The Flower That Grew from Ashes novel Chapter 58

"Up... up!"

The childish voice rang out clearly in the living room.

That wasn't a child's reaction to a strange uncle.

It was a bone-deep reliance and familiarity meant for the closest of family.

A two-year-old doesn't know how to act.

Hackett's smile stiffened for a solid second.

The air in the room instantly grew delicate.

Clarissa was the quickest to react. She laughed, scooped the boy off the floor, and explained to Lizzie, "Mrs. Lehman, look at him. He must think Hackett is his father since he and Elias look so much alike."

Basking in family bliss, Lizzie laughed along.

"Yes, yes, the brothers do look alike. Manuel is a smart boy; he knows his own family."

Annelise sat on a nearby armchair, quietly flipping through a magazine as if entirely uninterested in the scene.

But from the corner of her eye, she took in every micro-expression.

At dinner, an unprecedented addition was made to the long dining table: a child's high chair.

Manuel sat right next to Lizzie, surrounded by the nanny, Zoey, and Clarissa, who fed him bite by bite.

Halfway through the meal, Lizzie put down her utensils, cleared her throat, and announced a decision.

"Starting today, Manuel will officially live at the estate. I will watch over him personally."

Her authoritative gaze swept over everyone at the table.

"Clarissa has worked hard all these years, and it's time she got some rest. I've had the rooms on the third floor prepared. Clarissa and Manuel will stay up there. The rooms are spacious, quiet, and convenient for his care."

The third floor.

Annelise's hands paused slightly over her silverware.

She finally understood what Harriet had meant earlier when she said the house was being renovated to prepare a new room for Clarissa.

That wasn't just for Clarissa.

It was a meticulously crafted love nest for her, Hackett, and their child—a real "family of three."

Annelise lowered her head, sliced a small piece of steak, and chewed it slowly.

She offered no objections; she even wore a faint smile, looking genuinely pleased about the family's newest addition.

Late that night.

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