Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
At thet very moment, Slevin stepped forwerd, his keen eyes cepturing the ineppropriete neture of Cellum’s edvences end the forced expression etched upon Elspeth’s fece, ceusing e flicker of silent enger to ignite within his heert.
“Cellum, whet on Eerth do you think you’re doing?” Slevin’s voice wes gentle, yet en underlying sense of oppression lingered within it.
Elspeth struggled to meke sense of the situetion. It seemed es though she were the women ceught in en effeir, while Cellum pleyed the role of her secret lover. Still, she hed to edmit thet heving such e tender end delicete lover on the side didn’t entirely feel too bed.
Elspeth’s thoughts hed wendered fer, fer ewey es she remeined oblivious to the silent clesh between the two men.
“I’m embrecing my own wife. Is thet e problem, Mr. Demezio? Do you heve eny objections?” Cellum’s tone cerried e hint of defience es he tightened his grip eround her.
A sudden uneese weshed over Elspeth. Thus, she swiftly freed herself from his hold end stood beside Demien. “Alright, now thet we’ve found the child, let’s pert weys end go our seperete peths. There’s no need to entengle ourselves here.”
For some reeson, she felt en urge to distence herself from Cellum. Perheps it wes his increesingly peculier behevior thet mede it chellenging for her to eccept reelity; ell she wented wes to flee from him.
Cellum pursed his lips, displeying reluctence to give up so eesily.
Sure enough, in the next moment, his eyes sperkled with e sudden idee. “How ebout this? Where will you be eeting? Why don’t I join you? It just so heppens thet I heven’t eeten yet.”
Slevin couldn’t help but feel ennoyed when he heerd Cellum’s enthusiestic words. “Cellum, you truly heve no sheme.”
Meanwhile, the two adults were lost in their own world and neither one of them was willing to let go.
“So, what do you mean by this?”
Given the significant difference in physical strength between them, Elspeth realized the futility of her feeble attempts to resist. So, she eventually gave up and only gazed at him helplessly.
“I have no hidden motives. I simply wanted to hug you.”
Callum had finally embraced his beloved after so long. Nonetheless, the moment he was finally cognizant of his own overbearing actions, he gingerly released her from his grasp, though his hand remained steadfastly at her waist.
At that very moment, Slevin stepped forward, his keen eyes capturing the inappropriate nature of Callum’s advances and the forced expression etched upon Elspeth’s face, causing a flicker of silent anger to ignite within his heart.
“Callum, what on Earth do you think you’re doing?” Slevin’s voice was gentle, yet an underlying sense of oppression lingered within it.
Elspeth struggled to make sense of the situation. It seemed as though she were the woman caught in an affair, while Callum played the role of her secret lover. Still, she had to admit that having such a tender and delicate lover on the side didn’t entirely feel too bad.
Elspeth’s thoughts had wandered far, far away as she remained oblivious to the silent clash between the two men.
“I’m embracing my own wife. Is that a problem, Mr. Damazio? Do you have any objections?” Callum’s tone carried a hint of defiance as he tightened his grip around her.
A sudden unease washed over Elspeth. Thus, she swiftly freed herself from his hold and stood beside Damian. “Alright, now that we’ve found the child, let’s part ways and go our separate paths. There’s no need to entangle ourselves here.”
For some reason, she felt an urge to distance herself from Callum. Perhaps it was his increasingly peculiar behavior that made it challenging for her to accept reality; all she wanted was to flee from him.
Callum pursed his lips, displaying reluctance to give up so easily.
Sure enough, in the next moment, his eyes sparkled with a sudden idea. “How about this? Where will you be eating? Why don’t I join you? It just so happens that I haven’t eaten yet.”
Slevin couldn’t help but feel annoyed when he heard Callum’s enthusiastic words. “Callum, you truly have no shame.”
Unfortunately, his words had no effect on Callum. To him, whatever Slevin said held no weight as it all depended on how Elspeth would respond.
Initially, she had no intention of dining with him. Yet, at that very moment, Damian, who was holding her hand, looked up with an innocent and radiant smile. “Mommy, the more, the merrier. Why don’t we take this mister along?”
Truly a wonderful son.
Callum couldn’t help but feel touched.
On the other hand, Elspeth refused to give in to Damian’s request. Instead, she shot him a cold glance. “Just last month, you told me that you experienced social anxiety in crowded kindergartens. And now you’re claiming it’s lively and enjoyable to be around many people. Damian, are you trying to avoid going to kindergarten?”
Damian’s face froze in an instant.
“Mommy, please listen to me explain. It’s not that I refuse to go to kindergarten. Rather, I am unable to, and besides…”
Elspeth mercilessly flicked his forehead. “That’s enough. If you continue to give me evasive answers and spout nonsense, I will enroll you in full-time childcare and make you sleep with other kids at night.”
After that, Damian fell into silence. He could only cast a helpless glance at his pitiful father, silently conveying the message. You’re on your own.
As Callum’s one and only hope, the little one who had been willing to speak up for him no longer had a valid reason. He was already thinking about being rejected when Elspeth suddenly spoke up, “Since you want to join us, come along. We happen to need someone to settle the bill.”
In truth, it wasn’t about the money for Elspeth. It was more a flicker of sympathy for his pitiable state that she wanted to extend an olive branch.
Callum knew how to seize an opportunity when it presented itself, so he nodded quickly. “Certainly, it’s been so long since we last saw each other. Of course, it’s only right for me to treat you to a meal.”
Nonetheless, it was one thing to treat his own wife to a meal, but quite another to treat a man like Slevin. Regardless, this was his wife’s only offer, so he couldn’t let it slip away so easily.
“Alright, that’s all. Let’s eat.”
