Linford shook his head, “You don’t need to worry about him, Mr. Weston. He went to my mansion to capture Cristelle, but my guards didn’t let him get in. Guess that’s why he’s so pissed off right now.”
Pop coughed, “What? He went to capture Cristelle?”
Linford nodded.
“Is Cristelle okay right now?” The old man sounded concerned.
Linford smiled, “Dad wouldn’t be so pissed off if anything happened to her. Dad cares about the babies a lot, but he turns out to be used by some evil people.”
Franco thought for a while and understood Linford’s words instantly, waving his hand, “I know you two tend to quarrel with each other, but… just try not to push it too far, okay? He’s still your father, Linford.”
Linford stood up from his chair, “I know, Pop. Mr. Weston, would you mind taking care of Pop for a bit when I’m away?”
Mr. Weston nodded, “Okay. Just go.”
Mr. Weston closed the door immediately after Linford left the room, trying to comfort his old friend, “You really don’t need to worry about Linford, Franco. Your grandson is way smarter than your son.”
Franco, however, didn’t say anything as he fell into his deep thoughts.
****
“Do you even know what you’re doing right now?” Darwin almost yelled as Linford entered the restroom, “How could you equip all your bodyguards with guns? Are you building a group of henchmen? Do you even know how dangerous it is?”
Linford sat down and poured himself a cup of coffee, “It’s not like it’s an illegal thing to do, is it? I don’t want to waste my time with you on this, Dad. The babies need their mother. You really should give up those funny ideas. If you want babies, tell your wife to give you some. Candace and Cody need their mother. Perhaps you’ve forgotten what I said to you last time. Don’t cast iron hands against my woman, or I’ll forget our relationship.”
“What the heck are you talking about, Linford?” Darwin went plum, “That woman is a jinx! She almost gets the babies killed, but you’re still protecting her. Are you out of your mind?”
“I’m probably out of mind, but it is still my issue, isn’t it?” Linford stood up from his chair, “No matter what you’re trying to tell me, Father, you know you can never change my mind. Maybe you should go now and mind your own business.”
And then, Linford left the room, leaving Darwin alone in a grievance.
Darwin was so angry that he smashed his cup of coffee onto the floor. He went downstairs and got into the taxi, telling the driver to go to Linford’s mansion. The driver didn’t dare to delay, starting the car instantly.
But Darwin soon changed his mind. The warning Linford just left him didn’t sound like he was joking. Deep down, Darwin didn’t want to cause any problems. He decided to go back home and think about the whole thing first before making another plan to kick that witch out of Blue Field City.
****
Linford felt pretty good as he went to Candace’s ward. Candace was in bed as Mrs. Weston told her a story. Lily was making her some healthy milkshakes. Candace was treated like a princess.
Linford was smiling as he walked towards them, “Lily, Mrs. Weston, you guys should take some rest now. I’ll take care of Candace.”
Mrs. Weston stood up from her chair and stretched, “I’m not tired. I love doing storytime.” She glanced at Candace before saying, “Candace enjoyed it very much, didn’t you, sweetie?”
Candace quickly nodded. She loved those stories Mrs. Weston had been telling.
Lily walked to Candace’s bed, “Your daughter is such a polite and quiet child. She’s totally different from you when you were still young, Linford.”
Linford smiled as he recalled his childhood. He had been quite rebellious often. Cody was just like him. Candace, however, acted more like her Mom.
Her Mom?
Linford’s smile disappeared as he thought about Cristelle.
As much as he cared about her, he still couldn’t stop feeling angry when he remembered her slackness.
At night, Mrs. Weston and Lily stayed to take care of Candace. Linford thus had to stay in another room. He kissed Candace’s forehead before leaving, “Sweetie, Daddy’s gonna stay in another room for the night. I’ll be back tomorrow morning, okay?”
Candace sniffed. She missed her Mommy so much, but her Mommy was sick. She knew she couldn’t have her back right now if she wanted her to get better. The girl thus nodded slowly.
It broke Linford’s heart to see his daughter’s sadness. He could guess the little girl wanted her Mom to be around.
But he knew he needed to make a drastic decision to protect Cristelle. Cristelle must know that he also had his limits, and she needed to contain herself a little if she still wanted to be with their children.
It was just… The whole thing must be so difficult for Candace too.
Linford felt guilty.
Candace had been tossing and turning the whole night. She tends to wake up every hour.
She wanted to move, but her leg was wrapped tightly. She wanted to cry as she missed Mom and her brother.
The girl sniffed and wiped her face with the back of her hand. Lily noticed the sound. She got up, trying to go to bed and check on the little girl. But Candace shut her eyes instantly. She didn’t want to be seen by others.
“Shush! Just leave her alone,” Mrs. Weston pulled at Lily’s hand and hushed her voice, “The girl doesn’t want to be seen by now.”
Lily could only lie down again.
Linford went to the room early the next morning. Candace had woken up, sitting on her bed and enjoying her breakfast.
“Nice sleep, princess?” Linford asked, smiling.
The girl hesitated for a second and nodded quietly.
Lily baked some fresh bread for breakfast. Linford also had his breakfast in Candace’s room.
After breakfast, Mrs. Weston took Linford out of the ward, sounding worried, “Linford, your daughter barely got any sleep last night. What happened to you and Cristelle? How come you don’t even allow her to see the baby? You can’t do this to Candace just because you have a disagreement with your wife. It’s so cruel. You must put Candace first when it comes to making decisions. Do you understand what I’m talking about?”