Chapter 354
“My hands are not cold at all. Here, feel them!”
Lena reached for Yann’s hand, only to be blocked by his elbow.
Despite being cousins, Yann kept a strict boundary with any woman who wasn’t Audrey.
Lena rolled her eyes with a scoff and turned toward Sylvie instead. She knew full well that if she tried to touch Audrey again, Yann might literally toss her out of the house.
“See? Not cold, right?” she asked, pressing her hand against Sylvie’s.
“Not at all,” Sylvie replied with a small nod.
Lena’s excitement at seeing Audrey had been burning hot all the way over. There was no way her hands could be cold.
Just in case Yann remained unconvinced, she went around collecting evidence, grabbing the maid’s hand, and even flagging down Eden as he walked past. After lining up her witnesses like a courtroom drama, she finally crouched beside Audrey.
“The babies missed me, didn’t they?” she asked, tugging on Yann’s sleeve. She pried his hand away and replaced it with her own on Audrey’s belly.
“There! Did you see that? Did you feel that? They moved! They totally missed me!”
Yann stared at Lena, expression blank, one arm wrapped protectively around Audrey’s waist. He too felt the gentle kick under his palm.
It bugged him more than he cared to admit. Why would his own children prefer their chaotic, overly dramatic aunt?
He brushed Lena’s hand aside and tried again. But the moment his hand landed on Audrey’s belly, it went completely still.
Lena burst out laughing and dramatically collapsed backwards onto the floor, her breath visible in the cold air.
“You saw it! The babies like me better than you!” she cackled, sticking out her tongue.
“It’s probably because you had…”
Sylvie, sensing Lena was about to say something truly regrettable, quickly clamped a hand over her mouth and dragged her away.
Audrey, who’d been bored and restless for days, was clearly entertained.
She laughed so hard her belly quivered, the sound light and full of hief
Yann’s jaw tightened. The sharp angles of his face and his stormy expression made even the house staff quietly scatter, each pretending to suddenly
remember a task,
“Maybe the babies just don’t like your taste in prenatal music,” Audrey offered, struggling to suppress a smirk. Truth be told, she didn’t like it either. It put her to sleep.
Still unwilling to give up, Yann pulled her into his arms, determined to coax even the faintest kick in response.
It was unclear whether the babies sensed danger or simply recognized their father’s presence, but eventually, after a long silence, there was a tiny flutter from within. Only then did Audrey sigh in relief.
Lena, after checking out the nursery, came bouncing back.
“Audrey! Let’s build a snowman!”
“Lena, do you want to die?”
1/4
Chapter 354
“I’ll build it myself! It’s for you to look at!” she said cheerfully, already wrapping a scarf around Audrey and tugging a thick coat over her shoulders. Before anyone could stop her, she’d wheeled Audrey to the back patio doors.
Outside, the snow was thick, at least the height of an adult’s clenched fist. Lena scooped up clean, powdery snow and began shaping it into mounds
Seizing a rare moment when Yann wasn’t watching, she pressed a small snowball into Audrey’s palm.
It was cold, but Audrey’s eyes sparkled with delight.
She molded it into a rough gourd shape, then carefully used her nails to etch tiny eyes and a crooked smile.
By the time Yann came outside, Audrey was holding up a miniature snowman in her hand like a prized creation. “Isn’t it cute?”
Yann took the little snowman and set it on the windowsill outside, then tucked her hand inside his coat to warm her fingers.
Lena pretended not to notice.
‘Ugh, show–offs,‘ she thought, pouting. Just wait. One day someone will warm my hands like that too.
After completing three gloriously lumpy snowmen, Lena pulled out her phone and started a video call with someone.
“I only handed her one tiny snowball, and he acted like her fingers were made of glass! Carried her hand like it was made of diamonds. Meanwhile, i made three whole snowmen out here and I’m totally fine!”
Audrey couldn’t hear what was said on the other end, but she saw Lena roll her eyes and lift her chin in mock arrogance, sneaking glances at the screen between smug smiles.
