From Ashes of Scandal to His Embrace (Laurinda) novel Chapter 242

Laurinda had just finished her shower and was curling up in bed when she felt someone slip in beside her. Adolphus slid under the covers and hugged her from behind, resting his head gently against her neck.

His warmth was comforting, and Laurinda, still half-asleep, mumbled a question about what his parents liked.

Adolphus didn’t brush her off. He answered her thoughtfully, taking her question seriously.

Listening to him, Laurinda closed her eyes, already running through ideas for what gifts she should bring to the Lane family. Before she knew it, her thoughts faded and she drifted off to sleep.

***

The next morning, Jasper was already at the dining table, waiting for Adolphus to make breakfast. Garry had dropped off fresh groceries earlier.

“Adolphus, Laurinda really likes sweets. Don’t forget to keep some lollipops and chocolate in her bag. She even asks for full sugar in her milk tea.”

Adolphus glanced at Jasper, amused by how mature he sounded for his age. “You seem pretty calm. Aren’t you nervous at all?”

“Nervous about what? The only thing that scares me is being too weak to protect Laurinda or making her sad. I can handle anything else. And don’t look down on me. No matter what kind of place the Flame Training Base is, I’ll stick it out.”

Jasper tilted his chin up, his face full of confidence, like nothing could faze him.

Adolphus could see how much Jasper took after Laurinda. He knew Jasper wasn’t just putting on a front.

He set a plate of breakfast in front of Jasper and ruffled his hair gently.

“When you get to the Flame Training Base, you don’t need to force yourself. If anything comes up, just find Garry. He’ll be around most of the time.”

“I know. But I’ll try not to trouble him. I’m there to train, not to take it easy. I get it.”

Jasper looked disappointed. He hadn’t really expected Laurinda to see him off, but now that she was right there and still wasn’t coming, he couldn’t help feeling a little sad.

Laurinda noticed. She reached over and squeezed his chubby little hand.

“I’m not going to see you off because I’d have a hard time letting you go. If I went with you, I’d probably change my mind halfway there and drag you back. Wouldn’t that be embarrassing?”

Jasper stared at her. At first, there was a hint of emotion in his eyes, but it quickly faded into a look that clearly said, Yeah, right.

“You’re so fake. If you really couldn’t bear to let me go, you’d at least try to look sad. You can’t even hide that smile. Admit it, you’ve been wanting to send me off for ages.”

“Really? Was it that obvious?”