(Chapter 37) Veronica

For the next few days Mrs. Tuhs was kept in the hospital for checkups, Astrid stayed by her side the entire time. Getting barely any sleep as she worked when there were no visiting.

She got back Wu's response to her contract, he was more than happy to accept the contract. Not for the pay he would be getting, but for the chance to learn under a hacker who was better than him, and also for an opportunity to clear his name internationally.

And in these few days Astrid pulled in most of the top hackers on the forums within Europe, she also became extremely attached to her new sister.

She never thought she was person who could feel such emotions like love, but just the changes in her for close to a year she had been reborn. She now was holding a newborn baby in her arms, watching her sleep.

"Astrid, are you ready to go home?" Mrs. Tuhs asked, she was now discharged with her baby. She didn't have any issues after birth, so they quickly sent her home.

Astrid nodded, as Mrs. Tuhs took over holding her baby. "Mm, we need to get her registered. Have you decided on her name?" Mr. Tuhs asked gently to his wife.

Mr. Tuhs did offer Astrid to give her sister a name. But she refused immediately, as much as she was her baby sister. She was her parent's daughter, it was their choice to name her in her mind...

Mrs. Tuhs nodded, "Anya, Anya Tuhs shall be her name." Mrs. Tuhs lightly held her daughter's hand within her fingers. Love and warmth emanating from her eyes.

Astrid and Mr. Tuhs didn't say anything, whatever Mrs. Tuhs decided, would be the name given.

.......

Now with baby Anya added to the household, the house was much louder. Not only were there added maids for the new addition, but baby Anya also was quite the troublemaker...

"Astrid!" Once again Astrid was called to Anya's room.

Astrid quickly went across the house and she heard Anya's crying. She took sighed lightly as Anya seemed to notice her presence and immediately stop crying.

'Seriously... This is...' Mr. Tuhs was feeling emotional, he would never have known the day that his newborn daughter would be so attached to Astrid that she would cry if she didn't see her after a certain amount of time...

So the next couple of weeks were both peaceful and incredibly loud in the Tuhs house. Anya was quiet most of the time, but when she hadn't felt her older sister near her for a long time. Other than that, Francesca was glad to see the new addition as well. Since she had been around Mrs. Tuhs during her pregnancy.

As Astrid was in her room looking at the stock market, Winoa came and told her that Mrs. Tuhs wanted her in the living room.

Astrid came and sat down next to her mother, as Anya was in a cot in front of them, they didn't need to worry about anything.

"Your cousin is coming here later, she was excited to see you and Anya, since she had been so busy recently I don't think you had seen her in a while." Mrs. Tuhs drank her tea while watching over Anya.

Astrid thought back through her memories, Mrs. Tuhs cousin was someone she had some thoughts on, she seemed to be quite close to her. But she was living in Russia and she was a busy woman. Astrid knew she had never married or had children. So when Astrid was stuck in bed ill, she sent many presents. Although Astrid didn't know the market value of those presents, she knew that they were all priceless. And such that only limited amounts would have ever been made.

Let alone she also found some of the most prestigious doctors around the world to try and cure Astrid's illness, but none of them could identify what was wrong with her.

It was only after an accident that the family managed to deduce that the strange soup that Astrid was forced to eat every day would stabilize her a little. So after finding that out, her cousin began to supply endless amounts of it...

Other than that, Astrid could count the times she saw her cousin on two hands.

As Astrid was sorting through her memories, she went on her phone to look at the news. As Andrea answered a phone call for Mrs. Tuhs.

"Madam, Lady Veronica has arrived in the country and has been picked up." Andrea reported, making Mrs. Tuhs sigh.

Astrid picked this up and immediately wondered why her mother sighed? Also, why was it out of relief?

After half an hour. The front doors opened, revealing an elegant middle-aged woman.

"Ver, it's been too long." Mrs. Tuhs smiled as Veronica walked to the sofa.

"It has Siccily." She responded in fluent Italian, but still a strong Russian accent.

She then looked over to Astrid, her smile bloomed seeing her younger cousin look so healthy. "Astrid... I'm so glad you're healthy again." Veronica came up and hugged the now standing Astrid.

This was the second woman to show her such love, her mother was the first. So Astrid didn't know what to say.

Seeing her daughter's expression Mrs. Tuhs chuckled. She now had an understanding of her daughter. "Come on Ver, don't make Astrid shy." She teased her daughter, as payback for some of the things she had said in the past.

Veronica chuckled and let Astrid sit back down. She then looked over Anya, who was quitely watching the exchange while bubbling.

Veronica's eyes turned warm looking at the baby. "Anya huh... She seems quiet." Veronica went to pick her up, she seemed quite unfamiliar. She had only picked up Astrid as a baby a couple of times, but she quickly put Anya into a comfortable position.

"Mm, you haven't seen her when Astrid isn't around. I dare think about when Astrid goes back to school." Mrs. Tuhs sighed, honestly, Astrid seemed to be the mother, not her.

Astrid shook her head, clearly that would be a problem in the future. But Anya had so much attention from her mother and Andrea, and then the wet nurse. She would be fine.

Veronica chuckled, as she then sat down with her cousins.

Veronica was a typical Russian beauty, in fact, as Astrid looked at her, she found out that her and her mother both had a lot of Russian blood between them. Veronica and Mrs. Tuhs were quite tall for women, and their looks could pass off for supermodels even at their age. While Mrs. Tuhs was more a pure beauty, one you could never take your eyes away. Veronica was clearly more elegant, one that looked intelligent, while also beautiful, they could paint a portrait of them both and Astrid was sure it would be a widespread classic instantly...