pappabearbooks Chapter 188: Family Reunion
Chapter 188: Family Reunion
At the time, Second Mrs. Valentine was having a medical emergency, so Iris Weldon went to find a doctor, leaving Riley Perry and the second wife’s child in the hospital room. By the time Iris Weldon finally tracked down a doctor and returned, only the second wife and her daughter were left. Riley Perry was gone.
Of course, back then, Riley Perry wasn’t called Riley Perry. She was Cheryl Valentine, with the nickname Claire.
Iris Weldon searched for her daughter like a woman possessed, but once a child is lost, they aren’t easily found. The kidnapper was eventually caught. He confessed that after snatching the child, he’d intended to sell her for a quick profit, but something unexpected happened, and he lost her.
Somehow, Riley Perry ended up in Norgate, where she was found by Patrick Perry. He and his wife had been married for over a year and were childless, so they decided to adopt her.
Iris Weldon watched her with pleading eyes, terrified that Riley would refuse to accept her if she found out her mother’s carelessness was why she got lost.
Sensing his wife’s anxiety, Ronald Valentine cleared his throat. "My dear, your mother fell ill after you went missing. Her health has been poor ever since."
"We’ve been searching for you all these years, just hoping that one day you’d come home."
Warren Valentine added, "Come home, Sis. The whole family is waiting for you."
Dawn York sat bolt upright, her eyes glued to Riley Perry’s reaction. ’It’s entirely possible she won’t want to accept us,’ she thought.
’Looks like Dad was right. The only way to get her to accept us is to entice her with material benefits.’
She took out an exquisite jewelry box and presented it to Riley Perry. "Sis, this is a little welcome gift from me."
Then, she produced a folder. "Also, Stellux Entertainment belongs to our family. In here is a transfer agreement for five percent of its shares. The document will be effective as soon as you sign."
"Your contract is with Stardust, so why not just sign with Stellux? I’ll set up a personal studio just for you, assign you the best agent, and let you pick and choose from all our resources."
"If you don’t want to be an artist anymore, you can come work at Stellux. Pick any position you like. In the future, the company will be yours to inherit."
Iris Weldon quickly fumbled in her purse and pulled out a red sandalwood jewelry box. "Your grandmother left this to me. You should have it."
She then produced a bank card. "And this is for your allowance."
Warren Valentine pulled out a set of car keys. "You girls like sports cars, right? This is from your big bro."
’I had to snag this from a childhood friend yesterday. Ordering a new one would take at least a month, and I couldn’t wait that long.’
Ronald Valentine, however, outdid them all. He directly produced two property deeds—one for a courtyard house in Dragonspire and one for a luxury flat. "The flat is for your adoptive parents; from now on, we’ll treat them like family. The courtyard house is for you. It’s fully furnished and ready for you to move in. Also, your grandmother left some things behind. There’s quite a bit, so I’ll give it to you when we get home."
"When you have time, I’ll take you to the military base for some target practice."
"If you enjoy shooting, I’ll figure out a way to get you a firearms license."
Riley Perry glanced at the imposing-looking Mr. Valentine, then at the frail but beautiful Mrs. Valentine, and finally at her new brother and sister. Ahem. Of course, her eyes were mostly drawn to the pile of gifts on the coffee table.
"When I was little, I thought my family had abandoned me," Riley began. "I made a promise to myself that even if they found me, I would never accept them."
Iris Weldon frantically waved her hands. "No, no, that’s not it! You were stolen by a trafficker, my child!"
Riley said, "Please, don’t worry. I know now that I was stolen, so of course, I don’t have such radical ideas anymore."
The moment she said that, all four members of the Valentine family let out a collective sigh of relief.
"But you have to promise me something. I’m still a member of the Perry family, and I’m not changing my name. They raised me for over twenty years. I owe them a debt of gratitude that’s larger than life. Without them, I would have frozen to death that winter twenty-one years ago."
Iris Weldon’s face instantly broke into a radiant smile. "Of course, of course! Anything you say! Just yesterday, we were talking about how we need to properly thank your adoptive parents. If they hadn’t taken you in, I can’t imagine the hardships you would have faced. Your father and I consider them our saviors. From now on, our two families will treat each other like kin."
Ronald Valentine was so pleased that the corners of his mouth turned up high, but he forced himself to suppress it to maintain his stoic image. ’The girl is grateful,’ he thought. ’That’s far better than her abandoning the parents who raised her.’
’If she could abandon the parents who raised her for twenty years, she could do the same to us one day. Even if we took her back, I’d never be able to feel close to a child like that.’
"Now that everything’s settled, how about we take you home to see the place?" Ronald asked. "Riley, do you have time today?"
Riley Perry smiled. "I do."
And so, the family got back in the car and headed to the military compound.
In the car, Riley chatted with her birth parents. Iris Weldon wanted to throw a party to introduce her daughter to all their friends and welcome her into their social circle.
Riley refused.
"Let’s wait a little longer," she said. "At least until my adoptive parents have had some time to process this."
"After all, they raised me for more than twenty years and always gave me the best of everything. If I suddenly throw a huge reunion banquet over here without so much as a heads-up, they’ll definitely be upset."
"Also, Shane Perry has his college entrance exams next year. If this whole situation affects his focus, I’ll be the villain of the family."
Iris Weldon took Riley’s hand and patted it gently. "I wasn’t thinking. You’re right. We’ll do it your way and wait."
"That’s only part of the reason, actually. My career is a bit... unusual. I could be targeted by malicious attacks at any time, and my family could easily get dragged into the mess. So, it’s better if I keep a low profile for now."
Ronald Valentine said with commanding confidence, "As long as you don’t commit treason or break the law, your father will handle anything that comes your way!"
’Silly girl, always overthinking things,’ he thought. ’Worried about affecting her family... Does she have any idea who her family is?’
Still, he respected his daughter’s wishes. They could take things slow.
Riley looked at the military uniform her father was wearing, at the epaulets signifying his rank, and felt a wave of relief that she wasn’t a spoiled brat. With a father this powerful and doting, who knew what kind of trouble she could get into?
Riley gave her dad a thumbs-up. "Thanks, Dad! You’re so awesome! Two thumbs up from me."
Ronald Valentine chuckled at his daughter’s playful demeanor, and the atmosphere in the car grew even more relaxed.
Back at the Valentine residence, Iris Weldon led Riley to her room. She had only been a little over one year old when she went missing. They still had her nursery, but it was obviously no longer suitable for her.
So, Warren Valentine, being the older brother, had given up his own room. The family had spent all of yesterday redecorating it, getting rid of all the black, gray, white, and green decor and replacing it with warm yellows, pinks, and blues. All the furniture was brand new, and the room looked incredibly cozy.
"If there’s anything you don’t like, just tell me, and I’ll have it changed for you right away," her mother said.
Riley shook her head. "It’s perfect. I love it. Thank you for going to so much trouble."
Iris Weldon pointed to a stack of jewelry boxes on the vanity. "Your father brought those in this morning. They’re things your grandmother left behind. There’s a share for each of you three siblings—he divided them equally. They’re all heirlooms. They might look a bit dated if you wear them, but they’re perfect for a collection."