Olivia had been a little dejected before that, but she gradually returned to her usual self after hearing Eugeneâs words. âWhere do you want to go?â she asked.
Eugene held her hand. âI never understood the concept of new yearâs celebrations until I met you guys. Usually, I would just spend the night. before with my grandfather, then Iâd sleep in for a few days after that. Now that you guys are here, I donât mind going anywhere as long as itâs with you guys.â
Before Olivia could say anything, North said, âLetâs go look for Grandma! We might even get a chance to bump into Dora!â
Eugene didnât know whether to laugh or cry at Northâs comment. This brat is really into that girl, huh?
âFine. Letâs go to Promise Island, then, Eugene uttered. But Olivia knitted her brows upon hearing this. âWhat about Grandpa?
We canât leave him at home alone. Lara and your dad are in the detention center.â
âEdward isnât my grandfatherâs only son, you know. The rest of my uncles and aunts will be home during the holiday too!â
Eugene said with a smile. Olivia finally understood the situation. âOh, thatâs good, then. Youâve never celebrated the new year with your mother, have you?â
âNo, I usually get more occupied during festive seasons, he replied. Olivia knew that there would be more people watching his every move during festive seasons. For the sake of his motherâs safety, he had to maintain his distance. All of a sudden, Olivia felt rather sorry for the man. âWhy donât we celebrate new yearsâ with your mother this time?â
A spark lit up in Eugeneâs eyes when he heard. what she said. This was his ideal way to spend the festive season. He quietly thought about how they could share a room. He had wanted to bring her back to his place, but she was an extremely cautious and stubborn woman who insisted on staying out of the house whenever they were done eating.
She was a heartless woman. Eugene didnât want to leave a bad impression, and the rational side of his mind often told him to act with a little more dignity. He knew that he wasnât supposed to lose himself each time he saw her.
Yet, the emotional side of him ran under a completely different system. Every time he saw her, he would overthink their relationship, especially when it was just the both of them. He spread his lips into a smile and was just about to agree to her idea when she spoke again. âOops. I donât think thatâll work.â Eugene immediately frowned. âWhy not?â
âWhat about Jewel? Sheâs here alone-what is she going to do if we leave?â Eugene didnât know what to say for a moment. Itâs so hard to spend some alone time with my girlfriend. âWhy donât we bring her along?â he suggested. Olivia hesitated for a moment.
âWould that be okay? Itâs a new year celebration.â
âWhatâs wrong with it? Sheâs practically your sister from another mother, and my mom loves having people around. I can ask Alex to come along too,â he replied.
âHowâs he going to join us? He has to spend time with his family too!â Olivia protested. âHe can come after that. We can stay for a while longer, Eugene replied. Olivia finally agreed. âOkay, Iâll ask Jewel about it.â
Jewel didnât actually want to join them, but she knew that they were worried about her, and she knew that Olivia wouldnât leave if she didnât go along with them. So, she had no choice but to join them. Two days before the new year, Olivia, Eugene, North, Brian, and Jewel traveled to Promise Island. They didnât let Ellen know about their plan as they wanted to give her a surprise.
When they entered the house, Ellen was busy tidying the place up. She was a woman who couldnât sit still, and she was the one who cleaned the whole of their enormous house. She had fired the two maids that Eugene hired for her, and she only asked for help if she couldnât manage to clean the whole place sometimes. Most of the time, she was the one doing all the work.
âMom!â Brian called. Ellen had her back turned. against them, and her body froze for a moment when she heard her sonâs voice.
She looked like she was trying to pay more attention to what she heard, perhaps because she thought that she was hallucinating.