***

Dinner at the Linden's was scheduled to start at 6 pm. Aleksis sent the family car and driver to pick up Rose and Rune because the winter nights were still very cold, and she didn't want them to go through the hassle of taking the subway or taxi.

When the couple arrived in the courtyard of the Linden family mansion, Rose was amazed by its splendor. You could say the courtyard alone was larger than Rose's house in Medion, even though the Fourniers were considered quite wealthy in their country.

In addition, the mansion building belonging to the Linden family had a distinctive design with some intricate carvings adorning the white columns.

Rose could only keep her admiration in her heart and say nothing. Rune quickly knocked on the door and waited for the host to open it.

"Hey.. welcome!" Alexis opened the door and greeted the two guests with a big smile. She hugged Rune and ruffled her brother's hair happily. She then hugged Rose with the same warmth. "I'm glad I finally get to meet you in person, Rose."

When Rose could take a good look at Alexis, she was dumbfounded. Despite meeting each other online on Virconnect months ago and seeing how young and beautiful Aleksis still looked, at that moment Rose thought it was all because of Virconnect's filter or something.

She didn't expect that in the real world, Alexis truly looked so young. In fact, if they stood together side by side, people would think that Alexis and Rose were of the same age.

Didn't this woman already have two teenage children? No.. that's not even the main thing. Alexis was the mother of JM's fiance, right?

If Altair Linden, JM's fiance was now 26 years old, didn't that mean that Alexis should be in her late forties now?

So, why did she still look like a girl in her 20s?

Rose immediately pushed the thought out of her mind and chided herself. Of course, people as wealthy as Aleksis Linden had access to the world's best rejuvenating and anti-aging technologies. Money could surely buy anything today, including time.

Rose was a girl from a noble family and was used to meeting high officials and nobles, but seeing her boyfriend's sister who was Elios Linden's wife, she couldn't help but be amazed.

"Hello, Auntie Rose, Uncle Rune!" Ireland greeted Rose and Rune with a big smile on his face, followed by Scotland.

"Hello Ireland, Hello Scotland," said Rose with a sweet smile.

"Nice to see you guys again," Ireland said in a crisp voice. "How are you?"

"We're both very well, thank you." Rose's mood changed for the better when she saw the twins. The two familiar faces seemed to give a sense of comfort after feeling intimidated when she saw their impressive mother.

The twins exchanged glances for a moment, then they smiled and elbowed each other.

"Welcome, Rose. I'm glad you agreed to have dinner with us," Alexis said pleasantly. She immediately invited Rose and Rune to enter.

When they stepped deeper into the Linden family mansion, Rose and Rune were immediately greeted with various kinds of art that adorned the corners of the room. Starting from antique jars and vases, beautiful paintings, several sculptures, and other clay sculptures that gave an aesthetic impression of their own.

This reminded Rose to give her painting as a gift to the Linden family.

Rose lifted the canvas tote bag that she was carrying. "As promised, I'll give you a painting as a gift when I get back to New York."

"Ah.. you still remember it," Alexis said with a smile.

"I do." Rose's face lit up as she handed the bag to Alexis. "Now I brought it myself for you."

Rune smiled lightly at the interaction between his older sister and the woman he loved. He had already told Rose that she didn't need to give gifts, but Rose had insisted.

"Oh...thank you, Rose. I'm so happy with your gift!" said Alexis.

She then took out Rose's acrylic painting from the bag and her beautiful face instantly lit up with a beaming smile. "Gosh... this is great. Rose, you're really talented!"

Aleksis immediately took Rose by the hand and led her inside, toward the family dining room.? However, before they could go any further, the bell rang from the mansion's main door.

"Oh, that must be Vega and Mischa," said Alexis with a broad smile. "Before you guys got here, I got word that they just arrived at the airport. The timing is perfect, let me greet them first."

Now Rose had a lot of questions on her mind. Who just came? Was it another Rune's sibling? Or was it his nephew? Rune had not told her about Vega and Mischa.

"Mom!" Vega exclaimed with a big smile as she entered the mansion. She walked with long strides to meet her mother.

Aleksis who had reached her daughter immediately hugged Vega tightly. She kissed her left and right cheeks and then let go and looked at her with a loving gaze.

Vega and Mischa now lived in Grindelwald, in the mansion Caspar gave them as a wedding gift. It was there that they had a wedding party and then it was just a matter of raising their little babies.

Rose who saw the warm interaction of the mother and child was surprised. Was Vega Aleksis' biological daughter? So, that means Aleksis already had 4 children, and the eldest, Vega, even had children of her own?

Rose stared at Vega and Mischa with her mouth open in astonishment. Vega was a beautiful 26-year-old woman who looked so fresh and happy. She looked very much like her father, Elios Linden.

Ahh... if they, Elios and Vega, were standing side by side, Rose would think that the two of them were siblings.

She then looked behind Vega and found a handsome man in his thirties with blonde hair and blue eyes, pushing a double stroller. There was a boy about two years old in the first stroller, and a tiny baby girl next to him.

The two children were seen sleeping peacefully.? Vega gave birth to a new baby in the past summer, making the couple have complete pair of children.

"Are the kids still sleeping?" Aleksis greeted the handsome man and then hugged him. Mischa nodded with a smile.

"Soon, they will wake up," he said lightly. Mischa lifted his face and saw the figure of Rune who was standing with a wide smile next to a beautiful girl who looked very much like him. Mischa immediately greeted the man. "Hey, Rune. Nice to meet you here."

"Hey, Mischa. Nice to meet you too," said Rune happily. He hugged Mischa and then introduced Rose to Vega and his newly arrived husband. "You guys look so happy. Was the flight nice?"

"It's okay," Mischa replied.

"This is Rose Fournier.. my girlfriend," said Rune with a sheepish smile. He turned to Rose and gave her a broad smile. "Rose, this is my niece, Vega, and that's her husband, Mischa. They live in Grindelwald. It's such a beautiful place."

"Oh, they do? I know that place. It's heaven on earth.. It must be nice to wake up in the morning and see the view," Rose commented.