CHAPTER 969
"Sweetheart, be a good girl and eat more, okay?" Jennifer was still serving dishes to Rosemary.
"These two dishes were made by me, you should give them a try too," George spoke to her in an indulgent tone. It was the first time they saw George show such affection to someone other than Jennifer, especially to a junior.
"These dishes were made by Grandpa and Grandma, give them a taste, okay?"
"Thank you, Grandpa and Grandma, but there's too much, I can't finish it all," Rosemary's bowl was piled high with food.
"Rose, you performed the heart surgery for Grandpa, and cured Grandma's illness. We will never forget this kindness. We both toast to you." Tomas and Donna stood up, raising their glasses.
"Rose is still young, she can't drink," Phillip and Shirley said simultaneously.
Romeo poured a little lemon water into Rosemary's empty glass, not too much, fearing it might upset her stomach before dinner.
Rosemary stood up and, seeing the two elders finish their drinks in front of her, said gently, "You're too kind. Saving lives and healing the wounded is my duty. I'll raise a toast to you both." She drank the lemon water in one gulp. Tomas and Donna smiled, satisfied with her response.
Everyone urged Rosemary to eat more in a lively atmosphere.
"Rose, try this dish. I wish you a prosperous life, successful studies, and everything going well in the coming year. May it be as flourishing as fire." Cathy stood up and served Rosemary two big prawns.
"And these dishes..." Cathy served all the other dishes to Rosemary, saying, "I wish you a year full of laughter, good luck, successful endeavors, happiness, and most importantly, may your relationship with my eldest brother deepen and become sweeter."
"Thank you," Rosemary noticed that Cathy's hostility had disappeared, replaced by respect and admiration. Could it be because of Romeo just now?
Rosemary's gaze fell on Romeo, whose expression seemed normal.
"Rose, please try them. If they're not good, I'll serve you something else." Cathy hoped Rosemary would accept her goodwill and show it to her eldest brother.
"Wow, Cathy, you're so sweet today," Shirley chuckled. "Speaking of which, you should learn more from your sister-in-law. Her virtues are like the stars in the sky, countless."
"When I saw her for the first time tonight, I knew she was extraordinary!"
Cathy hadn't finished speaking when she saw her eldest brother personally peeling shrimp for Rosemary.
Indeed, she wasn't an ordinary person to make her eldest brother peel shrimp for her.
After peeling the shrimp, Romeo fed it to Rosemary.
"It's delicious."
Cathy finally breathed a sigh of relief. Did this mean Rosemary approved of the dishes she served?
"Rose, I can peel shrimp too. Let me peel two for you." Cathy wiped her hands clean and started peeling the shrimp. "The shrimp I peel is no worse than Romeo's."
"Rose, eat more," Jeffery and Luna warmly invited.
"You guys should eat too."
Rosemary served everyone and also served some to Romeo.
"Rose, I just learned that you're both Dr. Bell and the perfect scorer."
Donna's words made Cathy pause mid-peel on her shrimp. Perfect-scorer? What?
The whole family knew about Rosemary being Dr. Bell, but none had any clue about her other accolade.
And a perfect-scorer at that!
Cathy knew how tough the tests were back home, and she never imagined her sister-in-law, of all people, could nail a perfect score. Aside from her big brother, Rose was the second person in recent
years to achieve such a feat. They both were just too impressive.
"Guess what else Rose does?" Phillip chimed in, grinning ear to ear as he played the tease. After several wrong guesses from the crowd, he couldn't help but spill, "My favorite artist, Mirabelle, and the
calligrapher Evarose—it's her!"
All of them present were doubly surprised.
Even the usually composed Luna and the always cool-headed Jeffery were taken aback by Rose's dual identity.
"And that's not all, Rose is also Maestro Melody." Shirley said with a beaming smile, "The ringtone on my phone? She composed it just for me."
"My ringtone's her work too," Phillip couldn't hide his joy, reminiscing about the time Shirley had Rosemary's piano composition as her ringtone and he didn't, feeling a tad bit jealous. But Rosemary had promised to create a special piece for him, and sure enough, she sent him a delightful melody not long after.
"All my chess and golf buddies rave about it, always asking for the title, and I tell them it's a unique piece composed by my granddaughter-in-law, impossible to find online. They're green with envy!"
Phillip boasted with pride.
This was a tune crafted for him by Rose herself!
Unique to him alone!
"Rose is truly extraordinary. So young, yet so learned and talented. A real bright spark." Donna's smile was warm and inviting, "Having such a wonderful girl join the McMillian family is indeed a blessing for us."
"You can say that again. So capable and yet so modest. I've really taken a shine to her." Jennifer piled more food onto Rosemary's plate, "Darling, eat while it's hot, have a little more."
Jeffery couldn't believe that this elegant woman before him had so many personas.
He too often listened to Melody's piano works and admired Mirabelle's paintings, never imagining they were created by the same person.
How many times had he been captivated by the brilliance in those paintings, or enchanted by the latest piano composition, wishing to meet these masterful artists?
Little did he know, these masters were one and the same, and his future sister-in-law at that.
Jeffery averted his gaze from the girl's refined appearance, feeling a tinge of melancholy.
Luna hadn't encountered someone so talented and captivating for a long time. Learning of Rose's many identities, she was surprised but felt an increased fondness.
After snapping out of her daze, Cathy carefully placed a peeled shrimp into Rosemary's plate. "Rose,you're so incredible. No wonder Grandma said your virtues are as numerous as the stars in the sky.She wasn't just being kind. You truly are amazing, utterly admirable."
Initially, Cathy thought Rose was just some nouveau riche heiress from a humble background.
She had no idea she was in the presence of a top-tier boss!
Donna laughed, "All of you should take a leaf out of Rose's book."
As the meal concluded, everyone moved to the living room where Shirley had invited a series of entertainers—a sketch comic, a magician—each taking their turn to perform.
Some acts had everyone in stitches, while the magician's tricks drew gasps of wonder.
Romeo watched the joy on Rosemary's face, his own lips curving into an involuntary smile.