Broken Memories, Intertwined Hearts

Chapter 68

The next day was business as usual, with Izzy oversleeping again. Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

By the time she stumbled down the stairs, the family was already having breakfast. As soon as they heard her footsteps, they all turned to look at her with mysterious smiles plastered across their faces. Izzy felt a bit awkward but tried to tough it out and continued down the stairs.

"Izzy, come down for breakfast. Don't let my sweet grandchild starve," the old man's voice rang out loudly and firmly.

The mention of "sweet grandchild" made Izzy wobble a bit, almost losing her balance. She held onto the handrail, slowly making her way down.

Rita was taken aback, looking at Izzy in disbelief. "Izzy, are you pregnant? How come you didn't tell me about such a big deal?" Was her late-night snack last night because she was pregnant?

Izzy gave a helpless shake of her head towards Rita, then blushing, she sat down at the table. She scrunched up her nose and whispered to her grandfather, "Grandpa, what's this about a sweet grandchild?" a hint of annoyance slipping into her voice. Perhaps because there were fewer girls in the family, Phillip tended to spoil them. Seeing Izzy's cute demeanor, the old man couldn't help but chuckle, his eyes fixed on her belly as if she really did have a baby inside. After a while, he explained, "I meant a future grandchild. You and Ethan are so 'lovey-dovey', it's only a matter of time before you have kids."

Izzy finally understood Phillip's words and her face turned an even deeper red. "Grandpa."

"Alright, Grandpa, let's eat," Ethan broke in after seeing Izzy's shy look.

"You little rascal, always playing devil's advocate," the old man glared at Ethan, deciding not to tease Izzy anymore.

Erica and Rita exchanged a glance, both with smiles on their faces.

Over the weekend, Ethan and Izzy accompanied Rita and Zander to a small village near the river close to City A for a visit.

Izzy walked arm in arm with Rita and Zander. Ethan, dressed in casual clothes, followed behind them like a photographer, with his camera hanging around his neck. He would occasionally lift his camera to capture candid shots of the people in the distance.

Ethan noticed that Izzy seemed a bit stiff when being photographed, so candid shots yielded the best results. If Lucas saw Ethan now, he would probably be shocked.

Izzy knew that Ethan was intentionally creating opportunities for her to chat with her aunt and uncle.

Rita caught sight of Ethan and couldn't help but nudge Izzy, "Look, you found a reliable husband. He's a big boss, but here he is acting like your personal photographer. If the media got wind of this, who knows what they'd say." Seeing her niece so happy made her feel like her sister could finally rest in peace.

Izzy followed Rita's gaze, her eyes meeting Ethan's, resulting in both of them breaking into a grin.

What she didn't tell Rita was that most of the media in City A didn't know Ethan. He always kept a low profile, so there was no need to worry about ending up in the papers.

Zander also commented, "Ethan is indeed a good guy."

Izzy turned her gaze back, casually saying, "He's alright." Rita didn't point out the sweet smile she saw on her face. She suddenly remembered something from dinner last night. Izzy's mood seemed off when she returned from the restroom. She'd wanted to ask about it but didn't have the chance. Now, she finally had the opportunity to ask, "What happened at the restaurant last night? Did you cry?"

Izzy didn't deny it. "I ran into Emma. She was there to make a reservation. She stopped me and rambled on about how I was a home wrecker, and questioned what I'd said to Aiden, asking why Aiden had called off their wedding."

"Those Galeana women are so annoying. You're not even a member of the Galeana family anymore, and they still won't leave you alone. I wonder how Hunter disciplines them," Rita said, with her face full of indignation.

Zander was a bit more composed, but his expression shifted slightly at her words. "Did your mother- in-law find out?" He didn't believe the past rumors, but the Meyer family hadn't been with Izzy for long. They might not fully trust her yet.

Izzy nodded. "Mom came out to find me when she heard."

"What was her reaction?" Rita asked anxiously. "Auntie, Uncle, you don't need to worry. Mom isn't someone who just goes with the crowd. She's always on my side and even helped me chase Emma away. After that, I confessed my past to her. I'm not sure what she really thinks, but her attitude toward me hasn't changed. It seems like she doesn't mind." Izzy recounted the entire incident in detail.

Rita let out a sigh of relief after hearing this, and Zander also relaxed, remarking, "The Meyer family really is different from other wealthy families." Izzy couldn't help but chuckle, teasing Zander, "So you must have had a hard time when you married my aunt back when." She had heard about her aunt and uncle's past. Her grandparents had disapproved of her uncle, viewing him as a poor scholar. They didn't agree to their marriage at first, and her aunt even ran away from home over it, nearly severing ties with her parents.

"Yeah, it was quite a struggle back then," Zander agreed, reminiscing about the past with a hint of nostalgia. Fortunately, they eventually came to an understanding. Rita playfully shoved him, "Don't make yourself sound so pitiful. My parents raised me for over twenty years and then I ran off with

you. Of course they had to give you a hard time." She had been resentful towards her parents back then, but after becoming a parent herself, she understood their concerns better.

Zander rubbed his nose, "I was just reflecting, I wouldn't dare complain about my in-laws."

"That's good," Rita added.

"Haha, so how did my grandparents end up agreeing to the marriage?" Izzy was really into their old- school love story. "All credits go to your cousin. Back in the day, your grandparents adored kids. But, because they didn't like your uncle-in-law, your cousin didn't like them either. To win their grandson's heart, they gradually changed their attitude. Plus, they saw that even though I didn't become filthy rich after marriage, I was always happy. Over time, they came around. Parents will always give in for their kids," Rita explained, with a touch of sadness as she remembered her deceased parents. Rita and Zander saw that Izzy was doing great, so they stayed in A City for a few days and then hit the road back to B City.