The Lawyer’s Romance in Law

The Lawyer’s Romance in Law

Novel The Lawyer’s Romance in Law is an amazing story about a young woman Elias Winters and rich people Amanda Bailey. After being secretly married for a year, Elias Winters brought his mistress home but was confronted by his wife, Amanda Bailey, who presented him with a positive pregnancy test. Falsely accusing her of infidelity, he vowed never to see her again. Four years later, Amanda returned to the country as a successful barrister, causing Elias to cling to her and beg for reconciliation. He even went as far as kneeling in the rain, seeking her forgiveness. However, Amanda remained unmoved. It was then that their child rushed out and asked about Elias. He was shocked because he had always believed that she had aborted the child. To his surprise, the little one standing before him was a spitting image of himself!

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 146 Mr Winters Is Scary

Elias was furious at Simon’s words. He already loathed Simon, yet the latter still tried to push his luck. In that split second, Elias punched Simon in the face, causing the other to sway to the side with blood in his mouth.

“This is none of your fucking business! I dare you to say it again!”

Simon smiled as he wiped off the blood at the corner of his mouth. “Why? Are you afraid of the truth? You were the one who did those things!”

“You’re going to regret your words!” As Elias spoke, he loosened his tie and was prepared to fight. Meanwhile, Amanda was startled as she stood next to him.

“Stop. Elias! Don’t do it! We’re outside!”

Amanda tried to drag him away but was pushed aside. “Step out of this, Amanda. This is a war between men.”

“Do you have to get hurt again to learn from your mistakes, Amanda? Do you really want to be with him again? Have you forgotten how he treated you and Aiden? You can’t change him for what he is!” As Simon spoke, he grunted when Elias punched him again. This time, Simon fell to the ground.

At this moment, Elias was enraged. “You are digging your own grave for trying to stir trouble between us!” Then, he was about to step on Simon.

“Stop it, Elias!” Amanda screamed. She knew Elias well. As soon as he was riled up, he would beat his opponent to death. Simon looked thin compared to Elias, so there was no way he could survive the beating

Unfortunately, no one could stop the two men as they were already riled up. Simon got up and was about to fight back, but Elias beat him to it. After all, Elias had learned boxing for many years, so his body was accustomed to it

At this moment, Aiden, who was walking toward them, saw the scene. “Mommy!” He froze on the spot and grabbed Yacob’s hand tightly. Seeing the injuries on Simon’s face and how fierce Elias was, Aiden cried out loud. Tears brimmed his eyes as he looked at the scene.

When Elias heard Aiden’s cries, he stopped and looked back. “Aiden.”

“It’s okay, Baby” Amanda walked toward Aiden, who looked like he was about to cry, then hugged him.

Simon hadn’t expected Aiden to show up either. In that split second, he didn’t know how to react.

“Is Mr. Winters a bad guy, Mommy? Why did he beat Mr. Simon? Mr. Winters is so scary.” Aiden choked back a sob.

Elias was heartbroken when he heard that.

Now, he was the bad guy in Aiden’s eyes. However, there was no way he could explain what had happened to Aiden.

Half an hour later, Elias drove Amanda and Aiden back home. Simon had left because he was afraid he would scare Aiden. Still, it was evident that Aiden had distanced himself away from Elias He didn’t say
anything and leaned against Amanda with a scared look on his face.

Soon, the car stopped at Galaxy Bay

“Say goodbye to Mr. Winters, Baby. We’re home.” Amanda looked at Aiden.

Yet, Aiden said nothing and stared at Elias. Then, he opened the door and quickly ran out, seeming to be hiding from the bad guy.

Once again, Elias was distressed. He couldn’t believe that Aiden was refusing to talk to him. At that moment, he pushed open the door and walked toward Aiden, blocking the little one’s path.

However, before he was able to say anything, Aiden screamed, heml me mommy"

Why is he calling for help? Elias looked at him in confusion.

Hearing Aiden’s call, Amanda quickly exited the car, and Aiden immediately hid behind her, looking at Elias as if he was a monster.

“Why are you calling for help? I won’t hurt you.” Elias was confused.

“You hit Mr. Simon, so you are a bad guy. Mommy once said that I need to stay away from them,” explained Aiden as he hid behind Amanda.

Hearing his words, Amanda didn’t know what to say. After all, she had told Aiden to stay away from bad people. Yet, she never expected that this would happen to Elias.

Mr. Simon… It’s always him! He calls Simon by his name, yet he addresses me by my surname! Thinking about this, Elias felt the urge to beat Simon up again.

Nonetheless, he slowly kneeled before Aiden and explained patiently, “It’s not what you think, Aiden. Also, don’t simply call others by their name. You got that?”

“You are a bad guy! You hit Mr. Simon, and he is a good man!” At that, Aiden rushed back into the villa like he was fleeing for his life.

Elias stood up and was about to chase after Aiden. He needed to teach his son not to clasp an enemy to his bosom.

“Forget it. He won’t listen to you now.” Amanda grabbed his arm.

“Is this how you teach him? To have a stranger as his father? Why does he address us differently? I am his father!” Elias couldn’t suppress his jealousy anymore.

“What does this have to do with me? Plus, what are you talking about? Simon took care of us for the past. four years when we stayed abroad. There’s nothing wrong if Aiden thinks of him as his father. Also, who told you to beat Simon in front of Aiden?!” Amanda thought that he was being unreasonable. As Simon said, she couldn’t change who he was. Thus, she couldn’t expect him to become a loving father when he was such a temperamental man.

Elias didn’t say anything as Amanda kept quiet. It was wrong for him to hit someone else in front of Aiden since it would leave a bad impression. He had spent so much time and effort to bond with Aiden, yet all his efforts were gone. Now, he had to think of a way to mend their relationship.

Seeing that he was quiet, Amanda said. “Go home. It’s late.”

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow,” Elias said abruptly.

“I know. I will pack my bags tonight.” She nodded. Simon’s parents’ attitude had stopped her from wanting to marry Simon. Moreover, she felt that it was ridiculous.

“I’ll stay with you guys for a few days. I want to mend my relationship with him,” said Elias.

Amanda’s eyes widened at his words. She couldn’t believe that he would make such an unreasonable request.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 147 Elias’ Trick

“What makes you think I’d agree to it?” Amanda gave him a look of ridicule.

“I’ll let you stay there for free.”

This b*stard. Amanda took a deep breath and said, “I would rather pay double the rent than have you staying with us! No!” With that, she stormed back into the house without sparing him a glance.

Elias was upset since he couldn’t get Amanda to say yes. After all, if he let this be, Aiden would hate him even more. Thus, he had to think of a way to solve this!

Suddenly, an idea came to his mind, and he smiled.

Tomorrow, they’ll definitely ask me to stay the night, thought Elias as his smile widened. Then, he entered the car and drove away.

The next day, Elias went to Galaxy Bay to pick them up. Since Aiden was afraid of him, Elias didn’t pick him up at the kindergarten, which caused him to break his promise to Howard about taking Aiden to the manor. Thus, Howard called him and scolded him.

“If you dare make my grandson cry, I will kick you out of the house! Why did you have to fight in front of him? You’re already a father, yet you still act like a child! You must fix this!”

Yacob parked the car in front of the villa and noticed Elias” annoyed expression.

Elias pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “I know, I’m trying to think of a way. I’ll talk to you later.” As soon as he hung up the call, he felt peace. Grandpa sure is getting annoying as he grows older,

“We’re here, Mr. Winters,” said Yacob.

Elias exited the car and pressed the doorbell. He adjusted his expression since he had to act kind to Aiden, Otherwise, the boy would be more afraid of him.

After some time, the door opened, and out came Amanda. She held a suitcase in one hand with Aiden in the other.

When Aiden saw who was by the door, he hid behind Amanda quickly, seemingly as if he had seen a ghost,

Looking at his reaction, Elias had a grim expression and wondered if he looked terrifying.

Elias grabbed Amanda’s suitcase and said, “Get in the car.”

Amanda nodded and ruffled Aiden, who was evidently nervous. “It’s okay. We are going to our new house.”

Aiden grabbed Amanda’s clothes tightly and looked at Elias warily.

Elias frowned at his reaction. I have to fix this quickly. Otherwise, our relationship will only worsen.

After Amanda and Aiden got into the car, Elias entered too, Just as he was about to sit beside Aiden, the latter crawled over Amanda to get to the other side. In that split second, Elias was upset. Do I look like a monster? Why is he so afraid of

Amanda ruffled Aiden’s hair and asked, “What are you doing?”

“I don’t want to sit with Mr. Winters. I want to sit with you,” Aiden said truthfully.

Sometimes, children said the most hurtful words since they were straightforward.

Elias’ expression darkened when he heard Aiden’s words, but he could only suppress his emotions since he had scared Aiden last night. Thus, Aiden saw him as the most vicious person in the world.

She couldn’t help but chuckle. After all, she knew he had brought this upon himself. If anyone could go against Elias, it would be Aiden.

On their way to the new place, none of them said anything. Aiden grabbed Amanda’s hand and snuck the occasional glance at Elias. When Elias looked at him, Aiden immediately turned away, pretending to look at the window. On the other hand, Amanda smiled since she knew Elias was going crazy. After all, Aiden treated him like a monster.

Soon, they arrived at their destination.

As the car slowly drove into the entrance, Amanda saw the community’s name-Northern No. 1.

This was one of the wealthiest communities in Imperia. It had a great location and was close to the law firm, which would only take her about ten minutes of commute. Plus, only those who were rich or had authority could stay in this apartment. After all, it cost several million per house. However, Amanda wasn’t surprised that Elias had a home here since it was very convenient

The car stopped at Building Five, and Yacob got out of the car to unload their luggage. When Aiden exited the car, he was still keeping his distance from Elias, which made the latter very angry.

Forget it. He’s only a child, he thought.

They took the elevator to the 12th floor. Yacob dragged the luggage and opened the door for them. “After you, Miss Bailey.”

“Thank you, Yacob,” replied Amanda as she and Aiden entered the unit.

Elias looked at Yacob and instructed, “Wait for me in the car.”

“Yes,” replied Yacob. Then, he walked toward the elevator.

After that, Elias entered the place. Whenever he had a busy schedule, he would stay here since it would only take a few minutes to get to the company.

He entered the living room and went straight to the couch while Amanda and Aiden looked around. The interior spanned across 3,000 square feet, and the house looked sparkling clean.

“Have you stayed here before?” asked Amanda.

“Yes, I stay here whenever I’m in a hurry. After all, it’s close to the company,” Elias replied.

In the meantime, Aiden was nowhere to be seen as he looked around the house.

“Don’t run around, Aiden! Do you hear me? Don’t fool around!” Amanda shouted.

“I know that, Mommy! You’re so annoying!” Aiden’s voice came from somewhere else.

Suddenly, Elias said, “Do you and Aiden believe in the supernatural?”

At that moment, Amanda was startled. “What are you talking about?”

“It’s nothing. It’s probably just a rumor,” said Elias. “By the way, the password is your birthday. You can also use your fingerprint. Do you want me to set it up for you?”

“It’s fine. I’ll just unlock it with the passcode. What were you saying about the supernatural, though?” Amanda was curious. After all, she was afraid of ghosts and monsters. Even a horror movie was enough to scare her to death

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 148 Is it Really Haunted?

Elias deliberately maintained a calm demeanor. “It’s nothing serious. Someone jumped off the rooftop of Building Five, and there have been rumors of supernatural events since then. However, I’m sure you don’t believe in those things, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

When Amanda heard that, she became speechless instantly. Why didn’t this jerk mention it earlier? If he had told me earlier, I would have found another place. Now that we’re already here and it’s getting dark, it’s too late for us to find another house. At the very least, we will have to stay here tonight. Why do I feel like I’ve been fooled?

She then cleared her throat. “As a lawyer, I don’t believe in those things. Supernatural events are just a product of people’s fears. Nonetheless, she was genuinely afraid of those things.

Meanwhile, Elias could see through her facade of pretending to be strong. A smile appeared at the corners of his mouth as he slowly stood up. “Well, I’ll be leaving now. Call me if you need anything. I’ll be working overtime at the office tonight, but I can come over within minutes.”

“Alright, thank you.” She found it strange that he didn’t insist on staying. Has he really changed? As she followed closely behind him, she saw him off at the door.

When Elias arrived at the door, he seemed to remember something all of a sudden, so he turned around and said, “By the way, there are fresh ingredients in the refrigerator. You should cook dinner for Aiden later instead of ordering takeout. They’re not hygienic.”

“I got it.” She nodded.

As he left the house and closed the door, Amanda felt a sense of relief.

She had been constantly moving houses during this period, and it had made her mentally exhausted. I hope we can stay here a little longer this time.

At that moment, Aiden, who had finished exploring the entire house, finally came out. “This place is fun. Mommy. Can we stay here forever?” His face was full of anticipation, for he also hated moving houses. It took him a long time to adapt each time.

Amanda plopped on the couch lazily and said, “Baby, what do you want for dinner? I’ll cook for you.”

“Hmm… I want spaghetti,” he replied after considering it seriously for a moment.

This little brat loves eating spaghetti. It’s something we have in common. She thought spaghetti was the simplest to make and easiest way to get full. “Okay, let me rest for a bit before making spaghetti for you.”

After that, Aiden picked up the remote control and turned on the TV, searching for an anime series to watch. “Mommy, is this Mr. Winters’ house?”

“Yes.” Suddenly, she thought about something and sat up. “Baby, are you not going to talk to Mr. Winters anymore? Even if his house has an amusement park and cars in the garage, do you not want to talk to him anymore?”

He nodded. “Mr. Winters is scary, I don’t want to talk to him. He’s so fierce!

For some reason, she felt a little happy deep down. If that’s the case, it will be difficult for Ehai to compete for custody, and my baby’s attention will solely be on me.

“Okay. Enjoy your anime. Don’t sit too close to the TV, alright? I will make some spaghetti for you now” She smiled as she got up and walked toward the kitchen.

Meanwhile, in a car downstairs, Elias was seated in the backseat, closing his eyes as if he were resting.

“Are we really going to do this, Mr. Winters? I’m afraid it will scare Miss Bailey and Aiden.” Yacob couldn’t help but speak up. Although Elias claimed it was to improve their father-son relationship, this plan seemed excessive.

“I can’t worry about that anymore. Have you taken care of everything I asked you to do?”

“It’s all been taken care of. Everything has been set up, and it will start once the switch is activated.” Yacob handed a tablet to the man in the backseat. Last night, he had already set up the house according to Elias” instructions, all for the purpose of staging a heroic rescue of Amanda and Aiden tonight.

After Elias took the tablet, he saw the live surveillance feed of everything happening inside the house. At that moment, Aiden was watching TV on the couch while Amanda prepared dinner in the kitchen.

He glanced at the time on his wrist and realized it was still early; it was only a little past 8.00PM.

It isn’t time yet. “I’ll take a nap. Wake me up around 11.00PM” He then put the tablet aside and leaned back against the car seat, closing his eyes.

Yacob responded, “Okay.” Yet, he sighed deep down. Why go to such lengths? If we really scare Miss Bailey and the child, they will be traumatized. I just don’t understand what Mr. Winters is thinking

After the mother and son finished their spaghetti, Amanda bathed Aiden and got ready for bed, intending to put him to sleep,

It was already past 10.00PM when she finally managed to lull him to sleep. He always had trouble sleeping whenever they moved to a new place, and it took a long time for her to settle him down.

Seeing him sound asleep, she quietly got up and prepared to take a hot bath herself before going to sleep.

Inside the bathroom, she soaked herself in the bathtub and added some essential oils for relaxation: When she closed her eyes, she felt so relaxed that she nearly fell asleep.

At this moment, it was almost IL00PM.

Suddenly, she heard faint noises coming from the house, disturbing her drowsiness. She leaned against the bathtub, thinking she must have misheard, but the sounds gradually became clearer.

She couldn’t help feeling nervous and woke up completely. After she got out of the bathtub, she wrapped. towel around herself.

The house, which was over 3,000 square feet, seemed quite large. Her first instinct was to check on the sleeping child in his room.

When she pushed the door open and found him sleeping peacefully, she heaved a sigh of relief.

Just then, another round of strange rattles came from the living room. Amanda was on tenterhooks once again.

The moment she arrived in the living room, the sounds disappeared. This made her start to doubt her own cars. Why do I keep hearing thingst

Just as she thought they might be auditory hallucinations due to fatigue, the strange sounds returned. Rattle, rattle, rattle…..

She turned around sharply and looked at the floor-to-ceiling windows. The curtains were tightly drawn. and the sound seemed to be coming from behind them.

When she noticed that, she couldn’t help but swallow nervously. “Who’s there? Show yourself!” Her heartbeat accelerated, and she didn’t dare approach or open the curtains.

Suddenly, the sound stopped.

Just then, she heard another sound coming from the direction of the dressing room. It seemed like a woman humming!

Terrified, every hair on her body stood on end. How could a woman be humming in this house? There’s only me and Aiden here.

She quickly remembered what Elias had said about a suicidal incident and asked if she was afraid of any supernatural events. Is this place actually haunted?

Her legs were trembling now, and she didn’t have the courage to look inside the dressing room. What if there really is a woman in there? She felt her sanity crumbling.

However, the woman’s humming from the dressing room grew louder. It was extremely eerie and terrifying.

She clutched the towel around her chest tightly and stood still in fear, her face pale.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 149 Mr Winters’ Successful Scheme.

“Who’s there? Show yourself!” shouted Amanda while trembling in fear. Yet, the sound persisted.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on her fair forehead. What should I do now?Aiden is still sleeping in the room next to the dressing room. I have to go and see what’s happening.

After she took a deep breath and mustered her courage, she held a nearby vase tightly and slowly walked toward the direction of the dressing room.

As she walked closer, the woman’s humming voice from the dressing room grew closer.

When she was two steps away from the dressing room, she stopped in her tracks. At this moment, her heart was pounding so quickly that it seemed as though it would pop out of her chest. She held the vase tightly and thought, If someone is inside, I’ll smash them with this immediately.

At this thought, she took a sudden step forward, bursting into the dressing room. Yet, the woman’s humming stopped abruptly, and the dressing room was empty.

She stared at the empty dressing room while breathing heavily. Am I hallucinating!!

Just then, Aiden’s voice came from the room next door. “Mommy, help!”

Amanda’s eyes widened instantly. She put down the vase and turned around, rushing back into the room.

When she opened the door, she saw Aiden hiding under the covers, trembling as if he had seen something. terrifying.

“What’s wrong, baby? What happened? She approached the bed and turned on the bedside lamp before taking Aiden from under the covers into her arms,

“The curtains moved, and sonicone was behind them. I’m scared, Mommy” The little one clung to her tightly.

The curtains? As she looked at the curtains, she tried to reassure Aiden in her arms. “It’s okay. There’s nothing there. You were probably half asleep and imagined the curtains moving”,

“It moved! I saw it! It’s so scary. There’s a ghost here, Mommy. I’m scared.” Aiden held onto her tightly with a frightened expression, refusing to look back at the curtains as he was deeply terrified.

“Okay, you stay here. I will go and take a look. Don’t worry, there aren’t any ghosts. You must have had a bad dream.” After saying that, she got up and walked toward the curtains. To be honest, she was a little scared herself, especially after hearing the woman’s humming earlier. However, she had to set a good example for her child, or he would be too scared to sleep tonight.

She approached the curtains and prepared herself mentally before pulling the curtains aside abruptly. There was nothing behind them, only the dim moonlight coming through the window,

Seeing that, she let out a sigh of relief, then turned to look at Aiden on the bed. The little one had buried his face into the pillow, refusing to look. “Aiden, look, there’s nothing behind the curtains”

Only when he heard her voice did he gather the courage to look up.

“I didn’t lie to you, right? There aren’t any ghosts here.”

However, the little one widened his big eyes and suddenly screamed, “Ah! There’s a ghost! A ghost?” He
buried himself in the covers, wrapping himself tightly without leaving even a small gap.

When Amanda saw his reaction, she was stunned. What’s going on? She looked back at the window, but there was nothing. Why is he so scared?

She let go of the curtains and returned to the bed to pull the covers off Aiden. “You’ll suffocate yourself like this, Aiden. There’s nothing behind the curtains. What are you afraid of?”

As he nestled into her embrace, he cried helplessly, saying, “I’m so scared, Mommy. There’s a ghost here. I don’t want to stay in this room.”

