Chapter 53: Visiting

Amanda Vance cooked a meal, and the tussle between the man and the boy over the food was a lively affair.

Felix Ford’s arms were short, so he couldn’t reach many of the dishes. When he saw Hayden Grant snatch the last piece of sweet and sour pork ribs, he glanced down at the two bones on his plate, a stark contrast to the large pile in front of his uncle.

His lip jutted out in a pout as he looked plaintively at Amanda Vance. "Mama."

Before Amanda Vance could say a word, a pork rib landed in his bowl. Hayden Grant shot him a look and scoffed, "It’s just a bite of food, and you’re already tattling? Are you a man or what?"

Felix Ford glared at him and decided to ignore him.

He picked up the pork rib, his chopsticks unsteady, and placed it in Amanda Vance’s bowl. Tilting his head back, he flashed her a smile and said, "Mama, you eat."

’She’s only had one piece, too. Uncle ate the rest of them. He sure can eat a lot.’

Amanda Vance froze for a second. She had assumed he wanted it for himself, not that he was giving it to her. Her gaze softened as she looked at him, and she reached out to pinch his little cheek. "Mama’s full. You go ahead and eat it."

"No, Mama eat," Felix Ford said, shaking his head and looking at her insistently.

Resigned, Amanda Vance had no choice but to eat the pork rib.

’There’s a kind of not-fullness called "your son thinks you’re not full." As his mother, what else could she do but eat?’

Seeing her eat it, Felix Ford beamed. He then proceeded to put several more pieces of meat in her bowl—all his personal favorites. He watched her with such earnest, pleading eyes that Amanda Vance simply didn’t have the heart to refuse.

Unsurprisingly, she ended up completely stuffed.

Afterward, she took him outside for a walk to help digest the meal.

Felix Ford held her hand, the smile never leaving his face. He was so happy he was practically skipping, his heels barely touching the pavement.

Amanda Vance looked down at her son, her eyes filled with warmth.

Sensing her gaze, Felix Ford looked up and broke into a huge grin. "Mama, do you have things to do tomorrow?"

"Yes," Amanda Vance nodded. "I have to go out, so your uncle will have to look after you again tomorrow."

"Oh." Felix Ford wrinkled his nose, looking a little disappointed and reluctant. But then, remembering he needed to be a good boy and not hold his mother back, he waved his little hand magnanimously. "Don’t worry, Mama. You go on ahead. I’ll be sure to take good care of Uncle."

Hayden Grant, who was trailing a short distance behind them, chuckled at the remark. "Hey, you little brat," he said indignantly. "Who’s taking care of whom here?"

Felix Ford made a face at him, puffing out his little chest. "Of course I’m taking care of you! Uncle is the most childish one."

’He’s always picking on a little kid like me, just like the other kids at kindergarten.’

’They’re all just a bunch of babies.’

Hayden Grant rolled his eyes at him, not deigning to reply.

Seeing them get along so well, Amanda Vance felt relieved.

「The next day」

After breakfast, she left the house with a prepared gift and headed for a villa in the Aethelburg Suburbs.

When she arrived, she noticed another car parked by the entrance. It looked somewhat familiar.

She gave it a second look, wondering whose car it could be, when someone walked out of the house and called out with a warm smile, "Megan."

Amanda looked over, her expression relaxing as she smiled. "Ma’am."

The woman who came out was elderly and benevolent, with a kind face that spoke of a gentle nature.

She took Amanda’s hands and looked her over carefully, nodding in satisfaction. "Mm, lovely. You’re getting more and more beautiful."

Amanda Vance smiled and affectionately looped her arm through the woman’s. "So are you, Ma’am."

The old woman laughed at her comment and patted her arm gently. "You’re such a sweet-talker. Come, let’s go inside. That old man of mine has been waiting for you."

The two went inside together, and the gentle-looking woman called out in a surprisingly loud voice, "Old man, come on out! Megan is here!"

In the study, the old man’s hand jolted as he was playing chess. A piece fell from his fingers and landed on the board, instantly revealing his losing position.

He paid it no mind, looking up at the stern-faced man across from him. "My protégé is here. I’ll have her help me beat you later."

The man’s expression remained impassive as he began clearing the pieces from the board. "Fine. I’ll be waiting."

’So arrogant.’

’Then again, he’s certainly earned the right to be.’

’But my Megan is no slouch, either.’

The old man huffed, took off his glasses, and walked out. The moment he saw the young woman, his face broke into a wide smile. "Megan."

"Yes," Amanda Vance replied, hurrying forward. "Sir."

The study door hadn’t swung completely shut, and the voices from outside drifted in. The man’s hand paused, and he glanced sideways.

The old man was the former principal of Aethelburg No. 1 High. He had already retired by the time Amanda was a student there; they had met by pure chance on one occasion.

The old principal was very fond of her. He grinned from ear to ear upon seeing her and immediately started asking, "Are you hungry? Have you eaten yet? If not, have a bite here."

"There’s no need, I’ve already eaten," Amanda Vance replied gently. She was about to say more when she saw someone emerge from the study. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. "President Ford?"

’What is he doing here?’

The old principal glanced back and forth between them. "You two know each other?" he asked, looking puzzled.

Amanda’s expression quickly returned to normal. "Yes, we’ve met a few times."

"Oh." The old principal gave Samuel Ford a curious look, wondering why he had come out of the study on his own. It seemed rather out of character for him.

Samuel Ford noticed the principal scrutinizing him but paid it no mind, his own expression impassive. He lifted his gaze to the woman with the gentle smile. It was the first time he had seen her smile so freely and with such ease. The air of nonchalant indifference that usually surrounded her had vanished completely, leaving her looking like a well-behaved and dutiful junior.

He nonchalantly averted his gaze, as if he had only emerged to greet her.

Amanda Vance paid him no mind either, instead presenting the gift she had brought. "Sir, Ma’am, I brought you a little something."

The moment she said that, both of the elders put on displeased expressions. "Just visiting is enough. Why bring gifts? Are you starting to treat us like strangers?"

Amanda Vance shook her head and explained in a soft voice, "Of course not. When a granddaughter buys things for her own grandparents, how can that be considered treating them like strangers?"

At her words, they both broke into smiles again. "Alright, alright. Not strangers, not strangers at all."

With that, they led her to the sofa and brought out a platter of fruit. Amanda glanced down and saw it was filled with all her favorites.

They had prepared it especially for her.

She couldn’t help but feel her heart soften.

The principal’s wife had suffered from ovarian cancer when she was younger. To save her life, she’d had a hysterectomy. The principal had been by her side through it all, never once leaving her.

They never had children of their own. They had considered adopting but never found a child they felt a real connection with. In all those years, only Amanda Vance had truly captured their hearts. The girl might have seemed cold on the outside, but she was incredibly soft-hearted and would visit them whenever she had the time—right up until that incident.

Recalling the past, the principal’s wife felt a pang of sadness. Her heart ached for the girl as she squeezed Amanda’s hand, patting it gently before letting out a soft sigh.

Amanda Vance managed a smile and squeezed her hand back. "Ma’am, I’m doing fine."

’So please don’t worry about me. And please don’t sigh.’