Raising his eyebrows, Cristofer asked, as his smile got wide, “Do you think I have time to take care of others’ children?”
“Then why did you say you have taken care of a five-year-old child just now?” Estelle asked in confusion.
Hearing this, Cristofer was stunned, thinking, ‘I did say that just now. But I have never taken care of any other children except for Yvonne. Three years ago, Yohan was five years old. But at that time, I seldom saw Yohan, let alone take care of him. Why did I blurt out those words subconsciously just now?’
“I… Maybe it was just a slip of the tongue,” he explained a bit.
Estelle then asked dubiously, “Gretchen’s child should be about three years old now, right?”
Looking down at her, Cristofer asked, “Do you think I would look after her child for her?”
“I was just asking casually.”
Cristofer stood before her, looking into her eyes with sincerity and determination. He asked, “Do you still doubt that I’m her child’s father, Estelle? My relationship with Gretchen ended long ago. I have no feelings for her except hatred. She messed with my parents’ car brakes, causing their deaths. She also harmed Yohan and Yvonne. I won’t let her escape justice. As for the true father of her child, I don’t know, and I don’t want to know. She and her child have no connection to me.”
While he talked, his voice was gentle, deep, and comforting. Estelle couldn’t help but notice the resemblance between him and Mr. Mysterious. His voice and affectionate, passionate gaze tugged at her heartstrings.
Estelle looked down and inquired softly, “Then why did she claim in court that she had undergone IVF treatment and was pregnant with your child?”
Cristofer chuckled and responded, “Do you believe her words? If she truly wanted to conceive my child through IVF treatment, she would have needed my sperm. But I’ve never provided her with my sperm. It’s impossible that she became pregnant with my child.”
Hearing this, Estelle looked up at him. Her eyes were as bright, making Cristofer think about the shining stars in the sky.
“Estelle, I have told you that I will never lie to you,” Cristofer gently murmured.
Hearing this, Estelle sighed. Slowly shifting her gaze to his neck, she frowned slightly upon looking at the wound, “It’s already very inconvenient for you to take a shower since your hand is injured. Now, your neck is also wounded. How will you take a shower tonight?”
Cristofer subconsciously reached out to touch the scratch on his neck, but Estelle grabbed his wrist and stopped him. “Don’t touch it. There are bacteria on your hand. Did you forget that when you were in high school, Louis touched your wound and caused a wound inflammation?”
As soon as she finished her words, both of them were stunned. Now, speaking of what had happened in their youths, they felt as if they were talking about something in the remote past.
Clearing his throat, Cristofer broke the silence and said gently, “Okay. I won’t touch it.”
“But how will you take a shower?” Estelle asked again.
“I won’t take a shower tonight.” Cristofer said, “The wound will get infected easily if they are soaked with water.”
With a deep frown, Estelle said, “But you fought with the two people earlier and sweated a lot today. You’d better take a shower.”
“But it’s inconvenient for me to take a shower. Will you help me?” Cristofer joked, and he grinned.
“I…” Estelle blushed at once.
Seeing her shy look, Cristofer couldn’t help but peck her on the lips and caress her head, saying with a chuckle, “I’m just joking. Don’t be afraid. I can take a shower alone.” After saying that, he walked to the bathroom.
Stunned by his behavior, Estelle stood still for a long time before she wrenched her mind back to the present. And she remembered that Cristofer always did this when they were passionately in love.
Back then, every time Cristofer pecked her on the lips and caressed her head, she would know that he was aroused, but he was restraining himself. Then she would blush and close her eyes, waiting for him to kiss her again. Thinking about the past, Estelle couldn’t help touching her lips and found that they were a little hot.
“Estelle, are you still there?” Cristofer’s voice, full of discomfort, came from the bathroom.
She took a few steps toward the bathroom and said, “Yes. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just want to confirm if you are still in the room. I was afraid that you would be angry with me because of what I did to you just now…”
****
What happened that night didn’t bring any change to the relationship between them. The following days, Estelle and Cristofer were busy preparing for Gary’s birthday party.
Considering that Gary was not in good condition, Cristofer didn’t know if he still had a chance to hold a birthday party for Gary next year, so he made the birthday party this year very grand. He invited almost everyone in the upper class in Hadale, and the birthday party was particularly lively.
On Gary’s birthday, Estelle woke up around six in the morning and found that Cristofer had already left the room. When she sat up, she noticed a fancy gift box on the bedside table. A note on the box instructed her, saying, “Wear this today.”
Inside the box, she found a lovely lilac floral dress, a pair of silver high-heeled shoes decorated with small, sparkling diamonds, and a set of platinum jewelry, including a bracelet, a necklace, and earrings. While the diamonds weren’t huge, the pieces had a detailed and unique design, indicating their high value. There was also a lilac hairband in the box.
After freshening up and getting dressed, Estelle began to style her hair. Her hair was always thick and shiny. She used the hairband to braid her hair and tied it into a neat bow at the back of her head. When a gentle breeze passed by, the rest of her hair and the trailing bow fluttered, making her look like a beautiful fairy.
As she descended the stairs, Rebecca immediately noticed her and couldn’t help but admire her beauty. “Wow, Estelle, you look absolutely stunning today!”
Seated beside Rebecca, Justin, dressed in a suit and wearing gold wire-framed glasses, nodded in agreement and greeted Estelle, “Miss Hudson, it’s been a while. You look fantastic in this outfit.”
Estelle thanked Justin and greeted him with a friendly smile. Then she turned to Rebecca and playfully asked, “Why the surprise? Wasn’t I beautiful before?”