Chapter 96 Chapter 96

Chapter 96 Chapter 96
Mrs. Briona was startled. "I just didn't want you to face any more trouble, and I didn't want my children to be forced to accept an outcome they didn't desire."

Mr. Caleb stepped closer to the bed and took her hand. "And that is why you forced me to accept an outcome I didn't want and caused trouble for the children? How is that any different? Briona, I promised your mother that I would make you happy. Even the child you are carrying, Serenity, or Vince, they all deserve to be happy because they are all my children. I am even more responsible for protecting this family and safeguarding the children's happiness. Do you understand? Never make me choose, because the presence of every one of you is the definition of 'home' for me."

Mrs. Briona buried her face in his chest and sobbed. "Caleb, I am sorry, and I thank you."

Mr. Caleb smiled with relief. "We should be grateful to heaven that they are not biological siblings."

Serenity and Vince stepped outside and gently closed the hospital room door, leaving the two adults in private. Standing in the hospital hallway, Serenity looked down at her hands intertwined with Vince’s. A strange sense of peace spread through her mind.

She thought to herself. We will likely never forget what happened today. In this life, the one who brings Mom happiness and makes her smile again after the storm is surely Mr. Caleb. Mom and I are so lucky to have met him and Vince.

As he said, he has a responsibility to protect this family. I think it isn't just him; I have a responsibility to protect this family, especially the young man I love most. Vince is not my first love, but he will be the one who walks through the rest of my youth and beyond with me.

It is truly magical. Vince and I went from being strangers to becoming each other's life companions. Is that destiny?

Mrs. Briona had to stay in the hospital for a few more days for observation, so Mr. Caleb drove Serenity and Vince home first. Although he was focused on driving, his mind was entirely on the two children in the back seat. Serenity held Vince’s hand tightly.

Mr. Caleb glanced in the rearview mirror, his voice not harsh at all. "Serenity, when did you and Vince start dating?"

Serenity was startled. She looked up at the back of the man she was about to call father, her voice soft. "It was about a week after we first met."

Mr. Caleb nodded, a faint smile appearing at the corners of his mouth. "I see. That has been a long time, then. You two are quite good at keeping secrets."

Serenity lowered her head, a surge of belated guilt rising in her heart. "Because I couldn't tell you and Mom, I am sorry. I was afraid this truth would break everything you and Mom were building."

Mr. Caleb let out a long breath, but it was a sigh of relief. He turned the steering wheel slightly, his voice echoing in the small space of the car. "I don't blame you. In fact, it is the opposite. Since you are the one Vince chose, I am certain that in his eyes, you are very special. There is nothing wrong with this that requires such secrecy. Serenity, I don't know if you remember, but there was a time I told you: If it were you, you would understand Vince better. It turns out destiny didn't just want you to understand him, it wanted you to become the only harbor capable of taming his wild nature."

He paused, looking at the traffic ahead, his voice becoming more thoughtful as he touched upon practical matters. "But the situation now is that you two are both siblings and lovers. It is difficult to resolve. However, I still want us to be a family, living together under one roof. What do you think?"

Serenity did not need long to think. She looked at Vince and answered decisively. "Of course. I still want to live with you and Mom as a family. I don't want us to be separated because of our personal feelings."

Mr. Caleb shifted his gaze to his stubborn son. "Vince, what about you?"

Vince, who had been looking out the window, turned back. "It doesn't matter to me, as long as Serenity is happy. To me, home isn't an address. Home is wherever she is."

Mr. Caleb smiled radiantly, a feeling of fulfillment filling his chest. The road ahead would still hold whispers and rumors, but as long as the four of them stood together, every storm would only be a spice to their happiness.

"Alright then. Starting tomorrow, we will begin a new life. The strangest family, but also the most enduring one."

Over at Adele's house, she slung her bag over her shoulder and was about to slip through the door when her father’s voice rang out like a command that pinned her in place. "It is Sunday. Where are you going?"

Adele turned her head. "I am going to my part-time job."

Her father put his newspaper down on the table. "Did I not tell you to quit your job and drop out of school already? Are you not listening to me anymore?"

Adele gripped the strap of her bag tightly, the long-held resentment surging up. "Father, I do not want to emigrate abroad."

"We all have to go abroad, and as for this house, I will sell it. Why would you want to stay here alone?" Her father raised his voice, unable to understand his daughter's "stubbornness."

Adele stepped closer. "Father, because of your work, it is right for you to go abroad. But I am different. I do not want to change my life. My friends are here, and... and the person I love is here. My future does not lie in the strange land you have chosen; it lies in the things I am cherishing right here."

"Your life must be tied to your family." Her father slammed the table, his words sounding like an attempt to strip away all her autonomy.

"I want to stay," Adele repeated briefly.

"Quit your job."

Her father's shout ended the conversation. Adele walked out of the house, the door closing behind her, but the weight on her shoulders had multiplied. She did not know how long she could hold out when her family was slowly pulling the foundation out from under her feet.