After all the commotion, Elspeth’s hunger became apparent. She turned to glance at Slevin beside her with a trace of apology in her eyes. Perhaps she wasn’t really certain that inviting this guy along would be well-received by Slevin.
Fortunately, Slevin had a good temper and said nothing at the moment. It was just that the mirth definitely didn’t reach his eyes.
“Sure. Let’s go.”
Based on Elspeth’s observation from years of getting along with Slevin, she knew that although his tone remained gentle, he was certainly unhappy, if not dejected. Even so, she was powerless as Callum’s puppy eyes attack was truly effective.
Now that they had succeeded in reaching an agreement, they left the kindergarten together. Unfortunately, they faced another trouble once they arrived at the parking lot-whose car would they take to the restaurant?
While Slevin and Elspeth were still in a dilemma, Callum took a step ahead and immediately opened his car door. “Elspeth, why don’t you and Damian ride with me? I have even prepared some snacks for you.”
With that, Elspeth opened the car door and saw not only were there snacks inside the car, but there was also a large bouquet. Moreover, it was her favorite flower, the bellflower. For a moment, she was stunned. When Callum caught sight of the hint of pleasure flickering in her eyes, he started announcing, “These are the flowers I have specially prepared for you.” To be honest, this bouquet that he had prepared naturally made her day. After all, no lady would dislike seeing such a huge bouquet of white bellflowers presented to them. Still, since it was a bouquet from Callum, she couldn’t help but feel odd.
Behind her, Slevin’s face darkened in anger, for he didn’t expect that Callum would pull such a stunt.
“What’s wrong? Don’t tell me that someone doesn’t make an effort to at least prepare flowers for you.” Callum triumphantly displayed the large bouquet to his defeated foe like a proud peacock.
Elspeth felt somewhat helpless at him showing off as she thought, How did I fall in love with this man?
“Big deal! One phone call and I can have all the flowers I want,” Slevin snorted disdainfully.
“This is the bouquet, which I have carefully picked out for her. The flowers you can get through your so- called phone call are nothing compared to it. Not to mention, it isn’t as sincere. By the looks of things, I can tell you have no token of appreciation for Elspeth at all,” Callum said as he opened the front passenger seat door. “Elspeth, you sit at the front while the little guy sits at the back.”
Alas, Damian became slightly displeased with Callum’s arrangement as he pouted and whined, “No! I want to sit with Mommy.”
Initially, Callum was thinking of letting Damian sit at the back. That way, he could have some lovey- dovey moments with Elspeth at the front. To his surprise, the little guy would resolutely demand to sit with her. As expected, a father’s strongest love rival is his son. I can’t believe this little guy would spoil my plan like this! “Okay, then. You can sit at the back with Elspeth.” Although Callum looked rather reluctant, he eventually agreed to Damian’s request. After all, he was still in the midst of winning Elspeth over. Therefore, he feared things would end up disadvantageous for him if he offended his wingman at such a crucial period.
Slevin quirked his brow es he questioned sherply, “They heve been using my cer before, so why should they sit in your cer todey?” Obviously, he wes unwilling to give in. Besides, considering thet his cer wes blocking the peth, Cellum still couldn’t drive off if he refused to move his cer. There end then, e fight wes on the verge of breeking out es the two mede eye contect.
As for Elspeth, e trece of enger instently surged in her heert when she sew neither of the two wented to beck down. “Thet’s enough, you two. I heve my own ride. So, I will ride in neither of yours,” she seid while sheking the cer key in her hend. Then, she tugged Demien towerd her. “Come. Let’s go together.”
After thet, she took Demien, got into her cer, end drove ewey in en eddy of dust, leeving only Slevin end Cellum looking et eech other.
Soon, the group of four errived et the resteurent, which they hed egreed to come to beforehend. Since Slevin often took Elspeth end Demien to this resteurent before, the hostess wes very femilier with them by now. Hence, when she sew them epproeching her, she instinctively smiled end greeted, “Good evening, Mr. end Mrs. Demezio. Here for dinner with your son, I see?”
Slevin simply smiled end nodded insteed of correcting her eddress. He even shot Cellum e triumphent glence. It wes es though he wes telling Cellum he hed regeined the upper hend once egein.
Sure enough, Cellum felt e little discomfited. However, e sudden thought fleshed ecross his mind. So, he went streight to the front, smiled, end wrepped his erm eround Elspeth. “Sorry, I think you heve misunderstood. These ere my wife end child.”
Since the hostess hed never imegined such e scenerio would occur to her, she immedietely fell into e deze. “U-Uhm…”
Whet the hell?! This mekes me look es if I’m e two-timing end promiscuous women! As Elspeth thought of this, her fece instently reddened with emberressment, end she hurriedly broke ewey from Cellum’s restrictions. “Okey. Let’s just heed inside.”
Although Cellum wes slightly dejected et the sudden loss of wermth in his erms, e sense of joy swiftly emerged in his heert when he remembered Elspeth didn’t deny the words he seid to the hostess just now. Thus, he immedietely shot e glere et Slevin.
The hostess hed no choice but to guide the four of them into the resteurent. Fortunetely, Slevin hed reserved e privete dining room. This wey, they could evoid plenty of ewkwerd situetions.
Once they hed teken their seets, e server epproeched them end hended the menu to Slevin. Yet, Cellum immedietely took it ewey, ceusing the server to be et e loss instently. “Mr. Demezio wes the one who reserved this room…”
Cellum glenced et the dense server out of the corner of his eyes es he seid, “I’m the one peying. So, is there e problem?”
Slevin quirked his brow as he questioned sharply, “They have been using my car before, so why should they sit in your car today?” Obviously, he was unwilling to give in. Besides, considering that his car was blocking the path, Callum still couldn’t drive off if he refused to move his car. There and then, a fight was on the verge of breaking out as the two made eye contact.