The Secret Heir Return To Wealth And Love

After his loud wailing, Jaime caught Cory's eye as he glanced up at him.

There Jaime stood, his face a picture of utter dismay.

Just moments before, down in the yard, Jaime had tried to get Ivy into joining him and Max for a game of frisbee. But she was in a flurry, babbling about having to paint a portrait for Molly, and didn't have time for frisbee.

Frustrated, Jaime had turned to Trista, hoping for some playtime cuddles.

But Trista clung to Molly's fingers like a lifeline, refusing to budge. Jaime's attempt at a tantrum only led to Trista's bottom lip trembling before she burst into tears, mumbling for Molly's name.

"I'm busy too," Cory said, breaking his gaze away from Jaime. "Dude, you're an adult. Stop pestering the kids and find something of your own to do."d2

Jaime felt like he'd been hit by lightning. Then, he watched, dumbstruck, as Cory sauntered off.

"Sis?" Jaime turned to Rosalynn with the look of a man betrayed by the universe, "Are the kids growing up and drifting away from me?"

Rosalynn couldn't help but laugh through her sympathy. She reached out to gently tousle his hair. "You need a haircut, Jamie. You can barely see through that mop."

Jaime ran his hands through his bangs and let out a long, wistful sigh. "They used to depend on me so much."

Back then, Cory and Ivy had spent most of their days on Hilaria's island, with limited company.

Other than the household staff and security, they mostly had Jaime and Noah for company. But as Noah's work took him away more and more, it was Jaime who had been there as they grew. Whenever Jaime would go away and return, both kids would light up with joy.

"Jamie, it's just the way of life," Rosalynn consoled him, patting his shoulder. "One day, they'll be ready to venture out on their own, and it won't be just you they stop relying on. Even Wayne and I will have to let go."

She paused, then added seriously, "Frankly, it's about time you thought about settling down."

Jaime mumbled, "Well, I know. I've even been dreaming about Grandpa lately. You know, the sweet old man turned into a nightmare, chasing me with his cane, scolding me for not settling down yet, threatening to cut me off."

As Rosalynn offered Jaime her version of therapy, Cory made his way back to his room. Sitting at his desk, he opened his custom-built search engine and typed in - "Middle School Exams."

For Cory, tests were a breeze, but he understood that exams, much like the SATs, were no small feat for most. Studying year in and year out was challenging enough. What about skipping grades?

Cory printed out several years' worth of H City's middle school exam papers, excluding the English literature section, which wasn't his strongest suit.

He breezed through the rest in one sitting.

Afterward, he ordered a bunch of practice books online, listing Felix as the contact for delivery.

With that out of the way, there came a knock at his door.

Glancing at the clock, Cory realized it was already two in the morning. It was one of the rare nights he'd stayed up since falling ill.

He got up to open the door and there stood Rosalynn.

"You're up late, what's going on?" Rosalynn crouched down and gently touched his cheek.

"Sorry, Mom, I lost track of time. I'll set an alarm next time," Cory replied.

"Don't worry. It's the holidays, staying up once in a while is okay," Rosalynn said softly.

Cory was usually very disciplined about his sleep schedule.

He hadn't felt it while he was absorbed in his work, but now that he was aware of the late hour, his eyelids began to droop, and yawns overtook him.

Rosalynn's eyes sparkled with amusement. Her son was young but often seemed too serious for his age. It was a rare treat to see him look so endearingly drowsy. "Get some sleep," she whispered.

"What about you, Mom? Shouldn't you rest too? Larkin always says you shouldn't stay up late," Cory mumbled, barely keeping his eyes open.

"I'll head to bed soon." replied Rosalynn.

"Okay, goodnight, Mom." With that, Cory staggered off towards his bedroom.