Chapter 212

Chapter 212 In Orchid Valley. Helena sat at the doorstep picking vegetables. Next to her was Mary, a former servant of the Larson family who had been fired for standing up for Madeline. The house was spotless, and even the courtyard had been thoroughly weeded, not a single stray plant in sight.

Mary watched the once arrogant Larson family. She had been thrown out by them when she defended Madeline.

If not for Madeline’s kindness, giving her a monthly wage and letting her stay here to help the elderly couple, her life wouldn’t have been as peaceful or comfortable. Helena and Frank were kind people who never treated her harshly, so living here was better than being with the Larsons She never expected than in just a short time, the Larson family would fall into decline. And now, during Christmas, the whole family had come to this village. Nobody knew what they planned to do.

“Mary, what do you think they’re really up to? Helena asked, frowning. She hadn’t slept well all night. Early in the morning, she saw the Larson family busy preparing for Christmas with big bags of festive goods and tidying the house. Everything that was broken or damaged had been fixed. Anyone who didn’t know them would think they were here to care for their parents or grandparents. But how could that be possible?

Helena remembered the times she only wanted to see her granddaughter but was scolded by Layla. Now, she felt deeply uneasy.

“I’m not sure either, Mary said, shaking her head while continuing to pick vegetables. “Since they didn’t do anything had, they probably aren’t here to cause trouble.

“In the past, the Larsons were wealthy and arrogant. Now that they’ve fallen, they might have become kinder.”

Helena thought Mary made some sense. If the Larsons hadn’t fallen, Layla would never have been this nice to her.

At that moment, Layla had just woken up and was sitting in her room. The bed here was hard, making her bones ache terribly.

Since moving out of the villa and into a regular apartment in the city, she woke up every day feeling cramped. She glanced out the window and shivered. “It’s so cold.”

Layla asked, “Honey, are you sure Madeline will come back for Christmas?

“If she doesn’t come back, aren’t we working here for nothing!”

“Oh, come on.” Thomas replied, now much more at peace and no longer chasing fame or profit. “We didn’t come here for selfish reasons. We’re here to make amends with Madeline. Whether she comes or not doesn’t really matter.

long as we take good care of her grandparents, isn’t that a way of making amends to her?”

Layla thought for a moment and realized that made sense. She sighed. “She probably won’t forgive us. I feel so guilty when I think about how horrible 1 was to her.

Thomas smiled. “Don’t overthink it. I bought some rice in the village. Let’s go and bring it back.”

“I can’t move that,” Layla grumbled, “Why don’t you let Madeline’s grandpa carry it Frank is quite strong “He had surgery earlier this year and can’t do heavy work. Let’s go, Thomas urged. “If you can’t bear even handle a little hardship, how will anyone see your sincerity!”

Layla frowned but didn’t say anything, following Thomas out Henry had cleaned the courtyard and was now fixing an old, broken tricycle. He didn’t mind getting his clothes dirty and was working under the vehicle with a wrench.

Frank felt a bit embarrassed and said, “Henry, don’t bother with that. This tricycle isn’t worth much. Don’t get your clothes dirty.”

Henry smiled. “Grandpa, my clothes aren’t worth much either. It’s no big deal if they get dirty?

“I used to be a mechanic. I know how to fix these, Henry explained. He had noticed how much Frank was bothered by the broken tricycle but was too frugal to buy a new one. Having a tricycle made work around the village much easier. “The problem isn’t serious. I’ll get some parts tomorrow and hs it up”

Frank couldn’t help but praise him. “You’re really a nice young man.

If only Madeline had a skill like yours, at least she’d have a stable way to ca way to earn a living”

Henry chuckled, thinking of Madeline’s impressive driving skills, and shook his head. “Madeline is quite something. She’s well–

educated, and she’ll have a much brighter future ahead of her Frank didn’t fully understand these things but knew that being able to eam money was always a good thing. He felt a twinge of guilt, saying. “Our family was so poor when we took Madeline in. We couldn’t provide her with much. If she wasn’t so smart and hardworking, she might have been held bark by us, 1/2 11:03 AM Chapter 212 “Now, Madeline treats us so well. I must have done something good in my past life to be blessed with such a wonderful granddaughter.”

By the afternoon. Henry had bought the necessary parts, fixed the tricycle, and took it for a test drive.

Frank was amazed to see the tricycle working again. As he drove, a man in modest, elegant clothing appeared on the road, carrying a large suitcase as he approached the house. Frank was surprised and asked, “Are you the new teacher in the village?”

Frank noticed the man wearing gold–rimmed glasses, exuding a cultured look and an indescribable aura that hinted at an extraordinary background. In this rural setting, he stood out with a refined elegance, looking completely out of place.

“Grandpa, I’m Madeline’s brother, Bobby said with a smile. “This is my first time visiting, and I wasn’t sure what you and Grandma would like, so I brought some gifts. I hope you won’t mind.”

Bobby spoke with a pleasant tone, “I’ve heard before that you treated Madeline like your own, loving her deeply. Now that I see you, Grandpa, I can tell you’re a kind and gentle person.

Frank was a bit bewildered by the praise, “Oh my, young man, you sure know how to sweet–talk, But... but all five of Madeline’s brothers are already here, so you...you..

“I’m one of her twelve brothers from the orphanage, and Im the eighth in line. We may not be related by blood, but our bond is even closer than that Bobby replied.

Frank had indeed heard Madeline mention her twelve brothers from the orphanage. He had met a few during previous holidays.

He hurried over to help with Bobby’s luggage. “Oh, it’s you guys. You should have let us know you were coming so I could help.”

“Grandpa” Bobby gently pressed Frank’s shoulder, his smile warm and soothing. “You don’t need to tire yourself out. You’ve had surgery, and you should just relax “Otherwise, if Madeline finds out, she’ll definitely be upset with you.”

From the moment he saw Bobby, Frank was immediately fond of him Helena was also very happy to see him.

With his gentle demeanor and refined aura, Bobby was indeed the type that all elders would adore. After sitting down and having a cup of coffee, Bobby finally said, “Madeline is also on her way. She’s coming to spend Christmas with you.”

Hearing this, Helena couldn’t contain her joy and quickly pulled Bobby aside to ask about Madeline, paying close attention to every little detail. Bobby also patiently shared everything he knew with them.

Outside, Henry couldn’t help but press his lips. Although the elderly couple was polite to him, they didn’t treat him with the genuine affection they showed Bobby, like he was part of the family.

Henry frowned slightly. ‘Madeline and I are the real siblings, so why do these people from the orphanage feel more like her true brothers than I do? he wondered. The sense of not fitting in stung him deeply. Henry had to admit that he was feeling a bit jealous and unbalanced inside.