Feeling somewhat helpless, she carried him out of the room, but she didn’t dare return to her room either. As such, she brought him to the living room, and the two of them huddled on the couch with the TV turned on to create some atmosphere and alleviate the fear in the house, Aiden listened to the noisy sound of cartoons on the TV and fell asleep while leaning against her leg

We can’t go on like this. Are we going to sleep on the couch tonight? At this moment, she remembered Elias telling her that he would be working overtime tonight, and his office was just a few minutes away by car. However, she didn’t want to trouble him.

At this moment, in a car downstairs, Elias held a tablet and watched the surveillance footage of Amanda’s pale face which was filled with fear. A mixture of sympathy and anger welled up within him. He couldn’t help but curse in a low voice, “Idiot! You’re so scared, yet you don’t even think of calling me. Isn’t your ex- husband also your husband? Why don’t you use me when you can?”

I told her that I would be working overtime today, but I could come over in just a few minutes.

Yacob, who was sitting in the driver’s seat, shook his head helplessly. Why does Mr. Winters have this hobby of scaring his wife and child like this? If something truly dreadful happens due to the scare, let’s see how he’ll handle it.

Suddenly, Elias raised his voice. “Who asked you to tamper with Aiden’s room? The curtains were moving so violently, and it scared him to tears!” Seeing Aiden hiding under the covers in fear made Elias’ heart. wrench. No matter how twisted he might be, he never intended to scare a little child. Besides, if the three- year-old child were to be scared to the point of harm, it would be too late for regrets.

Yacob felt wronged and said, “That room is where Miss Bailey sleeps, Mr. Winters. I didn’t expect Aiden to sleep there.”

“How dare you argue with me? I’m telling you this-if anything happens to my son because of this, you won’t be able to escape the consequences.”

Elias looked at the crying child and furrowed his brows in distress. I can’t wait to go up and give them a sense of security, but Amanda hain’t called me for help yet. If I go up now, wouldn’t I be admitting to this prank?

Hearing that, Yacob was speechless. You were the one who wanted to play a prank on them. Why is the blame falling on me now?

As Elias looked at the surveillance footage and saw the two of them pitifully huddling on the couch in the living room, he muttered under his breath. “Stupid woman, hurry up and call me now. Quick!”

He had been waiting for this moment, but Amanda would rather sleep on the couch with Aiden than call him.

At this moment, he looked up at the brightly lit window upstairs. Let’s see how long she can hold out. What if she manages to hold out the entire night without calling me, though? He fell into contemplation.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated. A glimmer flashed across his dark eyes as he looked at the phone placed aside, showing Amanda’s number on the screen. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but he casually picked up the phone, deliberately not answering it immediately.

Instead, Yacob was the anxious one. “Why aren’t you answering the call, Mr. Winters? It’s Miss Bailey.”

Elias, however, looked disdainful. “Why the rush? Have you ever seen anyone working overtime answer a call so promptly?” I need to play the role to the fullest. Otherwise, any flaws will expose me

Hearing that, Yacob was speechless once again and complained to himself, Just do whatever you want. Mr. Winters.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 150 Is This Really Happening?

With his phone in hand, Elias waited for ten seconds before calmly answering the call. He pretended to be busy and spoke in a low voice. “What’s up? Is something wrong?”

When Yacob saw Elias excellent acting skills, he couldn’t help but sigh. It’s a shame his acting talent is being hindered by his status and position. It’s a great loss for the entertainment industry. If he were in showbiz, he would be an award-winning actor.

Meanwhile, Amanda’s slightly awkward voice came through the phone. “Um, are you busy? Are you still working? If you’re busy, forget it. It’s not anything important.”

At that, Elias furrowed his brows. Tm almost done. Go ahead if you have something to say. I’m about to leave.” I need to put on a complete performance, but I shouldn’t overdo it.

“Well, it’s already late, and it’ll take you a while to get back to the estate. Since the office is just a few minutes away from here, why don’t you come over and stay for the night? We have plenty of rooms.”

He smiled at her well-justified excuse. It’s clear that she’s afraid and wants me to come quer and accompany them during the night, but she came up with such an excuse to make it sound more legitimate. Although he knew her intentions, he didn’t expose her. He replied in a deep voice, “Sure. I’ll be there in a few minutes.

“Okay. Can you hurry up? You said it’s very close.” Her voice sounded urgent, indicating that she was mentally exhausted from the fear.

“Alright, I’ll be quick. Five minutes. His smile grew even brighter, satisfied that his plan had worked perfectly.

Amanda continued to explain, “Also, Aiden is asking for food. When you pass by the 24-hour convenience store later, could you bring something for him? I can wait.”

At her words, Elias chuckled. “Okay. I’ll leave now” After that, he hung up the phone.

Once the call ended, he turned to Yacob and said. “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and go to the convenience store to buy some food.”

Only then did Yacob react and say, “Oh, okay. I’ll go now,”

Luckily, there was a 24-hour convenience store in the neighborhood, or he would have had to go outside the neighborhood.

After hanging up the phone, Amanda felt relieved. At least I’ll feel more secure with a man at home. Otherwise, I won’t be able to sleep tonight.

She glanced at Aiden in her arms, who had an extremely insecure sleeping posture. It seemed like he had a nightmare as he furrowed his brows and whimpered.

At the sight of that, she gently patted his body to comfort him. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Mommy’s here.”

As for the unexplainable strange sounds, she couldn’t believe it was just her imagination. I don’t think Aiden and I hallucinated at the same time. When she recalled the eerie humming sound from the dressing room carlier, it still sent shivers down her spine. It was truly terrifying

Not long after, the doorbell rang, disturbing the sleeping Aiden. The little guy opened his eyes inIs This Really Happening? confusion and burrowed into his mother’s arms. “Mommy!”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Mr. Winters will be with us tonight, so everything will be fine.” As she patted his head gently, she could feel that he hadn’t slept well, as his forehead was covered in cold sweat.

“Really?” He looked up.

“Of course. Mr. Winters is ringing the doorbell now. I will get the door. Once he’s here, we won’t be afraid anymore. Even if there are ghosts, Mr. Winters will chase them away, okay?” She finally realized the importance of a father figure in her child’s life.

“Okay.” He nodded, but his face still showed fear.

When Amanda walked to the entrance and opened the door, she saw Elias’ tall figure standing outside as he held a bag from the convenience store. That’s fast.”

At her remark, he lifted the convenience store bag in his hand. “You said Aiden was asking for food, so I was afraid he would get hungry,” he said while entering the house.

The moment she saw Elias, she instantly felt a sense of unprecedented peace. Is this the sense of security brought about by a man’s masculinity?

Before the doorbell rang, the house was shrouded in fear. Yet, as soon as Elias entered, the terrifying atmosphere vanished instantly. It can’t be denied that his strong presence seems to have the power to ward off evil spirits.

He hadn’t even entered the living room yet when he heard the loud sounds coming from the TV, seemingly as though Amanda wanted the noise to reach every corner of the house. It looks like they’re really frightened. Have I gone too far with this prank?

When he walked toward the couch, he saw his pitiful son nestling there. “Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?” He placed the convenience store bag on the coffee table.

Aiden was initially scared of him. However, after being frightened by the moving curtains in the room, he no longer found Elias scary.

He shook his head and deliberately leaned closer to Elias as if being close to the man would make him less afraid of ghosts. “Are you scared of ghosts?” Just then, Aiden asked in all seriousness.

Surprised by his question, Elias chuckled. “No, I’m not. Are you?”

The little one nodded earnestly. “In that case, will you protect Mommy and me tonight? There’s a ghost here. I saw it”

Amanda, who was sitting on the couch, felt slightly awkward. This little brat changes his tune quickly, huh? Just a few hours ago, he was hiding from Elias as if he were avoiding a ghost, but he’s not leaning against him, being all gentle and obedient.

“Sure, I’ll protect you two, but what did you see? Are you sure you didn’t mistake it for something else?” Elias asked, for he didn’t want to instill any supernatural ideas in his son’s mind. Setting up that room was a bad idea. It seems to have scared this little one quite a bit.

At his question, Aiden’s eyes widened, and he said seriously, “No, listen to me. I really saw it. I saw the curtains moving, and there was a ghost outside the window. It was terrifying. I’m scared”

Elias reached out his big palm and gently caressed the little boy’s fluffy head. “It’s okay. I’m here. I’m not
afraid of those things, alright?”

“In that case, Mr. Winters, can you stay awake tonight?”

At that, Elias was speechless. Wow, he’s bolder than I am. He’s actually asking me to stay up all night, eh?

“What for?” Amanda couldn’t help but ask.

“If Mr. Winters falls asleep, he won’t be able to protect us anymore. I’ll be scared if he’s asleep,” Aiden replied.

When she heard his answer, she had no comeback. This little brat is quite thoughtful.

Elias, on the other hand, was amused by his son’s innocent words and readily agreed. “Alright, I won’t sleep tonight. I’ll protect you. There’s no need to be scared anymore. Are you okay with sleeping now?”

“Yes, I can relax and sleep well now.” Aiden seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He relaxed and was no longer as tense and scared as before.

However, what he said next left both adults stunned. “Mommy, can Mr. Winters sleep in the same bed as us tonight? I don’t want him to be too far away from us.

At this moment, both Amanda and Elias didn’t know what to say.

Is this really happening? he thought.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 151 What a Heartwarming Sight

Elias replied, “I’m fine with it. It’s up to your mom.”

He passed on the question directly to Amanda, as if she would be a sinner if she were to refuse.

Aiden thus looked at Amanda with anticipation. “Mommy, is that okay? Can we let Uncle Elias sleep in the same bed with us? That way, he can protect us at all times. Please!” he pleaded, not forgetting to tug at his mother’s hand like a pampered child.

She was utterly speechless. This little brat spends every moment looking out for the interests of his scumbag of a father. As expected of Elias’ own son! Seeing the faint smile curving the man’s lips, she shot him a glare, chiding. “What are you smiling at? You intended this from the start, didn’t you?”

Elias replied with a mask of seriousness in an extremely shameless manner, “It’s Aiden who wants us to sleep in the same bed. Did I say anything? And besides, it’s normal for a kid to be afraid, so we should satisfy his demands.”

Amanda was lost for words for a while… “Alright, it’s okay if you’re not afraid that way.” She smiled at Aiden. When she turned her gaze to Elias, however, her face wore a different expression, with eyes that seemed to say. Look how I’m gonna kick you out of bed once Baby is asleep!

“Yay! Mommy, you’re amazing! Let’s go to sleep, then! I’m so sleepy, and I want to sleep in bed. It’s not Comfortable sleeping on the couch, Aiden said, jumping from the couch to the rug before boldly trotting toward the bedroom, as if he had nothing to fear anymore in the presence of Elias. Nevertheless, he stopped at the bedroom door to look back at the man. “Come over here, Uncle Elias. You go in and lie in bed first.”

Elias frowned at his timid demeanor. Is it even proper for a man to be so afraid of ghosts? Slowly, he stood up and walked toward the boy.

Amanda had to admit that her frayed nerves had relaxed a lot since the man arrived. She felt as though even if the sky came crashing down, Elias would be there to hold up the sky for her.

Elias walked into the bedroom. Seeing the boy stand at the door, he said, “Come on in, it’s okay. Ghosts don’t exist in the world. I’m not afraid, and you don’t have to be afraid either, hmm?”

Aiden was still standing outside, seemingly frightened by the fluttering curtains. “Uncle Elias, can you please lie down in bed? Please.” Still afraid to come in, he hid behind the door.

Elias felt rather helpless. Seems like I have to teach this kid a lesson to instill some ideas into him. How is he gonna be a grown-up man in the future if he’s so afraid of ghosts? He had no choice but to lie down first on one side of the bed in resignation before looking at Aiden. “Alright, come over now.”

Seeing that the man was lying in bed just fine, Aiden finally stepped into the bedroom in relief. Climbing onto the soft and spongy bed, he burrowed under the covers and then shouted at Amanda, “Come over here, Mommy! Lie down here. I’m not scared if you and Uncle Elias sleep on each side of me.”

“I got it!” Amanda reluctantly walked up to the bed and was pissed off to see Elias lying comfortably on the other side. After lying down on Aiden’s left side, she pulled the covers off his head. “Alright, you’re not afraid anymore now, are you? Just be good and go to sleep. Uncle Elias and I are here with you, so no ghosts or demons can hurt you.”

Finding himself between Amanda and Elias, Aiden now felt extremely safe, and he closed his eyes contentedly. “Mommy, I’m telling you, both of you are gonna stay here tonight. You two have to keep staying with me like this… Or I’ll have a nightmare…” he said. Before he finished his sentence, he fell asleep.

in an instant once again, his breathing even.

Seeing him fall asleep at once, Amanda smiled with amusement. What a little piglet who falls asleep as soon as he wants to!

As she watched Aiden, Elias stared at her with a tender smile on his lips. This was probably the scene every man would dream of having in their life. Seeing his wife and son lying beside him, he thought it was worth doing whatever it took for this to happen.

Sensing the man’s intense stare, Amanda looked up and happened to meet his pitch-black couldn’t help but glare at him, whispering, “What are you looking at?! Come out now!”

She tried to get out of bed as she spoke, but Elias grabbed her before she could. For fear of waking the child, he said under his breath, “Let’s wait a little longer. He’s not soundly asleep yet.”

Also fearing that Aiden wasn’t sleeping well, Amanda had no choice but to stay with him for a while longer. After half an hour or so, she made sure that Aiden was in a deep, peaceful sleep. Only then did the two adults get out of bed and leave the room.

After they entered the living room, Amanda could finally raise her voice. “I’m telling you; Aiden is only so clingy to you because he feels a bit uncomfortable in a new environment tonight. Once he gets used to it in a couple of days, he won’t even want to talk to you!” She couldn’t help but feel jealous at seeing her son cling to Elias..

Elias let out a chuckle. “Have you gotten used to it now? Aren’t you the one who called me over?”

Amanda retorted, “I called you over? That’s because I thought it would take you a long time to go back to the Winters Estate at this hour, plus this house is yours in the first place, so it’s better for you to stay nearby for the night! And besides, it was your son who cried for you to keep him company, not me, okay?!” She would never admit that she was the one who wanted him to come over because she was also scared to death.

Elias asked, “Well then, where am I going to sleep tonight? If Aiden wakes up and finds that we aren’t lying. next to him, he’ll probably cry with fright again. Are you sure you want him to get scared over and over again?” In reality, he had his own intentions despite the seemingly justified excuse. He really wanted to experience what it was like to have his wife and son sleeping next to him. It’ll probably feel very reassuring, as if having the whole world to oneself.

Amanda frowned. He’s right. Baby’s psychologically vulnerable right now. If he gets scared again, he might really get traumatized. “You go shower now, then. I’m telling you, you’re gonna sleep on Aiden’s right side, while I’ll sleep on his left. You’re not allowed to do anything.” She fiercely pointed at the man’s chest.

Elias smiled helplessly. “Do you think I’ll sink to that level? What can I do in front of our kid?”

Amanda turned around without saying another word and went to the closet to fetch pajamas for him. This was his house in the first place, so there were plenty of men’s clothes in the closet.

A fond smile curved Elias’ lips as he watched her from behind. Well, it’s a long night, but I feel quite happy. He took a quick shower in the bathroom before changing into his pajamas, ready to go back and sleep next to his son. When he returned to the room, he found that Amanda was already lying asleep next to the boy. What a heartwarming sight this is…

He slowed down and gently lay down on the other side, watching Amanda and their son’s sleeping faces. for a long time… Then, he turned off the lights. As darkness enveloped the whole bedroom, he slowly closed his eyes and wrapped his long arms around Aiden and Amanda, his lips curling into a smile. Soon after that, he entered into a deep sleep.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 152 Fever

Tonight was probably the first night on which Elias had a very peaceful sleep. He had a long, long dream, in which he traveled back to four years ago. Amanda told him she was pregnant and produced the pregnancy test strip showing a positive result. This time, he believed her without a doubt and accompanied her to the hospital for a pregnancy checkup. Just when he dreamed of accompanying her to undergo a color Doppler ultrasound scan, he suddenly awoke from his dream.

In a sleepy haze, he felt a small hand touching his face all over. After knitting his brows for a moment, he slowly opened his eyes to see Aiden’s little face. The boy was staring at him like a curious baby while continuing to poke him with his little hand.

Aiden was apparently startled to see the man open his eyes. “Mommy! Uncle Elias is awake!”

Elias then saw Amanda come over with a rather serious expression. “You’re up at last? You had a fever in the middle of last night. We were scared to death and wanted to send you to the hospital, but we couldn’t wake you up no matter what, so we had no choice but to try to cool your body temperature.”

Only then did Elias notice that he had an iced towel on his forehead. So, this little brat is poking my face to see if my fever has gone down? He wanted to say something, only to find that his throat was dry and sore, making it hard for him to speak.

“You want to drink some water?” Amanda turned to look at the boy. “Baby, go pour a glass of water for Uncle Elias, okay? He’s ill right now, so he can’t get up on his own.”

“Okay!” Aiden climbed out of bed and ran out of the bedroom as fast as his little legs could carry him.

Amanda came over and removed the iced towel from his forehead. After touching his forehead for a moment, she said, “Good thing that your fever has finally gone down a little. Now get up and take the fever medicine.” As she spoke, she struggled to help him to a sitting position with his back against the headboard.

Seeing how she took care of himself, Elias felt that it touched a soft spot in his heart. Just then, Aiden entered the bedroom holding a glass of water. He said in a childlike voice, “Mommy, here’s the water.”

Amanda took the glass of water without forgetting to praise him. “Thank you so much, Baby. What a good boy.”

Elias couldn’t help but smile at how mature his son was. Before going to sleep last night, he had felt happy to see his wife and son sleeping before his eyes, but the scene right now made him even happier-so happy that he was willing to do whatever it took to freeze this moment in time.

Amanda handed the water and medicine to him. “Here, take the fever medicine. If it doesn’t reduce your fever, you’ll have no choice but to go to the hospital.”

Elias washed down the pills in one gulp with most of the water.

Aiden looked on while asking in a childlike voice, “Mommy, is Uncle Elias gonna die from his illness?”

Elias’ lips twitched involuntarily for a moment. Is this little brat hoping that I’ll die young?

Amanda couldn’t help but laugh in amusement. “Why would he die from that? He just has a fever, so he’s not going to die from that. It’s like when you got put on a drip in the hospital last time, remember?”

“Oh… that hurts a lot. It hurts to be put on a drip.” Aiden turned to look at Elias. “Are you scared?”

The man patted his head with a smile. “No, I’m not scared.”

“You’re very brave, Uncle Elias. I got put on a drip last time, and it hurt when the nurse put the needle in my arm. I even cried, you know.”

“You cried?” Elias asked with a laugh.

“Yeah!” Aiden replied in all seriousness. “My arm bled when that nurse put the needle in it. It hurt a lot.”

Elias’ lips curled into a smile. Patiently, he listened to his son’s story of his stay in the hospital. Amanda said, “Let Aiden stay with you while I make some congee. You probably don’t have much appetite for food, but you should eat a little to get something in your stomach.” She stood up and was about to

leave.

Elias couldn’t help but ask, “Don’t you have to go to work at your law firm today?”

“Today’s my day off,” replied Amanda before stepping out of the bedroom. And besides, I’ve moved out of the villa in Galaxy Bay. If I go to the law firm, I’ll get pestered by Simon again, which I honestly have no idea how to deal with. Let’s run away from all of this for the time being, she thought to herself.

Meanwhile, Aiden fetched his picture book over, suggesting, “Uncle Elias, let me tell you a story, okay?”

“Sure.”

The boy thus began to tell the story according to the picture book. He told the story in such an incoherent way that no one could understand what he was talking about, but Elias nonetheless listened very seriously. He felt as though he had gotten addicted to this tender place, unwilling to go anywhere now that he had his beloved woman and child with him.

After about an hour, Amanda entered the bedroom to get them to eat breakfast. “Aiden, go eat your breakfast. And you, can you move? Would you like me to bring your breakfast in for you?” She spoke to him gently, which was rare. This was because she thought she had something to do with the man’s fever. She and Aiden had snatched the blanket last night, leaving him to sleep for most of the night without a blanket, which was how he caught a cold and had a fever.

Elias was quite unused to her being so gentle toward him. Tll eat in the dining room.” Throwing back the blanket, he stood up and walked out of the bedroom.

