The thin boy’s helpless words and tragic background touched the softest part of Nicole Carter’s heart. After Ryan finished his phone call, she suddenly said, “Maybe I can offer you some help!”

……

After seeing Attorney Wilson out the door, Nicole Kidman rubbed her smooth, pale forehead and sank into the sofa, her face unable to hide her exhaustion and fatigue.

“It’s finally over!”

To win custody of Ryan, this lawsuit had dragged on for several months. It had drained not only her time and energy, but also all her savings.

Nicole Carter looked at Ryan sitting beside her. Although he had a bit of a strange temper, he was both smart and sensible. After spending some time together, she had grown fond of him. Even though the price she paid was considerable, wasn’t it all worth it?

Seeing her haggard face, Ryan was a little moved. He wasn’t a heartless jerk. For this lawsuit, to assemble a strong enough legal team, Nicole Carter had not only sold the villa she had just bought, but also her car.

To obtain custody as quickly as possible, she had even applied for American citizenship. Fortunately, she was born in Hawaii and was already somewhat famous, so it hadn’t been too difficult.

Even so, she still owed Attorney Wilson a considerable amount in legal fees.

Pulling Ryan gently into her arms, Nicole Carter pinched his still-thin body and said with concern, “Ryan, from now on it’s just the two of us. I’ll make sure you grow up healthy and chubby.”

“Chubby?” Ryan buried his head in Nicole Carter’s soft chest, breathing in her intoxicating scent, and mumbled, “Are you raising a pig or something?”

Nicole Carter kissed Ryan lightly on the forehead, then burst out laughing, secretly sighing at how clever he was to cheer her up in this way.

However, thinking of their increasingly tight finances and the invitation from London, Nicole Carter decided to ask for his opinion.

“Ryan, would you like to go live in London for a while?”

“London?”

“A theater troupe has invited me to perform in a stage play. I still have a villa over there, so we’ll have to sell this apartment.”

Ryan understood—Nicole Carter’s financial situation was dire, and she urgently needed a job.

A stage play could help Nicole Carter hone her acting skills, and living in England would allow him to focus on British novels! Ryan’s mind spun rapidly as he lay in Nicole Carter’s arms, but thinking of everything she had done for him, he finally made up his mind.

“Nicole Carter, can you wait a moment? I have something to show you.”

Ryan dashed into his room in three quick steps, and soon returned from his bedside table with a book and a supplement from The New York Times. Back in the living room, he handed them over.

When Nicole Carter opened the book, she was startled. Tucked inside the title page was a cashier’s check—for t-twenty thousand dollars? Where did this money come from? Could it be a fake check?

Nicole Kidman narrowed her eyes slightly. Clearly, this kid was hiding something from her. Thinking of how wholeheartedly she had given to him, yet he still kept secrets, she felt a little upset.

“I’m really sorry, Nicole Carter. You know, the kind of environment I grew up in…” Ryan understood that anyone would have some misgivings in this situation.

Nicole Carter’s heart softened. She gently stroked his cheek and said, “Alright then, give me an explanation.”

As she listened to Ryan’s story, Nicole Carter’s mouth dropped open wider and wider. She never expected that she had actually brought home a super genius!

Half a month later, the cool beauty and the eccentric boy set foot on the soil of the United Kingdom. Nicole Carter firmly refused to use that money. After discussing with Attorney Wilson, she opened a new personal account for him at Citibank, and Attorney Wilson also agreed to let Nicole Carter use her property as collateral and pay off the debt later.

Their new home in London was in Kensington, a detached two-story English villa. From the rooftop terrace, they could see Princess Diana’s residence, Kensington Palace, in the distance.

In the days that followed, despite Ryan’s strong protests, Nicole Carter sent him to school. The poor child was entering elementary school for the second time, and the classroom became his workshop for literary “borrowing.”

At Ryan’s insistence, Nicole Carter hired a private tutor for him. In addition to studying Chinese and French, Ryan began professional vocal training. Although the Philharmonic maestro’s style was far from pop music, many things in life depend on personal effort after the teacher leads the way. His musical talent was outstanding—he even suspected that the being who gave him this new life was a pop music fan!

London was rainy, and sunny days were rare. The two of them sat under the trees in the garden—Nicole Carter flipping through her stage play script, Ryan browsing through Nicole Carter’s photo album.

These were photos from the past two years, mostly taken when Nicole Carter was in Los Angeles: the Walk of Fame, Universal Studios, the Chinese Theatre, and the Shrine Auditorium. They appeared throughout the album. Ryan couldn’t help but recall her situation in his previous life and asked, “Nicole Carter, do you really want to make it in Hollywood?”