Linford’s eyes fell on his son, looking serious, “I know you have won the fight, and you saved your sister. You threw them into the water to protect Candace. But you can’t neglect your wounds. Go do the checkup. Do you want to do a checkup or break your Mom’s heart?”
Cody still acted stubborn and wanted to ignore his father’s rant. But after hearing the word “Mom,” he just went to Drew without any words. He knew very well that their Mom would get upset if she saw his bruises.
Drew shook his head, “Like father like son. Linford was also a troublemaker at your age.”
The checkup was done at almost 6 pm. Drew pulled Linford somewhere and told him that Mrs. Wayne was genuinely sick this time.
Linford didn’t even bother to listen to what Drew had told him.
****
After leaving the hospital with the babies and their little friends, who were also startled by the fight, Linford stayed in a fancy hotel. He ordered a lot of food for the children. He didn’t call Cristelle until he made sure the babies were okay.
Cristelle just left the company. She went to the hotel instantly after receiving a call from Linford. She frowned as she saw the bruises on Candace and Cody’s necks, “What happened?”
Cody instantly answered, “We fell when we played games at school. We’re both okay. Mom just sits down and has some pizza. They’re delicious.”
Cristelle sat down, her eyes full of doubt, “Is it really just a minor accident?”
“Yeah,” Cody didn’t want to mention anything about what happened at school, so he pulled his friends closer, “Mom, these are my best friends in school, Amy and Thomas Watson. They’re also brother and sister. Their parents went on a business trip. Can they sleep over in our house?”
Cristelle looked at Cody’s friends. They both looked extremely cute. She liked them the moment she saw these kids.
“It’s good to see you, Mrs. Bradley.”
“We heard about you a lot.”
And they seemed polite too. A smile appeared on Cristelle’s lips, “It’s good to see you guys. Welcome to our house later, Amy and Thomas.”
Amy and Thomas smiled politely, “Thank you, Mrs. Bradley.”
Candace pulled at Amy’s arm and made her friend sit beside her, forking a piece of her favorite flavor of cake for her. The little girls sat side by side, enjoying their desserts happily.
Amy was pretty chatty. She seemed to know all sorts of the best desserts in the city. Cristelle finally knew why she was Candace’s best friend. The little foodies seemed to enjoy their time together.
Thomas and Cody, on the other hand, were talking about the newest game weapons released.
Cristelle was glad to see her babies also had friends now. Cody and Candace had been together for most of the time. Being able to interact with the outside world was also a part of their growth. Cristelle was just so grateful that she had decided to send them to school.
Linford forked a piece of fried chicken on her plate, “Stop looking at the kids. You also need to eat.”
This woman had been treating him as if he didn’t exist since she entered the door. Linford just needed to get her attention.
Cristelle put down her fork, “Is Cody telling the truth? Is it really a minor accident?”
“It’s true,” Linford said without batting an eye. His successful achievement in the business world carried huge respect. However, no one could see through his lies if he purposely deceived someone.
Cristelle raised her eyebrows, “Then why didn’t you call me? You know I can always be there for the babies.”
Linford took a sip from his glass, his voice a bit lazy and casual, “I can handle it easily. Don’t you think it’d be a bit dramatic if both parents showed up at school?”
It made sense. Cristelle couldn’t find any excuse to squeeze this man.
“Next time, you should inform me, I’d rather be there for them,” Cristelle sighed, “I mean… You’re a lot busier than me, right?”
Linford smiled casually, “Of course.”
She looked adorable when she was slightly mad at him.
The intense stare the man was giving her right now made Cristelle uncomfortable. She looked away, blushing.
She was not happy being uninformed. But luckily, seeing her babies were fine, she felt relieved.
The family went back to their apartment after leaving the suite.
Amy’s eyes widened as she checked around Candace’s house, “Wow! Candace! Your house is beautiful.”
The little girl was genuinely complimenting it. This place was quite small, but the way it was decorated was full of love and warmth.
Candace was a bit proud. She held her little friend’s hand and took her to the bedroom to see those paper ducks she had made.
The babies went to play and watch TV afterward.
Cody acted like the little boss of the group. Cristelle wasn’t surprised at all.
But the way Amy looked at Cody made Cristelle a bit worried. Thus, she whispered to Linford, “Don’t you think Amy has a little crush on our boy?”
Linford didn’t even bother to look up as he scrolled down his phone, “And?”
Cristelle was even more surprised by his casualness, “You’re not serious?”
“It’s quite normal,” Linford smiled, reclining on the sofa as he loosened his tie a bit, “I used to receive a lot of gifts from girls in school during my younger days. I’m not surprised that Cody’s also getting a bit of attention.”
Cristelle glared at him. Was he showing off in front of her?
Linford noticed the look in her eyes, chuckling, “Don’t worry. It’s just purely puppy love. Cody knows how to handle that.”
Cristelle rolled her eyes. This was just a normal conversation. Why did that deep and sexy voice burst again? It was hard to pretend that he wasn’t affecting her. Cristelle thus decided to stay away. So she went to make the babies’ beds.
After ensuring the babies had baths and lay on their beds, Cristelle turned off the lights, “Goodnight, sweeties. Have a good dream.”
She walked backward as she left the room, not noticing the tall figure standing behind her. And then, she bumped into Linford’s firm chest.
Cristelle gasped and turned around, glaring at Linford in rage. “Why are you still here?”