Chapter 238: Healing a Childhood Wound Logan tapped his fingers lightly on the desk. "Answer the phone."
Jamesâ voice sounded a little nervous on the phone.
"Mr. Reid, Angelica mentioned you might be attending her birthday banquet, and I just wanted to..."
"What about it?"
James swallowed hard, flustered.
"N-no, nothing! I thought maybe Angelica had misunderstood, but if itâs trueâMr. Reid, the entire Clark Family would be honored to have you!"
Jack, standing nearby, rolled his eyes.
Of course theyâre thrilled.
If Logan showed up to Angelicaâs birthday, the entire City A would be shaken. The Clark Family thought theyâd finally latched onto a powerful backer âof course theyâd be kissing up.
Loganâs tone remained indifferent.
"How are the preparations coming?"
James, misinterpreting his question as concern for Angelica, grew even more enthusiastic.
"Donât worry at all! Angelicaâs birthdays are always a grand affairâweâre putting everything into it."
Logan caught the implicationâeverything was about Angelica.
He let out a cold, mocking laugh.
"A grand affair? So the whole city will know?"
James didnât expect Logan to press the issue and flushed with excitement.
"Of course! Angelica might not be our biological daughter, but Iâve raised her like my own. She deserves the very best!"
Logan let out a quiet "Mm," then hung up coldly.
"Donât worry. Iâll be thereâin person."
At the Clark Family Estate James beamed with pride.
"Mr. Reid said it himselfâheâll be at the party!"
Angelica gave a shy, modest smile.
"Mom, Uncle Clark, see? I wasnât making it up."
James could hardly contain his joy.
"Angelica, youâre the pride of our family! Youâre our future. If you could become Mrs. Reid one day, that would be even better!"
Angelica basked in the praise.
"Oh, Uncle Clark, donât exaggerate. Logan and I are just friends. Itâs just... heâs taking my birthday seriously this year. Mom..."
Katie, whose reputation had suffered after taking the fall for Angelica, had been seen as a liability. But the moment Angelica brought her upâ
"Of course Katie will be there!" James promised.
"Itâs your birthday, after all."
Angelica smiled at Natalia.
"Thatâs great. Oh, Uncle Clark, do you think Selina will come too? I really want a complete birthday celebration. Selinaâs still familyâhow could she not be there?"
At this point, whatever Angelica said, James would agree to.
"Iâll call her right now!"
The phone rang a few times before Selina picked up.
James, full of fake authority, said:
"Angelicaâs birthday is coming up. Sheâs kind enough to invite you. Donât be late!"
Selina let out a laugh.
"Sure. Iâll be there."
There was something about the way she said "sure" that made James pauseâit felt... off. But the excitement clouded his judgment, and he brushed it aside.
"Angelica, Selina agreed! Get ready. Uncle Clarkâs going to make sure youâre the most admired socialite in all of City A!"
Angelica nodded sweetly.
Around the Clark Family estate, the maids whispered to one another in awe.
"Miss Angelicaâs birthday is coming up... the preparations are huge."
"By the way, do any of you know when the eldest Missâs birthday is? Mr. Clark throws parties for Miss Angelica and even Nataliaâbut never for the eldest..."
"Shhh! Selina was kicked out. Sheâs no longer the eldest anything. She doesnât deserve to be compared to Miss Angelica."
Selina ended the call, unsurprised.
"Angelica couldnât wait to rub it in my face."
Damien took a sip of tea.
"Judging by Loganâs attitude, Iâd say the happier the Clark Family is now... the harder theyâre going to crash on that birthday."
Selina grinned mischievously.
"By the way, Damien, Iâm planning to move back to Sapphire Valley Villa."
Damien raised an eyebrow.
"He already won you over?"
Selina quickly defended herself, "No! I just sleep better there. Iâve gotten used to it. It has nothing to do with him."
Damien sighed like a father watching his daughter slip away.
"well... a grown womanâs heart canât be kept at home."
...
A few days later.
December 29th arrived.
Just before the new year, the biggest buzz in City A wasnât about the holidaysâbut about Angelicaâs birthday.
The Clark Group went all out this time. The entire estate was renovated, an outdoor banquet area was set up, and invitations were sent to every notable figure in City A.
At midnight, Selinaâs phone buzzed twice.
A wave of birthday wishes had arrived.
She replied to them one by one, saving one message for lastâLoganâs.
[Look outside.]
Look outside? At what?
Selina instinctively walked to the balconyâ
Suddenly, boom!âa firework lit up the sky right in front of her.
Then more followed. A dazzling firework show erupted before her eyes.
But these werenât just any fireworks. They were custom-made.
As they burst into the sky, they spelled out wordsâ
Happy Birthday.
Every birthday from now on, Iâll be with you.
Then hundreds of drones flew across the night sky, forming glowing images and heartfelt messages. Screens lit up across the cityâs buildings, all displaying the same thing:
A birthday celebrationâfor someone special.
Passersby were stunned.
"Whose birthday is this? That mustâve cost a fortune..."
"Happy Birthday to Miss Clark? Clark? Must be Angelica?"
"Oh yeah, todayâs her birthday. But who spent all that money? The Clark Family?"
"No, noâIâm betting it was Mr. Reid!"
...
Selina stood on the balcony, completely frozen as the show ended.
She didnât move. Her eyes blinked slowly, and something warm and wet slid down her cheek.
Her phone was ringing nonstopâ
To outsiders, it looked like Logan had just given Angelica the most over-the-top birthday gift of the year.
But those who knew... knew better.
This was clearly a surprise prepared for Loganâs wife.
...
"Itâs cold out. Come inside."
Logan opened the balcony door. Only then did Selina realize she was in just one layer of clothing, shivering from the wind.
Back inside, Logan suddenly placed a small box into her hands.
Selina looked at it, puzzled. "Whatâs this?"
"A gift."
"And... the thing outside?"
Loganâs eyes gleamed. "Who says you canât give two birthday presents?"
Selina raised her brows, surprised and curious.
Logan had prepared her a present? What could it be?
She opened the boxâand gasped.
"A... tiny crown?"
Years ago, sheâd received a birthday gift just like it.
When she was seven, back when Grandpa Clark wasnât as blatantly biased, she and Angelica had celebrated together. They each got the same small crown.
But Angelica broke hersâand then took hers too.
The whole family told her she should be generous, that a crown was "just a thing." That a child without a mother would naturally be ill-mannered if she didnât know how to share.
After that, Selina stopped expecting birthday gifts entirely.
She never thought Logan would give her back the crown she lost at seven.
His voice was calm, like it was no big deal.
"Starting from your seventh birthday, Iâll make up for every year you missed."
Selinaâs heart skipped.
"Logan," she said softly, "lower your head for a second."
Logan raised an eyebrow, confused.
But he leaned down as she asked, their eyes now at the same level.
"Yes, Mrs. Reid? What is iâ"
Married First, Loved Later : A Flash Marriage with My Ex's 'Uncle'
ï¤Chapter 237: Everything That Was Stolen Apocalypse: The Supporting Actress Made a Comeback ï¤Chapter 739 - 395 Bite back Shadow Slave ï¤Chapter 2468 Home Bitter Home Before he could finish, her lips gently touched the corner of his eye.
"Logan," she whispered, "weâre back together."
After two long weeks... she was finally coaxed back into his arms.
Logan traced her wrist with his thumb, trying to calm the heat in his chest. His voice was hoarse, laced with emotion.
"Little troublemaker... you made me wait two weeks. I think I deserve some interest."
"What interest? Iâmmph!"
Selina was suddenly swept up and tossed onto the soft bed.