Chapter 699

Harold sighed helplessly as he watched Bryan stomp down the stairs, quickly following suit. The older brothers hadn’t told Bryan precisely because he was straightforward and couldn’t keep secrets. They were afraid he’d spill the surprise to Jane ahead of time. Bursting into Frederick’s house in a huff, Bryan plopped onto the sofa and vented to Frederick, who was sitting there carving something from a piece of wood with a chisel. “Bro, don’t you think my brothers are the worst? Jane’s birthday is just a week away, and they’ve all secretly prepared gifts—everyone except me! Isn’t this straight-up exclusion? Fine, if they’re gonna leave me out, I’ll leave them out too. Let’s team up and get her something awesome together!” Only after his rant did Bryan lean closer, squinting at the object in Frederick’s hands. “Dude, what the heck is that dark lump of wood you’re carving?” Frederick carefully placed the item into a box on the coffee table. “Nothing special, just something to pass the time and relax.” “Oh, right.” Bryan brushed it off, his mind already racing elsewhere. “Seriously, bro, what should I get Jane for her birthday? It’s her first one since she came back—I wanna give her something really special. But I’ve been racking my brain, and I can’t figure out what she doesn’t already have.” Frederick’s deep eyes studied Bryan’s troubled expression before he replied, “Bryan, she doesn’t *need* anything. The gift itself doesn’t matter—what counts is the thought and effort behind it.” “Thought… effort…” Bryan frowned, mulling over the words. Just then, Harold arrived in time to hear Frederick address his younger brother as “Bryan.” He barely suppressed an eye roll. *The audacity of this guy—older and taller than Bryan, yet shamelessly copying Jane’s nickname for him!* But now wasn’t the time to pick a fight with Frederick—not after his earlier slip-up had already upset Bryan. Antagonizing Frederick now would only push his brother further into the other man’s corner. So he quickly chimed in, backing Frederick up. “Bryan, he’s right. As long as you put your heart into the gift, Jane will feel it. And the others weren’t *trying* to exclude you—they didn’t tell me either. I only pieced it together after noticing William and the others acting suspicious these past few days, then pretending everything was normal the second Jane and I got home.” Bryan shot Harold a skeptical glance. "Harold, are you serious? The Tyrant and the others really didn’t tell you either? Listen, if you’re lying to me, I won’t acknowledge you as my brother anymore!" "They really didn’t tell me. I’m not lying," Harold replied, his expression neutral but his gaze steady and earnest. "Not just me they didn’t tell Mina either. Jane probably forgot her own birthday too. Think about it: Helen came specifically to celebrate her birthday, but she’s been here for two days now and hasn’t mentioned it once, right?" Hearing this, Bryan relaxed. "So it’s not that you guys were excluding me—it’s just that the Tyrant and the others still treat us like little kids who don’t need to know anything! Ugh, some things never change. The Tyrant will always be the same old jerk who looks down on kids, as if he wasn’t one himself!" Harold stayed silent, keeping his head down as his brother vented. He knew better than to chime in—anything he said could make things worse. Once Bryan had gotten it all off his chest, he perked up and sidled closer to Frederick. "Hey, buddy, what are you planning to give Jane? Tell me so I can get some ideas!" Though slightly exasperated, Frederick reopened the wooden box he’d been working from and pulled out the half-carved figurine inside. "This," he said simply. Bryan leaned in for a closer look. The carving wasn’t finished, but he could just make out two small figures—one was clearly Jane, and the other was Frederick himself. Strangely, Jane was cradling a tiny pig in her arms. Bryan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Dude, I can tell you put effort into this, but something feels... off." "Why on earth did you carve her holding a pig?" he finally asked, puzzled. "Jane likes pigs," Frederick answered matter-of-factly. Harold, who had been watching quietly, couldn’t hold back. "She likes Peppa Pig, not pigs in general. If you’re going to carve a pig, you might as well make it a Peppa doll!" He glanced at the wooden figure again, frowning. Aside from the pig, something else about the carving seemed odd—but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. As he stepped out of the Fuller family's gate with his brother, it suddenly dawned on him—that wooden carving! Isn't it common for couples to have a pair of small figurines in their wedding photos? Frederick, that sly fox, what kind of gifts was he preparing for Jane anyway! Originally, Bryan had planned to organize a birthday party for Jane himself if the other Wallace brothers hadn't made arrangements. He was ready to send out invitations to her friends and handle everything personally. But now that the Wallace brothers had taken care of it, he could focus on figuring out the perfect gift for her. At the same time, Jordan was just as stumped. Whenever he wasn't filming these days, Jordan racked his brain over the gift dilemma. Like Bryan, he couldn’t think of anything Jane might still need. In the half year since Jane had returned, not only the four Wallace brothers but also her cousins from the Calton family, her grandparents, uncles, aunts, and even Mateo—now that he was making some money—had been showering her with gifts. Every time they spotted something they thought she might like or that suited her, they’d bring it home for her. John was the most outrageous of all. Over the past six months, wherever there was an auction, his people would be there, sweeping up every desirable item before stashing them all in Jane’s vault. Out of ideas, Jordan pulled out his phone and decided to turn to the wisdom of the internet. He posted: *"What should I get my little sister for her birthday to make her happy? Need answers ASAP!"* Soon, replies flooded in. *"Dude, just buy her a bag. If one doesn’t work, get two. If a 10k bag doesn’t cut it, go for a 100k one."* Jordan frowned. Would a bag really make Jane happy? He thought about the entire wall of designer bags the John had bought her—each worth well over seven figures—and how Jane barely glanced at them. Shaking his head, he dismissed the suggestion and scrolled to the next reply.