Several people spoke softly, and Christina stood at the edge of the bassinet for a moment, moved closer, and whispered, "Frank, your daughter's features look quite a bit like yours, and your son's resemble Ava's."
Frank responded with a simple "Yeah."
Christina was never bothered by Frank's coldness. This was just how he was, and if Frank spoke eloquently to her, she might think there was something wrong with him.
Christina and Joseph lingered in the hospital room for a while. Seeing that Ava still hadn't woken up and considering that Frank was not very talkative and seemed adept at killing conversations, even more so than Christina, Christina and Joseph decided to leave.
Before leaving, Christina took out two cards and tucked them into the child's arms. The cards wouldn't touch the delicate skin through the clothes. Her lips moved slightly as she said, "These two gift cards are a gift from my dad for the babies. Remember to tell William about that."
Charlie had given Christina two gift cards before she came, asking her to ensure they reached the hospital. He told her that otherwise, William would call him petty.
Although the two of them were both old, and their combined age was over 100 years, they were still childish. They always wanted to compare and have the upper hand, enjoying showing off like kindergarteners.
Frank naturally accepted the gift cards, saying, "Please give him my thanks."
"Alright, you hold onto your son. Christina and I will visit the Yamin family first. We'll be back tomorrow afternoon, and please take care of Ava." Joseph carefully placed the baby into Frank's arms, waiting until Frank had a firm grip before letting go. He noticed that Frank's gestures weren't very standard and kindly helped to adjust Frank's hands.
Frank glanced at his now-reorganized hands, wondering if the nurse's instructions were wrong. He maintained the standard baby holding position and then responded, "Sure, I'll take good care of her."
"Great. Then we'll leave first and come over again in the evening," Joseph said, leaving while holding Christina's hand.
Frank didn't say much and just spoke shortly. "Okay."
After they walked out of the ward, Joseph felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. He held Christina with one hand and used the other to check the message Natalie had sent, [Joseph, why didn't you inform me when you went to the hospital?]
Anticipating Natalie's concern, Joseph sent a message with an emoji of a reassuring smiley face, [Ava mentioned that you've been very busy lately, and she didn't want to disrupt your work schedule. Don't be upset. Ava is in good hands, and Frank is keeping her company.]
After reading Joseph's message, Natalie sent a message, saying, [I'm heading to Athana Hospital now.]
Joseph responded promptly, [Ava is still sleeping now. You're hosting a meeting in the afternoon, right? You can come back after it. Ava is doing fine now, so there's no need to rush.]
Aware of Natalie's recent activities, Joseph didn't want to disrupt her plans.
Natalie agreed and sent a message, saying, [Alright then, I'll come back after the meeting, but it might be a little late.]
Joseph replied to Natalie's message, [That's fine. Christina and I won't be staying at the hospital either. We're going back to the Yamin family as well.]
Natalie quickly responded, [Okay.]
Joseph then sent a message to her. It read, [Go for it. I believe that you can make it, and don't put too much pressure on yourself.]
Natalie replied to his message with a cheering emoji.
After their conversation, Joseph put away his phone and returned it to his pocket. Christina opened the driver's side door, and Joseph sat on the passenger side as usual.
"Natalie has her ambition. It seems like you put a lot of thought into starting this project in Athana in the first place,"
Christina remarked as she started the car, operating the steering wheel with familiarity and looking at the front. Joseph leaned back in his seat and replied calmly, "Natalie carries a lot of emotional weight. But whenever she sees an opportunity to help those around her, she'll go to great lengths to make a difference."
Christina nodded without saying anything as they drove towards the Yamin family.
At the Wilson Group.
Trevon had just arrived at the company. He stepped into the special elevator wearing a neatly pressed suit, with Jim following him. Inside the elevator, Jim reported on the day's schedule, holding a folder that he closed after finishing.
"Cancel the video conference with the foreign branch in the evening, or you can go for it if you want," Trevon said.
Unaware of Ava's situation, Jim couldn't understand why Trevon canceled the video conference. "But it's crucial. Should we really cancel it?"
"Then you can hold the video conference for me, and you'll be fired if you can't make it," Trevon said. The elevator opened, and he strode towards the exit, passing by the secretary department.
Jim, who followed behind, had a worried look. "I shouldn't mention the video conference at all, and it doesn't matter if the conference is cancelled. After all, it's not my company, and why would I be so care?" he thought with regret.
He felt the urge to smack himself a few times for being in this situation. People from the secretary department watched as Jim followed Trevon, pretending to slap himself, mouths agape, thinking Trevon was punishing him. Sympathy filled everyone's eyes.
Entering the office, Trevon took his seat, preparing to message Natalie. Jim, sitting quietly across from him, was in a somber mood.
Trevon sent, [Natalie, Ava gave birth of a twins. When should we go to visit her? Frank says Ava's sleeping right now.]
Natalie replied, [Joseph just messaged me. Why don't we go to the hospital until I get off work?]
Trevon replied, [Okay, it's all up to you.]
At night.
Ava's hospital room was bustling with activity; almost everyone was there, except Rose and Edward, as Frank didn't allow them.
After all, Rose was pregnant, and Frank wanted Edward to take care her at home.
Trevon asked Jim to go down and get two more gift cards before they came. At this time, Trevon gave Natalie a look, and Natalie, catching the cue, retrieved the gift cards from her pocket. She handed them to Ava, saying, "Ava, this is for your kids. It's a little gift Trevon got for the two little babies. When you get out of the hospital, you can go to the mall and pick out whatever you like."
Ava happily accepted the gift cards with a slight smile. "Thank you, Natalie, Trevon."
Hackett, sitting on the couch eating peanuts, glanced at the gift cards in Ava's cards and teased, "Trevon, it seems that you have the whole supermarket."
Sherri, sipping a milkshake Frank had prepared, looked so leisurely at this time. Those who knew them thought they were wards, while others might assume they were having afternoon tea.
The table was filled with snacks, milkshakes, nuts, and fruit. Grace had bought everything after waking up from her nap, hearing that they were coming to see Ava in the evening.
Grace drove the Pagani, and Emma sat in the passenger seat.
Ava held two cards in her hand, smiling and in a good mood. However, her belly still hurt from the aftermath of the anesthesia. Despite the pain, she kept smiling to avoid worrying Frank, who might be concerned if she frowned.
Natalie thought for a moment and then said to Ava, "Next time, no matter what time it is, even in the middle of the night, you have to call me when you're in need, okay?"
Natalie knew that Ava might be hesitant to disturb her early in the morning. Ava was now grown up and always considered others, bearing her own responsibilities. After saying this, Natalie affectionately rubbed the top of Ava's head.
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