Broken Memories, Intertwined Hearts

Chapter 32

After getting off the car, Ethan carried the gifts they bought today with one hand and held Ines' hand with the other as they walked towards the house. The long corridor was lined with all kinds of flowers and plants, emitting a faint fragrance that was refreshing. The main house was at the front.

There seemed to be an old man standing at the door, very eye-catching. He was stretching his neck to look in their direction. Before they even got close, they heard him say loudly, "This kid finally brought his wife home."

At the same time, Ines saw a few more people at the door, and their gazes instantly fell on her. Just as Ethan said, the family was really looking forward to him getting married, or else the elders wouldn't come out to welcome the new bride personally.

Ethan tightened his hand on her waist and whispered in her ear, "It's okay, don't be nervous."

As they approached, Ines greeted the old man, "Hello, Grandpa."

This "Grandpa" made Phillip's heart blossom with joy. He had been looking forward to this day for many years, and today it finally came. He couldn't help but smile and praise, "My granddaughter-in- law is so well-behaved, much more than Ethan."

As he spoke, Phillip kept staring at her. Ines felt a little shy under his gaze and could only smile.

The more Phillip looked at her, the more satisfied he became, nodding non-stop. Without caring that they hadn't entered the house yet, he pulled out a gift from his bag and said, "Here, this is a little something from Grandpa."

Ines hesitated and looked at Ethan. Ethan nodded at her, "This is Grandpa's sincerity, just accept it."

Ines smiled and took the gift from Phillip's hand. She laughed and said, "Thank you, Grandpa. I also bought a massage chair for you. When you have time, you can use it to relax. The massage chair is a bit big, so I left it in the car. I'll have Ethan bring it in later."

Erica had been observing Ines secretly. Her manners were also quite graceful, so her initial impression of Ines was perfect, "You shouldn't have brought any gifts. Just hurry inside, it's really cold out here."

Phillip slapped his forehead, "What a scatterbrain I am. Listen to your mom, hurry in."

As soon as Ines entered, Phillip immediately ordered someone to bring a hand warmer. It was obviously prepared for her in advance, and Ines felt warm inside.

"This is Mom," Ethan introduced.

"Hello," Ines said with a blushing face.

Erica smiled and pulled Ines' hand. Ines smiled and handed over the scarf and cosmetics she had bought.

Seeing that Ines was unfazed by the situation, Erica became even more satisfied.

Inside the house, there were two middle-aged men. One looked very dignified, somewhat resembling Ethan, but with a different temperament, probably Ethan's father. The other seemed very gentle, with a woman standing beside him who was well-maintained and had an extraordinary aura. Ines roughly guessed their identities.

Ethan introduced each family member one by one. Having experienced it before, Ines directly said thank you and then distributed the gifts she had bought for everyone, "I didn't know what to buy, so I just picked some small things based on my preferences. I don't know if everyone will like them."

"Of course we like receiving gifts," Ashley chuckled.

"You little girl, always thinking about gifts," Lauren Nelson playfully tapped her daughter's forehead.

"Hello, Ines, you can just call me Ashley," Ashley winked at Ines.

"Hi, Ashley." Ines said.

Ashley playfully stuck out her tongue and tiptoed to whisper in Ethan's ear, "Bro, you've got good taste."

Ethan looked at Ashley indulgently, "Don't go too far."

Ines just happened to hear this and her ears turned red.

She thought it would be awkward, but everyone had a smile on their faces. Feeling their warmth, Ines gradually relaxed. Text content © NôvelDrama.Org.

Ethan noticed her relaxation and gently stroked her palm. Ines responded with a smile.

Seeing the interaction between the two, Erica's heart relaxed a little, and she pretended to be angry while looking at their clasped hands, "Alright, Ethan, since you're home, stop holding your wife's hand all the time. Don't let everyone feel constrained. We're all family here, and we won't eat her up. Let your wife chat with us while you go do your stuff." With that, she enthusiastically pulled Ines' hand, and Ethan had no choice but to let go.

Ashley also pushed Ethan and patted her chest, "Don't worry, bro, I'll take good care of her and won't let her be bullied."

"You better remember what you said. If she's unhappy, I won't let you off the hook." Ethan said.

"I suddenly feel like my position in the family is threatened. I have to treat Ines well," she said, then turned to Ines with a pitiful face, "Ines, you have to back me up. He is threatening me."

Hearing this, Ines's face turned red. She saw Ethan looking at her and nodded to let him know it was okay for him to go and do other things.

Erica gently rubbed Ines's hand to warm her up, and Ines felt a warm feeling inside, "Thank you."

"What are you thanking me for? We're family. Ethan doesn't know how to take care of people. Did he not turn on the heat in the car? How did he let you get so cold?" She glared at Ethan, who was not far away.

"He did turn it on, I'm just more susceptible to the cold," Ines explained quietly.

"Such newlyweds, so eager to defend that kid," Erica smiled ambiguously.

"From now on, my cousin also has a wife to care about. If you casually talk about him, Ines might not be happy." Ashley said.

Erica laughed, "You little rascal, always talking about me. Be careful. Your cousin will get mad if you talk like that about Ines."

"I'm so scared," Ashley made a frightened expression.

"Ashley," Ines pleaded a little.

"Alright, alright, we won't talk about that. Let's sit down and chat."

The three women chatted about gossip and other topics. They all avoided the subject of Ines' background, which saved her some embarrassment. There were many things she didn't know how to explain. After chatting for a while, they heard Phillip's voice, "Time for dinner."