.
She was extremely grateful to Sebastian for being able to provide for her children with all this, but she had thanked him countless times. Any more and she would appear a little too courteous for comfort. As such, she wondered how she was going to properly thank him.
Maybe I could cook up a feast or buy him a gift
Just as she was deep in thought, she kicked something and staggered forward.
“Look out!” Sebastian reached out to steady her immediately, but because of momentum, she ended up stumbling right into his arms.
He quickly wrapped a strong arm around her waist, and the moment his hand gripped onto the dip in her waistline, he was acutely aware of how soft and delicate she was beneath her clothes. He was suddenly reminded of the night when the Wendels threw a banquet in her honor.
That night, she had worn a stunning evening dress, the back of which was woven through with pearls.
Her alabaster skin and the chiseled silhouette of her back subtly peeked through from underneath the pearls, which only added a seductive edge to her appearance. Coupled with the flattering cut of the dress that cinched at her delicate waist, Sebastian remembered thinking about how it would feel to reach out and wrap an arm around her.
He had refrained from doing so back then, but now, he finally got what he wanted.
