Please Take Me Home, Daddy - Chapter 399: Chapter 399

Laura was still clueless and she drove across the finish line with high spirits.
Everett cheered, "Laura won."
Laura, removing her helmet, looked back in surprise, "What happened? Did you guys crash into each other?"
Zayn and Xander exchanged glances and cleared their throats, "We just don't like each other."
Xander nodded unnaturally.
Then, Laura turned to Everett, "Are you okay, right? It looked like you took a serious hit."
Everett brushed it off nonchalantly, "No. I'm fine, and so is Clifford. He challenged my authority and that's why we both ended up in the crash."
Clifford, with his head squished under Everett's shoulder, vigorously nodded, "Yep, it was my disrespect for Everett."
Jasper lifted his phone to take a picture of Laura, "Congratulations on winning your first race, Lala. Let's snap a photo."
Laura flashed a peace sign and suddenly remembered, "Let's all take it together."
Zayn walked right up beside Laura.
Jasper turned and handed his phone to Celia, "Take a picture for us."
Celia, bewildered, replied, "Aren't I also a contestant? Don't I deserve a photo?"
Smiling, Jasper said, "Not this time."
Celia's lips twitched, but he still snapped a photo for them in a huff.
Laura stood in the middle with her shoulders touched by Jasper's hand and the aloof Zayn to her left.
In the center, Laura smiled sweetly, treasured, and pampered by them.
Celia pursed her lips, handing the phone back while watching Laura's back with a mix of emotions.
Laura was just a little one, cocooned between Tyler and Sebastian, who couldn't keep their hands off her, rubbing her head, "How can our apprentice be so awesome? Whose apprentice is this?"
Laura sweetly responded, "Yours."
Sebastian laughed in surprise, "Ours?"
Tyler scooped her up, spinning her around, "Oh. You're too cute. You've charmed me. It's like having a daughter." Tyler burst into laughter.
Sebastian joined in, pinching Laura's chubby cheeks.
Celia furrowed her brows and thought sourly, 'How did Laura manage to look like a family with two big shots? Laura seemed like the female lead. Could I still stand a chance to outshine Laura, to put her beneath my feet?'
The banquet was delightful.
Winnie looked at the photograph recording Laura's success and the picture of children posing together. She felt a surge of nostalgia, "You all remind me of us when we were your age. That's how we used to take photos."
Laura asked with curiosity, "Are there any photos from back then?"
With a smile, Dexter readily replied, "Of course, I have."
Dexter brought out a thick album that immediately drew Laura's attention.
The first photo Laura saw was of Dexter and Antonio standing together. Dexter was grinning while Everett, about five or six years old, stood without expression.
Laura exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, looking at this! Uncle Antonio and Xander look so alike and Mr. Graham is a spitting image of Zayn while Zayn is not as smiley."
Antonio raised an eyebrow but didn't deny it.
Dexter said to Laura with a chuckle, "No, out of all these kids, you looked the most like Antonio. But now, not so much. You take after your mother more now."
Dexter flipped through the album and found a particular photo, "Look. This is your mom."
Peering over, Laura saw a young woman, her mother, Lilian, holding a peach, sitting on a sofa with a beautiful smile with her eyes curving into crescents.
Beside her were Winnie and Joshua, enveloping Lilian in the middle, smiling affectionately at the camera.
Dexter reminisced, "Your mom was such a darling as a child. Back then, we all competed for her affection, wanting to play with her. If she favored anyone, we'd shun them, at least until we all grew up."
Dexter stopped as he frowned, having recalled something unpleasant.
The mood among others shifted.
Laura didn't notice the change and her excitement undeterred as she continued flipping through the pages.
The people in the photos grew older, and Lilian was always standing in the center.
It was clear Lilian had been adored by everyone.
But gradually, her mother's image started to fade from the photographs.
Laura puzzled, continuing to sift through the album.
There were snapshots of gatherings where Lilian was present, but she never smiled. She gazed calmly at the camera, resembling an icy beauty.
Lilian began to retreat to the corners or stand only by Winnie's side.
Lilian appeared increasingly unhappy.
Laura noticed.
Frowning, Laura's face darkened more with each photograph Laura turned.
The adults looked around at each other, their eyes meeting in a shared sense of bewilderment.
Zayn had a knowing look in his eyes as he lightly pressed his hand onto the photograph, "Laura, the cartoon has started. Aren't you going to watch?"
Laura snapped out of her reverie and replied happily, "OK."
Eagerly closing the photo album with a flurry, she scampered off, as if the sorrow from before had been merely an illusion of the adults.
Laura perched on the sofa, waiting for the cartoon to begin her eyes slightly glistening.
But she blinked hard, pushing back the tears, not wanting to show her distress in front of everyone.
Winnie crouched in front of her, asking with concern, "Laura, are you unhappy?"
Laura shook her head, "No."
Yet, Winnie was certain, "How about we go to another place for a bit?"
With that, Winnie lifted Laura and they moved to the swing set outside.
Favian followed quietly behind them.
Spider nonchalantly munching on some corn, stood beside Favian, "Mr. Yale, I'm Laura's bodyguard. Reasonably, I shouldn't let you overhear Ms. Yale talking. Give me a good reason why I should."
Favian showed her his phone, "Scan the code, Alipay."
Spider snorted dismissively, "Do you think I can be bribed with money?"
Favian replied calmly, "I'll give you ten vouchers for a 4999 self-service meal."
Spider's demeanor instantly became respectful, "Okay, sir. Do you need me to use a megaphone so you can hear them more clearly?"
Favian was speechless.
He watched Laura who was on the swing.
On the swing, Laura asked with a downcast tone, "Mommy, did these people stop liking my mom after a while?"
Winnie squatted before her, "At first, Lilian was the youngest among us. We all adored her, but she fell for Carol's instigations, frequently fighting with us. To her brothers, Lilian was just being childish and making trouble, but to Lilian, we seemed to enjoy the good and still pretended otherwise. We were manipulated and couldn't prove our innocence. But all faults lie with Joshua and me. Your mom was exceptional, vibrant, and shone in her element. She didn't need anyone's approval, but she fell into the trap of wanting to be liked by everyone and stepped deeper."
Winnie struggled with her words, "It's complicated, and I don't know how to explain it to you."
Laura furrowed her brows, looking down in sadness, "But I want to see her in her most vibrant light."
Lilian in front of Laura was disheartened with the overwhelming scent of perfume and the endless smoking.
Lilian rolled her eyes at any extra word spoken with Laura which showed her great disgust.
Laura truly yearned to see what Lilian was like in her normal situation.
Laura looked up at Winnie, "Mommy, I want to run away from home. Just to my place for a little while. Can I go with Ms. Spider by ourselves, please?"