Chapter 383 A Rare Gathering
Chapter 383 A Rare Gathering
Hiram looked at Luke. "Collect as much evidence as you can." He saw the confusion cloud on the
man's face. "Even if we grew up together, I won't tolerate her if she refuses to come to her senses," he
said coldly sinking his head once again in the sofa.
Luke couldn't believe his ears and asked him one more time. "Are you really sure about this?" His
eyebrows furrowed. "If this gets out, she would have no way back. Do you understand the conseque-"
Hiram threw the documents on the table and cut him off,"Shouldn't you be the one to answer those
questions? You're the lawyer here, so why ask me the questions?" he said glancing at Luke.
Hearing the finality in his tone, Luke pressed no further, throwing his hands in the air. "Alright, fine. I
won't ask anymore. I'll gather all the evidence," he moved to stand up and walked towards a window.
Looking outside, he said,"If you change your mind, you know where to find me, but if you don't ..." he
paused, as if waiting for Hiram's response, but he remained silent. "The investigation will proceed
accordingly, and all the evidence will be against your sister." Luke finished.
Hiram lay down on the sofa, deep in thought. Even if he did otherwise and prevented it now, the time
would come for the whole truth to be revealed.
Lydia had brought all the consequences to herself.
Hiram had been forgiving. He had given her so many chances, but she insisted on having her way.
If she listened to him and stayed in the US, this wouldn't have happened.
Hiram had done everything as an older brother, but this was the end of his rope. It was time for her to
face the music.
His thoughts were interrupted when Rachel came in, holding two cups in her hands. She paused briefly
by the door looking from one man to the other, then walked forward to put a cup of tea in the table.
Luke sat down and sipped the warm tea. Then, Rachel handed the juice to Hiram.
"What are you two talking about for you two look so serious?" she asked, and then turned to Luke.
"Luke, I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for my mom. Would you please stay for
dinner? My mom wants to cook for you to show her gratitude."
She smiled at him, her eyes expectant.
Luke glanced at Hiram and said "Hiram, can I? Fannie even wants to cook for me."
he asked and looked at him hopefully.
If Hiram didn't agree, he wouldn't dare take a bite even if a full table of delicacies was laid out in front of
him.
Hiram said nothing and just grinned. He sipped the juice Rachel gave him, his grin turning into a slight
frown.
Since the incident of him getting shot, Rachel had forbidden him to drink anything strong, including tea
and coffee. He put the juice down on the table.
"That would be good. I'm tired of being cooped up in here all day. You can rescue me from my
boredom. It'll be great if you can chat or play cards with me," he said.
At once, Luke's face visibly brightened with pleasure. "I'm all yours! I'll give you a night you won't
forget!" The three of them laughed at his words. Hiram added after they quieted down,"Oh, speaking
of… Daniel is here at the city too. How about I call him to come over?"
Hiram looked at Rachel and waited for her opinion.
She nodded and said,"Yeah. It's been a long time since we last saw each other. We met that day in the
hospital, but we barely had time to say hello. It would be nice if he could come over."
If there was anyone that could be her friend and her mentor at the same time, it was Daniel. He had
taught her a lot of things and given her plenty of advice, some of which would be valuable to her for the
rest of her life.
"Okay, give him a call," Hiram said to Luke and reached for documents on the table, but Rachel was
faster.
"Alright, break time! You've been reading for nearly two hours. It's not good for your recovery!" she said
to him as she held the documents beyond his reach.
Looking at his empty hands, Hiram had no choice but to relent to his wife. He looked at her and her
furrowed eyebrows, and couldn't help but smile. "Fine, fine. But at least stay here and chat with us. It
feels awful to lie here and have nothing to do," he coaxed.
"I have a better idea. Why don't I take Jonny and Joyce here? They've been complaining the whole day
that no one plays with them. I'll get them for you. Just wait a minute!" Rachel touched his head, gently
combing his hair with her fingers, and then headed to the door.
A moment later, Rachel brought the kids with her to the study. Joyce came in with her sketch book and
her favorite Barbie princess tucked in her arms while Jonny had his favorite comic book with him. Joyce
climbed to the sofa and settles herself on Hiram's side. Jonny walked over to Luke.
"Uncle Luke, can you read this comic book with me please?" Jonny asked, his round eyes looking up to
Luke.