The three of them ended up sitting at the dining table ready for breakfast. This made them look very much like a family of three.

Amanda served Aiden a small bowl of congee. “Hurry and finish it.” Then, she filled another bowl with congee and placed it in front of Elias, saying, “Eat more if you have an appetite. If you don’t, you can eat.less of it

Elias narrowed his eyes while studying her facial expression.

Amanda felt somewhat uneasy under his stare. “What’s wrong? Why are you staring at me like this? Do I have something on my face?”

Elias asked with a solemn face, “I can’t help feeling that something’s wrong. Why are you so gentle toward me all of a sudden? Did you do something wrong to me?” He couldn’t help feeling that Amanda’s gentleness at this moment had a hint of guilt about it.

“What nonsense are you talking about? I’m not being gentle all of a sudden. You’re overthinking it.”





Amanda lowered her head and ate her breakfast, not wanting to talk to him again.

To her surprise, Aiden, who was sitting between them, answered innocently. “Uncle Elias, Mommy said you got ill because we snatched your blanket last night, so we have to be nicer to you.”

“Aiden Bailey! Can’t you eat instead of talking?!” Amanda picked up a piece of garlic bread and stuffed it in his mouth while shooting him a glare.

Seeing how angry his mother was, Aiden ducked his head and ate breakfast obediently, not daring to speak anymore.

At last, Elias understood what was going on. “Oh… So that’s it. I wondered why it was so cold last night. So, it turns out that you two snatched my blanket, huh?” He let out a chuckle. Watching the guilty-looking mother and son before him, he found them very adorable.

Amanda replied stubbornly, “Don’t listen to his nonsense. You caught a chill last night by throwing off the blanket yourself. And besides, that blanket isn’t big enough for the three of us in the first place.”

Elias narrowed his eyes. “I don’t care about that. It’s because of you two that I have a fever now, so you two have to take care of me. There’s no way I can go to work today, so I’m staying here for a good rest.”

Amanda was speechless. This jerk has started acting shameless again!

Arden blinked his puppy-dog eyes. “But I’m a kid. How am I supposed to take care of you? I need somebody to take care of me, too.”

Elias replied, “You can pour me some water to drink.”

Aiden was stupefied.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 153 Don’t Make Me Do It

Amanda really couldn’t stand this anymore. How can this jerk be so unforgiving? “You’re really something. Elias! You’re not even sparing the kid?”

Elias leisurely ate his congee. “He’s part of the reason why I got a cold. Had he not been afraid of ghosts. and insisted that I sleep with him, I wouldn’t have had my blanket snatched away, nor would I have caught a cold,” he argued, not forgetting to tickle Aiden’s nose with his finger. “What do you think, kiddo? Isn’t that right?”

Aiden stared at him before nodding. “Yeah, it seems so

Amanda was speechless. Oh, why are you so obedient to him, my dumb son? “Your fever has almost gone down, and you took fever medicine just now, so you’ll be fine in the afternoon. Don’t latch onto us! I’m taking Baby to the movies this afternoon. He’s been asking to see a movie for a long time,” she said.

Taking a bite of garlic bread, Elias replied, “What should we do, then? I feel like my fever’s not going away today, so I need somebody to take care of me. How about this? I’ll go with you two to the movies. If I get really unwell, you can send me to the hospital anytime.”

Aiden nodded vigorously. “Yeah, let’s go with us, Uncle Elias! ‘PAW Patrol’ is a fun movie to watch!”

PAW Patrol? Elias frowned; he had hardly watched any children’s movies before. He had disliked children before having a son, nor had he felt any desire to tease other people’s kids when he saw them. Seems like L have to pay more attention to children’s preferences from now on.

Amanda was lost for words. This jerk really has no sense of shame!

In the afternoon, Amanda brought Aiden to the movie theater, accompanied by a tall and handsome ‘bodyguard-Elias-from behind. They looked like a family of three coming to the movies, causing many to cast envious glances at them.

After Amanda took the tickets, Aiden nagged her for popcorn and drinks, so she could only head to the counter to buy them. “Tell the lady what you’d like to drink,” she said while lifting him up.

Aiden just wanted Coke. “Madam, I’d like Coke with lots of ice! Thank you so much, madam.”

“Okay! What a good boy you are, little boy. The three of you are so good-looking,” said the movie theater attendant to Amanda with a smile while getting the Coke for Aiden.

Feeling embarrassed, Amanda smiled without saying a word. The three of us, huh… She looked back at Elias, who was standing beside her. Indeed, if they hadn’t divorced, they would’ve been a family of three now. Many times she wondered what if they hadn’t divorced and if Elias had believed Aiden’s existence back then. Would the three of them be living a happy life as a family now?

“Thank you.” Elias naturally took the popcorn and Coke when they were handed over. Seeing that the movie was about to start in five minutes, he turned to look at Amanda, saying, “Let me carry him instead. You take these.”

Amanda didn’t refuse either, for she was really tired of carrying Aiden in her arms right now. This brat is really getting heavier, she thought.

On the contrary, Elias effortlessly picked the boy up with one arm.

Amanda followed behind them, but when they arrived at the ticket entrance, an awkward situation happened….

Amanda couldn’t believe they would actually bump into Simon and Lunabelle here. They’re coming to the movies together? So, Simon professed his faithful love for me while maintaining such a relationship with Lunabelle? All of a sudden, she felt like she had been cheated. She thought she was very important to Simon, but in reality, he could never get over Lunabelle. At this instant, many thoughts crossed her mind until they were. jumbled together.

Aiden, on the other hand, called out naturally, “Uncle Simon!”

Simon was also surprised to see the three of them; he also never expected Amanda would come to the movies with Elias in such harmony. “You two-” he began, but just when he wanted to speak, Lunabelle interrupted, “Simon, let’s go in. The movie’s about to start.”

Amanda ignored Simon and merely greeted Lunabelle with a smile, saying, “It’s been a while.”

“Uh-huh.” Lunabelle was apparently cold toward Amanda, perhaps because she was offended by the latter meeting Simon’s parents with him earlier.

Elias said nothing throughout, nor did he bother to speak. He only wanted to punch Simon at the sight of this guy. However, Aiden had gotten quite a fright when he did so last time, so he learned to keep silent. now After showing their tickets, he walked toward Hall No. 7 with the boy in his arms, and Amandà caught up with them.

Simon couldn’t help but call out to her, “Amanda, Lunabelle has been showing signs of depression lately. so I came here with her to help her relax.”

Amanda pondered for a moment, but she had no idea how to answer. All she could say was an impassive “Uh-huh,” before she turned toward Hall No. 7.

Needless to say, Simon and Lunabelle weren’t here to see a children’s movie, so they went to Hall No. 5.

Lunabelle was very displeased with the man’s explanation, and she felt bitter deep down. “Simon, if you care that much about how Amanda feels, just go to her instead. I’m not important. I can watch the movie alone.”

Simon replied, “Let’s go. The movie is about to start. At this moment, he was angry deep down. He didn’t understand why Amanda had always been inseparable from Elias lately. She had agreed to marry him, and yet she was so iffy about it. Is she giving up just because of what my parents said to her? Does she really have no feelings for me? For the past four years that they had spent abroad, Amanda had been incredibly dependent on him, and Aiden had made many attempts to bring them together. He had thought several times that he and Amanda would end up being together, but he never thought things would turn out like this after they returned to their home country.

A movie generally lasted about two hours. After the movie ended, Amanda walked out of Hall No. 7, praying deep down that they wouldn’t bump into Simon and Lunabelle again.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as she wished. The movie Simon and Lunabelle watched seemed to have ended as well, and they came out at just the same time.

Aiden had fallen asleep when the movie ended, so Elias had no choice but to carry the boy out of Hall No. 7. Running into Simon and Lunabelle again, he also chose to ignore them.

Lunabelle was the first to speak. “What a coincidence. Your movie has ended as well?”

Elias couldn’t answer that, so only Amanda nodded, saying, “Yeah. Well, we gotta go. The kid’s asleep.”

Seeing how the three of them looked like such a happy family, Simon finally snapped. He stepped forward. and grabbed Amanda’s wrist, asking, “Amanda, are we strangers from now on? Don’t you forget that just said yes to my marriage proposal! Are you giving up just because of a few harsh words from my parents? Am I so unimportant to you?”

Amanda was at a momentary loss for,how to deal with Simon’s sudden verbal attack.

On the other hand, Elias strode over and wrenched Simon’s hand away. He warned through clenched teeth in a grim voice, “I don’t want to get into a fight in front of my kid, so don’t make me do it. Get lost!” With that, he took Amanda by the hand toward the elevator lobby.

Just then, Aiden let out a moan, seemingly roused from sleep by the altercation.

Elias patted him on the back, soothing him back to sleep.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 154 Cat and Mouse

“Elias!” Simon roared angrily.

He had finally reached his last straw after losing to Elias time and time again. Why was he still being stopped by Elias even after his proposal was a success?

“Enough, Simon, don’t do this in front of Aiden. You’ve already scared him that night.” Amanda stopped. him, her head aching at the thought of another fight breaking out between the two men.

What hurt Simon the most was Amanda’s behavior-she was clearly favoring Elias. Was she still unable to forget him?

At that, she began to pull Elias away with her as a crowd had already begun to form.

Simon was about to chase after them when Lunabelle held him back. “Simon, I’m feeling a little unwell. Can you send me back home?”

As he was the cause of Lunabelle’s depression, Simon had no choice but to give in. He couldn’t just throw away his responsibility, after all.

Meanwhile, Amanda sat in the back seat with Aiden in her arms while Elias took the wheel. No one said a word throughout the entire journey, causing the atmosphere to turn frigid.

Amanda remained silent as she did not know what to say, while Elias was too lost in his thoughts to speak, wondering how he could make Simon fully give up. He couldn’t stand Simon pestering his wife and son all the time. Besides, he hadn’t been able to get Amanda back to his side yet, and this was a dangerous. factor.

Upon returning to Northern No. 1, Amanda placed Aiden back in the bedroom and carefully covered him with a blanket. After leaving the room, she noticed that Elias was smoking a cigarette on the couch in the living room, giving a rough edge to his striking features.

This man did not seem like Aiden’s father at all; if anything, he was more like his elder brother. Besides, he did not act like one either, and his temper was still as horrendous as before.

When he noticed her emerging from the bedroom, Elias immediately straightened his posture out the cigarette and put

“Do you still have a fever? You should go back to your room and get some rest if you’re tired,” Amanda- said.

However, Elias refused, “I’m not tired. Come here, let’s have a talk.”

As they were the only two people in the living room, the air was filled with tension yet awkward at the same time. After a moment of hesitation, she took a seat on the couch as well. “What do you want to talk about? If it’s about our remarriage, then forget it. I really don’t think there’s any need for us to repeat the same mistakes.”

He hadn’t even had the chance to speak, but Amanda casily forced his words back into his chest with just a single sentence.

As Elias fell silent and stared at her for a long while, she raised an eyebrow slightly. “Go on, didn’t you say you wanted to talk to me?”

“There’s nothing for me to say anymore; you blocked off all of my chances.”

Hearing that, Amanda couldn’t help but let out a laugh. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she asked, “I’ve never been able to understand why you want a remarriage so badly. You didn’t like me back. then, but do you like me now? Are you sure that you will spend the rest of your life with me if we get. married again? Or, do you only want it because of our child?”

“I wanted to marry you again even before I knew about our child.”

Amanda remained silent, realizing that he was right. Back then, although Elias was still unaware of Aiden’s existence, he was still extremely determined to remarry her.

She couldn’t figure out if his desire to take her back was just a moment of impulse or if he had come to terms with his own feelings. Had he really fallen for her? She couldn’t bring herself to believe this fact at all.

That evening, at Paradise Night Club, Elias holed himself up in an isolated corner, drinking his sorrows away.

Seeing that, Lazarus walked over and took a seat next to him, saying in a deliberately mocking tone, “What’s wrong, Mr. Elias? Troubled by women again?”

Elias spat out without bothering to spare him a glance. “Get lost!”

Lazarus let out a cheery laugh. “Come on, tell me what troubles you have. Who knows? I might be able to help you out.”

At his words, Elias lifted his gaze and looked at him. Lazarus was a Casanova who was well-versed in the ways of love, so he might be able to come up with a solution for his problems.

Hence, Elias spoke up in his languid yet sultry tone. Tell me, how can I make a woman change her mind?”

“Change her mind? That means she’s an ex-girlfriend, right? When did you get an ex-girlfriend without me knowing? Do you miss her?” Lazarus instantly bombarded him with a string of questions, causing his head to hurt.

Elias turned peeved. “I came here for your help to solve my problems, not for you to add to them. You’re annoying.”

Besides the Winters Family, his secret marriage with Amanda was hidden from everyone, including Lazarus. Moreover, as he was extremely against being forced into an arranged marriage by Howard, he had never brought it up to any outsiders.

Lazarus cleared his throat. “I’ll help you, you lovesick fool, but you have to tell me who that woman is, and what kind of person she is. I have to get a basic understanding of her before I can make a proposal.”

“A proposal?” Elias’ eyes were filled with confusion. Since when was a proposal needed to pursue a woman?

Lazarus replied with a nonchalant expression, “Of course! Do you think it’s easy to pursue a woman? It’s simple if you don’t like her, but pursuing a woman you like is practically impossible.”

Elias fell silent, agreeing with his words.

Then, he took out his phone and showed a picture of Amanda to him. “This is her. She’s a lawyer, and as for her personality… she used to be meek and timid, but it seems like she’s changed now.”

Four years ago, Amanda was just an ordinary girl who didn’t stand out in any way, but she grew into a woman with character after becoming a lawyer.

Upon seeing Amanda’s picture, Lazarus jolted in surprise. “Her again? Didn’t I tell you that she’s bad news? I saw her getting an abortion at the hospital four years ago, so why are you still

Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Elias. “That kid was mine! Her first love, first kiss, and first time were all mine. What else do you want to know?”

In an instant, Lazarus fell silent. He blinked his eyes, then shook his head before finally giving Elias a thumbs-up. “Your Highness, I no longer have any questions.”

“Stop wasting my time. Hurry up and tell me how you think I can make her change her mind.”

However, Lazarus pressed relentlessly as if he were a curious student, “So you want to get her back? I’m really curious about how badly you hurt her. How could she not change her mind about your family, looks, and qualifications? This woman is quite the determined one.”

Elias’ face darkened as he gritted out, “Can you just get to the point?!”

At the sight of his annoyed expression, Lazarus let out a laugh. “Okay, okay, I’ll stop teasing you. This lady really does seem difficult to deal with unless she’s willing to cooperate. However, I still have a proposal- you need to take a different approach.”

“What does that mean?” Elias narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering what Lazarus meant by a different. approach.

Lazarus leaned on the couch. “It’s called playing cat and mouse.”

“Playing cat and mouse? That’s the proposal you came up with?” Elias was genuinely moments away from emptying his drink over Lazarus’ head.

What kind of rubbish proposal is that? Play cat and mouse? How would I have the nerve to play cat and mouse with the way Amanda is right now?

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 155 Almost Like a Changed Man

Upon seeing his look of fury, Lazarus slowly said, “Calm down and let me explain. There’s a reason behind. these things. How would someone who has never pursued a woman like you understand?”

This was the truth-Elias had never pursued any woman as they had always been the ones doing the chasing.

“Out with it already!” Elias growled, suppressing the ball of fire in his chest.

Lazarus poured himself a glass of wine, which he took a small sip from before slowly explaining, “Do you think there’s any point in forcing her like this? Is she giving you the slightest chance? The more you chase after her, the more firmly she rejects you, right?”

Elias didn’t reply. It seemed that that was indeed the case; either way, it was true that Amanda refused to give in.

Elias’ silence told Lazarus that he had hit the nail on the head. Clearing his throat, he began to speak with the tone of a seasoned master. “That’s why you should change your tactics in a time like this. Women are all the same; she’ll get annoyed if you chase her too much, but she won’t feel comfortable if you stop all of a sudden. If you still have a place in her heart, she might even pursue you instead.

“If I still have a place in her heart?” Elias repeated. “Four years ago, perhaps, but now… I don’t know.”

He had hurt her heart, and now he didn’t have a clue if he still held a place in her heart.

Despite that, Lazarus said, “That makes things easy. If you had a place in her heart before, you still do. She’s just scared from the hurt you caused her and doesn’t want to make the same mistake again.”

Elias listened to his confident speech, unsure if he actually understood. However, at a time like this, he could only make do with what he had.

“Hurry up and tell me your plan. Stop beating around the bush and act like a man,” Elias said disdainfully. He disliked Lazarus’ ramblings the most; it would always take him ages to get to the point.

“Are you believing me at last? You have to hand it off to me when it comes to things like this. I definitely know women better than you. Let me tell you, women are all…” Lazarus began to boast.

Unable to bear with his antics anymore, Elias threatened, “Another word of nonsense from you and I’ll pour this bottle of wine over your head.”

“Look at that temper of yours. Do you think she’d dare to change her mind? What if you hurt her again?”

Elias let out an angry laugh. He was nearly losing his mind from frustration, but Lazarus had yet to get to the point.

He held his anger in and clenched his fists tightly, biting out through gritted teeth, “Are you going to fucking tell me or not? If not, I’m leaving.”

As soon as he finished, he stood up to leave when Lazarus suddenly held him back. “Okay, okay, I’ll tell you. Why are you still so aggressive? I’ll tell you my plan now…”

Elias’ expression finally eased at his words. He returned to his seat to patiently listen to Lazarus’ instructions, and he was so focused it was almost as if he was about to retrieve a pen and paper to start taking notes.

At the same time, back in Northern No. 1, Aiden’s voice sounded.

“Mommy, I’m hungry.”

Amanda was spacing out in the living room when Aiden suddenly woke up and left his room with a bleary-eyed look.

“Hungry? What do you want to eat? I’ll make some for you.”

She glanced outside the window and noticed that the sky had already turned dark. Aiden had been sleeping ever since they left the movie theater without eating anything, so it was about time for him to start getting hungry.

After a moment of heavy deliberation, Aiden finally declared, “I want to have noodles.”

“Noodles again? Okay, I’ll make some for you. Just play in the living room for a while.”

“Okay.”

Hence, Amanda headed to the kitchen alone and opened the fridge to retrieve some noodles and other ingredients, deciding to make a simple plate of spaghetti for dinner. However, she couldn’t help but think of Elias, who had yet to return since he left, wondering if his fever had gone down yet.

After some time, she shook her head, muttering to herself, “He’s an adult. He doesn’t need you to worry about him. Stop thinking about these things and take good care of your child.”

Had she been too harsh earlier? As soon as she said she would never remarry, Elias stared at her in silence for a long moment before leaving the house, and she had no idea where he went either.

After washing some vegetables, Amanda was just about to start preparing dinner when the doorbell rang.

Then, Aiden’s voice sounded from outside. “Mommy, someone’s ringing the doorbell!”

“Okay, I got it.”

She turned around and left the kitchen to open the door. When she arrived at the foyer and looked through the doorbell camera, she saw that Elias was standing outside the door.

He came back?

After a moment of hesitation, she opened the door, only to see that Elias had his hands piled high with takeout boxes.

“You’re…”

“You two haven’t eaten anything yet, right? I brought some food back. Let’s eat it before it turns cold.”

As if he were a changed man, Elias seemed to have forgotten Amanda’s rejection as he strode into the house.

Something’s strange…

After closing the door, she soon heard Aiden’s excited shrick. “Wow, it’s fried chicken! I love fried chicken!”

Elias rubbed the kid’s head with an affectionate smile. “Eat more if you like it so much. It’s all for you.”

As if rubbing salt into her wounds, Aiden immediately said to Amanda, “Mommy, I don’t want noodles. anymore. I want this.”

She fell silent. This little brat really is realistic.

She returned to the couch and took a seat and couldn’t help but laugh as she watched Aiden stuffing his face. “Slow down, no one’s going to take it from you.”

However, Elias smiled. “He’s just like me when I was a child. Grandpa said I ate exactly like this when I was hungry.”

“Then, were you this realistic as a child?” Amanda supported her chin with both hands, watching Aiden

eat.

Elias narrowed his eyes. “Realistic?”

“Don’t you think he’s very realistic? He likes sports cars and mansions, and he likes good food too. All of the things he likes are materialistic.”

She was afraid that if Elias continued to spoil Aiden like this, she would have a hard time bringing him up.

