Broken Memories, Intertwined Hearts

Chapter 229

They arrived at the Galeana family's house around six-thirty in the evening. Emma was munching on some fruit in the living room when they walked in. She paused for a moment before saying, "Izzy, Ethan, you guys made it."

Both Ines and Ethan sensed a change in Emma's tone; it felt more genuine than their last encounter which seemed pretty phony.

"Take a seat, guys. Dad and Silas are upstairs handling some stuff. Dinner will be ready soon." Emma said with a smile.

The change in Emma's demeanor caught them off guard, so they just plopped down across from her.

Emma glanced at Ines, struggling to find the right words. After a moment, she managed to say, "Thanks, Ines."

Ines didn't respond, so Emma dropped the subject.

After a while, Shirley sauntered in. Her attitude was a stark contrast to their previous encounter when she greeted them with a fake smile. This time around, she didn't say a word, just shot them a glance before heading upstairs to fetch Hunter and Silas. Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

Ines couldn't help but glare at Ethan. She knew coming here would only ruffle her feathers. They would've been much better off chilling at the Base.

Ethan brushed it off, patting her hand to signal that she shouldn't sweat the small stuff.

Soon enough, Hunter and Silas descended from upstairs. Hunter didn't seem surprised by their presence, just gave Ines' belly a quick glance.

"Thank you for coming," Silas said with a smile.

They both nodded. Hunter turned to Ines and asked, "Still dealing with morning sickness?"

Ines didn't reply, creating an awkward atmosphere. Ethan quickly chimed in, "After taking your advice, the morning sickness has subsided and her appetite has improved."

Ines was a bit irked by Ethan's friendly exchange with Hunter, shooting him a disapproving look.

"That's good. Your mom had severe swelling in her limbs during the later stages of pregnancy, Ethan. Make sure to give her plenty of massages, or she'll get cramps at night," Hunter advised.

Ethan nodded.

Hunter was in an unusually good mood today, patiently offering advice even though Ines remained unresponsive. This sudden change got Ines' heart pounding.

Before Hunter could continue, Eda announced that dinner was ready. She walked over to Ines, studied her for a moment, then said with a smile, "You're looking good, Ms. Ines."

Ines responded with a quiet "Thank you."

Ethan handed a prepared gift to Hunter, "This is a gift Izzy picked out for you. We hope you'll find some time to relax by the river."

Ines shot Ethan a disapproving look, but he didn't mind.

Silas took the gift, glanced at it, then turned to Hunter with a smile, "Mr. Galeana, it's a fishing set."

A flash of excitement crossed Hunter's face, "I'll definitely need to find time to learn fishing and enjoy the laid-back lifestyle."

Tonight's dinner was a lavish spread. However, there was no birthday cake, nor did anyone mention it was Hunter's birthday. Hunter invited Silas and Eda to join them for dinner, and they graciously accepted.

Unlike their previous encounters, Hunter was more talkative this time, either chatting with Emma or Ines, much like a typical father. He blabbered on about his pregnant daughters while Shirley quietly ate her meal without uttering a word.

"Pour me a drink," Hunter suddenly asked Silas.

Silas frowned at the request, "Mr. Galeana, perhaps you should refrain from drinking."

Hunter chuckled, "It's alright. I'm in a great mood today. Both of my daughters are pregnant, I'm about to become a grandpa. I'm ecstatic. Fill my cup, but just this once."

Upon hearing this, Ines glanced at Hunter. She had seen him a few times since returning to A City, but she had never seen him smile, let alone appear so genuinely happy. Clearly, he was truly elated tonight.

Despite his reluctance, Silas poured Hunter a drink. Hunter took the glass and downed it in one gulp.

A hint of worry crossed Silas' face, even Emma couldn't help but chime in, "Dad, you should take it slow. This is strong."

"I know, it's just been a while since I had a drink. I couldn't resist." Hunter said.

Afterward, he asked Silas to fetch the gifts he had previously purchased. Silas put down his utensils and went upstairs. He quickly returned with two beautifully carved wooden boxes, which Ines recognized from the day he had returned to the country.

Hunter handed one of the boxes to Emma. Emma looked at Hunter in disbelief, "Dad, is this for me?"

"It's not for you. It's a pair of pearl earrings for my granddaughter. They have a history of several centuries, so handle them with care." Hunter said.

Emma was beaming with joy, "Thank you, Dad. I'll thank you on behalf of my baby. Speaking of which, we haven't named the baby yet. Would you like to give the baby a name?"

Hunter paused for a moment, then said, "Let's call her Jasmine."

"Jasmine, that's a beautiful name." Emma softly repeated the name, then broke into a smile.

Ines watched Emma and found her more endearing than before. It was clear that she truly loved the child growing inside her.

Hunter nodded slightly, then handed the other box to Ines. Ines knew the box contained a pair of gold rings, but she didn't take it right away.

Hunter didn't seem bothered, he stared at Ines and said, "These are for your twins. They are heirloom gold rings."

Ethan was also gazing at Ines, a hint of something deeper in his look. Ines was dragging her feet on taking it, and Hunter wasn't about to put the box down either, so the father and daughter were locked in this silent standoff. After a while, Ines finally caved and took the box. She was a bit ticked off, so she grabbed the box a little too hard, accidentally hitting the spring button on the box, and bam, a pair of gold rings popped out in front of everyone. Emma's smile froze on her face, and Shirley's temples started to throb, her hand gripping tight under the table.