"Of course my dear godson!" he said, lifting Jonny into his arms. "Look at you! You are even more
handsome than the last time we met." He bent down and said softly,"Would you like be my son-in-law
after my daughter's born?" he asked, winking at the child.
Jonny tilted his head and thought for a moment before asking,"What's a son-in-law, Uncle Luke?"
Luke burst into laughter and put Jonny on his lap. He tousled his hair and said,"It means the husband
of my future daughter. You'll marry her just like your daddy married your mommy!"
Joyce, who was drawing with Hiram on the other side, raised her head and looked at her parents, her
eyes full of a child's curiousity.
"But, what will your daughter look like, Uncle Luke? Will she be as pretty as my mommy?" Jonny
asked, his expression serious. His mom was the prettiest woman in his heart.
Upon seeing his thoughtful expression, Luke laughed even louder. "I have no idea. Let's wait and see
when she's born. Hiram, how about it? Let's arrange a marriage for your son and my future daughter,
shall we?"
Hiram, who was watching Joyce drawing, raised his head and glanced at him, saying coldly,"My son
will choose his own wife when he grows up."
Luke paused, seeming to be in deep thought, but his eyes twinkled with humor. "Oh, I see now. You're
not satisfied with Rachel because she was chosen by your grandpa, right?" he teased Hiram,
anticipating his reaction since Rachel was there too.
Hiram sat up at his question, and Rachel looked at him, surprised with the suddenness of his
movement.
"Of course not!" Hiram caught Rachel's eyes. "I'm the luckiest man alive. I ran into the woman I was
waiting for and married her. It was like divine intervention. I will always be grateful, for the rest of my
life." he said unhurriedly, his eyes never leaving Rachel's.
Luke's jaw hung open and he involuntarily shivered. Was this really Hiram? He had become more and
more skilled at flattering his wife.
"Daddy, Daddy! I want to draw a beautiful princess, but I can't. Can you teach me?" Little Joyce asked
her father sweetly and passed a water color brush to him.
Hiram took the brush in his hand and reluctantly drew on a page. He wasn't good at figure painting, but
he didn't have the heart to say no to his little daughter.
After a while, Joyce asked him "Daddy, why does this princess look like my mommy?" She smiled at
Rachel.
"Because all I can draw is your mommy!" Hiram said without any hesitation.
He had never studied how to draw any figure, especially women. When his daughter asked him to draw
a woman, only one person filled his mind. Rachel's expressions, and her voice were images and
sounds he had engraved in his mind.
Luke couldn't feel any greasier and rolled his eyes. 'Can't he stop showing his affection to his wife in
front of me?'
The afternoon passed quietly. Later on, the dinner table was surrounded with lighthearted
conversations and laughter between bites of sumptuous food.
After dinner, Rachel took a walk in the garden with the twins. Not long after, she saw Daniel arrive in his
car. Luke went out to welcome him.
It was getting late, and it was time for the kids to go to bed. Rachel gave them a bath and was in the
middle of tucking them to bed when Fannie knocked at the door.
"Honey, Hiram asked you to fetch a bottle of wine for them," she said. "Just go and I'll take care of
them."
"Okay Mom," she replied and then turned to her children. "Grandma will tell you a bedtime story so you
can sleep well, okay sweeties?" she said and kissed them both on their forehead before standing up
and leaving.
She went to the cellar and took a bottle of 1990 Latour. Then she went to the cupboard to get three
wine glasses.
As she went up the stairs, she saw Hiram, Luke and Daniel chatting with one another on the sofa of the
leisure room.
Her spirits lifted at the rare sight. It has been three years since she felt this light.
"Evening! Let me serve you the wine!"
she said, her voice cheerful and her eyes smiling as she walked to them. She opened the bottle and
poured out wine into the glasses.
Suddenly, Hiram asked frowning,"Where is my glass?"
There were four people in the room, but he only saw three glasses on the table. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g
Rachel looked at him and said,"You're not allowed to drink now, remember? You're still recovering."
She reached for his hand and looked at him sympathetically. "I'll go get some juice for you." she said,
almost laughing when she saw the expression on Hiram's face.
Hiram squeezed her hand and said in a pleading tone,"Honey, it's hard to have Luke and Daniel here.
Please give me a glass of wine. Just one glass, I promise!"
His eyes looked into hers with such brightness that Rachel could feel her resolve weakening.