However, Elias disagreed. “You’re thinking too much. All children are like this. Besides, it’s not like we aren’t capable of letting him enjoy these things. Are we supposed to let him suffer?”

Hearing that, Amanda fell silent. As a matter of fact, she was extremely conflicted. It was fine if the Winters Family were unaware of Aiden’s existence, but they would definitely fight for custody once they. found out. While she would never give up custody of Aiden to Elias, she feared that it would be extremely difficult to win the case.

After Aiden had his fill, he became filled with energy as he had slept the entire afternoon away and refused to go to bed. Hence, Amanda and Elias were subjected to a long period of playtime before they finally managed to coax him to bed.

Amanda immediately flopped onto the couch in exhaustion, all of her strength sapped from taking care of Aiden. The two sat on the couch in the living room, the sound of the cartoon playing on the television. filling the room with neither of them saying a word.

Amanda couldn’t help but sneak a glance at the man next to her. He seemed to have become extremely calm as he stared at the television, though she was unsure if he was actually watching it.

“Why did you come back?”

Elias shot her a look. “What else? Where would I sleep? I haven’t settled down anywhere yet, so shouldn’t you take responsibility?”

Amanda was immediately rendered speechless.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 156 Have You Really Made Up Your Mind?

Amanda continued, “Do you understand anything I said?”

She expected him to act as if he had lost his memory and begin to beg her to remarry him again without caring about her wishes.

However, Elias finally moved his gaze from the television onto her face. “I do. I respect your wishes, and I won’t force you to do things you don’t like anymore.”

Amanda was dumbstruck. Did this bastard change personalities? Since when was he capable of saying something so reasonable? Is this still the same bossy and aggressive Elias I know?

She froze for a second before saying, “Are you sure? Have you really made up your mind? So, you won’t force me to remarry, and you won’t fight for Aiden’s custody anymore?”

Why was it so hard for her to believe that? After all, this was Elias she was dealing with. How would the most tyrannical man of Imperia become so amiable? Did he suddenly have a change of heart?

Elias’ expression remained unchanged as he said, “Yeah. Since you’re so against remarriage and you want to raise Aiden in the Winters Family, I’ll respect your wishes. Besides, he grew up by your side since. he was a child, so he probably can’t leave you either. However, I have a condition.”

See, what did I say? Elias could never become so reasonable all of a sudden. Let’s see what condition he has.

“What condition?”

Amanda assumed that he would deliberately come up with a condition that would put her in a difficult spot, but he unexpectedly said, “I can give up on fighting for Aiden’s custody, and I can stop forcing you to remarry as well, but you have to let Aiden know that I’m his biological father. Moreover, I have to be able to visit him anytime; in other words, you can’t stop us from spending time together.”

That’s it? Amanda was dumbfounded. This feels so unreal. Am I dreaming?

“Is that it? Are those all your conditions?” she asked, still unable to believe her eyes or her ears.

Elias nodded. “Yeah. I’ve been thinking about a lot of things in the few hours I was out, and I realized that things like feelings can’t be forced, and there isn’t any point in doing so either. Perhaps you loved me four years ago, but after all that time has passed…”

Amanda didn’t say anything, only silently listening to him speak.

“I don’t have any other requests now. I just hope that you’ll tell Aiden that I’m his father and allow me to come to play with him anytime. I don’t want him to miss out on a father’s love while he’s growing up.”

His tone was earnest and sincere with no trace of a lie to be found in his words, and Amanda was beginning to believe him. It seemed that he had really reflected on many things during the few hours he was away. And yet, she was unaware that all of this was a part of Lazarus’ idea, and she was stepping right. into their meticulously planned irap.

She became unsure of how to respond to Elias’ sudden sensibleness. “I… won’t stop you from coming to see Aiden since he is, after all, your son. As for whether he’ll acknowledge you as his father, that will depend on you. After all, he’s still young, so he doesn’t know anything.”

Elias replied solemnly, “Yes, I know, and I understand that too. I’m not in a hurry.”

All of a sudden, Amanda felt inexplicably downcast by his sudden change. She couldn’t explain the feeling, but she couldn’t help but feel odd.

Just then, Elias lifted his wrist to check the time and saw that it was nearly midnight.

Picking up his coat, he said, “It’s late now, so I’ll be leaving first. If you and Aiden need anything, just give me a call. Even though… we might not be able to be husband and wife in the future, I’ll still do my part since I’m still his father.”

Amanda froze for a moment before she followed suit and stood up as well. “Didn’t you say you were going to stay here just now?”

Elias chuckled. “I was just joking with you. I’m not that dislikeable, you know. Since you don’t want any ties with me, I will respect your boundaries.”

“Oh… Be careful on the way back, then.” It seemed that this was all she could say. All of a sudden, she felt extremely awkward.

Elias turned around to give her a look, as if his gaze were boring through her soul. Then, without another look backward, he said, “I’m leaving.”

Without lingering around or any sign of hesitation, he immediately pulled the door open and left.

It was only after hearing the sound of the door closing that Amanda realized everything Elias said was true. Did he mature overnight? Why did it seem like he had completely changed from an aggressive tyrant to an honorable gentleman?

Outside the door, as soon as Elias walked out, the nonchalance on his handsome face dissipated into thin air as he immediately dialed Lazarus’ number.

“I’ve already done what you told me to. I won’t let you off easily if it doesn’t work!” he threatened fiercely.

The voice on the other end was relaxed and laid back. “Why are you so nervous? This is a long process, and you’re already thinking about the results when you’ve just taken the first step. Don’t worry, I’ll ensure that you get the woman of your dreams. As long as you do as I say, nothing will go wrong.”

Elias walked into the elevator and pressed on the first floor as he scoffed disdainfully. “I won’t allow any failures. If not, you better give me my wife and son back.”

“Okay, okay, it’s my fault if you fail. Since you’re all alone now, you should just come over and drink with me. Remember, you have to pretend that you’ve let her go, and you can’t let her sense that you have any desire to remarry her.”

Elias’ brow was furrowed tight with impatience. “I know!”

Upon saying that, he immediately hung up.

Although he disapproved of Lazarus’ wooing proposal, he had to admit that he didn’t know how to pursue a woman either, so he had no choice but to listen to him. After all, Lazarus was a master in the ways of the heart.

Early the next morning, after Amanda dropped Aiden off at kindergarten, she headed to the law firm and was predictably stopped by Simon again.

As soon as she walked into the office, she spotted Simon waiting for her on a couch in the lounge.

Upon hearing the sound of the door opening, he immediately shot to his feet and turned to look at her, diving straight to the point. “Amanda, are you sure you want to remarry Elias? Aren’t you scared of the same things happening again? Why are you-

Before he could finish, Amanda cut him off. “No, I’ve already talked things through with Elias. From now on, we’ll only be friends and raise Aiden together. We won’t remarry, and he won’t fight for Aiden’s custody either.”

Simon’s face was filled with disbelief as he asked dubiously. “Elias said that? Why would he agree to it?”

With Elias’ temper, how was it possible for him to agree to let go of the custody? Besides, anyone with a pair of eyes could easily tell how much he cared about Amanda, so could he really let her go that quickly?

“Yes, I talked to him for a long time last night. He might’ve realized that feelings can’t be forced either, and he said that he’ll respect my wishes and he won’t force me to do anything anymore.”

Although Amanda found the change in Elias a little strange as well, it was how things had turned out in the end, and she had managed to achieve her goal.

Still, Simon found it hard to believe that Elias would make such a huge compromise for her.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 157 Cold Attitude

“With my understanding of Elias, he would never give up so easily. Are you sure he isn’t up to any tricks?”

Amanda jolted slightly before she immediately furrowed her brow. “He has already made things very clear to me. All he wants is for Aiden to know that he’s his father and nothing else. His request is still reasonable.”

“Is it that simple? Would someone like Elias who never had to bow down to anyone settle for such a simple request?” Simon pressed, still unable to believe her words.

Amanda circled to the back of her desk and began to arrange her documents while replying, “Maybe he just decided that he doesn’t want me anymore. I’m not gentle and obedient, and I’m always pissing him off by going against him, so what would he get out of remarrying me? A hard time?”

Simon didn’t reply, and the two remained silent for a long moment as Amanda continued to tidy her documents behind her desk for a court case later that afternoon.

However, when he continued to stand in place, she couldn’t help but raise her head. “Don’t you have work to do now?”

“Amanda, what about you and me? What about us?” Simon asked, his eyes searing yet determined

So, we’ve still come back to this topic.

Amanda rubbed her pen between her fingers, as if deep in thought.

A moment later, she slowly replied, “Let’s just go back to being friends. Neither of us will be able to win your parents over, and you can’t get past your ex-girlfriend either. To be honest, I don’t think there’s any point in a loveless marriage. You clearly still can’t let go of Lunabelle, but you’re still insisting on marrying me. Are you planning to make me watch as you continue to keep in contact with Lunabelle?”

Instantly, Simon was rendered speechless. He had indeed lost most of his feelings for Lunabelle, but if she had any requests to ask of him, he knew that he would most likely extend a helping hand to her. However, he never thought that Amanda would be bothered by this fact.

“Does it bother you? Weren’t you fine with it? Lunabelle and I are just friends now. Besides, she’s been a little depressed lately, so I’ve been taking care of her just as a friend…”

Before he could finish, Amanda had lost her patience and interrupted, “Then you can continue taking care of her. I just think that it’s better for us to remain as friends.”

“Amanda…”

Simon was still about to explain, but she didn’t want to hear another word. “Enough, Simon. It’s working. hours, so you should go back to work. There’s been a lot of cases at the firm lately; don’t waste your time"

Upon seeing her cold and determined attitude, he could only give up and turned to leave the office.

As soon as she heard the sound of the door closing, Amanda inexplicably felt a weight lifting off her shoulders. Moreover, she was even a little relieved that Simon’s parents disagreed with their marriage, or she would not know what to do if she had actually married him.

In fact, she got along perfectly fine with Simon as colleagues and friends, but only the idea of being his wife sent goosebumps all over her skin. Perhaps it was because neither of them held any feelings for the other.

Soon, night fell. As Selina’s divorce had been fully settled, she was set to return that night to continue taking care of Aiden, freeing Amanda of much of her burden.

After dialing Elias’ number, the call quickly went through, and his low voice sounded from the other end. “Yes?”

Ever since they had talked things through the previous night, he had become much colder, and she found it hard to get used to all of a sudden.

Amanda coughed before saying, “Selina’s coming back today, so you can go back to your work instead of picking Aiden up from school from now on. If you’re free, we can arrange a time for you to meet him.”

If this were any other day in the past, Elias would’ve definitely lost his temper. However, he only replied. coolly, “All right, I got it. Give me a call if you need anything.”

“Okay. Then… I’ll leave you to it.”

With that, Amanda hung up the phone, thinking that his overnight switch in personality was truly difficult for her to get used to.

At that thought, she raised her wrist to check the time. As she had a banquet to attend that night, she had to change her clothes, so she decided to take a trip back home.

When Amanda arrived at Northern No. 1, Selina was making dinner for Aiden while he was busy putting at puzzle together.

Upon hearing the door opening. Selina emerged from the kitchen. “You’re back, Amanda. I’ll make some more food for dinner later.”

“It’s fine. I’m going to a banquet later. Just make enough for you and Aiden,” she hurriedly said.

Selina smiled. “All right. Aiden was wailing about how hungry he is.”

Amanda walked toward Aiden and caressed his head. “Why aren’t you greeting Mommy? Where are your manners?”

Normally, when she returned home, he would always greet her in his adorable voice.

However, Aiden’s attention was completely devoted to his puzzle, and he even avoided her touch impatiently. “Mommy, I have to finish this. Uncle Elias said that he’ll take me to Universal Studios once I’m done.”

Amanda’s smile froze at the corners of her lips. No wonder he was so serious-Elias had given him a mission.

She couldn’t help but mutter to herself, “This b*stard is getting my son’s hopes up again. I don’t even know if he actually has the time to go.”

However, Selina said with a smile, “I think that his way of teaching is not bad. Not only is he training Aiden’s concentration, he also gave him a promise. Besides, he’ll definitely do as he says”

“Why do you believe in him that much? Do you really think he’d do what he says?”

After all, she had known Elias much longer than Selina.

Selina let out an awkward chuckle. “I just feel like he would. He personally came over to give this puzzle to Aiden this afternoon. He’s quite caring.”

Amanda froze. “He’s been here?”

“Yeah. He came over after I picked Aiden up and gave him this puzzle, but he only played with him for a while before he left. He seemed quite busy,” Selina reported.

I never knew Elias was here… Amanda fell silent at that thought. Upon seeing Aiden’s serious expression, she smiled lightly before heading to her room to change.

Around 8.00PM, Amanda changed into a black sleeveless dress that presented all of her curves perfectly, painting her in a cheeky but seductive light.

Soon, she arrived at the banquet venue. These events had only one purpose, and that was to get to know influential figures in the business industry as well as build connections with them in order to establish an opportunity to work with them in the future.

Simon was present as well, but she hadn’t expected him to show up with Lunabelle by his side.

At the same time, Simon noticed her, and he walked over to greet her. “Hey, Amanda.”

With a glass of red wine in her hand, Amanda sent him a small smile. “Boss, you’re late, you know.”

Next to him, Lunabelle piped up. “Sorry about that, I was the one who dragged Simon behind. I tend to change quite slowly, so it took a while.”

Amanda only smiled without replying. Either way, she was not planning on advancing her relationship with Simon, and she was not curious about how the two ended up arriving together.

However, Simon couldn’t help but explain, “Lunabelle was feeling a little down, and I was worried about her being alone at home, so I took her here for a distraction.”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 158 Are You Sure She’ll Get Jealous?

Amanda took a small sip of her wine and said, “This is your private affairs, and it has nothing to do with me. Mr. Lennard is here; I’m going to go and speak to him.”

She deliberately came up with an excuse and left, not wanting to waste any more of her time with Simon and Lunabelle. However, as soon as she turned around, she spotted a tall and eye-catching figure by the entrance.

Her heart stopped at the sight. Why is’ Elias here? she wondered. She knew that he would often attend banquets like this, but she never expected him to show up tonight.

However, since hiding was no use, she decided to go along with the flow. Moreover, she had not planned. on hiding from him in the first place, and she watched as he walked inside. Elias seemed to have noticed her as well, but his brow was furrowed as if he was displeased by her presence.

Seeing that, she couldn’t help but laugh. Is that really necessary? Even if he suddenly made up his mind and doesn’t want me anymore, he doesn’t have to frown as soon as he sees me, right?

Clearly, it was a smart choice of hers to not agree to a remarriage. After all, this was the kind of person Elias was-unpredictable and fickle, someone who would give up on his feelings without any reason.

Tonight, Elias was dressed in a black tuxedo that was perfectly tailored for his body, and his every move exuded an elegance that only belonged to people of nobility. His attire made him seem more mature and stoic instead of his usual belligerence. The moment he entered the hall, he came across Amanda and her skimpy dress.

What the hell is she wearing? Why is it so revealing?

His possessiveness began to erupt at the sight of Amanda, and he wanted nothing more but to rush over and cover her up with his suit jacket.

What is she wearing in a place with so many men around? Who even designed this dress?

He was accompanied by Lazarus, who followed his line of sight and spotted Amanda.

Seeing that Elias was moments away from losing control, Lazarus pressed on his shoulder and hissed under his breath, “Calm down, calm down! Don’t forget our plan. If you still want to get the girl you want, you have to listen to me. Remember, act cold. Don’t bother her or cling to her. Make her lower her guard against you. That’s the only way you can find a way into her heart!”

Elias felt as if his head were about to implode from Lazarus’ nagging in his ear. However, in order to get Amanda back to his side as soon as possible, he had no choice but to hold it in and listen to his advice.

Even so, he couldn’t help but complain to Lazarus, “Look at that, who even designed that dress? Isn’t it lingerie? Can it be worn outdoors? What was the designer thinking? They definitely didn’t have their mind. in the right place.”

Hearing that, Lazarus burst out laughing. “Mr. Elias, aren’t you being too controlling? Do you have to care about what she wears? No wonder she doesn’t want to go back to you. Are you her husband or her father?”

Elias fell silent, his face darkening. He was aware of how possessive he was, but he never expected Lazarus to take things that way.

Not wanting to speak to Lazarus anymore, Elias headed into the banquet hall and took a glass of red wine. from a waiter’s tray, taking a few sips to quell his anger. However, whenever he set eyes on Amanda’s dress, within him reignite.

Lazarus came to his side. “Remember, you have to stay nonchalant. Make sure she can feel that you don’t care about her, or all of our previous efforts will be wasted. Don’t blame me for not reminding you then.

“I know! Enough with the nonsense!”

Just then, a woman walked over and greeted Elias. Normally, there was always a crowd of women falling over themselves to establish a connection with him, and Elias hated these desperate women the most.

“Long time no see, Mr. Winters.” A gorgeous woman with a voluptuous figure and a fiery red lip strutted over, dripping in sultriness.

Elias was just about to lose his temper when Lazarus suddenly leaned into his ear and whispered, “Interact with this beauty. Do you see that? Amanda is looking at you, so you have to make her jealous. Don’t forget about our game of cat and mouse.”

“Are you sure she’ll get jealous?” He was extremely dubious that this would work. After all, Amanda did not. even spare him a glance.

However, Lazarus replied with a look of conviction, “Don’t worry, no woman can escape from my tactics. It’ll work as long as she loves you.”

Elias fell silent, realizing that he couldn’t win against Lazarus’ confidence and his determination to remarry Amanda.

Hence, he tugged the corner of his lips upward and said dismissively to the woman, “Have we met before?”

Though she said that it had been a long time since they met, he could not remember where he had last seen her at all.

The woman clearly expected Elias to ignore her, and she was shocked by his reply. “Mr. Winters, we met at a party before, and I introduced myself to you. Can’t you remember? You must’ve forgotten because of how busy you are.”

She was clearly a little excited that she was finally able to get a word in with Elias. Meanwhile, the envious gazes of many wealthy young ladies around them were trained on her.

Elias nodded. “Oh… I don’t remember.”

He had been to too many parties and banquets to remember, much less every single person who introduced themselves to him..

Despite his nonchalant response, she was still greatly pleased as she stared at him passionately, admiring every detail of his striking and perfect features. Amongst their circle of wealthy families, he was most definitely at the top of the pyramid, whether it was his looks, elegance, or his figure.

At the same time, Amanda stood in a corner and swirled the wine in her glass as she watched Elias talking and laughing with a sultry woman, unable to shake off the strange feeling in her heart.

So, this is how Elias talks to women at banquets… So, he looks that charming while he’s talking and laughing with other women… So, he always looks that affectionate when he’s looking at every woman…

All of a sudden, she felt as if her chest had been stuffed with cotton. She was the one who rejected the idea of remarriage with him and pushed him away, so why did she feel her heart tighten at the sight of him. conversing with another woman? Her emotions were inexplicable, even to herself.

At that thought, Amanda let out a helpless sigh and headed toward the balcony, deciding to get some fresh air to clear her groggy head.

Then, she muttered to herself under her breath, “Don’t be stupid, Amanda. Since you rejected him, he has the right to interact with other women. What right do you have to be disappointed?”

Yes, what she was feeling could only be described as a disappointment, although she had no idea what she was disappointed about. Wasn’t this what she wanted? Elias was now indifferent toward her and no longer clung to her, no longer begging her to remarry him. Wasn’t that a good thing? However, why did she feel so downcast?

As it was getting late, Amanda decided that it was about time for her to leave, and she was also beginning to grow tipsy from the few glasses of wine she partook. However, as soon as she turned around, she bumped into a firm chest by accident.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

The moment she lifted her head, she immediately met Elias’ dark eyes. Why is he here?

“Are you drunk?” he asked, eyeing her dazed expression and unsteady gait.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 159 Is This the Shitty Plan You Came Up With?

After steadying herself, Amanda finally saw the man before her clearly and shook her head. “I’m not drunk. By the way, why are you here?”

As soon as her question left her lips, she immediately realized how nonsensical it sounded. It was not strange for Elias to show up at any banquets in the slightest; there were too many people who wanted to invite him to their events.

Elias replied in a low voice, “Yeah, it’s for work. Do you want to…”

As a matter of fact, he was about to ask if she wanted him to take her home. After all, Amanda was not only wearing such a revealing dress, but she seemed a little tipsy as well. If a man with ulterior motives. noticed this, the outcome would be unthinkable.

