Although Julian Rhodes often spends time outside, hardly ever at home, Ronia Ackerly frequently calls him to ask about his situation outside, always reminding and worrying about him. Even though Julian doesn’t like Ronia’s nagging, he still answers every time. This is a good thing. However, Julian rarely takes the initiative to call Ronia, only a few times a year, except when something happens. Now that he’s calling her, Ronia couldn’t be happier. It was a rare occasion that her son Julian called her. This child still remembers his mother. Ronia doesn’t care why Julian called her, whether there’s something going on or not. As long as it’s a call from Julian, she’s happy. She feels it’s quite nice. Now that Aria is back, everything is fine. Ronia quickly answered the phone and directly asked, "Julian, why are you suddenly calling mom? Do you miss mom?" There was laughter in Ronia’s voice, clearly showing her good mood. But, quickly, her good mood was shattered. "Are you Ronia, Julian’s mother? Mrs. Hayden Rhodes?" On the phone, instead of hearing Julian’s voice, it was a strange man, rough and unfriendly. Ronia’s expression tightened instantly. She looked at the caller ID, confirmed it was Julian’s number, not someone else’s. Ronia brought the phone back to her ear and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you?" "Why is Julian’s phone with you?" Ronia’s heart raced, very unstable, but she maintained a calm face. Although countless thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant, she showed none of them. Ronia is not someone fragile or afraid of trouble. In front of her children, she’s a gentle mother; in front of her husband, a delicate woman; but outside, she’s anything but delicate. No one at the company ever dared underestimate her. Aria Rhodes noticed the severe change in Ronia’s expression, something unprecedented. She was initially smiling, but upon seeing Ronia’s look, a direct thought arose in her mind. Julian got into trouble again. Aria clenched her hands, furrowed her brow, and pressed her lips together. She stood up and quietly walked to Ronia. Ronia didn’t look at Aria; she was listening to the voice on the phone. "Who I am is not important. What’s important is your son, Julian Rhodes. He owes us ten billion. Now..." "What? Ten billion?!" Without waiting for the man to finish speaking, Ronia immediately interrupted him, her face changing drastically. Even though Ronia had considered countless possibilities in that short time, she never thought Julian would owe someone money, let alone ten billion. Her son Julian never owed anyone money! Ronia’s face turned pale in an instant, but she didn’t lose her composure. She clenched her phone and said through gritted teeth, "Who are you? What have you done to my Julian!" "Mom, don’t listen to him!" "I was set up by them!" "They tricked me into gambling, let me win first, then lose. They fooled me!" Julian’s angry voice came from the phone, instead of the man’s. Hearing his voice, Ronia instantly panicked and hurriedly called out, "Julian! Julian! Where are you? Tell mom, where are you?" "I’m at... hmm hmm..." Julian’s voice disappeared, leaving only the sound of him being muffled. Hearing this sound, Ronia’s face instantly turned terrifyingly pale, and she quickly said, "What have you done to my Julian? Let him go right now!" "Do you know who I am? Do you know who our Julian is?" "We are the Rhodes Family. How dare you treat the Rhodes , treat Julian . You won’t have a good end!" At this moment, Ronia was panicking. As long as it involved Julian’s safety, she becomes entirely irrational, like a different person. Aria stood in front of Ronia, supporting her when her face suddenly changed. And now, she could clearly see the panic on Ronia’s face. Clearly, something happened to Julian; the situation is troublesome. Quick thoughts flashed through Aria’s mind, and then she said, "Mom, let me talk to them." Aria reached for the phone, but Ronia dodged, shouting into the phone, "Let go of my Julian. I order you, release him immediately!" The person on the other side obviously sensed Ronia’s care and loss of composure, which is exactly what they wanted. The man directly said, "If Mrs. Rhodes wants us to release your precious son, bring ten billion to ransom him." "Otherwise, don’t blame us for being rude." After speaking, they hung up, leaving Ronia with a busy tone. In an instant, Ronia was frozen, eyes wide open, as if her soul had left her, unmoving. The phone slipped from her hand. With a thud, it fell at her feet. Aria’s face turned pale, the sound of the phone hitting the ground making her tremble. She looked at Ronia, who was rolling up her eyes, and the whole person fell backward. Aria immediately called out, "Mom!" Ronia fainted, Aria couldn’t hold her up, and they both fell to the ground. Ignoring her pain, Aria shouted towards the door, "Somebody, come here!" The servants heard the noise and quickly came up. Aria shouted, "Call the doctor, call the doctor now!" The servants saw Ronia on the ground, their expressions changed, and they rushed to say, "I’ll call right away." That night, the Rhodes Family was in chaos. A new day arrived. Early in the morning, Ava Sterling, in high spirits, came out of the bedroom with Poe Vaughn for breakfast. Last night, Poe didn’t do that thing, following the rules by going to bed with her at exactly eleven. Ava had a full night’s sleep. She was particularly satisfied, and her mood was exceptionally good. "Honey, I’ll peel the egg for you!" Seeing the egg on the plate, Ava immediately took it and peeled it for him. Once done, she placed it in Poe’s bowl before peeling her own. Poe said nothing, picked up the egg she peeled, and ate it. Ava watched, feeling particularly happy. See how nice it is to sleep on time, without staying up late? When you’re in good spirits, your mood is good too. When you’re in a good mood, everything looks bright and wonderful. She hopes to maintain this with Poe. It’s beneficial for mental and physical health. Mrs. Wei prepared breakfast for them, and seeing Ava’s rosy cheeks, especially her full smile, she couldn’t help but smile as well. For more chapters visit NoveIꜰire.net Smiles are contagious, and so is happiness. As long as the lady is home, everything is wonderful. Ava ate a full breakfast again and left the apartment with Poe to go to work. As soon as they got in the car, Ava picked up her book to read. However, with Poe by her side, she blinked and asked, "Honey, would you like me to read to you? Continuing from last night." She was very proactive, very enthusiastic, as if ready to do so if he agreed. Poe wrapped his arm around her, and Ava naturally leaned into his embrace. He looked at the open book in her hand, a deep "hmm" escaping his throat. Ava immediately beamed a bright smile, saying, "Then I’ll start reading now." After speaking, she flipped to the page from the previous night and continued to read aloud. Poe listened, looking at the scenery ahead, his thumb rubbing her waist, his eyes silently deep and moving.