Chapter 89

"Isabelle, Uncle was just messing with you!"

"You're still so young, and it wasn't on purpose. How could Uncle ever be mad at you?"

"Uncle was just teasing you!"

Sam saw Isabelle's tear-filled eyes and softened his expression. He crouched down to meet her gaze.

He gently pulled Isabelle into a hug, apologizing profusely.

Isabelle leaned against Sam's shoulder, her small hands tightly wrapped around his neck. Her body was still trembling slightly, as if she hadn't fully recovered from the scare.

But as she leaned on Sam's shoulder, looking all pitiful, Isabelle suddenly flashed a sly smile. Alvin, standing nearby, caught the look.

Alvin couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He and his daughter exchanged a knowing glance, sharing a secret only they understood.

Alvin's lips curled into a smile. Isabelle was definitely his daughter—so clever! She had completely fooled Sam!

Thinking about it, Alvin almost laughed out loud. He mentally chided Sam for being so gullible today, falling for Isabelle's trick again.

Sam continued to comfort Isabelle, completely oblivious to the silent exchange between Alvin and Isabelle. He gently patted her back and, seeing her still sobbing, quickly said, "Alright, Isabelle, don't cry anymore!"

"Look at what your dad has in his hand!"

"We just bought your favorite ice cream!"

"Isabelle, it was Uncle's fault!"

"Next time, you can draw on Uncle's face however you want!"

"Don't cry, my little darling. If you keep crying, Uncle's heart will break!"

Hearing about the ice cream, Isabelle's eyes lit up. She knew she had succeeded! She nodded while still sniffling and whispered, "Okay, Uncle."

"This time, Isabelle knows she was wrong. I won't do it again!"

Alvin watched this scene, feeling both warmth and pride. His daughter was not only smart but also knew when to admit her mistakes. She had definitely inherited his excellent genes!

After handing the ice cream to the little actress Isabelle, Alvin called out to Lisa, who was watching them. He walked over and handed her another ice cream.

"Lisa, here, have some ice cream!"

Lisa's eyes sparkled as she looked at Alvin, her face lighting up with a smile. Seeing Lisa hesitate to take the ice cream, Alvin pretended to be upset, "Lisa, when did you start refusing ice cream from me?"

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Didn't we just play together a few days ago?"

"Lisa, you're making me so sad!"

With that, Alvin put on a hurt expression. Lisa, taken aback, quickly grabbed the ice cream from Alvin's hand and said, "That's not what I meant!"

"I was just so happy! I forgot to take the ice cream!"

"Thank you! Lisa loves ice cream the most!"

Alvin chuckled and gently pinched Lisa's nose. "Little cutie! As long as you want it, I'll always buy it for you!"

Hearing this, Lisa's big eyes blinked with joy, and she said in a sweet voice, "Okay! Lisa loves Godfather the most!"

Alvin smiled warmly, "I love Lisa too!"

This made little Lisa beam with happiness. Then Alvin put on a serious face.

"Lisa, how did you do at school today?"

"Did you listen to the teacher?"

"Even though your mom usually takes care of you, I'll be checking in from time to time!"

Lisa had felt Alvin's unconditional kindness many times. Even though she was young, she was very sensitive to it. She liked that Alvin was always good to her and taught her well.

Hearing Alvin's question, Lisa proudly lifted her head. "Godfather! Isabelle and I were great at school today!"

"The teacher even gave us lots of gold stars!"

Alvin felt a warm glow in his heart seeing Lisa's proud little face. He gently patted her head, his eyes full of affection.

"That's wonderful!"

"Lisa, you're so amazing. Next time, I'll get you a special gift as a reward."

Isabelle, who was being pampered by Sam and holding her ice cream, couldn't help but feel happy hearing Alvin's words.

"Yeah, Dad, we even helped the teacher collect homework today, and she praised us!"

Alvin smiled, but he tuned out Isabelle's words. He knew his daughter too well.

He could imagine Isabelle's behavior in class. If she found the lesson uninteresting, her attention would wander. She'd either chat with classmates or pass notes.

Recently, another teacher from her class often approached Alvin to complain. Isabelle was just too lively!

Though she was usually well-behaved, she was sometimes too energetic to sit still. Once she understood the lesson, she'd stop paying attention, either daydreaming or whispering to her neighbor. The teacher was at her wit's end!

What could Alvin do? He was a first-time dad too! He could only stand in the cold, enduring the school's reprimands like any other parent, losing all his usual swagger.

After a while, they all headed home together. Along the way, Lisa and Isabelle chatted about their day, eating their ice cream. Alvin listened patiently, occasionally chiming in, making the two girls laugh.

Sam, watching Alvin, felt a deep sense of unfairness. He was so frustrated, realizing Alvin preferred listening to the kids' stories over his own.

Later, Mary told Alvin about a side business she had started. She had used her $20,000 savings to open an online store. But since she was new to it and didn't know how to promote it, business wasn't great.

When Alvin first heard about Mary's online store, he instinctively asked, "Why not open a physical store?"

"Even though the economy is tough, a physical store is more stable. If you do well, it can be very profitable!"

Mary smiled awkwardly, "I wanted to try it out first with an online store. Physical store rents are too high, and I don't have enough funds."

Alvin thought about it and agreed. $20,000 wasn't enough to open a physical store.

Sam also agreed with Mary, "Alvin, physical stores are expensive now! The initial investment is huge, and the ongoing costs are high too. Although physical stores are more stable."

Sam scratched his head and laughed. Mary smiled lightly but then looked worried.

Seeing Mary's troubled expression, Alvin smiled, intrigued. "Which platform is it on? Let me check out your store!"

Mary eagerly pulled out her phone and started fiddling with it. Alvin glanced at her store, which looked simple, with rough product images and descriptions.

Curious, he asked, "What are you selling?"

"Weight loss products. A friend recommended them, saying they work well."

Mary looked at her store, unable to hide her smile. She had high hopes for it, hoping it could at least help with household expenses.

Alvin frowned. Mary was a novice, and from her earlier comments, he could tell she knew nothing about marketing.

"How's business?" he asked.

Mary's smile faded, replaced by a hint of embarrassment. She shook her head.

"Not great. I have no experience. Selling one item a day is considered good."

Sam was stunned. He blinked, looking at Mary in disbelief. Her store's business was terrible. Even though it was new, at this rate, it would soon fail.

Alvin raised an eyebrow. This meant the store made only about ten dollars a day. He admired Mary's courage, risking all her savings on an online store despite knowing nothing.

Though her actions were impulsive and reckless, her bravery was commendable. This woman was extraordinary! She had guts!

Honestly, what people lacked most nowadays was courage! Even if she knew nothing, she could learn over time. Eventually, she'd understand everything!