“Is that your gay best friend?” Audrey teased.
Startled, Lena fumbled her phone and dropped it into the snow. She scrambled to pick it up, flustered. “No! Not him!”
After lunch, Audrey began to feel sleepy. Yann stayed with her while she napped, quietly reviewing reports beside her.
Lena came by to say goodbye, but Yann held a finger to his lips and waved her away, making it clear she shouldn’t make a sound.
The roads were in poor condition, so Lena hadn’t driven. Eden offered to arrange a car, but she waved him off and called a cab instead.
By the time Audrey woke up, it was already dark outside. From the second–floor window, she looked out over the backyard and was greeted by an unexpected sight.
The three snowmen had undergone a dramatic transformation/No longer just clumsy lumps, they now had expressive features, outfits, and even hairstyles.
One wore a crown of lettuce leaves, another had cabbage curls, and the last sported a ponytail made of spinach tied neatly on top.
Audrey had to admit Lena’s creativity knew no bounds.
Before she could voice her amusement, she caught sight of Yann stepping into the yard with a basket in hand.
He pulled out a potato, carved into the shape of a nose, and pressed it gently onto one of the snowmen’s faces. Then came strips of carrot, arranged into a cheerful mouth.
“You did this?” she called out in surprise.
Yann looked up at her.
If it made her smile, then of course he’d do it. Lena’s version had been a disaster in his eyes. Those snowmen were better off melted.
Audrey, and the babies she was carrying, deserved to be surrounded by beautiful things. He wasn’t just fixing snowmen. He was protecting their
24 OUT
Chapter 354
aesthetic future.
Audrey suddenly let out a soft gasp, her hand moving instinctively to her belly.
“They kicked,” she said with a gleam in her eyes. “They must really like it.”
Yann’s lips pulled into a slow, satisfied smile.
On the weekend, Lena came by again, this time with Margot. Margot spent a long time behind closed doors with Yann in his study. Meanwhile, Leta was uncharacteristically quiet and distracted, a far cry from her usual self.
They both left before dinner. Afterward, Audrey turned to Yann. “Something happened, didn’t it? Is it about Lena?”
Yann nodded. “Margot found out about her and Owen.”
Audrey’s eyes lit up. “So… they’re officially a thing now?”
But just as quickly, her excitement dimmed.
A few days earlier, after leaving Hillcrest Gardens, Lena had gone to meet Owen. They’d wanted to build snowmen together, but the city snow was too dirty, so they drove out to the suburbs.
As luck would have it, one of Margot’s factories was out that way. She happened to be there for a routine inspection and spotted them.
Lena had tried to explain, saying Owen was just a friend, nothing more.
Margot refused to hear her out. Dismissing Lena’s attempts to explain and offering Owen not the slightest courtesy, she took the girl away without hesitation. Back home, she made it clear that they were not to see each other again.
Margot’s visit to Yann that day hadn’t just been about scolding Lena. Owen’s stepmother, after all, was Amelia, and Margot hoped Yann could get a message through
She wanted Lena’s future husband to remain by her side. But Owen was Richard’s only son, with obligations he couldn’t walk away from. Margot didn’t want Lena holding onto a fantasy that would never come true.
Audrey rubbed her cheek thoughtfully. “I thought she was joking about all that.”
Yann shook his head.
“But doesn’t she have two older brothers? Why would Margot expect Lena to stay with her, and not them?” Audrey asked, puzzled.
Yann took her hand in his, the other resting gently on her belly.
“Everett and Miles each will get a house and a car for their eighteenth birthdays. After that, they are expected to make their own way, including college tuition, living expenses, and everything else, even the cost of getting married.”
Audrey’s curiosity flared.
She tugged at his arm, half–serious. “So…. they’re not her biological sons?”
Yann replied calmly. “They are.”
Audrey blinked, then leaned closer. “Then Lena isn’t? What, is she the daughter of Margot’s first love?”
B
7724
