Chapter 1240: Gaze of a Predator
Speaking of people triggering René Alejandro's combat instincts, there was someone else who was prompting him to take a second look. More than a second look, actually. He couldn't help but take a few furtive glances at Iris Long out of the corner of his eyes.
To him, the woman was nothing special. Yes, she was stunning, but Emilio Miguel was more beautiful than her just like how the assassin was more beautiful than most people in the world. Therefore, René Alejandro personally wasn't that impressed by Iris' beauty.
He couldn't quite put his finger on it but there was something about her that was bothering him the more that he stayed in her presence. He tried analyzing what his instincts were telling him but any possible conclusions just didn't make sense to him.
His gut was telling him that Iris Long might pose danger to him, but looking at her, he could tell that she was a genuinely kind person albeit too blunt in her words. He just couldn't see how she would be dangerous to him.
As for judging her combat abilities, skills or even just potential, René Alejandro still couldn't sense anything special about her. According to the dossier they had on her, she trained in Systema under Yu Mo for almost two years but stopped a few months ago possibly due to being injured from the bomb incident and also her pregnancy. René Alejandro was certain that a female celebrity like her was only dabbling in Systema to maintain her figure and not because she was serious in pursuing the martial arts.
No matter how many times he scanned her, all he could see was a weakling. Her body was too frail. It couldn't compare to a sturdy, muscled, and strong body like her friend and former bodyguard, Jiang Ying Yue. René Alejandro was confident that he could crush Iris Long's bones with just his bare hands alone before she could even scream for help.
So why was he feeling so ill at ease in her presence?
He evaluated his own reaction while making sure that others wouldn't notice his secret glances on her. It felt like viewing someone through a foggy glass. The silhouette looked harmless at first but her gaze was like that of a predator. It was so subtle though that he started to doubt the accuracy of his own judgment. It was a weird feeling that put a bad taste in his mouth.
'Maybe my instincts are just messed up because of all the discrepancies between our research and the real situation that I'm witnessing firsthand.'
He didn't believe that a weak woman like Iris Long could really be dangerous to him and the mission. Someone like Wang Yingjie and Jin Liwei himself should be the top people to whom he should always be cautious.
The doctor, Wang Yingjie, didn't speak much to him after Yu Mo introduced them. It suited René Alejandro just fine because he didn't want to have anything to do with the man especially after categorizing Wang Yingjie as someone dangerous. Unfortunately for him, Yu Mo and Jin Chonglin stayed with Wang Yingjie to chat. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow author on Instagram: @arriacross]
René Alejandro took this chance to excuse himself to the restroom. There was one inside the room but it was currently occupied. He left the room and asked around for the nearest toilet. A houseboy guided him there.
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Iris watched as the Spaniard left the room. Jin Liwei followed her gaze.
"What's wrong, love?" he asked in a low voice
She shook her head.
Wang Yingjie finally returned to their group and sat down with a tired sigh. He gave Iris a once-over, his eyes lingering on her belly.
"How's your food intake? Still having trouble with your appetite? You're too small."
She touched her belly. The baby bump was barely noticeable under her clothes.
"I'm eating better ever since Dom's parents arrived. Auntie Reina keeps on feeding me delicious Filipino food."
Jin Liwei nodded but still couldn't help but look worried after his second brother said that his wife was too small. Indeed, she was barely showing despite being at the end of her first trimester, not to mention that she was carrying twins.
"How far along are you, Xiulaaaaaaan?" Wei Lan interrupted.
Iris told her.
Wei Lan waved an unconcerned hand before telling Wang Yingjie, "Don't worry tooooooo much, Dear Mr. Doctor. It's goooood that Xiulan is still thin and hasn't gotten fat yet after becoming pregnaaaaant. It means that my daughter inherited my faaaaaabulous genes. When I was pregnant with her back then, my belly only began shoooooowing around the middle of my second trimester. She was such a tiny baaaabyyyyy yet still tore my vajayjay. It hurt sooooooo much!"
"Mother, that's too much information."
Wei Lan laughed and left them to join another group. Iris and Jin Liwei both looked at Wang Yingjie.
"Seems like you got it from your mother," Wang Yingjie told the couple while gesturing at Iris' belly which still looked flat to those who weren't looking closely enough. "But don't accept it too readily. It's better to have normal-sized babies. Too small and we have to find out why."
Iris nodded and stroked her belly.
Wang Yingjie yawned. "I'm going to take a short power nap. I can barely keep my eyes open. Third Brother, wake me up when it's time for dinner."
Jin Liwei agreed and watched his second brother walk away to find a relatively quiet spot to nap. Wang Yingjie seemed to have found the sleeping Meimei and Ice Cream, so he searched for another hidden corner.
Iris turned to her husband. "Why aren't Grandpa Lu, Big Brother and Big Sister here yet? Dinner is in a few minutes. They're going to be late at this rate."
"If they're late, then they're late," Jin Liwei replied in a nonchalant tone.
"What? Do you know something?"
"En."
"Tell me."
He didn't hesitate and whispered to her what he knew. Her eyes widened and shone in excitement. "Really?"
"En."
She got teary without her control. He sighed and kissed her cheek.
"Don't expose it to others, love. It's not our place to reveal it."
"Okay." She snuggled in his arms, a soft smile on her face. "I'm so happy. This Christmas will be the best yet."