Chapter 12

Upon hearing Daisy's voice, Layla froze completely. She thought she might be imagining things. She looked at Mark and asked in a trembling voice, "Mark, was that Daisy's voice just now?" Mark was just as excited. He walked over, picked up Daisy, and kissed her chubby little cheek. "Sweetheart, say 'Daddy' again." Daisy's eyes were fixed on the TV. Looking at Seth, she opened her mouth again and said, "Daddy." This time, her voice was much clearer. Layla's eyes filled with tears. She had finally heard Daisy speak. Crying, she hugged Daisy tight and choked out, "Sweetheart, say 'Mommy.'" Daisy pursed her lips and just stared at her, not saying another word. Even though Daisy didn't call her "Mommy", Layla still smiled through her tears. "Mark, it looks like the happy family environment is really helping her condition. She finally spoke!" Mark gave a bittersweet smile. "Laylabug, didn't you notice? She wasn't calling me." Only then did Layla realize that Daisy had just said the word "Daddy" while looking at Seth on the TV screen. Her heart skipped a beat. "Does she know something?" Smiling, Mark ruffled Daisy's hair. "She's three now. She understands what we say. She just can't speak yet. She probably knows who her dad is, or maybe it's just that strong father-daughter bond." Layla felt a chill run down her spine at those words. Daisy had been smart since she was little. She only needed to learn something once before remembering it. By the time she was three, she had already known over three thousand words. How could such a clever child not know who her father is? Layla shuddered. She was relieved that Daisy couldn't speak yet. Otherwise, she might have revealed the truth in front of Seth. But no matter what, Daisy speaking was a huge step forward. Layla felt a renewed sense of hope for the future. … Seth came downstairs, holding two cute bear-shaped cookies. He took out his phone and snapped a picture before sending it to Benjamin. "Want one?" Benjamin's eyes darkened as he read the message. He recognized those cookies. He ate them all the time when he was little. They had a sweet, creamy flavor with marshmallow filling, and they were his favorite. Ever since Layla had abandoned him, he hadn't had them again. Although the housekeeper had tried to make them a few times, they never tasted the same. Benjamin didn't need to think twice to know exactly where Seth had gotten these cookies from. He snorted arrogantly as he typed, "No!" Seth noticed the two words seemed laced with irritation, and he couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "They weren't meant for you anyway. Daisy gave them to me. I figured you'd be done with your apology letter by now and wanted to reward you with one. But now I see that it's not needed." Reading that text, Benjamin puffed up his cheeks and breathed heavily. He quickly typed back, "I finished writing the apology letter ages ago." "Want a cookie then?" Seth asked. "Not interested." Seth chuckled as he read the message. If Benjamin wasn't interested, then why had he mentioned finishing the apology letter? Wasn't that contradictory? When he got home, Benjamin was sitting on the couch. He tried to act indifferent, but his eyes were locked on the cookies in Seth's hand. Seth walked over and waved the cookies in front of him. "Don't want it?" Benjamin pouted. "They're ugly. Bet they taste terrible." Though he said that, his eyes never left the cookies. As soon as Seth raised one to his mouth, Benjamin leapt off the couch and grabbed it from him. He shoved it into his mouth and proudly declared, "I'm your son. I have to protect you. I'm worried that woman's gonna poison you." As he said that, he took another bite of the cookie. The familiar taste hit him, and his bright eyes welled up with a faint redness. Old memories from his childhood flashed through his mind. Seeing how stubborn Benjamin was, Seth chuckled and rapped his knuckles on his head. "If you want it, just say so. She's your mother. There's no need to be shy. And stop being so rude to her. She'll accept you eventually." Upon hearing this, Benjamin scoffed dismissively. "Who cares if she accepts me or not?" "If you hate her so much, then spit out the cookie." Benjamin panicked and quickly shoved the last of the cookie into his mouth. His cheeks puffed out as he mumbled, "It's all gone." Just then, Jenna came downstairs. She glanced at the stickers all over Seth and raised an eyebrow. "What's all this junk stuck to you? Take them off." She moved to help him peel the stickers, but Seth stopped her. "I'll take care of it myself when I get back. Don't worry about it. I'll bring Ben out now." He grabbed Benjamin's backpack and started to leave, but Jenna called after him. "Seth, the Price family is pushing us again about your marriage to Clarissa. You've been engaged for four years already. It's time to get on with it. The Price family is a noble family. Marrying them will secure your future." Seth's eyes darkened slightly. "Do you think I need anyone to secure my future?" Jenna shot him a glare. "Not right now, maybe. But don't forget. Clarissa has saved your life twice. Without her, you'd be dead. Plus, both you and Ben have Rh-negative blood. Clarissa can donate blood to you both at any time. Even if she can't have children, you can't just discard her." Seth's gaze flickered as he heard those words. At that time, he and his father, Bruce Parker, had been framed. Bruce had died on the spot, and after Seth was rescued, he had gone into shock due to excessive blood loss. The blood banks were running low on Rh-negative blood, and the amount he needed was huge. In the end, the Parker family had to pay a fortune for the blood. When Seth woke up, he was told that a girl had donated 800cc of blood to save him before passing out. He knew well enough how much a normal person could donate. 800cc was the maximum limit, and it had been donated by a girl. He couldn't help but feel grateful. From that moment, Jenna had taken Clarissa in as a goddaughter and protected her. But how could Seth not know Jenna's intentions? She was hoping that Clarissa would be his backup blood bank. To avoid this, Seth started donating 400cc of blood to the bank at regular intervals. He thought that it would be a good emergency reserve. But he never expected Clarissa to take the hit for him in a car accident. She saved him from a disaster but ended up with permanent injuries and could never return to the stage. All the blood he had stored for himself was used up by her. She had saved him twice, and there was no way he could repay her. The only thing he could give Clarissa was the marriage she wanted. But in the process, he had hurt Layla. Before, he believed that Clarissa had given up her dreams and her chance to be a mother for him, while Layla had only lost a relationship. He thought that she'd get over it in time. Now, it seemed that Layla had truly moved on. Just the thought of it made his chest tighten with pain. Seth replied calmly, "I have my own plans." "What's your plan?" Jenna pressed. "I heard from Clarissa that Layla's back. You haven't really fallen for her, have you? Is that why you're stalling the wedding?"