However, before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Lazarus, who had suddenly come over to their side.

“Is this the famous Miss Bailey? So, all of the lawyers at Justice & Associates are gorgeous.”

Amanda looked at the man who had suddenly appeared. He commanded a playful and charming air, but she did not seem to know who he was, “You are…”

Lazarus extended a hand. “You don’t know me, but I’m friends with your superior, Simon, and a childhood friend of Elias’. We grew up together.

Childhood friend? Amanda blearily reached out and gently shook his hand.

Meanwhile, Elias’ gaze was fixed intently on their clasped hands, and he let out a small cough. “That’s enough.”

Lazarus retracted his hand and placed it on Elias’ shoulder, saying into his ear, “Did you listen to anything I told you? Remember, be indifferent, and don’t make the first move. If you want all your previous efforts to go to waste, just forget what I said.”

Elias was rendered speechless. He hadn’t done anything at all. Even if it was as a friend, there wasn’t anything wrong with taking Amanda home since she was drunk, was there? Were things that serious? He had no idea why Lazarus was acting this way.

However, Lazarus said, “Are you drunk, Miss Bailey? You can ask your superior to take you home. It’s dangerous for a pretty girl like you to be drunk at a place like this.

“It’s fine. I’m not drunk. I just slipped a little just now. I can go back on my own,” Amanda hurriedly refused. She was trying her best to avoid Simon, not to mention that Lunabelle was present as well.

Meanwhile, Elias was about to explode from anger. Is this idiot here to help or to cause more trouble? How can he push Amanda to Simon’s side?

He shot a furious glare toward Lazarus, but Lazarus continued to force a gentle smile on his face as he held onto Elias’ shoulder while saying to Amanda, “That’s good to know. Well, Elias and I have some matters to attend to, so we’ll be heading over there. Let’s talk later.”

“All right, please go ahead.” Amanda smiled lightly, watching as Lazarus forcibly dragged Elias to at different place.

With a helpless shrug, she turned around and leaned on the balcony railing in an attempt to sober up.

The wine here was a little strong, but she was also at fault for drinking a little too much. She planned to head home once she recovered, not wanting to remain at the banquet any longer. The man named Lazarus was right about something-it was quite dangerous to be drunk in a place like this as there was a risk that she might be taken advantage of

On the other hand, as soon as Lazarus pulled Elias into a corner, he shook off his hand disdainfully.

“Didn’t you see that Amanda is drunk? Do you know how dangerous it is to be drunk in a place like this? Even if it’s as a friend, what’s wrong with me taking her home?” Elias growled, venting his anger on him.

However, Lazarus remained unfazed as he crossed his arms, patiently listening to him rambling angrily. Then, he said languidly. Taking her home is fine, but it can’t be you who does it. Did you see how she reacted when I suggested looking for Simon?”

Elias’ anger was immediately fueled at the mention of this topic. “Whose side are you even on? I told you to help me pursue Amanda, so why are you pushing her to Simon’s side?”

“Calm down and listen to me, all right? Did you see how she reacted when I told her to go to Simon? She immediately refused.”

Elias scoffed coldly. “If she really went to him, I’ll skin you alive.”

Lazarus nudged him with his elbow. “Hey, didn’t you notice that Amanda is starting to be bothered? Especially when you were talking to that hot chick earlier.”

Elias was confused-he had been focused on dismissing the woman earlier, and he didn’t have the time to notice Amanda’s reaction.

“No, I didn’t.”

She was still as cold toward him as ever. If things went on like this, he was afraid that Amanda would genuinely give up on him, and that would be the end of Lazarus’ life if things really came to that point.

“Tch… Well, I did. When you were talking to that beauty, Amanda kept staring at you, and her eyes looked bitter like she feels awkward and uncomfortable, you know? Do you know what this means? This means that she still has feelings for you. As long as you interact with other women, she’ll still feel bitter about it.”

Elias narrowed his eyes, shooting him a suspicious look. “Are you sure?”

Does this bastard have X-rays for eyes? How can he tell what Amanda is thinking? Why does it sound iffy?

“With my years of experience, you won’t go wrong from listening to me. You’ve already hit a dead end now, so who will you listen to if not me? If you really want to tell what Amanda is truly thinking, you have to provoke her. If you keep spending all your time around her, how would she feel threatened? She would only hate you more and more, and your journey to get her back will come to a standstill…”

As Elias listened to his spiel, he suddenly thought that Lazarus had a point and fell silent for a short pause. “Then, how should I provoke her?”

A sly smile bloomed on Lazarus’ lips. “Do you know what women are most afraid of?”

“What?” Elias asked, genuinely clueless.

“A first love whom you can’t forget. Any woman would be stirred by this.”

Elias stared at him silently, not understanding a single word he had just uttered.

Seeing that, Lazarus laughed. “Look at your face. I knew you won’t even know what first love is. How are you supposed to woo a woman like this? Better thank the heavens for gracing you with such looks, or you’d be spending the rest of your life as a bachelor.”

“If you waste any more of my time. I will punch you in the face.”

“Okay, okay, I won’t tease you anymore. This is what I’m thinking-we’ll come up with a first love for you to provoke Amanda, and she definitely will be angry. By then, you’ll know if she cares about you or not,” Lazarus mused aloud as he rubbed his chin.

Elias’ face darkened. “Is this the shitty plan you came up with?”

Amanda was already thoroughly disappointed in him just from Grace’s existence. If he had a first love now, he might even lose his visiting rights in the future.

“Just tell me if you’re brave enough. As long as you dare to do it, the results will definitely be good. If you don’t want to listen to me, you can go back to where you started-you chase while she rejects, and the two of you can continue that way for eternity. I won’t waste my time on you.”

While Lazarus pulled a chair over and took a seat, Elias fell into a long silence.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 160 Protecting Her in the Dark

When Lazarus noticed the indecisive look on Elias’ face, he said, “Sometimes, it’s better to retreat in order to progress, and the results will be better. Think it over

As the saying went, never hire someone you didn’t trust, and trust the person you hire. So, Elias made his decision. “Okay, I’ll leave it to you, but if things go south or there’s no more hope between me and my lady, then it will be the death of you.”

Lazarus laughed heartily. “You got it. Don’t you worry because that’s impossible. I can tell that the pretty lawyer is still in love with you. Unfortunately, you have hurt her so terribly that she doesn’t dare to return to your side so easily, scared that you’ll disappoint her again.”

Elias had no words to say but thought that was very close to the truth. There were many times when he felt that Amanda wanted to give him a chance but was very hesitant and timid to place her trust in him. again. Maybe she’s scared that she’ll be disappointed again, but what should I do so that she’ll trust me completely? Nonetheless, he could only place his hope in Lazarus’ hands now. He didn’t want to give up his woman and children and he definitely had no intentions of giving away his chance of happiness to someone else.

It was already 9.00PM and Amanda thought that it was about time to head home. So, she placed the wine glass aside and was just about to leave when she bumped into Simon and Lunabelle, who were also Heaving. She smiled at them and wanted to walk past them, but Lunabelle suddenly said, “Are you leaving as well? Let’s go together. You look a little tipsy.”

“I’m fine. I can call a cab for myself and don’t want to be a third wheel.” She figured that she had already made herself very clear and she desperately hoped that they wouldn’t insist on leaving together with her because it was very awkward for the three of them to be in the same room together.

Amanda glanced around the room and saw no signs of Elias anywhere. Has he left already? she wondered. Maybe. He’s such a busy man, after all. Maybe he has other business meetings to attend.

They were by the elevators when Simon said, “Let’s go together. I’m a little worried that you’re leaving alone.” He couldn’t deny that he was concerned, especially when she was dressed so beautifully.

Although Lunabelle could feel her rising disgruntlement, she forced out a smile when she noticed Simon’s genuine concern. “Yeah, let’s go together. It’s dangerous for a woman to be alone at night.” Frankly, she didn’t want anyone to disturb their private time at all, especially not Amanda.

As a woman herself, Amanda could read her mind like a book. So, this time she didn’t bother to reject. them nicely and decided to take a more straightforward approach. “Thanks, but no thanks. I really don’t want to leave with you guys. Have I made myself clear? I’m sorry, but I really don’t want to. So, it’s best if we leave on a good note, yes?”

Ding Dong. The doors of two elevators slowly rolled open, and Amanda stepped into the one at the side to make it obvious that she didn’t even want to share an elevator with them.

“Then, I’ll see you two around. Goodbye.” Then, she smiled, pressed the button, and the doors slowly slid to a close.

A stunned Simon stood there like a statue for a few seconds, and before he could say anything, the lift doors had already closed. He didn’t even bother disguising his crestfallen look as he took the lift in front of him with Lunabelle.

Lunabelle naturally noticed the look on his face as she asked, “Are you okay? Are you mad because of what Amanda said?” In all honesty, Amanda’s words were quite hurtful when she told them directly in their faces that she didn’t want to leave with them. Furthermore, she even sounded a little haughty.

Simon simply squeezed out a smile. “I’m okay.”

After Amanda returned to her place at Northern No. 1, she found Aiden and Selina already in bed and decided to take a quick break on the couch. However, unbeknownst to her, a car was tailing her cab when she was on her way home, and it escorted her all the way to her building and only drove away when she was home.

The driver of said car was none other than Elias, who didn’t leave early but was secretly observing her the whole time. When he saw her walking together with Simon, he almost couldn’t stop himself from dragging her away.

In the car, he raised his head and saw that the lights on the seventeenth floor were on, which set his mind at ease. At least, she was back home safely. Then, he fished out his phone and wanted to call and ask her how she was doing, but the things Lazarus said popped up in his mind-he had to be calm, composed, and indifferent.

Therefore, he controlled his desire for the sake of successfully wooing his wife and tossed his phone on the passenger seat. In the end, he decided to go home and sleep so that he wouldn’t have to think about anything else, but his phone suddenly vibrated on the passenger seat.

He shot a glance at his phone and saw Amanda’s name on the screen.

Light danced in his eyes. Amanda is calling me! Did something unexpected happen?

He didn’t even hesitate as he grabbed the phone and picked up the call. “What happened? Are you feeling unwell? Or, is it Aiden who’s feeling unwell?” He reckoned that something had happened. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have called him.

The Amanda four years later appeared as though she didn’t need him in her life at all, which gave him a sense of defeat that he had never felt before.

On the other end of the call. Amanda was silent for a few seconds before saying. “Nothing. I called the wrong number. Bye, and good night. Sorry that I interrupted your sleep. Then, she hung up right away without giving him the chance to say anything.

He stared at the words ‘Call ended’ written on the screen in bewilderment and called Lazarus. When he answered, Elias immediately demanded, “Amanda just called me earlier but said that she called the wrong number. What does this mean? Is she okay or not?”

Lazarus laughed on the other end. “You’re such a nerd. It’s obvious that she’s missing you and called you unintentionally. But she didn’t know what to say so she quickly ended the call. If she had spoken another word, she’s going to expose herself for missing you.”

Elias frowned in confusion as he thought, Is that true? Why is it that I don’t feel that at all?

Meanwhile, Amanda was on the couch, staring at the ‘Call ended’ screen with a racing heart. She had absent-mindedly opened her call records, tapped on Elias’ number, and slipped into a daze. To her surprise, she had called him instead.

This is so embarrassing… she thought as she stepped into the bathroom adjoined to her bedroom and looked at her face in the mirror. It was burning brightly, and she could help but feel it with her palm. It is burning hot. Why am I so weak? Just like back then when I first met Elias, I still blush like this…

Elias had picked up the call at the speed of light when it was connected and sounded very nervous, as though he was worried that something had happened to her and Aiden. A smile spread across her face at the thought of this. I guess we have a place in his heart, and it seems like he cares a lot about us, she thought.

As soon as the thought flashed across her mind, she shook her head violently and reprimanded herself, “What are you thinking about, Amanda? You don’t want to get married to him again and have chosen to stay away from him. So, what are you doing now? Just go to bed already!”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 161 Are All Men So Fickle?

Amanda sat at her dressing table after her shower and did her skincare routine before climbing into bed for sleep. However, she wasn’t sleepy at all, and her mind was filled with images of Elias in a conversation. with the stunning woman who had a sexy figure.

Maybe he had changed his target. After all, she had already rejected him so thoroughly. Are all men so fickle she wondered. No, I think only Elias is so fickle because he dumped me just like that back then.

She fell asleep while she was brooding over this and had a very long dream, where she dreamed that Elias was having his wedding.

Never did she expect that she would attend his wedding, an event more luxurious and grander than word could describe. In the dream, she stood in the wedding venue and saw Elias in a black wedding suit. He was standing in front of the pastor as he waited for his bride to walk to him.

The smile on his face was filled with love, and the bride was a woman she had never met. Although she couldn’t make out her looks, she could tell that the bride was graceful and so gorgeous that she made. heads turn. The elegant woman was dressed in a white wedding gown as she approached Elias step by step.

The pastor started conducting the wedding and asked for their vows. When Elias answered, ‘I do’, Amanda suddenly shouted, “I object!”

Then, she woke up from her dream in shock, springing upright and gasping for air. After she surveyed the room in front of her eyes, it dawned on her that she was dreaming earlier.

Tiny beads of sweat had broken out on her forehead, and she released a long sigh. She ran her hand. through her hair and was about to return to sleep when she caught Aiden looking at her next to the bed with a milk bottle in his hands.

“Did you have a nightmare, Mommy?”

Nightmare? Is it a nightmare for me if Elias gets married? Isn’t that what I’ve always wanted? That way, he’ll stop pestering me, which he already did. She smiled at him. “No. Why did you wake up so early? Where’s Miss Selina?”

“She’s preparing breakfast now,” he answered. “You’re late today, Mommy. You woke up later than me!”

She instantly rummaged for her phone and checked the time. She couldn’t help but widen her eyes in shock when she saw that it was already past 8,00AM. Usually, her biological clock would wake her up around 7.00AM, but what was wrong with her today? Not only did she have a weird dream, she even woke up late!

Her eyes widened in surprise as she shoved the sheets away from her person. “I’m late… Oh, God! I’m late! Miss Selina will be dropping you off at the kindergarten today because I’m running late.”

Then, she hastily dashed into the bathroom to wash up so she could go to the office as soon as possible. There were a few meetings scheduled for today and Simon would be leading them. If she didn’t arrive on time, he would let her off without any punishment and that would cause tongues to wag again.

Aiden watched as she rushed to get ready and said, “Mommy, my teacher said that we’re going camping with our parents this weekend… Are you going alone? May I ask Mr. Winters to join us?”

Suddenly, her head poked out of the bathroom. “Why would you like to invite him?” In the past, it was always Simon who would come into his mind, but somehow, Elias was the only one he spoke about recently.

“Uhm… That’s because Mr. Winters is better, and he even promised to bring me to Universal Studios. So, I would like to take him camping, too.” Sure enough, only a three-year-old could come up with such childish reasoning.

She thought it over and answered, “I’ll go with you. Mr. Winters is busy with work, and we shouldn’t keep bothering him.”

As a result, Aiden sulked and pouted his tiny lips. “Okay.. It’s fine if you’re the only one going with me, but my teacher said that we’ll have to start a fire for cooking during the camping. Have you been camping before, Mommy?”

Amanda couldn’t answer that question because she had never been camping and didn’t even know how to set up a tent. Never mind. I can’t waste my time thinking about this and just wing it when the time comes. I can also ask other parents for help, she thought.

In the law firm, Amanda managed to make it to the morning meeting after rushing all the way there. After the meeting, she wanted to return to her office in preparation to meet a client in the afternoon so they could discuss a case.

Simon walked toward her. “Didn’t you sleep well last night? I’m seeing dark circles under your eyes and you seemed absentminded during the meeting.”

An awkward chuckle escaped her lips. “I think I didn’t sleep well because of a dream last night.” Hence, her mind started to recall the dream about Elias’ wedding, and she felt an uneasy feeling squirming in her chest.

“What are you thinking about?”

Simon could tell that she had something on her mind. Regardless, she snapped back to reality and frantically changed the topic, saying, “Oh, nothing. By the way, do you have experience in camping? Or could you share some knowledge on surviving in the wild with me?”

“Why? Are you going camping?”

“Aiden’s kindergarten is organizing a camping trip and I’m going with him. I might have to set up a tent and such at that time.”

He wanted to tell her that he could accompany them if needed but reckoned that she would reject his offer. So, he could only say, “I know a person who is knowledgeable about such matters, and I can introduce you to him so that he can teach you how to set up a tent.”

“That’s great. Thanks.” This was more useful than looking up a video online.

“You’re welcome.”

Then, an awkward silence fell over them and it seemed like there was nothing else they could talk about anymore. They went separate paths when they were at the end of the corridor and returned to their own offices.

“I’m going back to my office, then.”

Simon nodded, but something suddenly popped into his mind. “By the way, have you decided whether you’re going to be the legal consultant for Elias’ company? Do you need me to turn them away?”

Legal consultant… She thought that Elias wouldn’t take this seriously and was simply picking on her, but as it turned out, he did extend the request. Well, he’s not interested in me anymore, so it doesn’t matter whether I’m taking up the job or not.

She pondered over it and said, “You shouldn’t turn down any business. I’m going to accept the offer. Furthermore, there’s nothing between me and Elias anymore and we’re just friends.”

Meanwhile, Simon frowned in displeasure and thought that she had completely let her guard down. against Elias. “I think you shouldn’t be so naive. Elias is a wily person and may just renegade on his word in the future.”

Amanda grinned. “You overestimated my importance. He was forced to marry me in the past and doesn’t love me at all. Four years later, the only reason he wants us to remarry is because of Aiden, but it seems like he has completely lost interest in me.” When she recalled just how happy he seemed when speaking with the pretty lady last night, she was sure that he was no longer interested in her and walked toward her office.

Simon didn’t move an inch, watching her from the back as he clenched his fists, unable to let this go. His phone started ringing again, and he lowered his head to see that it was Lunabelle calling him.

Recently, she had been using depression as an excuse to seek him out. There was no doubt that he knew. exactly what she was up to, which was to reconcile with him. He was losing his patience with the woman and her incessant need to bug him.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 162 My First Love?

Meanwhile, Amanda sat behind her desk in the office, studying some case files. Suddenly, the phone rang. She glanced at it and saw it was Elias calling. That’s weird. Elias rarely calls me recently. Or, should I say he doesn’t call me at all? So, why is he calling me out of the blue?

As the thought of her accidentally calling Elias last night made her feel exceedingly awkward, she hesitated aqfor a few seconds before deciding to answer the phone. Instantly, Elias’ deep and familiar voice sounded, “Are you busy?”

“Yeah. I’m at the law firm. What’s wrong?” Amanda asked. Why do I feel somewhat nervous talking to Elias now? What the hell is wrong with me?

Elias cut to the chase and stated his purpose, “I will take Aiden to Universal Studios later in the afternoon, and I will send him back right after the trip.”

“I thought you said you would go there with him after he completed the puzzle. It’s not good to spoil Aiden like this. He will make it a habit in the future. He will think that you will say yes to any request of his as long as he butters you up-”

Elias abruptly interrupted Amanda before she could finish her sentence. “Aiden has completed the puzzle. Didn’t you see it?”

What? Aiden has completed the puzzle!? Amanda was dumbfounded after she heard what Elias said. When did that little brat become so strong-willed? Usually, he would procrastinate whenever I asked him to tidy up his toys. Yet, he actually completed the puzzle in two days!

Amanda couldn’t even find the words to describe what she was feeling right now. “Aiden can be very focused on completing his task if you grasp the right approach.”

Frankly, she was at a loss for words. She didn’t understand why she felt that Elias, who had never raised a child, was more experienced than her.

“Okay, then. You can take Aiden to Universal Studios, but don’t get too carried away to the point of forgetting the time.”

“I know, I know,” Elias hummed.

Just when he seemed to be about to hang up the phone, she suddenly asked, “Are you surprised that I intend to accept the offer as a legal consultant?”

He was momentarily stunned upon hearing those words before replying, “It’s fine if you don’t want to accept the job offer. I won’t force you to do anything you dislike again.”

However, Amanda giggled. “That’s exactly what makes me accept this job offer. Moreover, I need money to raise Aiden. Winters Enterprise won’t be stingy with my annual salary, right?

“Of course. Still, you don’t have to be worried about raising Aiden. I will take up my responsibility as his father.”

