A Replacement Bride

Chapter 157

Jennifer saw Joaquin coming over from the threshold and made to get Xavier out of the living room. Pointing at the door down the hall, she said, "Noah's probably drawing in her room right now. You can go straight in and look for her. It's that room over there."

Xavier nodded since he had returned from abroad this time for Noah's sake, anyway. Without another word, he rose from the couch and went up to the door to knock on it.

There was no response from the other side of the door. After waiting for a while, he said, "Noah, it's me, Xavier. I'm coming in." He waited for a beat or two, then opened the door and went in.

Joaquin frowned at this. As he sat down next to Jennifer, he asked, "Are he and Noah close?"

"Yes, they are. Noah doesn't like socializing. I was sick a while back, so I couldn't take care of her. Her mother's busy as well and we hardly see her around. Xavier stepped in to look after her, and it's all thanks to him and his background in psychology that Noah was able to pick up drawing and live her best life. He's a good man," Jennifer said earnestly.

Joaquin did not question the accuracy of her statement.

Meanwhile, Noah was seated in front of the window when Xavier walked in. She had her back turned to the door and her earphones plugged in, and she appeared to be drawing something.

Xavier realized that she had drawn a large field of sunflowers upon taking a closer look and there were three figures in the background. For some reason, he could feel the emotions of these figures even though he could not see their faces.

He stood there and waited for Noah to finish the drawing. When she was done, he walked over and gently tapped her on the shoulder.

Noah stiffened in alarm before she hesitantly turned to look over her shoulder.

Her eyes lit up when she saw Xavier. She pulled out her earphones and greeted him sweetly, "Xavier!"

kid. I'm here to see if you've made any progress in your studies," he said, grinning as he rubbed her head

them, too. I hardly use these skills because you told me I could get in

viruses into this computer, and I want you to crack all of

in return, he nodded and pulled out a bulky black laptop

dialogue window popped up on the screen requesting her to key in the password. She thought about it

flashed in excitement when he saw

moving so fast that her hand movements were blurring. She went through one dialogue window after another as though she did not see them at all. When all those windows closed, the

gave Xavier an accusatory look as she

your mom help you get a breakthrough or something? Those skills are unbelievable." He had nearly bitten off his own tongue when he watched the little girl resolve those malwares earlier, and he was looking at her like she was some

Katherine when she was only eighteen, and her computer skills were already far superior than his at

crack Trojan viruses as simple as these," Noah pointed

you. You have mastered almost everything. Just to reinforce your practical knowledge on this, I'll give you a few books," he suggested, seemingly gazed

agreed with a

a child of few words, except when she was in Xavier's presence. In fact, she was reluctant

had been feeling recently. He noticed that she was in a significantly better place than she had been the last time they met. He could tell from her drawing earlier that

Noah," he said heartily after the open conversation with her, then gave her a big

sparkling eyes curving into crescents and her cheeks dimpling, she looked absolutely cherubic and

finished making lunch in the kitchen, and she was serving it when Joaquin walked over

was Noah beaming at Xavier happily. At that moment, she looked warm and bright, like the spring sunshine, and there was not a trace of her usual closed-off

inexplicably unsettled to see this. As far as he was concerned, Noah seemed a little too attached to Xavier for comfort. He stood there at the door for a while before he cleared his throat and announced, "Lunch