CHAPTER 511: CHAPTER 511: BUYING A HOUSE

"Mr. Sullivan, have you decided yet? Rhonda might sell the house soon," Henry Linden said as he sat on the steps of The Sullivan Estate, making the call to Ruby Sullivan.

He had come back carrying groceries, only to find the door lock had a new code, and not only did Rhonda refuse to let him in, but she also told him to get lost over the phone.

Henry sat at the door for ten minutes before calling Ruby. He understood Rhonda well enough to know that if Ruby didn’t act immediately, Rhonda might sell the house hastily to anyone by tomorrow, even at a very low price.

Rhonda isn’t that money-loving, yet she often does foolish things out of spite.

"I understand," Ruby said, frowning slightly after hanging up the phone, feeling a bit hesitant inside.

"Mom, what’s wrong?"

Honey, with her homework in hand, approached her mother, looking for help, only to find her mother in a daze on the sofa.

Ruby snapped out of it, tilted her head, and smiled, "It’s nothing."

Honey, understanding as ever, smiled and said, "Are you worried Dad will mess up dinner today?" She patted her mom’s shoulder, "Brother said sometimes eating less dinner is healthy. I’ve already prepared myself for that."

Ruby was amused by her daughter, "Well then, I won’t worry."

Honey settled next to her mom and handed her a workbook, "Mom, I can’t figure out this problem." It was rare for her mom to be home, so she wanted to enjoy some parental tutoring. She had heard that other kids were tutored by their parents, but both of hers were usually not around, so Mama Bennett always helped her.

But Mama Bennett was far worse than her brother, forcing Honey to listen very carefully in class every day, and whenever she could, she’d ask the teacher questions. Having no one at home to help with homework was truly challenging.

Truthfully, she knew how to solve the problem she was asking her mom about, but she just loved hearing her mom gently break down complex word problems like telling an interesting story, something she particularly enjoyed listening to.

However, today her mom seemed distracted and explained the problem absent-mindedly. Honey noticed this and thought her mom wasn’t just worried about dad’s cooking skills.

After hearing the explanation, Honey quickly solved the problem, set the workbook aside, and looked at her mom with concern, "What’s going on?"

Ruby thought for a moment and decided not to share the issue with Honey. Her daughter’s little mind wouldn’t understand why she couldn’t turn to Dad for help.

Despite recently living mostly with Ethan Sterling, Ruby knew he hadn’t moved his things over like before, and they hadn’t talked about remarriage.

So her relationship with Ethan was just a shade beyond normal dating. She knew Ethan was willing to help financially, but it always felt a bit odd.

She ruffled her daughter’s hair and smiled, "Mom’s okay."

Honey was no longer the naive baby she once was. She knew when her mom said things like that, it meant she couldn’t help with the current problem. She understood there were many things she couldn’t assist with, so she didn’t press further.

"That’s good." She squinted and smiled, taking a deep breath, "Do I smell something delicious from the kitchen? I’m hungry. I’ll go check on Dad." With that, she hopped off the sofa and headed to the kitchen.

Ruby smiled, thinking her daughter’s keen sense of smell must have been inherited from her, as she hadn’t noticed any aroma.

Honey ran into the kitchen to find her dad busy with the big spoon, and quietly stood at the door, watching.

Mama Bennett, turning around, spotted the sweet little figure at the kitchen door. She walked over asking with a smile, "Is Honey hungry?"

"A bit," Honey replied with a giggle, patting her stomach.

Ethan noticed his daughter’s voice and glanced over, "It’ll be ready soon."

"Go, Dad, go!" Honey cheered him on with a big smile.

Minutes later, the braised eggplant was ready, and Mama Bennett took the dish out, calling Honey over to eat, but Honey stood waiting for her dad.

Ethan, removing his mask, asked, "What’s up, go ahead and say it."

"Not about me. I think Mom is worried about something."

Ethan was a bit stunned, as he hadn’t noticed anything unusual when they came home together earlier.

"Thanks for letting me know, Honey. Dad will check on her."

"Brother’s not here, so I have to make sure Mom is happy; otherwise, Brother would be disappointed," Honey declared earnestly.

She truly missed her brother, but he was very busy with a new AI development project at his new school, so their video chats were brief lately.

Ethan’s braised eggplant, after much practice, was finally more palatable; although slightly sweet due to a shaky hand while adding sugar, it was a vast improvement over the past disasters.

Honey loved the taste, eating two bowls of rice in appreciation.

Ethan had hoped Ruby would bring up the issue herself, but seeing bedtime approaching with no sign of that, he finally spoke up.

"Is something on your mind?"

Ruby chuckled embarrassingly, not surprised he noticed.

"Yes, just thinking about whether to buy the estate."

"I’ve mentioned before..."

"I know, it’s not about the money..." She lowered her head; actually, it was about the money.

Rhonda wants to sever ties with her past self, and Ruby felt the same. Plus, she wanted to maintain her financial independence before they became a married couple again; this issue was no small matter.

Ethan knew her silence was a sign she was grappling with pride again.

"If I buy it, what do you think?"

"You buy it? Don’t say you intend to gift it to me."

"I’d buy another house as a gift for you," Ethan cheerfully reminded her, as he had once said he’d use that house as a dowry.

"Don’t tell me you’re buying it as an investment."

"How many people wouldn’t want to live near those pioneering entrepreneurs in Ariston’s first business boom."

Ruby found his excuse unconvincing and disdainfully said, "Mr. Sterling, as a wave that left others behind on the shore, who do you wish to neighbor?"

Ethan’s expression froze slightly, raising an eyebrow, "My fibbing was that obvious?"

"What do you think?"

"Alright, I just want to buy it to make you happier. How about that reason?"

"Then... I’ll write an IOU." Ruby sincerely replied.

"I never said the property deed would bear your name."

Ruby was speechless, turning to bury herself in the bed, pouting, "Time for sleep, time for sleep."

Ethan found her endearing and slyly moved closer, "So you do want it, huh? Just say so, and I can give it to you."

"I don’t want it."

"I really could give it to you, though it’s costly. Still, money is no big deal for me," Ethan continued teasing her.

"Oh, you’re so annoying," Ruby turned and playfully kicked him, and finally, peace reigned.

The next morning, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling visited The Sullivan Estate.