To Elias, raising a child was no big deal at all. In fact, he could support countless orphanages if he wanted.

“I know. Then… remember to send Aiden home early this evening. Otherwise, he will sleep in again tomorrow morning.”

“Okay,” Elias hummed agreeably.

Beep! Beep!

After Amanda hung up the phone, she leaned on the swivel chair, her mind in utter mess. Why does it feel like Aiden is getting more and more used to spending time with Elias? If things continue at such a rate, Aiden likely will identify Elias as his biological father in no time. As for Elias, he is indeed gradually trying to win the little guy’s favor.

Soon, the night fell. Amanda was ready to go home after a busy day at work. While she packed up her things, she wondered if Elias had taken Aiden home. That little brat has definitely enjoyed himself. I can already imagine him laughing his head off even though I’m not by his side.

After she was done, she grabbed her bag and left her office. Then, she walked toward the elevator and bumped into Simon again. She simply smiled slightly as she pressed the down button for the elevator.

Simon wanted to say something to her. However, he received another call from Lunabelle. It was as if she was persistently urging Simon to pick up her calls, Simon felt himself losing his temper as he answered, saying, “Can you stop urging me?! I got it, okay!? I got it! I’m coming over right now!!” He sounded slightly irritated.

As for Lunabelle, she obviously didn’t expect that Simon, who was always cultured and gentlemanly, would have such a testy side. I had loved Simon for years, but he had never treated me so harshly. But now, he actually…

“Simon, you have misunderstood my intentions. I’m not urging you. I’m just worried something has happened to you while you are on your way. I’m sorry

Even Amanda, who stood beside Simon, was shocked by his demeanor. I have never seen Simon act this way before. Why does it feel like Simon is the one who is actually depressed?

Ding Dong! The clevator door slowly slid open. Amanda twitched her lips into an awkward smile and said, “I-I shall get going first. See you tomorrow.” Simon still wanted to say something, but it was too late as. Amanda had already made a break for it in the direction of the elevator.

Amanda breathed a sigh of relief as soon as she stepped foot in the elevator alone, without Simon. Phew! Thank God the elevator arrived just in time. Judging from Simon’s state earlier, I say-it’s pretty unsafe to be around him. Poor Simon. He seems a little miserable from getting tormented by Lunabelle.

When Amanda got home, she saw Selina making dinner in the kitchen. To her surprise, there was no sign of Aiden anywhere in the house. Amanda felt it was rather odd, so she asked, “Is Baby not home yet? Is it just you at home?”

Selina poked her head out from the kitchen and replied, “Yeah. Since Mr. Winters probably will take Aiden to dinner, I’ve only made food for the two of us. Oh, dear. Don’t tell me you have eaten as well!”

“No, I haven’t. Goodness, just what time Elias will send that little brat home…” For some reason, I will miss Aiden a great deal every time Elias takes him away. Yet, I don’t feel this way when Aiden is by my side.

Ding Dong! Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and Aiden’s lovely voice rang out, “Mommy, open the door! We’re back! Mommy! Mommy, open the door!”

Amanda’s eyes lit up, and her mood instantly brightened. Aiden is home! She abruptly turned around and dashed to open the door.

After she opened the door, she saw both Elias and Aiden standing outside. Aiden was even dressed up as Harry Potter. It only took one look and she could already tell Aiden had fun at Universal Studios.

Aiden was enthusiastically waving around his magic wand as he exclaimed, “Mommy, Mommy, that place is so cool! Let’s go there and play together next time. It’s so exciting!”

Amanda couldn’t refrain from laughing when she saw Aiden’s excited state. “Alright. We’ll go together. Have you had your dinner?”

“I already ate, but Uncle Elias hasn’t!” Aiden said as he bounced into the house.

She stared at Elias, who was standing outside the door, and asked, “Why didn’t you eat? Do you want to join us for dinner?”

Elias raised his wrist and checked the time as he said, “It’s okay. I’ll go home and have my dinner. I shall take my leave for now. You should tuck Aiden in early tonight. Otherwise, he won’t be able to wake up on time tomorrow.”

Amanda nodded. Either way, considering how Elias had helped her look after Aiden all afternoon, she figured it wasn’t right for her to let him leave with an empty stomach. Therefore, she persuaded Elias to stay. “Just stay and have dinner with us. Dinner is ready anyway. So, let’s eat.”

Elias stopped, hesitating for a moment. Eventually, he nodded and entered the house.

As a result, Amanda, Elias, and Selina sat at the dining table while Aiden had fun with himself in the living room.

Selina quickly noticed that the atmosphere was slightly awkward, so she got up and said, “You guys go ahead and dig in. There’s still a pot of soup cooking in the kitchen, so I’ll be keeping an eye on it.”

After Selina left, the atmosphere became even more weird. Amanda shot a glance at Elias before clearing and saying, “Here, have some more food. You’re probably exhausted from taking care of Aiden today. That little brat is full of energy, so looking after him can be pretty tiring-”

Elias’ phone rang halfway through her speech. “Sorry, I have to answer this,” he said in a deep voice.

Amanda smiled and nodded.

Elias placed down the tableware and took the call. When he heard the contents of the call, he frowned and asked, “Who is looking for me? My first love?”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 163 Her Curiosity

First love? Amanda’s hand paused mid-air while she was eating when she heard the words. Elias’ first love? Her head twirled over unwittingly as her curiosity got the better of her.

Elias had a puzzled look on his face as he retorted, “When did I-” up

Halfway through his sentence, something popped up in his mind. Is this the character Lazarus has made for me just to make Amanda jealous? He stole a look at Amanda at the dining table, and she seemed rather
curious, too. As he had already handed his path to win back his wife into Lazarus’ hands, he had to follow through with his plans.

After a few seconds of hesitation, he said to Boris, “Tell her to wait for me at home. I’ll be back later.” Then, he hung up and continued eating at the table.

However, the atmosphere had turned even weirder, and Amanda couldn’t take another bite of food anymore because her mind was filled with his call earlier. Does he have a first love? The whole time, she thought that his first love was Grace, but that didn’t seem to be the case now.

On the other hand, he already told her a long time ago that he didn’t love Grace and never did. All he had for her was that damned sense of responsibility. Is his first love someone else? From the way he instructed his butler, it looked like he knew who it was, she thought, her curiosity growing with every passing second,

She took another bite of food as she sneaked a look at his face and broke the silence at the dining table. “Your… first love is here to look for you?” He raised his head at her, and she added with a laugh, “Don’t get me wrong. I’m just curious because I thought that Grace is your first love but it seems I’ve gotten it wrong. How old were you when you had your first love? Did it happen abroad?”

She remembered that he had studied abroad for years, Did his first love occur abroad? Her heart fell to the bottom of her stomach at the thought of this. The food in her mouth turned tasteless and was even a little bitter.

In the meantime, Elias recalled Lazarus’ guess, which was not far off from the truth. Lazarus had told him. that Amanda would be curious about his first love and how he should answer if she asked about it so that he could make her jealous.

Even though he had scoffed at it, he couldn’t stop himself from giving it a try to test out her reaction. So, he placed his cutlery down and said in his husky voice, “I’ve told you before that I don’t love Grace and merely felt indebted to her. As for my first love, it’s already in the past and there’s no point mentioning it now. I was young and impulsive.”

His answer took her by surprise. Generally, women would like to know what the object of a man’s impulses looked like when he was young. What kind of person she was and what was it about her that made him fall madly in love with her? The relationship one had when one was young was the sincerest and the purest, and she was a little curious about what kind of girl Elias liked when he was young. He was probably an attention-catching senior in school when he was young, and there were probably a lot of girls who liked him…

Thus, she pretended to relish the dish in front of her as she tried to ask nonchalantly, “Do you still like the same type of girl as you did when you were young? Did your taste change? You probably had a preference for fresh-faced girls when you were young, didn’t you? Or did you prefer sweet girls? Or maybe a cool, aloof girl?” Again, she couldn’t stop herself from bombarding him with questions, and immediately after. regret washed over her. I’ve already cut off all ties with him and also rejected his proposal. Why do I still care about what kind of girl he liked when he was young? Do I have nothing else on my mind?

Nevertheless, her curiosity would only grow if she didn’t find out about this, and even though she was aware that she shouldn’t care about any of this, she still wanted to know.

Elias could read the curiosity on her face and thought. Who would have thought that Lazarus’ tactic is working? A mischievous thought started to sprout in his mind as he began making up stories. “I don’t know. how I should describe it. Maybe a fresh-faced girl, but with a proud personality. I was young and ignorant, so I didn’t have that many requirements when it came to the first girl I fell for. All I knew was, I fell for her and that was it. There was nothing such as a certain type.”

Amanda’s heart wrenched painfully. The first girl he fell for…

The biggest taboo for a woman was a man’s first love. Moreover, the first girl that he fell for came from the most primitive impulses a man had for a woman and she really wanted to know how that girl looked. Judging from the call earlier, she reckoned that she was now waiting for him at Winters Estate.

Suddenly, he raised his arm and checked the time. Then, he set aside his fork, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and said, “Enjoy your meal. I have something else to attend to and gotta go now, but you can call me if you need anything. I’ll visit Aiden again in a few days.”

He got up and wanted to leave, but she stopped him, calling, “Hey, you-”

“What’s the matter?” he asked, twirling his head at her.

She wanted to say something but soon recalled that she wasn’t in any position to ask him questions. So, she simply smiled and shook her head. [Nothing. Go ahead and get your business done, then.”

Elias didn’t say anything else as he grabbed his jacket and headed to the living room to say goodbye to his son, and she followed behind to send him off. In the living room, Aiden was still wearing the Harry Potter costume and waving the wand in his hand as he danced around the room in delight.

“Aiden, I’m leaving now. You should go to bed early tonight or you’ll be late tomorrow.”

Aiden nodded his head obediently. “Bye-bye, Mr. Winters. Be careful when you’re driving”

Elias laughed. This brat is rather considerate. It would have been amazing if he was a little girl. He ruffled Aiden’s hair and couldn’t wait for the day when he would call him ‘Daddy’ and wondered when that day would arrive.

“Be good. I’ll visit you next time and take you somewhere fun again.” After that, he spun around and glanced at Amanda. “You should turn in early as well since you have to go to my company tomorrow. You can go to my office directly if you encounter any issues, but I have more meetings tomorrow. So, you can wait in my office if it’s nothing urgent.”

As Amanda had accepted the position of legal consultant in Elias’ company, she had to go to his company tomorrow to go through the files needed.

She gave him a nod. “I got it.” However, her mind was brooding over his first love. Is he rushing back to meet her? After all, she’s waiting for him at the Winters Estate… She watched as he walked out the door before returning to her meal at the dining table with dejected eyes, her appetite had all but evaporated into thin air.

Selina entered the dining room with a bowl of soup in her hands but discovered that Elias had already left. “Where’s he? Why did he leave?” she asked. “I just made this soup…”

Amanda sighed softly. “Never mind. He’s busy with his private affairs.”

Her mind kept wondering what would happen after Elias met up with his first love. Would they rekindle their spark and spend the night together? The next second, she shook her head to rid herself of that nonsense. What’s this? Why are my thoughts so filthy?

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 164 Jealousy

Back at Winters Estate, the first thing that Elias wanted to do was to soak in the hot spring. A satisfied smile hung on his face as he recalled Amanda’s reaction from tonight, finding it interesting because it showed that she cared about him, at least.

Then, Boris approached him. “Mr. Winters, your first love is waiting for you in the guest lounge. Are you going to meet her now?”

Elias stopped in his tracks and turned to Boris in bewilderment, asking, “First love? I don’t have a first love.” If Lazarus hadn’t made up a first love for him, he wouldn’t know what love was, and neither did he need something like first love.

“A lady by the name of Miss Knox is here to look for you, claiming to be your first love,” Boris answered truthfully.

How did a person really appear out of nowhere? Miss Knox? Elias repeated, and no matter how he racked through his brains, he couldn’t remember ever knowing anyone by that name. A few seconds passed by quietly before he headed toward the guest lounge, where a woman in a beige-colored dress was patiently waiting for him on the couch. Elegant with a dignified temperament, she had skin as flawless as a baby’s and appeared a little anxious as she browsed her phone.

When he stepped into the room and saw the woman’s back silhouette, he frowned. Who’s this? Regardless, he couldn’t recall who this was and strolled to the front of the couch. So, he stared at the unfamiliar face as he asked, “Who are you?”

The woman rose to her feet and appeared fearful when she looked at him. “Hello, Mr. Winters. My name is Natasha Knox, and Mr. Lazarus Harvard told me to look for you so that we can put up a performance together.”

All of a sudden, his face turned livid, and he went to a corner, whisked out his phone, and called Lazarus number. The call rang for a long time, so he hung up and called Lazarus’ other number before he finally reached him. There was a lot of noise from Lazarus’ end, and Elias was sure that he was partying somewhere.

“What the f*ck are you doing?” he hissed angrily. “Who’s this Natasha and what’s she doing here? Am I really going to have a ‘first love’ out of nowhere?”

From the other end, Lazarus sounded as frivolous as he always did. “Calm down. It’s about time you change this temper of yours. If you want to reach your target, of course, you’ll have to use all means and ways and put up a perfect show. Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time until Amanda senses something amiss.”

“Get lost!”

When he was about to hang up, Lazarus unexpectedly said, “Let me tell you. Amanda is probably at a loss and running around like an ant on a hot plate now, but there’s nothing she could do. Don’t worry. She’ll be the first to ask you out in less than two days.”

“Are you sure something so miraculous will happen?” he asked with a look of doubt. Somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to believe it. Now, Amanda was a completely different person from whom she was four years ago; she wasn’t madly in love with him and didn’t need him at all. Would she ask him out because of a made-up first love? When he asked to reinstate their marriage, she didn’t even so much as look at him. Would a ‘first love’ even work?

“My dear Mr. Winters, just wait and see if you don’t believe me. Don’t call her in the next couple of days
and don’t look for your son, either. Keep your dignity and don’t meet her. Instead, a pleasant surprise is waiting for you if you just bide your time. Go to bed early. I already arranged a big show for you to participate in tomorrow.”

A big show? Elias disliked a few things and one of those just happened to be having things out of his control. Even though he was the male lead in the show, he didn’t even know how the script would be going. “As the main character of this grand show, don’t I have the right to know how the script goes? What are you planning again this time?” He was almost at the end of his patience, thinking, Why does this rascal always have so many weird and bad ideas?

However, Lazarus simply chuckled. “It’s not fun if I tell you beforehand. Just wait for the show tomorrow and watch how Amanda’s walls crumble,” he said and hung up.

Elias stared at the screen of his phone and turned to the woman in the guest lounge, not knowing what would happen tomorrow. Recently, he felt that he could already be an actor as his part-time job.

The next morning, Elias arrived at work as usual. There were a lot of meetings to attend today and there was one with the higher management at 9.00AM. After he arrived, he wanted to wait for Amanda who would be reporting for work and taking over the job, but he had to leave for the meeting because there wasn’t any time left.

Just when he was about to head toward the conference room, a woman caught his attention; she was his ‘first love’ who showed up at his house last night! What’s this woman named Natasha doing here?

Natasha was dressed in professional attire as she carried a stack of documents in her hands and stopped in front of him, looking as though she truly belonged here. “Mr. Winters, the meeting will start in ten minutes. You can head over there now.”

Elias stared at the woman in front of him as surprise flashed past his eyes. “Who are you?”

Last night he asked her the same question because he really had no idea who she was, but he asked this question now because he had no idea what she was up to with Lazarus. Both of them were so secretive and mysterious that they had told him absolutely nothing.

She simply answered with a smile, “I’m your new secretary, Mr. Winters.”

Secretary? he repeated in his head speechlessly, gaping at her for a long time before he finally headed toward the conference room with Natasha trotting behind him.

All of a sudden, a rumor started to spread in the office. “Do you know anything about that new girl. Natasha Knox?”

“Who’s that? Is she some relative of a higher management staff?”

“No, you’re absolutely wrong! She’s Mr. Winters’ first love! Why else do you think her first job here is as his secretary? Tsk…”

“What? Mr. Winters’ first love?! That’s unexpected. I would have never imagined that! Why did he give her the position of lead secretary? Does he intend to pursue her? Why do first loves have such a strong influence on men that they can never forget about them?”

“Who knows? But that’s just how men are. Just the thought of it is exciting. Imagine having your first love as your secretary now…”

Ding Dong!

The clevator doors slowly rolled open, and Amanda stepped out. She was here to take over the job, but the moment she entered the building of Winters Enterprise, she heard all sorts of gossip about Elias. Did I just overhear them saying that Elias’ first love is working here now?

Once again, her curiosity was piqued. Did they really rekindle their love last night and he gave her a position to work here the next day? Can’t Elias Winters wait at all? Did he already forget about his son?

Out of the blue, she felt a tinge of jealousy in her heart, which made her inexplicably uneasy. Asshole,” she muttered under her breath. Why are so many women involved with him? They keep coming one after another like zombies, but this first love…. Her heart sank. Is she his favorite? What’s going on now? Are they patching things up?

She wanted to find out what this woman looked like more than ever, and according to the gossip…. It seems that this very woman she was curious about was in the conference room with Elias now.

 

[Gily]

Chapter 165 Secretly Rejoicing

Amanda’s instinctively feet started to take her toward the conference room for higher management, but the task she had at hand now was to take over the job from the legal department of the company. So, she stopped in her tracks and walked toward the legal department after contemplation, thinking that she was being utterly ridiculous. Why should I care what my ex-husband’s first love looks like? What has that got to do with me?

Meanwhile, in the conference room, Elias sat at the end of a long desk, listening to the reports from various departments as Natasha stood next to him.

He still couldn’t figure out what Natasha was doing here, and neither did he know what Lazarus was up to. He also said that there’s going to be a grand show today, but where is it? Why haven’t I seen anything of the sort?

Just like that, the two-hour meeting ended, and Elias left the conference room while Natasha followed closely behind, going wherever he went and as annoying as a fly.

Elias whisked out his phone and called Lazarus as he hissed in annoyance, “Is this your so-called grand show? All you did was get a woman to follow around me like a fly! Do you have tofu for brains?”

Behind him, Natasha felt a little embarrassed when she heard that, but she continued to follow him closely.

From the other end, Lazarus answered nonchalantly, “Have some patience. It’s happening soon. Did you just finish your meeting? I think Amanda will either be waiting for you in your office or run into you when you’re on your way back to your office.”

“When did you become a fortune-teller?” He had a look of indifference on his face as he thought, Did this guy start fortune-telling? He’s making guesses and predictions all the time.

However, at the next corner, he caught sight of Amanda standing in front of the elevators, not knowing whether she was leaving or going to his office. Lazarus guess is actually correct.

On the phone, Lazarus continued blabbing, “Just wait and see if you don’t believe me. I’ve been playing. the field for years and know how a woman’s heart works. I’m telling you-”

Unfortunately, Elias only had his eyes on Amanda as he abruptly ended the call. “Shut up. I see her now.” At that moment, Amanda was waiting for the elevators. When she raised her head, she saw Elias walking toward her, a coincidence she wasn’t expecting. She wanted to look for him at his office to discuss work. In the meantime, she could also check out what his first love looked like, fulfilling her selfish curiosity.

Almost immediately, she saw the tall woman behind Elias. She was wearing a set of black office attire. revealing a pair of beautiful, long legs. Her features were deep-set and petite, and she carried an air of elegance with her. Frankly, she didn’t seem like a simple secretary at all.

-Amanda’s instincts as a woman told her that this woman was Elias’ so-called first love. Nevertheless, she kept chanting to herself to focus on work as she watched Elias approach and greet her.

“Are you done with taking over the job?” he asked, standing next to her and waiting for the elevator.

She nodded. “Yeah, I wanted to discuss the work with you in your office when I ran into you here. What a coincidence…” Her eyes couldn’t help but dart toward Natasha behind him, and Natasha smiled and gave her a nod.



“Okay, let’s talk in my office, then.” Of course, Elias had also noticed that she was looking at Natasha behind himself.

“Mr. Winters, there’s another meeting in an hour,” Natasha announced suddenly.

+5 Bonus

Although it was just a normal reminder about work, it sounded as though she was trying to assert her dominance in Amanda’s eyes, and she pursed her lips.


Just then, the elevator arrived with a ding and the doors opened slowly. “Got it,” Elias said and walked into the lift.


