Gifford and Chantel returned to their bedroom. As soon as he closed the door, he said, "Didn't I tell you not to go anywhere? Why did you run away?"
"What? I just went to Rika's room. Was that already running away for you?" she asked in disbelief.
"Wow! After we haven't seen each other for a long time, I didn't know that you already learned to talk back,"
he snapped. Chantel was rendered speechless. Was she talking back?
But her silence made Gifford feel guilty. He felt like he was bullying her.
"Forget it. Come here," he said in a soft tone.
"What?" She hesitated for a moment.
"I came back today to remind you that you are already a married woman. From now on, you have to behave properly in public." Although he refused to admit it, he was jealous when he saw her holding another man's arm while walking on the red carpet.
He even wanted to rush over and beat that male star to death.
What he said didn't sound pleasant in her ears, so she couldn't help retorting, "I've always kept a low profile since I entered the entertainment industry. I have never messed around with anyone." Ever since they had gotten their marriage licenses, Chantel had never forgotten that she was a married woman. That was the reason why she had always been careful when she was with other male celebrities.
'She didn't mess around with anyone? Two years ago, she guested in a variety show with a male actor, and they played a game together. That man even hugged her on-screen.
Then at the end of that year, she attended an award ceremony. She walked on the red carpet with a male actor holding her waist.
At the beginning of last year, she made a romantic movie where the leading man held her in his arms many times.
When she attended a reality show in the middle of last year, a male star took her hand, and they ran fast on the street.
And at the end of last year...' Gifford could clearly remember all those scenes he saw on TV. He was not sure if any other things were happening behind the screen.
Trying to shake off those memories out of his mind, he looked her in the eye, put his thumb at the corner of her mouth, and pressed it upward. Chantel was forced to smile.
But she didn't know what he was thinking, and why he did such a strange thing. Taking a step back to dodge his thumb, she said, "Well... how about we talk another day? I want to take a rest, so I'll go back to my room now."
She then turned around and was about to leave.
He quickly strode in front of her and pulled her in his arms. She was dazed, especially when he said in a low voice, "Why are you running away again? You belong to me tonight and the next day."
He wouldn't let her settle accounts with Erica tonight, and he would bring Chantel to his workplace tomorrow so that his men could meet her.
'Yes, that's it, ' he thought, satisfied with his plan.
"Wh-what? Mmph..." Before she could say anything, his lips sealed hers.
They were alone in the room, and they hadn't seen each other for four years. Who could testify for her that she didn't seduce Gifford this time?
But she was already lost in his kisses and his touch. Before she could know it, they were now entangled in bed. Then a sudden knock on the door interrupted their intimate moment.
Chantel felt like the knock awakened her, and she came back to her senses. She looked at Gifford on top of her in disbelief as she thought, 'Aren't we supposed to talk about our divorce? What are we doing now?'
Then Hugo's voice came from the other side of the door. "Dad, Mom, I want to show you my toys."
Before either of them could answer, they heard Erica say, "Oh, Hugo. Your dad and mom are making a sister for you. Let's go back to my room."
"Aunt Rika, I want to see Dad and Mom making my little sister," replied the innocent child.
Chantel was dumbstruck.
Even Erica was stunned as she didn't expect to hear such words from her nephew. Now, she was in trouble with how to explain. "Well...uhm...here's the thing. Your dad and mom can only make your little sister if you don't watch them. And you can't make a noise. You have to keep your voice down, or else your little sister will be scared away." She then took Hugo in her arms and ran away fast. Whether the couple inside the room heard her or not, it didn't matter anymore.
As soon as Gifford heard the receding footsteps, he moved to avoid Chantel from running away. Soon enough, he entered her without any resistance from her.
Chantel felt so tired that she wanted to sleep at once. She was already half asleep when she heard his voice. "Forget about the divorce. It's impossible to happen. If you continue to insist on that idea, I will send two people to follow you every day, and I will ban you from getting close to anyone..."
She didn't hear the rest of his words because she wasn't able to resist sleepiness anymore.
The next morning, all members of the Li family gathered at the table for breakfast.
But wait! Two people were missing.
One was Matthew, who was in Y City, and the other was Chantel, who was still sleeping soundly upstairs.
"Dad, I'll go wake Mom up," Hugo said. The child actually missed his mother so much. Last night, he wanted to sleep with her, but his aunt Erica deceived him and brought him back to her room. As a result, it was she who held him in her arms the whole night.
After taking a spoonful of porridge, Gifford replied calmly, "No. Your mother can't get up yet." If Chantel got up as early as them, he would turn out a loser.
All the adults were snickering tacitly, while Hugo stuffed a small bun in his mouth absentmindedly. But after swallowing it, he turned to Gifford again and asked, "Did Mom sleep late?"
"Yep." Gifford was guilty because it was he who didn't let her sleep until the wee hours.
"Did Mom stay up late to make my little sister?"
Hugo asked again. His innocence amused all the adults around the table. As much as they wanted to laugh out loud, they didn't want to embarrass the father and son, so all they could do was snicker quietly.
"You're such a smart kid, Hugo! How did you know that your mom was making a little sister for you?" Remus said with a laugh.
"Aunt Rika said that Dad and Mom were making a little sister for me last night, so I should not disturb them. She said if I got inside the room, they wouldn't be able to make my sister," Hugo answered.
Erica was sold just like that.
As a reward, she got a cold stare from Gifford. She then looked at the little boy with her eyes wide open and asked, "Don't you want a little sister?"
"Yes, I do," he answered, nodding excitedly. "I wish to have a sister as lovely as Wendy."
Wendy was Remus and Yvette's daughter, who was about to turn two this year.
She was taken by Remus' mother back to her hometown, which was why she wasn't with the Li family.
Since the little boy mentioned her, Erica remembered to ask Yvette, "Hey, when will Wendy come back?" She hadn't seen her little niece yet.
Remus was the one who answered the question for his wife. "Maybe she will be back the day after tomorrow."
She nodded at him and turned to Wesley, who was eating his breakfast silently. "Dad, Gifford won't go back to the base today. Can I stay here until Wendy comes back?" she asked.
"No way!" Wesley replied unhesitatingly. "When Wendy is already here, you can come back anytime to see her."
'Fine! You're such a cruel dad, ' she thought inwardly.
Since she abandoned the Li family for more than three years, her status in the family had dramatically declined after she came back. It was very evident that she was the least favored now.
She felt so miserable that she wanted to cry. All of a sudden, she wanted to go back to Y City. She missed Carlos and Debbie, Matthew, and her four sons.
After breakfast, Wesley took Erica to Gifford's base. She didn't even get the chance to call Matthew.
Gifford didn't come with them because he wanted to spend more time with his son and wife first.
But it didn't matter. With or without his presence, Wesley knew a lot of people in the base who could train Erica. He even chose the strictest leader as her trainer.