A Replacement Bride

Chapter 164

"Your presence is enough to make me happy. There's no need for presents. Joaquin, you should've stopped her." Receiving the presents from Katherine with a smile, Zachary shot a warning look at Joaquin after that.

His grandson answered him with an innocent look instead of words.

"The presents didn't cost me much," she answered humbly.

"It's your thought of us that counts instead of the value of presents, and you've proved to us your affections. It doesn't matter whether the presents are expensive or not because I'm very happy to see you making your attendance. Come on, don't stand here. Head inside and take a seat," Zachary beckoned the two to sit down with a cheerful tone.

Even though he told her the presents weren't necessary, happiness was bursting in his chest nonetheless. He carried the gift bag tightly as if he was worried that someone would snatch them from him.

"Grandpa! What did Katherine give you? Let me have a look." Showing up out of nowhere at the same time when he barely sat, a young girl snatched the gift bag from him and opened it.

There was a square wooden box, a rectangular wooden box, and two delicate glass bottles filled with colorful sugar balls in the gift bag.

"Huh? Katherine, are the two bottles of candies for Grandpa? He has diabetes, so he can't eat them. How about giving them to me?" Grabbing the bottles from the bag, she began to shove them into her pocket.

"Put them down, Tiara!" As he was upset to see that the gifts exclusively for him were about to change hands, Zachary walked over with flushed cheeks and took the glass bottles from her.

The young girl longingly stared at them. "But Grandpa, those are candies! Since you can't have them, why can't you give them to me? How about you giving me only one? I want to try at least once."

Tiara loved sweet food the most and she was interested in all kinds of sweet food since her childhood. The colorful candies in the bottles caught her attention the most and she almost drooled at their delicious look.

Zachary shot daggers at her as he scolded, "Buy them with your money. Do you have no shame in robbing an old man's possession? These are my presents from Kathy. All mine! Oh, the gifts belong to your grandmother too."

After noticing the warning look from Chelsea, he added belatedly.

"Those aren't suitable for you. If you would like some, I'll give them to you another time." Katherine found the sad expression on Tiara's face comical.

Tiara jumped in excitement upon hearing the promise from Katherine. "For real? Wow, Katherine, you're being so nice to me! I've decided to see you as my role model starting today. I like you the most!"

"Can I eat these candies too?" Zachary was covering his pocket with his hands as he waited for Katherine's answer in anticipation.

"Those aren't candies, but you can treat them as one that you can eat. At first, you only need to take one per day. After three months, you only need to take one per week," she explained in seriousness.

"Katherine, if those aren't candies, what are they? Are they some kind of miracle medicine?" Since Tiara loved gossip the most, she asked with full curiosity after hearing Katherine's explanation.

"I've extracted the essence of various herbs and made them. It's for Grandpa and Grandma to maintain their physical fitness and boost their immunity." As Katherine was worried that Zachary would treat the glass bottles as candies, she explained again.

"So, they're medicine. I thought they were candies! If so, I—" Before Tiara could finish her words, Katherine interrupted.

"If you would like some, I'll make those that help detoxify the body and the skin. They certainly help."

Her words immediately piqued Tiara's interest. "Really? Katherine, will I become as beautiful as you after I have taken them?"

As soon as Tiara finished her words, Katherine began to study her face.

Tiara was indeed gorgeous with her dazzling and striking beauty, which would catch anyone's attention on every occasion. Her clear eyes had the potential to grab a person's attention as the worldly sophisticated minds had yet to taint her innocent and naive soul.

Since there was a healthy dynamic in the Foster Family, they had pampered Tiara with love and care from her childhood onward and raised her into a pure soul without even a trace of a wicked mind.

"You won't be like her unless you undergo plastic surgery," Joaquin chimed in sarcastically with the intention to tease Tiara before Katherine could even express her opinion.

Staring at him, Tiara covered her face with a sad look. "Joaquin! You have hurt my ego with that comment! Do you remember that I'm your sister?"

"No, you're not. We're merely cousins," he immediately answered.

"Grandpa! Look! He's bullying me again!" As Joaquin's words broke her heart, she immediately sought Zachary's help to back her up.

Zachary was smiling from ear to ear as Tiara held his arm and acted coquettishly while he stood up for her. "Stop bullying your sister."

"I'm helping her to understand the truth," Joaquin replied subtly.

Katherine wasn't expecting to see this side of him. In most of her memories, he was always distant and kept his businesslike manner toward others. She had only seen him making an exception for Beatrice so far, but not as much as the current situation.

It seemed to her that Joaquin had a strong relationship with the Fosters, so he could lower his guard and reveal his true self when he was spending time with them.

"Darling, enough with the talk. It's time for dinner, so let's go. We have a lot of time after that," Chelsea began with a casual tone after staying quiet for a long time.

Once she began, Zachary strode over eagerly and helped her to her feet. "Are you hungry? Let's go, then. There's no point starving you. I've asked them to prepare your favorite lemon butter fish filet and cowboy meatballs, but you can't eat too much of them. Just enjoy it a little, all right?"

He helped her to stand as his gaze was tender while his tone sounded like he was coaxing a child.

"I'm not a child anymore. Besides, I'm not as gluttonous as you. Don't eat too much. You need to look out for your diet." Chelsea glared at him for his tease, but she allowed him to hold her as they hobbled toward the dining room.

Seeing Zachary and Chelsea looking after each other, Katherine remembered the times back when Darren was alive.

Those were her younger times when her grandparents had a strong relationship. Thus, Jennifer fell sick right after Darren passed away.

If Grandpa is alive, will our family be as happy as the Fosters?

"What's on your mind? Let's go." Joaquin grabbed Katherine's hand gently to help her rise to her feet, which snapped her out of her reverie.

His hands were firm to hold and a little warm as they enveloped her small hands. She couldn't resist the idea of turning her head to look at his handsome profile. His gaze was tender, but the tip of his ears had reddened due to a reason she couldn't make out.

She didn't bother to wriggle out of his grasp as she merely allowed him to hold her instead. For the first time in her life, she felt good to be able to hold hands with him. Text © owned by NôvelDrama.Org.

The others had already taken their seats when the pair walked into the dining room.

Zachary reserved them two empty seats on his left side.

The servants were serving their dishes as they sat.