Amanda went in as well-the same time as Natasha did-and maybe it was by accident, they bumped and squeezed into each other a little.

“I’m sorry, Miss Amanda. Please, after you,” Natasha offered before Amanda could open her mouth, and the air turned still.

All Amanda could do was smile and say, “It’s not your fault. I was careless.”

Elias witnessed the invisible competition between the women and pressed his lips together. The exchange of blows between these two women was completely lost on him.

When they were in Elias’ office, Natasha went to prepare coffee, hence leaving both Elias and Amanda in the room.

Amanda was seated before Elias as she watched him reading and signing the documents with a serious. look on his face. She couldn’t help but find him charming for just a moment. “That secretary earlier… Is she your first love?” she asked.

He turned to her and said in a husky, low voice, “Who told you that?” How did she find out so quickly?

A smile spread across her face. “I made a guess based on my instincts as a woman.” This rumor was spreading like wildfire the moment she walked into the company, and everybody was aware of it. How could he be so ignorant as the president of the company? On the other hand, why would the president high above care about the gossip which was spreading among the employees?

He paused mid-action before admitting, “Your guess is rather accurate.”

In fact, he wanted to say that Lazarus’ guess was even closer to the mark, and he had to admit that the other man could embark on a career in fortune-telling; Lazarus could even predict that Amanda was coming to his office, a prediction that made Elias shocked and speechless.

For a moment, Amanda didn’t know what she should say, and that was when Natasha came in with two- cups of coffee. After she placed them in front of Elias and Amanda, she said in a soft, amorous voice, “Mr. Winters, I didn’t add any sugar to your coffee. I remember that your blood sugar is a little high, so it’s better for you to take less sugar.”

Her statement was meant as a display of her closeness with Elias; they were the ones who were genuinely in love, and the small seed of jealousy in Amanda’s heart started sprouting silently.

For some inexplicable reason, Amanda opened her mouth out of reflex and said, “By the way, Aiden’s school is organizing a camping trip this week and wants the parents to join. Are you free? If you don’t have the time, I’ll go with him by myself.” The reason she said this was because she was sure that he would join.




Just as she expected, he answered with a frown, “Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier? Of course, I’m going camping with my son.”

“Okay, I’ll let Aiden know about this. I’m sure he’ll be delighted because he always wanted you to go with him,” she replied with a smile. When she received his answer, she immediately felt better. Somehow her win was made sweeter after she stole a look at Natasha to observe her reaction.

When she saw the puzzled look on Natasha’s face, a beautiful smirk tinged the edges of her lip, but the next second, she asked herself, Why do I feel like a mean person for feeling happy to see the surprise in Natasha’s eyes? What’s so great about being his first love? I’ve even married Elias before and have a child with him!

She had slowly fallen into the trap of Lazarus and Elias inaking. While she had yet to notice her change in her feelings for Elias, everything was changing like the shift of the tides, including her attitude toward Elias.

 

[mshamba_mkuu]

Chapter 165 Secretly Rejoicing

Amanda’s instinctively feet started to take her toward the conference room for higher management, but the task she had at hand now was to take over the job from the legal department of the company. So, she stopped in her tracks and walked toward the legal department after contemplation, thinking that she was being utterly ridiculous. Why should I care what my ex-husband’s first love looks like? What has that got to do with me?

Meanwhile, in the conference room, Elias sat at the end of a long desk, listening to the reports from various departments as Natasha stood next to him.

He still couldn’t figure out what Natasha was doing here, and neither did he know what Lazarus was up to. He also said that there’s going to be a grand show today, but where is it? Why haven’t I seen anything of the sort?

Just like that, the two-hour meeting ended, and Elias left the conference room while Natasha followed closely behind, going wherever he went and as annoying as a fly.

Elias whisked out his phone and called Lazarus as he hissed in annoyance, “Is this your so-called grand show? All you did was get a woman to follow around me like a fly! Do you have tofu for brains?”

Behind him, Natasha felt a little embarrassed when she heard that, but she continued to follow him closely.

From the other end, Lazarus answered nonchalantly, “Have some patience. It’s happening soon. Did you just finish your meeting? I think Amanda will either be waiting for you in your office or run into you when you’re on your way back to your office.”

“When did you become a fortune-teller?” He had a look of indifference on his face as he thought, Did this guy start fortune-telling? He’s making guesses and predictions all the time.

However, at the next corner, he caught sight of Amanda standing in front of the elevators, not knowing whether she was leaving or going to his office. Lazarus guess is actually correct.

On the phone, Lazarus continued blabbing, “Just wait and see if you don’t believe me. I’ve been playing. the field for years and know how a woman’s heart works. I’m telling you-”

Unfortunately, Elias only had his eyes on Amanda as he abruptly ended the call. “Shut up. I see her now.” At that moment, Amanda was waiting for the elevators. When she raised her head, she saw Elias walking toward her, a coincidence she wasn’t expecting. She wanted to look for him at his office to discuss work. In the meantime, she could also check out what his first love looked like, fulfilling her selfish curiosity.

Almost immediately, she saw the tall woman behind Elias. She was wearing a set of black office attire. revealing a pair of beautiful, long legs. Her features were deep-set and petite, and she carried an air of elegance with her. Frankly, she didn’t seem like a simple secretary at all.

-Amanda’s instincts as a woman told her that this woman was Elias’ so-called first love. Nevertheless, she kept chanting to herself to focus on work as she watched Elias approach and greet her.

“Are you done with taking over the job?” he asked, standing next to her and waiting for the elevator.

She nodded. “Yeah, I wanted to discuss the work with you in your office when I ran into you here. What a coincidence…” Her eyes couldn’t help but dart toward Natasha behind him, and Natasha smiled and gave her a nod.



“Okay, let’s talk in my office, then.” Of course, Elias had also noticed that she was looking at Natasha behind himself.

“Mr. Winters, there’s another meeting in an hour,” Natasha announced suddenly.

+5 Bonus

Although it was just a normal reminder about work, it sounded as though she was trying to assert her dominance in Amanda’s eyes, and she pursed her lips.


Just then, the elevator arrived with a ding and the doors opened slowly. “Got it,” Elias said and walked into the lift.


Amanda went in as well-the same time as Natasha did-and maybe it was by accident, they bumped and squeezed into each other a little.

“I’m sorry, Miss Amanda. Please, after you,” Natasha offered before Amanda could open her mouth, and the air turned still.

All Amanda could do was smile and say, “It’s not your fault. I was careless.”

Elias witnessed the invisible competition between the women and pressed his lips together. The exchange of blows between these two women was completely lost on him.

When they were in Elias’ office, Natasha went to prepare coffee, hence leaving both Elias and Amanda in the room.

Amanda was seated before Elias as she watched him reading and signing the documents with a serious. look on his face. She couldn’t help but find him charming for just a moment. “That secretary earlier… Is she your first love?” she asked.

He turned to her and said in a husky, low voice, “Who told you that?” How did she find out so quickly?

A smile spread across her face. “I made a guess based on my instincts as a woman.” This rumor was spreading like wildfire the moment she walked into the company, and everybody was aware of it. How could he be so ignorant as the president of the company? On the other hand, why would the president high above care about the gossip which was spreading among the employees?

He paused mid-action before admitting, “Your guess is rather accurate.”

In fact, he wanted to say that Lazarus’ guess was even closer to the mark, and he had to admit that the other man could embark on a career in fortune-telling; Lazarus could even predict that Amanda was coming to his office, a prediction that made Elias shocked and speechless.

For a moment, Amanda didn’t know what she should say, and that was when Natasha came in with two- cups of coffee. After she placed them in front of Elias and Amanda, she said in a soft, amorous voice, “Mr. Winters, I didn’t add any sugar to your coffee. I remember that your blood sugar is a little high, so it’s better for you to take less sugar.”

Her statement was meant as a display of her closeness with Elias; they were the ones who were genuinely in love, and the small seed of jealousy in Amanda’s heart started sprouting silently.

For some inexplicable reason, Amanda opened her mouth out of reflex and said, “By the way, Aiden’s school is organizing a camping trip this week and wants the parents to join. Are you free? If you don’t have the time, I’ll go with him by myself.” The reason she said this was because she was sure that he would join.




Just as she expected, he answered with a frown, “Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier? Of course, I’m going camping with my son.”

“Okay, I’ll let Aiden know about this. I’m sure he’ll be delighted because he always wanted you to go with him,” she replied with a smile. When she received his answer, she immediately felt better. Somehow her win was made sweeter after she stole a look at Natasha to observe her reaction.

When she saw the puzzled look on Natasha’s face, a beautiful smirk tinged the edges of her lip, but the next second, she asked herself, Why do I feel like a mean person for feeling happy to see the surprise in Natasha’s eyes? What’s so great about being his first love? I’ve even married Elias before and have a child with him!

She had slowly fallen into the trap of Lazarus and Elias inaking. While she had yet to notice her change in her feelings for Elias, everything was changing like the shift of the tides, including her attitude toward Elias.

Great story

 

[Gily]

Chapter 166 Is She Jealous?

Elias glanced at Natasha impatiently. He was talking to Amanda and wished that woman would actually catch the hint and leave them be.

Where did Lazarus find this actress? She’s so dense. He looked at her and said, “You can leave if there’s nothing else. I have matters to discuss with Miss Bailey.”

“Understood, Mr. Winters.” Natasha didn’t seem to want to leave. She definitely didn’t want Amanda to be alone with Elias, but he had given her orders. So, she had to leave.

Of course, Amanda noticed the unwillingness in Natasha’s eyes and looked at Elias across the table. “Your first love doesn’t look pleased.”

Elias furrowed his brows in displeasure. “Are you hinting at something?” Is she jealous? It definitely seems like it.

Amanda answered him, “Don’t tell me you didn’t have other thoughts by letting your first love work as your secretary. Just to be clear, I’m not jealous or a busybody. I’m just curious. Are you planning on rekindling your relationship with her?”

She was indeed curious about Elias’ intention for doing that. Is this man pining for his past? Has he fallen for the trap that what one can’t get is the best? He keeps trying to reconcile with someone. I didn’t agree to marry him once more and now he’s getting close to his first love.

A small smile crept up Elias’ face when he heard her questions. She took the bait! She obviously still cares.

He pretended to stay calm and answered in a deep voice, “This had nothing to do with you. You’re nobody’ to me anyways. I don’t need to tell you what I want to do.”

Amanda was rendered speechless. Still, he had a point. She wasn’t in any place to question Elias’ reasons for hiring Natasha as his secretary.

So, she let out a subdued laugh, “You’re right. I’m nobody. Right. That infringement case is about to go to court. Do you have anything you want me to take note of? If you don’t, I’ll settle it my way.”

She quickly turned the subject onto work as she didn’t want to receive any more ridicule from a man like him.

Elias saw her turn of attitude as his smile deepened and nodded. “Nothing from me. I believe in your ability. I’ll leave everything in your capable hands.”

Then, Amanda slowly got up and grabbed her bag before saying, “I understand. I’ll take my leave, then. Goodbye, Mr. Winters.”

After that, she turned around to leave.

When Elias caught sight of her awkward stance, he chuckled softly and instructed, “Remember to bring some mosquito repellent for the camping this weekend. Nature isn’t the friendliest sometimes.”

Amanda stopped in her tracks but didn’t turn her head around. “Got it.”

The moment she exited the office, she started to feel utter regret in telling Elias about Aiden’s camping trip.

She had given in to her impulsiveness when she saw Natasha exchanging glances with Elias earlier because it made her uncomfortable.

Soon, the weekend arrived at their doorstep, and Amanda packed for the trip. As she was about to leave. with Aiden to his school, the doorbell rang. Selina ran to open the door to find Elias standing at the door. It was clear that he had come prepared and was here to pick up Amanda and Aiden.

Aiden jumped with joy when he knew Elias was going camping with him. “Mommy, is Mr. Winters really coming with us? Is he really?”

In Aiden’s eyes, Elias was invincible.

“Yes. Yes. Now, run along and wear your clothes and stop jumping around! Your teacher and friends are already waiting for us. We’ll be late for the bus if you keep dawdling.” Amanda picked up Aiden’s jacket. and put it on him.

Elias also carried a tiny piece of luggage that looked comical in his hands considering his tall figure.

Amanda couldn’t help but ask, “What’s the use of such small luggage?”

“This is for Aiden. He should have his own luggage.”

Aiden’s eyes lit up at his words and ran toward that cool, miniature luggage. “Wow! It’s so cool, Mommy. This is my luggage. I want to bring it with me!”

Amanda had no choice but to agree to his childish whims. “Okay. Okay. You can bring it.” This man sure knows how to spoil his son. Somehow, he has a good sense of what Aiden likes.

So, the three of them arrived at the school and got on the school bus to depart to the camping site.

After a few hours, everyone arrived at the camping site. It was beautiful as an earthy scent filled the air from the rain and the leaves were bright. It was the best opportunity for children to be exposed to nature.

Each family started to set up the tent which was also the part Amanda was worried about the most as she hadn’t learned how to do it. Well, to be precise, her eyes knew how to do it, but her hands couldn’t follow the steps that were playing in her brain.

Suddenly, Elias appeared behind her. “Look after Aiden, I’ll set up the tent.”

She was taken aback. “You know how to?” This pampered young master has everything handed to him on a silver platter. Does he truly know how to build a tent? She found it hard to believe.

Meanwhile, Elias unpacked the tent with a look of pure concentration and placed it on the ground before saying, “Yes. Go with Aiden and pick some branches for the fire. Try to find dry ones.”

“Alright, then. You can always ask for help from the other parents if you face any problem pitching the tent.” That was her original plan. With so many parents around, some of them should know how to pitch the tent.

Yet, Elias merely laughed. “Oh, you of little faith. Just go. You can rest in the tent by the time you’re back.” Amanda didn’t comment on this particular matter any further upon seeing how confident he was acting. Instead, she led Aiden into the forest. Although the school had picked a considerably safer spot as children
were in attendance, she still had to ensure he was by her side at all times since it was better safe than sorry.

Alas, Aiden was far too enthusiastic for her tastes as this was his first time camping. He kept running around like a wild animal on the loose, making it challenging for Amanda to take care of him.

“Aiden! I’m warning you. Don’t go further than three feet from me. Otherwise, we’re going home immediately. No more camping.”

Unfortunately, Aiden wasn’t afraid of her empty threats at all and even made a silly face at her. “Bleh. Mommy’s no fun. I’m going to look for Mr. Winters. I want to sleep in the tent.” Then, he ran toward Elias’ direction.

Elias was focused on pitching the tent when Aiden looked up at him. “Mr. Winters, when can we go inside the tent? I want to sleep in the tent tonight.”

“Soon. Be patient. I’m still setting it up. Why don’t you accompany your mommy?”

Aiden promptly replied, “Mommy’s an adult. She doesn’t need me to accompany her. She won’t go missing.”

He tweaked Aiden’s nose gently before coaxing gently. “She could go missing. Run along now. It’ll be hard to find her if she goes missing.”

 

[Gily]

Chapter 167 No Man Can Resist the Temptation of Their First Love

Aiden nodded obediently. “Okay.”

Then, he turned around to go look for Amanda, but saw her walking back with a bunch of branches in her hands.

“Mommy!”

She coldly threw the branches to the side and looked at Elias, “How could you talk behind my back with my son?”

Elias was pitching the tent as he answered with a smile, “Did I?”

It was the truth that Amanda went missing for four years, in which Elias tried all he could to look for her but found nothing.

Amanda harrumphed as she retorted hotly, “I’m an adult. How can I go missing?”

Suddenly, Elias’ phone rang, and he answered it with a frown, “I’ll head over in a couple of days. Look for Mr. Briggs if anything comes up. Tell him that I sent you.”

Then, Natasha’s gentle voice could be heard coming through the phone. “Okay.”

Amanda didn’t want to listen in, but still heard it. Natasha’s voice made her uncomfortable and she couldn’t resist but ask, “Is that your first love calling you? Are you at the stage where you can’t bear to part with each other?”

She didn’t even realize how sour her tone was.

Elias glanced at her. “Can’t you change how you address her? She has a name. It’s Natasha.”

Tsk. Tsk. He’s protecting her now? Amanda was filled with contempt for Elias. This se*mbag sure had many romantic relationships.

Regardless, she could care less about the man and simply snorted, “What’s the use of me to remember her name? You’re the only one who has to. I’m not the one spending my life with her.”

However, Elias looked at her with utter bewilderment as he explained seriously, “I’m not doing that. I’m still single in the eyes of the law.”

Amanda piled the branches up and acted as if she didn’t care. “Law, schlaws. You’ve started something with her. It’s obvious you two still have feelings for each other. So, there’s a high possibility of the both of you getting back together.”

He couldn’t help but continue to tease her when he saw how jealous she was. “Natasha couldn’t find a job, so I gave her one. Besides, she is qualified for this job. It’s not as complex as you think this is.”

“Is that so… Can’t she find her own job? I found mine on my own. How hard can it be?”

When Amanda didn’t have a job, she didn’t go to Elias for help. Yet, Natasha did. She even came looking for Elias on her own. As a fellow woman, Amanda was well aware of just what Natasha was thinking. It was as clear as day that she wanted to get back together with Elias.

Elias could feel his lips curling into a smirk as he tried his best to remain impassive. “Is that so? Maybe it’s because you’re more independent and Natasha’s more cowardly. She has gone for several interviews and

No Man Can Resist the Temptation of Their First Love

failed. So, she was disheartened. She probably won’t come to me if she had a choice.” 2
“Tsk… No man can resist the temptation of their first love. And here I thought you were different from the others, but it seems men all the same,” Amanda’s tone was full of resentment like a woman whose husband had cheated on her.

Elias chuckled as he gazed at her figure. She wasn’t aware of the looks he was shooting at her as she was trying to preoccupy herself by arranging the branches she had brought. “You’re like a bitter wife whose husband had cheated on her. You speak as though I am your husband.”

Amanda looked up with widened eyes as she tried to refute, “No! That’s not it. Pitch the tent. I’m just afraid that when you reconcile with your first love. If you do, Aiden will be in danger. After all, there was that entire incident with Grace that I have no intention of ever going through again.”

Elias immediately answered, “No. That won’t happen ever again.”

He was willing to stay single rather than let Aiden be in danger again. Besides, he knew that he wasn’t interested in any woman besides Amanda. It was just that the woman he desired, the very same woman right in front of him, refused to accept him.

Suddenly, a woman’s voice rang behind him, “Um… Sorry. Aiden’s father, could you help us with the tent? I really don’t know how to fix it up…

Amanda and Elias turned around at the same time to see a little girl’s mother who they heard seemed to be a single parent.

Elias wasn’t bothered by her request and said, “Sure. I’ll help you when I’m done.”

“Really? Thank you! I’ve tried setting it up myself, but I could barely make heads or tails over it. This is giving me a headache.” The woman was genuinely grateful.

However, Amanda muttered on the side, “Does he think he’s some superhero trying to save everyone? Scumbag…”

She realized that Elias was really popular with women and beautiful ladies would flock to him wherever he went. For example, this single parent was gorgeous, Any man would fall for her. So, if she asked for help, no one would reject her, and she just had to come to Elias for help.

Elias noticed her murmuring and asked, “What are you talking about?”

Amanda got up and rolled her eyes at him. “I’m just saying you’re a great person helping everyone here. Finish pitching the tent. You need to help others with theirs too.”

Elias was taken aback by her acerbic words. However, he immediately snapped back to his senses with a lighthearted chuckle, “I can say no to her if you aren’t happy about it. Just tell me.”

“What’s there to be unhappy about? It’s good to help others. You should do it.”

“Then, why do you seem angry?” He teased her on purpose.

Then, Aiden exclaimed loudly, “Mommy is angry, She’s like that when she’s angry.”

Amanda was rendered speechless. The very child she had raised on her own lonesome had betrayed her for a father he hadn’t even acknowledged. Is this what betrayal feels like?

“Shut your mouth, Aiden Bailey. Otherwise, you can forget about dinner tonight!” She glared at Aiden.

No Man Can Resist the Temptation of Their First Love

Aiden immediately covered his mouth and turned around to run somewhere else.

Elias furrowed his brow. “Don’t threaten him like that. He’ll hate you if you keep doing that.”

“I… Can’t I joke around with him? Besides, I’ve never let him go hungry.”

