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!"

any progress in your studies," he said, grinning as

hardly use these skills because you told me I could get in trouble

I've installed thirteen Trojan viruses into this computer, and I want you to crack all of them before lunch is served or you'll have to go hungry

gave him a serious look in return, he nodded and pulled out a bulky black

to key in the password. She thought about it for a brief moment, and the next seconds, her delicate little fingers began flying over the keyboard.

he saw this, but his expression

entering one code after another after she unlocked the computer's homepage. She did not glance at the keyboard once as she typed furiously, her fingers 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 homescreen returned to

was only then that she stopped typing. She turned around and gave Xavier an accusatory look as she said, "You lied, Xavier. I counted

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 alien creature. Here I was,

when she was only eighteen, and her computer skills were already far superior than his at the time. Now, her daughter seemed to have inherited her genius,

breakthrough to crack Trojan viruses as simple as these,"

can teach you. You have mastered almost everything. Just to reinforce your practical knowledge on this, I'll give you a

agreed with a serious

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

her for a while to get an understanding of how she 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 she was no longer despondent, but

heartily after the open conversation with her,

curving into crescents and her cheeks dimpling, she looked absolutely

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

At that moment, she looked warm and

far as he was concerned, Noah seemed a little too attached to Xavier for comfort. He stood there