Chapter 248

Chapter 248

Hearing my words, Edward pretended to be annoyed and said, "Well, I heard you were voted the campus beauty on your school's forum."

"You actually check our school forum?" I said, a little surprised.

Edward couldn't help but kiss me again. "Baby, whatever school you're at, of course I'm going to pay close attention to it. Isn't that obvious?"

"That makes me feel like I'm being watched."

"Not at all. I won't interfere with your normal college life, don't worry."

Meanwhile, David was driving and kept glancing at us through the rearview mirror. Edward caught the subtle movement and raised an eyebrow. "If you want to look that badly, just turn your head around."

"Mr. Fairfax, I can't do that — it's dangerous to drive that way," David quipped.

"Then keep your eyes on the road."

David: ……

The drive to the Fairfax family's old estate took nearly two hours, so Edward and I spent the time talking about school and some academic topics.

I didn't bring up the friction between me and Ivy, though. I didn't see any point in making Edward worry about something like that.

"You've barely started school, but I can already tell you're going to be top of your department."

I raised an eyebrow. "Obviously."

"You're not modest at all," Edward said, looking at me with pure adoration.

"I don't need to be modest when it comes to studying."

"That's my girl."

It was close to nine in the evening when the car pulled up to the Fairfax family's old estate. Edward and I got out.

"We came in such a rush — I didn't bring anything for Isabella."

"You've already done so much for her before. We're all family here, no need to be so formal."

I followed Edward to Isabella's bedroom. As soon as we walked in, I saw Isabella chatting cheerfully with an elderly gentleman. The moment she spotted me, her face lit up with pure delight.

"Charlotte! Edward said he'd bring you, but I thought he was just talking big — I can't believe you're actually here!" She reached out her hand toward me as she spoke.

I walked over and took her hand, then politely asked, "And who is this?"

The old man had a warm, kind smile. Edward introduced him. "This is Lawrence Parker, an old classmate of Isabella's — basically like a grandfather to me."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Lawrence. My name is Charlotte."

"You must be Edward's fiancée. Isabella talks about you all the time. Just looking at you, I can tell how remarkable you are." Lawrence smiled warmly.

For some reason, I kept feeling like the names Lawrence and Isabella were somehow connected.

Though maybe I was just overthinking it.

I felt a little embarrassed by the compliment, so I said modestly, "You're too kind. We're all just ordinary people — it just comes down to how hard you work."

"Charlotte wasn't being so modest in the car just now," Edward teased, calling me out with a grin.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at him.

As if to say — stop being such a smartmouth!

"You little brat, stop teasing Charlotte," Isabella said in mock warning.

"I wouldn't dare. Charlotte's way too impressive," Edward said, playing innocent.

Isabella rolled her eyes just like I had, then turned to Lawrence and enthusiastically introduced me.

"A while back when my condition got serious, Edward pulled every string he could to track down the mysterious Asclepius. Well, guess what? Charlotte is Asclepius. Can you believe it?"

Lawrence's jaw dropped. He swallowed hard and couldn't get a single word out for a long moment — just pure shock written all over his face.

"What? Charlotte is Asclepius?"

"Right? Hard to believe, isn't it? The moment I met this girl, I knew she was no ordinary person. She's been there for me every time I've had an episode. Without her, I might not even be here right now." As she spoke, Isabella's eyes softened like they'd been soaked in warm water, the corners of her mouth curling up gently, her gaze full of a tenderness that wouldn't fade.

I smiled back at her just as warmly.

"Good lord, this is unbelievable. Lucky my heart is strong, otherwise I'd be having a heart attack right now." Lawrence was joking, but the way he looked at me was full of admiration.

"And Charlotte isn't just Asclepius — she's also the founder of the Amora brand, and the renowned dancer known as Craneley."

At that, Lawrence gasped again, looking as if he'd been frozen in place from the shock.

I felt a little awkward. Honestly, I hadn't wanted Isabella to bring all this up — it made me uncomfortable. I've always been someone who keeps a low profile.

Edward noticed my embarrassment and said, "Lawrence, don't look so shocked — you're making Charlotte blush."

That snapped Lawrence back to reality. He laughed a little sheepishly and said, "Don't get me wrong, Charlotte — I didn't mean anything by it. I just think you're incredibly impressive."

"Not at all. Like I said, we're all just ordinary people. I've just put in the work."

"This isn't something you get just from hard work — this is pure talent, haha!"

I could only smile.

"Stay for dinner — I had the housekeeper make a lot of Charlotte's favorite dishes." Isabella smiled warmly.

Just from looking at her complexion, I could tell she had recovered very well.

"I already ate."

"You've been sitting in the car for so long, you must be a little hungry. Just have a bit," Edward said.

I nodded.

Because of her health, Isabella spent most of her time resting in bed unless absolutely necessary. Just as I was about to go help her out of bed, Lawrence — spry as ever for his age — scooped her up in his arms and set her down in her specially designed wheelchair.

The sight of it caught me off guard. I instinctively glanced over at Edward, and he just gave me a quiet, knowing smile.

I understood immediately.

When we got downstairs and sat at the dining table, I was genuinely moved by the spread in front of me. It was a full feast — I hadn't expected Isabella to go to so much trouble this late in the evening just for me.

"Thank you," I said.

Isabella sat beside me and took my hand. "It's the least I can do. I care about you deeply — I think of you as my own granddaughter. Taking care of you is only natural. And we're going to be family, after all. Family looks out for each other."

My heart warmed instantly. A gentle feeling spread through me, and even my breathing felt lighter.

Dinner was lively and full of laughter. Lawrence was like a big kid — funny and playful, keeping everyone entertained.

I really enjoy being around people like that.

After dinner, Isabella pulled me back to her room to chat for a good while longer. Only when it got quite late did she finally let me go to bed.

I made my way to the bedroom I'd stayed in before. Edward was standing right outside the door.

I spoke first. "Don't even think about sharing a bed with me tonight. You think I don't know what's going on in that head of yours?"

"I promise I won't do anything."

"Men's promises mean nothing. You really think I'd believe that?"

"You can distrust other men all you want, but you can't distrust me."