I Quit Being a StepMother Novel

Chapter 625 Carter thought that Lauren might have saved a million dollars or two at best . But , to his surprise , she had managed to save up to four million dollars . Lauren , looking uncertain , added , " Or maybe ... around five or six million dollars ? " With every word she spoke , Carter's expression grew darker . Lauren shot him a glare . " What are you looking at ? " Neither of them wanted to bring up those past awkward memories . She assumed that he was probably thinking about how filthy that money was and how it must've been earned in some disgraceful way .

To her surprise , Carter asked , " If you've got that much money , why haven't you paid me back the few tens of thousands of dollars you owe me ? " That debt had been outstanding for what - over two years now ? Lauren gasped , feeling incredulous . " Oh my God , you still remember that ? " " You never paid me back . Why are you acting so surprised ? " Carter questioned . Indeed , he had never asked her to repay the money he'd lent her for her rent . But that was only because he had assumed that she was completely broke , so he thought that asking would have been pointless .

For their kids ' sake , he hadn't wanted to push Lauren so far that she might end up begging on the streets . Lauren snapped , frowning , " Fine ! You can take it . Happy now ? I've only got a little over three thousand dollars left in my bank account . Go ahead . You can have all of it if you want that too ! " Carter slipped the bank card into the pocket of his suit . " I'll keep it . If you need money badly , I'll give you some . But if it's just for daily spending , you can earn it yourself . " " So ... what , you're helping me save money now ?

" Lauren asked , blinking at him in confusion . " I'm helping my kids save money , " he said coolly . Lauren awkwardly scratched her nose . " Well ... about that , maybe you could give me some back first ? I kind of need it . " Carter shot her a look of disdain . " What for ? Luxury shopping ? " She explained , " Ms. Ravelle's son is having his first birthday party soon . I have to bring a gift , don't I ? I can't just show up empty - handed like some cheapskate . " At the mention of that , Carter's eyes darkened . But it wasn't out of jealousy or bitterness .

Instead , a tinge of nostalgia welled up in his heart . So much time had passed since then . 1/4 After some thought , he said , " I'll pick the gift . You can take it there with you . Just don't mention that it's from me . " It was his way of thanking Rhea and , perhaps , a blessing for that fortunate boy . Lauren was on IV treatment for the entire day . By evening , the doctor cleared her for discharge . But Lauren had nowhere to go . She would be all alone if she returned home . Hence , Carter had no choice but to take her back with him .

Lauren was sick for several days , but Carter had to work , and the kids had school . With nothing better to do , Lauren started spending time in the kitchen . Her cooking turned out to be surprisingly good - so good that even the new chef couldn't help but be impressed . That evening , when Carter got home and sat down to have dinner with the kids , he commented , " This tastes good . Did the chef learn a new recipe ? " Devan replied , " Ms. Thayer made it . " Carter froze in surprise . " Where is she ? " Lauren was sitting in her room , staring into space .

Knowing that Lauren had caught a viral cold , Camilla had given her a week off . With her paid time off and the weekend added , she found herself with plenty of time on her hands . All of a sudden , she was struck by a wave of homesickness . She missed Colburn and wanted to go back for a visit , but it was too far to travel by bus , and plane tickets were too expensive . After mulling it over , she finally went to Carter . " May I borrow your car for a couple of days ? I'll pay for the repairs if it breaks down . " Carter wasn't worried about damaging the car .

After all , he was still holding several million dollars of her money . " How long do you need it ? " he asked . " Three days , probably , " Lauren said after thinking it over . " Where are you going that will take you three days ? " he questioned . " I want to go back to Colburn , " she said . A short pause later , she added in a softer , more subdued voice , " I miss my parents . I want to visit their graves . ... The next morning at 8:00 am , a car bound for Colburn carried four passengers .

2/4 Lauren never would've guessed that Carter would come along , let alone bring the kids with him . Her parents had never met their grandchildren before , and they never would . " Thanks ... " Lauren muttered , rubbing her nose awkwardly . Carter's expression was neutral as he kept his eyes on the road . " There's no need to thank me . Just make sure you cover the gas and toll fees . " Lauren clenched her teeth . It was just as she had thought . This man couldn't say a single nice thing if his life depended on it !

Sara Lili Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland's breathtaking cold.