“Ruka, greet Uncle Ren,” Vanya urged, hastily pushing her daughter forward as though terrified that Ruka might come off as rude in front of the vice president.
Just like that, Ruka found herself standing before Ren. She looked up and gazed into his eyes, which glittered with wicked amusement. In her most polite voice, she said, “Good day, Uncle Ren.”
His dimple flashed as he gave her a deliciously roguish smile before nodding and saying, “Hello, Ruka.”
“Come on, Vanya, let’s go in!” Scarlet reached out and pulled Vanya through the front door. Vanya, in turn, grabbed Ruka by the arm and said, “Hurry up, Ruka. You must greet Mr. and Mrs. Husson!”
Ruka turned to glance at Ren over her shoulder, and he merely nodded, silently telling her to go into the house to greet his parents.
He was just about to head through the door himself when he saw a black SUV pull up at the car porch. He stopped and waited for the people in the car to get down so he could do the polite thing and greet them.
The ones who came out of the vehicle were none other than Richard and Angela.
Richard took Angela by the hand and led her toward the house. This was her first time here, so she was understandably nervous. When she caught sight of the young and imposing man standing by the door, she instantly recognized him as Richard’s well-accomplished uncle.
Kinship showed itself in the most magical of ways. While Richard had gotten his looks from his mother, he still shared some resemblance with Ren.
“Uncle Ren,” Richard called out casually when they were drawing near the door. Angela followed suit. “Good morning, Uncle Ren.”
Ren looked at them, smiling as he nodded in acknowledgment. “Good morning. Go on in. It’s getting chilly out here,”
Richard snaked an arm around Angela’s waist and guided her through the threshold. At once, they were greeted warmly by Scarlet. Harold and Charlotte, on the other hand, were seated in the living room, excited to meet their granddaughter-in-law for the first time.
Harold waved Richard over to his side. He had been a rather absent grandfather while Richard was growing up, and they hardly saw each other outside of family events. The guilt built up over time, and now that Harold was in his old age, he wanted to salvage his relationship with his grandson.
Not long after, Scarlet beckoned Richard and Angela to the annex, then told one of the maids to bring Ruka in as well.
“Richard, meet Ruka,” Scarlet introduced.
This was the first time Ruka was meeting Scarlet’s son, but there was a sense of familiarity that made her feel at ease. She flashed him a smile and said, “It’s nice to meet you, Richard.”
“The pleasure’s all mine,” Richard said, having already accepted her as part of the family.
Scarlet gestured at the lady next to Richard and said to Ruka, “And let me introduce you to his wife, Angela.”
