Sophia then pecked Carmen on the cheek before consoling the children who had just been terminated.
Then, she suggested, âWeâre going to celebrate tonight. Bailey, do stay with us for dinner!â
Meanwhile, Michael had already brought out his treasured champagne from the cellar just to celebrate Carmenâs achievement.
The family was clearly over the moon.
On the other hand, Bailey watched the warm and harmonious scene before him and gazed at Carmen who was being showered with love like a little princess. At that moment, he felt something hot and wet in his eyes as memories of his past flooded his mind. He used to have a family tooâhe had parents and two elder brothers.
That year, he received his first ever prize in his whole life. Even though it was only a small competition, his parents and brothers threw him a celebration with great enthusiasm. His mother even cooked specially for him that day.
When he felt this atmosphere and joy, it was déjà vu.
Because he was also someone who was loved dearly by his family. They placed great importance on everything he did.
Tragically, a fire took away everything.
On that fateful day, the family of five were in the family car. His parents and brothers all put their own lives at risk to save him, yet none of them managed to surviveâ¦
Everything he had was destroyed by that fire. In the end, he was the only one left in what used to be a happy household.
At such a young age, he had been through so much. All the pain he experienced had piled on top of each other, which resulted in who he was today. After all that he had gone through, he became numb to everything.
Still, Bailey stayed for dinner. Even Tiffany joined them and sat next to Cooperâs usual spot.
After Cooper left, his spot had been empty and everyone was sensible enough to leave the spot alone.
When he called to check on Carmen earlier, he hung up as soon as he heard Tiffanyâs voice.
Meanwhile, Tiffany remained as thick-skinned as ever. Now, she considered herself a member of the family. She even spoke to Bailey as if she was the owner of the house. âYou should come more often.
Weâre all family here, so you donât have to be shy.â
Upon hearing this, Bailey looked up at her without any emotions.
At that moment, he was probably thinking the same thought as everyone else in the room. You donât even belong here!
Admittedly, Tiffany made a smart move by using her child to draw the Michel Family closer to her. As a result, the Adams Family also favored her and instantly turned things around, considering that she was the mother of Cooperâs son and the future matron of the Michel Family.
Although Cooper escaped, he couldnât run forever. Sooner or later, he would have to return to deal with this matter.
Despite that, Bailey believed that a person like Cooper would never settle with being tied down by Tiffany just like that.
What would Cooper do?
Bailey was looking forward to his next move.
âCarmen, come sit next to Bailey.â
Under Michaelâs blazing gaze, Sophia ushered Carmen to the seat next to Bailey. Obediently, Carmen sat down and ate next to him.
As an elementary school student, Carmen was about to face even tougher challenges. As such, she had to eat more and grow taller. This way, she would be able to overcome the obstacles in the future.
âYou should learn more from Bailey. Heâs older than you by ten years, and heâs already a powerful president. You should ask him for advice!â Sophia encouraged Carmen while gazing at Bailey with fondness.
Just then, Carmen chirped sweetly, âWeâre partners from now on, Bailey. I look forward to your guidance.â
At once, Baileyâs hair stood as he avoided making any eye contact with Michael, whose murderous glare was boring into him.
âIâll try my bestââ quavered Bailey.
Terrified, he glanced at Quinton, who was on duty as his bodyguard at that moment. Quinton took the hint and bravely stood between Michael and Bailey to shield him from Michaelâs glare, fulfilling his duties as a bodyguard.
After dinner, Bailey went home under the protection of Quinton with mixed feelings.
As a matter of fact, this was the strangest deal he had taken since he took over the family business.
However, since he had promised to provide insurance for Carmenâs online store, they would naturally need an official contract. Swiftly, he drew up a contract and notified Michael to sign it since he was the legal person. Since Carmen was the actual person-in-charge and they were only using Michaelâs name for legal purposes, Michael brought Carmen along to sign the contract. That way, she could observe and familiarize herself with the procedures.
After signing the contract, Carmenâs illegal workshop was officially insured. Although the insurance package wasnât expensive, she was very satisfied. After all, she did fight for it herself. Besides, she also knew that it would be impossible to get insurance from other companies. Clearly, no insurance company would be willing to provide insurance for her illegal workshop.
After successfully obtaining insurance, Carmen rehired the children and started working overtime every day after coming home from school and completing her homework.
Right before the âDouble Elevenâ shopping festival, she doubled the price of the keychain charms in her store, and on the day of the shopping festival, she lowered it back to the previous price. Even after discounts, it still cost more than before. Despite this, she still made a lot of money from this shopping festival. There were deliveries coming in and out every day, which proved how well her business was doing.
Later on, Michael brought her to meet with the courier companies so that she could learn to deal with them. All in all, Michael was working hard to train Carmen to be strong and independent. Even though she was just a five-year-old, he didnât have the time to wait for her to grow up, nor could he watch her grow into an adult.
As a matter of fact, he wasnât that worried about Sophia. Instead, he was worried for Carmen the most.
As Carmen gradually became more exposed, she began having a feel for the market. For example, she had cut down the production of her fatherâs autographed posters, considering that the supply should not exceed the demand. This way, the value of the posters would not depreciate.
On top of that, she would also often learn from Cooper. Although he had fled to god-knew-where, nothing stopped him from making video calls. Of course, Carmen would only call Cooper after Tiffany had gone to bed.
In the video call, Cooper would listen intently to Carmenâs report on the progress of her recent work, and he would affirm her and also give her relevant feedback. In addition, Linus would also give more thorough explanations while Michael occasionally interjected. At the same time, Sophia would be responsible for taking minutes of the meeting.
Amusingly, the presidents of Dragon Technology Corporation and JNS Group, the vice president of the Michel Group, and the boss behind Asco International were all on edge over the survival of a tiny store that sold dog pillows.
To Cooper, whether it was Sophiaâs dog collar store or Carmenâs dog pillow store, those were their careers they were fighting for. In fact, they were as important as his career in nuclear bombs, and they must be held in high regard.
âSweetie, you did the right thing. Selling your fatherâs autographed posters can only earn you quick money, and it isnât a good long-term plan. You need to come up with another plan. Grandpa has a few humble suggestions, and you must listen carefullyââ
Hastily, Carmen leaned closer and listened attentively. In the video call, Cooper was stern and serious.
As soon as he was about to speak, they heard a little cough from Maria who was on the lookout by the door.
Tiffany is coming.
At once, everyone frantically ended the video call and pretended that they were helping Carmen with her homework.
Just then, Tiffany came in with her baby in her arms to take a look before leaving again. She must have sensed Cooperâs âpresenceâ through the phone.
After she left, the video call resumed immediately. Cooper appeared on the screen once again and he continued giving Carmen lessons.
On the other end of the call, Cooper wasnât alone. Anna was bare-faced and clad in lounge wear, yet she still looked sophisticated. With a pair of glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose, she paid close attention.
Meanwhile, Callum and Cade were seated behind Cooper as well.