Veronica fell silent.
She had completely forgotten that picnics required the preparation of food in advance.
“I have, I have! There’s food!”
Marissa slowly walked out from the kitchen. “Ellinor dear! Grandma has prepared a bunch of desserts for the kids, including cookies and cakes. We also have plenty of rice. I’ll ask our housekeeper to make some extra sushi to take with you. That should be more than enough food for your picnic.”
After hearing this, Veronica burst into laughter and hugged the elderly lady in joy. “Grandma, you’re a lifesaver! This is great!”
Marissa, slightly irritated by her granddaughter's lack of respect, pushed her away and turned her kind gaze to Ellinor.
“Ellinor, you’ve been working hard at the company lately. Take today off and relax a bit.”
Ellinor smiled. “Thank you, Grandma.”
The three little ones also excitedly chimed in. “Thank you, Great-Grandma!”
Marissa was getting on in years and was delighted to hear her great-grandchildren cheerfully calling her 'Great-Grandma.'
“My three little darlings, wait here. I will get you some more tasty treats. And remember, when you are out playing, listen to Mommy and Auntie. No running away, alright?”
Baber gleefully responded, “Okay!”
Adrian, with a big smile on his face, said, “We will listen!”
Layla also happily answered, “Great-Grandma, Layla will listen too!”
Marissa chuckled. “Good, good! You’re all my best-behaved darlings!”
...
Ellinor smirked but said nothing more.
She knew who Veronica was going to pick up. It was Moran, whom Veronica had had a crush on for a while.
Ellinor’s guess was spot on. When they arrived at Creston University, Moran was indeed waiting at the entrance. He got into their car and naturally sat in the front passenger seat.
After getting in, he turned around to exchange a smile with Veronica before politely greeting Ellinor. “Ellinor, it's been a while.”
Ellinor nodded. “Yes. It seems like you've decided to stay on as a faculty member at the university.”
Moran rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, I can't really see myself in the cutthroat corporate world. I'm much more at home in academia.”
Ellinor smiled. “That’s good. You're quite suited for teaching. You’ve managed to tame our Veronica, so I'm sure you'll do great with others.”
Ellinor emphasized the word 'tame' in a teasing way, clearly making fun of the two of them.
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