Amanda felt wronged. She had taken care of Aiden for four years, but Elias was questioning how she taught Aiden now while he had not taken part in Aiden’s life in the last four years. Why pretend to be a good father now? Tsk.

“The tent’s done. You should head in and get some rest. I’ll go over there to help them. We can start the fire once I’m back.”

Then, Elias turned around and walked toward that single parent whose tent looked like it was just taken out of the bag.

Amanda actually didn’t want Elias to go, but she didn’t stop him. Instead, she stomped inside the tent to rest.

After a while, Aiden ran into the tent and whispered in her ear, “Mommy, I think Yvonne’s mom likes Mr. Winters.

Huh? Amanda looked at him. “You’re just a kid. What do you know? Do you know what you’re talking about?”

 

[Gily]

Chapter 168 I’ll Help Keep This a Secret

Aiden acted like a little spy as he made a circle with his small hands around Amanda’s ears, “I saw Yvonne’s mom touch Mr. Winters’ hands!”

Amanda’s eyes immediately widened. What is this little brat talking about?! “Aiden, you’d better not be spewing nonsense! This isn’t good behavior.”

However, Aiden forcefully tugged her out of the tent. “Come, Mommy. I’m not lying! Yvonne’s mom is really touching Mr. Winters’ hands. It’s true!”

Aiden dragged Amanda toward the other tent, completely disregarding the displeasure on his mother’s face.

“Mommy, see. I wasn’t lying! She’s really touching Mr. Winters’ hands.” Aiden said it out loud and it made the situation really awkward for the adults.

Amanda realized that Elias was actually teaching Yvonne’s mom how to set the tent up, but Aiden had mistaken it as touching hands.

Yvonne’s mom immediately released the tent and lowered her head in embarrassment as a hint of blush covered her cheeks.

Meanwhile, Elias frowned unhappily as he reprimanded sternly, “Aiden! Don’t say nonsense!”

He didn’t expect Aiden to misunderstand him like that. What do you mean by touching hands? Am I someone who would let just anyone touch me?

“Aiden, I didn’t touch your father’s hands. He’s just teaching me to pitch the tent.” Yvonne’s mom smiled and explained.

However, Aiden blurted, “Mr. Winters isn’t my fa-

Amanda covered his mouth immediately and carried him in her arms. She let out an awkward smile. “This child likes to say nonsense. We’ll head back. Dear, hurry up with their tent. Aiden and I are waiting for you to cook the food,”

She told Aiden’s teacher that Elias was his father. That was why Elias could come with them as no one in the kindergarten knew she was a single mother.

Aiden was bullied by the other children in his previous kindergarten because they knew she was a single mother. So, she hid that information this time, but he almost blew her the entire ruse with his loose lips.

Back at the tent, Amanda released Aiden and said sternly, “Aiden, I’m warning you. Don’t just tell people everything. I told your teacher that Mr. Winters is your father so that he could accompany you on this camping trip. Do you understand?”

Alas, Aiden frowned, “Mommy, you’re lying. Didn’t you tell me that it’s not good to lie?”

Amanda had no idea what to say in response. She was indeed going against her own word and teachings. She always taught Aiden to be honest, yet she was lying all for the sake of his happiness. Still, she wasn’t exactly lying as Elias was indeed Aiden’s biological father. It was just that he wasn’t aware of it just yet.

She grabbed onto his shoulders and urged earnestly, “Baby, have I not told you to care for a sick person’s feelings?”

I’ll Help Keep This a Secret

Aiden nodded obediently. “What about it?”

What about it? Amanda suddenly felt a huge pressure from him. Aiden was truly Elias’ son with that commanding aura of his.

She quickly came up with a perfect story in her mind and told him, “The thing is Mr. Winters always wanted to go camping since he was young, but no one could come with him. So, I used this opportunity to bring him here. We should be nice to people, right? I’ve told you that helping others is a good deed.”

Unfortunately, Aiden stared at her compelling face with skepticism. “Mommy, are you trying to lie to me again? Mr. Winters has a huge garden. He can camp there whenever he wants.”

The intelligence of a three-year-old was still limited, so he couldn’t connect the dots yet.

So, Amanda continued to convince him, “Mommy’s not lying. It’s exactly because of that huge garden that Mr. Winters’ parents won’t let him do what he wants. He’s very pitiful and begged me for a long time before I agreed to bring him here. So, you can’t just say things like that. If his parents find out, they’re going to spank him.”

Aiden blinked his eyes innocently. “Will Mr. Winters’ parents spank him too? They’re so fierce…” “Exactly. Do you think every parent is as gentle as I am? Some people’s parents will spank them.” Amanda was satisfied at the conviction on Aiden’s face, Children are so gullible.

“Okay… I understand now.” Aiden nodded obediently.

“Good. Go play with your friends. I want to rest for a bit.” She patted his head before lying down in the tent.

Then, Aiden walked out of the tent and bumped into Elias who had just returned.

Elias asked him, “Where’s your mommy?”

“Mommy’s sleeping in the tent.”

“Are you hungry, then?” Elias took a look at the time. A few hours had passed, so Aiden was probably hungry.

Just as he expected, Aiden nodded.

“Then, I’ll start the fire and cook some spaghetti for you, alright?”

“Okay!”

Elias smiled before walking to the side to start the fire.

Aiden suddenly recalled Amanda’s words and pitied Elias. He walked over to him and squatted down before saying, “Don’t worry, Mr. Winters. I won’t say anything. You can play here, and your parents won’t know.”

Elias furrowed his brows in confusion. He couldn’t understand what Aiden was getting at.

“What do you mean?”

“I won’t let your parents know you secretly came to camp with us. Then, they won’t spank you. Mommy told me. You’re so pitiful… Your parents are so fierce.” Aiden looked sympathetic at his plight as he sighed.

Elias was bewildered. I’m being pitied by a child? What’s pitiful about me?

“Is that what your mommy told you?” His face darkened. Even if Amanda wanted to persuade Aiden, she didn’t have to ruin my image, right?

realize your Aiden nodded. “Mommy said it was your dream to go camping since young. Now that you dream, you’re probably really happy. Don’t worry, I’ll help keep this a secret, so you don’t get spanked.”

Elias could feel his exasperation and frustration for this mother and son growing with each word that fell from Aiden’s lips. Although he was annoyed that his image in his son’s eyes had been tarnished, there wasn’t a thing he could say about it as they were his son and hopefully, his future wife.

Therefore, he gritted his teeth as he forced out a fake smile, saying, “Thank you for helping me keep this secret.”

Aiden grinned widely at him. “You’re welcome. You treat me and Mommy very well too. Even though you. could be really scary, you are never like that with me and Mommy.”

Even though Aiden was a little afraid of Elias due to the fighting incident last time, he also noticed that Elias had always tried his best to be gentle with him and Amanda.

 

[Gily]

Chapter 169 I Am His Father

Elias looked at the little guy in front of him. He recalled how he said, ‘Uncle Elias, you’re not my father,” and he felt a little upset about it. He wondered when he would hear this kid finally call him ‘dad. He knew it would take time, but wasn’t it about time for such a joyous thing to happen?

So, Elias shot a glance at the kid beside him as he started the fire before asking, “Aiden, how would if I were your father?” The hidden meaning of the question clearly went over the boy’s head. He blinked be my dad? Mommy his big eyes naively and asked, “Didn’t you say you know my daddy? How could you said my dad was a scjmbag who didn’t want us. Uncle Elias, you don’t seem like a scumbag.”

Elias was at a loss for words. Then, he tentatively brought up the topic, “How would you feel if I were your father? Would you be happy or disappointed?” Aiden pondered the question for a while before replying. “If you’re my dad, then you could drive me around in those cars in your garage, right?”

A smile curled up on the man’s lips. “Of course, I could even give them to you.” The little brat giggled happily, “Then… if you’re my dad, will your mommy and daddy scold me like how they scold you?” Children’s logic truly knew no bounds. It was fascinating how his mind wandered so far.

Elias responded, “No, of course not. I would never let anyone scold you.” He would never let anyone lay a finger on his son. How could he ever give someone leave to punish his son? Aiden widened his adorable eyes at his proclamation before finally announcing for all sundry, “Then, I will be happy to have you as my father!”

A gentle smile appeared on the man’s face as his voice became softer. “Really?” Aiden nodded profusely while babbling in excitement, “Uh-huh! I can ride in all those cars you own! It will be awesome!”

Elias muttered to himself, “All he thinks about are the cars in my garage.”

Alas, how could he explain to Aiden that he truly was his biological father? Elias continued coaxing gently. “What if I were your dad? I should be more than qualified to be your dad, right?”

Whenever he thought about how his son had been calling Simon ‘dad’ for such a long time… Well, it would be an understatement to say that it made him upset. It almost made him feel like going over and beating up Simon again. To his dismay, Aiden hesitated as he stammered, “It’s different… Uncle Simon is suitable for Mommy. Uncle Elias…”

Elias asked, “Am I not suitable for your mommy?” How could this little brat, who was only three years old, determine who was good or bad? He had really underestimated his precious son.

“Mommy… She doesn’t seem compatible with you. She seems more compatible with Uncle Simon.”

Aiden had made up his mind. Although he liked the cars in Elias’ garage, Elias had a bad temper. What would happen if he bullied Amanda in the future? On the other hand, Simon was different. He was calm and always gentle. He seemed like a better partner for Mommy.

Elias’ mouth twitched at his son’s unwittingly hurtful remarks. Did this brat even understand the concept of compatibility? He wanted to ask the boy just why he wasn’t compatible with Amanda. Was it his appearance? Or, was it his family background?

He carried the little boy and placed him on his lap; a serious expression was painted on his face. “I want to know, what makes me unsuitable for your mommy? Why am I no better than Simon?” He couldn’t understand why this little brat was so devoted to Simon.

Aiden looked at him, feeling a bit scared by his grave demeanor. Regardless, he said weakly, “Uncle Simon is very gentle, but Uncle Elias, you can be quite aggressive sometimes… What if you bully Mommy? She needs a man to protect her, and I want to find someone to protect Mommy…”

Elias had no idea what to say in regard to his son’s logic. He had truly underestimated just how sensitive his son was.

Nonetheless, Elias quickly realized that Aiden, although young, was quite filial and worried about a great number of things. He possessed a maturity that most of his peers lacked. Thus, Elias cleared his throat, trying to ease the awkwardness. “Have I ever been aggressive with you or your mommy? Do you remember when I got angry? There was a reason behind my rage. I don’t get angry without a reason, do you understand?”

Aiden seemed to recall something and asked, “Then, why were you angry?” He couldn’t forget the scene of Elias fighting. It was so scary.

To be fair, Elias’ anger was indeed terrifying, any man would take a step back when faced with his wrath, let alone three-year-old. The man fell silent for a few seconds before finally saying, “Some conflicts are between adults and aren’t something you can understand right now, okay? You’ll understand when you grow up. What you need to know is that I’m not someone who would lose his temper for no reason, and I would never hurt women, okay?”

Aiden looked at the man’s earnest expression and nodded, “Okay, but you’re not my dad. You said it yourself; it’s just an ‘if.”

Elias fell into silence again, contemplating how to make the child accept the fact that he was his father. If he just told him bluntly, the child probably wouldn’t be able to process the fact.

“You should be hungry. Let me cook something for you. With that, Elias placed his son down and continued prepping the fire. Then, he set up the utensils and placed the pot to cook the noodles.

At that moment, Amanda walked out of the tent, stretching lazily as she asked, “What are you guys talking about?” She had overheard the conversation between the father and son, but she couldn’t make out their conversation clearly, so she decided to check things out.

He replied sullenly, “Nothing…

Unfortunately, Aiden immediately sold him out. “Uncle Elias asked if I would be happy if he were my dad.”

Elias looked at his son in exasperation. He couldn’t believe that this was his biological son; he was so young, yet he already knew how to throw his father under the bus! Amanda widened her eyes and glanced at the man cooking noodles. Didn’t she tell him to take it slow? Why was he in such a rush to tell Aiden the truth?!

She forced a smile and crouched down beside her son. “Well, will you be happy?” Aiden innocently replied, “Yes, I would be happy! I can sit in all of Uncle Elias’ cool cars.” Was that all?

Amanda was stunned by Aiden’s response and decided to wave him off, grumbling in resignation, “Go play with the other kids.” To which her son happily responded with a chirp, “Okay!”

She watched her little child run away in the distance before rounding on Elias. “Didn’t we agree to take it slow? Why are you in such a rush? Do you really want to claim him as your son this badly?”

Elias scoffed, “What else should I do? Listen to him calling someone else ‘Daddy’ every day? I want him to call me Daddy when he’s with me. I’m his father.”

This possessiveness was something any man would feel. Who could tolerate their own child calling someone else ‘Daddy”?

Amanda lowered her voice as she warned, “He won’t be able to accept it right away if you suddenly blurt things out just like that. For the past four years, whenever he asked about his father, I told him that his father didn’t want us. He’s already old enough that the thought that his biological father has abandoned him has taken root…” Her voice gradually grew softer. She had been tarnishing his father’s image for four years since she didn’t want Aiden to hold on to any false hope for his biological father to suddenly reappear in their lives.

 

[Gily]

Chapter 170 It Feels Like We Are a Family

Elias’ facial expression turned increasingly somber. He gazed at Amanda deeply as he questioned, “So, why did you want to tarnish my image in front of our son? When have I said anything about casting you and Aiden off? I was not at all aware of Aiden’s existence. If I was, I wouldn’t have possibly abandoned him!” Elias had been dwelling on this matter since the day he found out that Aiden was his biological son. If Amanda could just come out and tell me that she was pregnant four years ago, I would certainly never go through with the divorce.

Amanda fell silent as she wondered, Why are we arguing over this matter again?

Then, she looked away and glanced at the water in the pot, which was already boiling and was about to bubble out. “The water is boiling.”

Only then did Elias turn his attention to the pot of boiling water. He lifted the lid, poured some cold water, and started cooking the noodles. Thus, the two worked together to make the noodle dish instead of continuing their conversation.

The teacher had come over to their tent earlier and informed them that everyone would gather at the campsite’s focal point to play some games after their meal.

“Mommy, is the noodle ready? I’m so hungry.” Aiden suddenly ran back to the tent. He was sweating profusely, and his cheeks were rosy from playing with his friends.

Amanda smiled. “It’s done. Come and help yourself.”

Elias didn’t make one for himself after filling two bowls with noodles and passing them to the mother and son. Instead, he simply watched them eat from the side.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Amanda asked, feeling slightly curious.

However, Elias replied, “I’m not hungry. I just ate before we departed.” In truth, Elias discovered that the portion of noodles Amanda brought was only enough for one person. Since he knew that Aiden wasn’t a big eater, the noodles were enough to feed her and Aiden. Elias came to realize that he seemed to have indeed changed quite a bit. He would have never been this considerate of others if it was in the past. For that reason, Howard often labeled Elias as a selfish and spoiled brat. Still, his personality seemed to have gentled after discovering that he was a father.

A smile appeared on Elias’ lips as he watched the little guy enjoy his meal with relish, even in such an environment. Then, he reached out and ruffled Aiden’s little fluffy head. There was a surge of compassion in his heart. Even though everything was fine now, Elias couldn’t refrain from feeling distressed by the life Aiden had to go through in the past four years. He wondered how Amanda managed to balance her work while raising Aiden well in the past four years. He wondered if Amanda had entrusted Aiden to someone’s care when she couldn’t be there. Just the thought of it aroused Elias’ sympathy.

Elias and Amanda took Aiden to gather at the campsite’s focal point after their meal. To their surprise, the kindergarten teachers had everything ready, and the bonfire set up for a bonfire party. All the children were jumping up and down in excitement as this was their first time having such a close commune with nature.

Aiden had one hand holding Amanda and another holding Elias when he suddenly raised his head and said, “Mommy! It feels like we are a family.”

Both Amanda and Elias fell silent at his observation.

Actually, son, we are indeed a family. Tears welled up in Amanda’s eyes without warning. She wasn’t sure if it
It Feels Like We Are a Family was due to the fire or Aiden’s words.

As for Elias, he bent over and effortlessly carried Aiden up with one arm. “How about I be your daddy in the future?” he asked with a gentle and doting tone. “I promise I won’t lose my temper again. Okay?” One had to know it was difficult for Elias to make such a promise. His bad temper was well-known, yet he was willing to make such a promise for Aiden’s sake.

Aiden raised his head and stared into Elias’ eyes as he asked earnestly, “But you have to marry Mommy if you want to be my daddy. So, are you going to marry Mommy?”

Although Elias and Amanda knew a child said what they liked, they fell silent immediately after they heard the words that escaped Aiden’s lips. To sum up, the current situation was a complete mess.

Elias turned to stare at Amanda’s face. Of course, I have thought of remarrying Amanda. After I learned that Amanda had returned to Imperia, the only thing that has been occupying my mind is to remarry her. It’s just that Amanda rejects the idea… The shine in Elias’ eyes dimmed a little as he thought of that.

Amanda was tongue-tied in the face of Elias’ deep gaze and Aiden’s innocent ones. In reality, the two grown-ups had laid this topic to rest, and Elias had given up the thought of remarrying Amanda. Yet, both fell into deep thoughts because of what Aiden said.

Eventually, Amanda simply smiled slightly as she took Aiden’s hand and said, “Uncle Elias has a woman he likes, so he can’t marry me.”

Elias furrowed his brows slightly upon hearing those words. If circumstances allowed, he really wanted to yell ‘Nonsense’ in Amanda’s face.

An apparent tint of disappointment painted across the little guy’s face as he pouted and uttered, “Oh… He can’t be my daddy, then. Because to be my daddy, he has to marry you, take care of you, and protect you.”

Amanda couldn’t help smiling proudly after hearing Aiden’s sincerity. My big boy, indeed. Always thinking about me.

“I don’t,” Elias immediately denied Amanda’s statement.

However, Amanda refuted, “You clearly have a crush on Natasha. Otherwise, how would you be willing to keep her by your side? Stop deceiving yourself and others. I don’t want a man whose heart belongs to someone else’s. Moreover, I never thought of remarrying you.”

On the other hand, Elias’ face twisted into a scowl. Currently, he wanted to go back and beat Lazarus up. That asshole, Lazarus! It was his idea to make up a story about a first love! Now that sh*t has literally become an obstacle in my plan to remarry Amanda! Thanks to him, I can’t even express my discomfort right now!

Aiden’s big, round eyes shifted back and forth between Amanda and Elias, and he asked, “What is remarry? What is it?” Since the word remarry was still unfamiliar to a three-year-old toddler like Aiden, it was natural that he couldn’t understand it.

“It means happiness. Now run along and play with the other children. Look! The teacher is choreographing a dance for you guys,” Amanda said, diverting Aiden’s attention. Then, she took him from Elias’ arms and placed him on the ground. The little guy, successfully distracted, ran to join the other children.

The flickering flames of the bonfire shone gently through Elias and Amanda’s faces, creating an indescribable sense of harmony.

Suddenly, Elias spoke, “Perhaps we should remarry for Aiden’s sake. After all, he needs to grow up in a healthy environment. He needs the presence of both parents in his life.”

Alas, Amanda’s heart was filled with nothing but disdain at this moment. Does this man want to be like Simon, who only cares about marriage but not love? Are all men this sh*t-faced?

Amanda had a smile on her face as she shook her head and dismissed the offer, “Thanks, but no thanks. It is also a form of suffering for the child when parents who don’t love each other insist on living under the same roof.”

Parents who don’t love each other? Elias felt a slight pain in his chest when he heard these words. Is Amanda implying that she doesn’t love me? Elias couldn’t accept the fact that Amanda had fallen out of love with him. After all, Amanda only had eyes for him four years ago. Yet, the Amanda now only thought of ways to escape from him.

The bonfire party was still going on, and Amanda was playing games with Aiden. Meanwhile, Elias stood alone in a far corner with a cigarette between his lips. He gazed into the distance, utterly lost in his thoughts. Is this play-hard-to-get trick by Lazarus seriously going to work? Why do I feel that Amanda is getting further and further away from me? By the looks of it, she still doesn’t have even the slightest sign of pursuing a relationship with me, especially after I heard her saying the words, parents who don’t love each other’ just now. It makes me feel so powerless to the point of suffocation. To the outside world, I am the mighty Elias. Everyone listens to me. However, when it comes to my wife and children… Well, I can’t exactly force Amanda to reciprocate my affection for her, can I? Elias looked at the mother-and-son duo by the bonfire. The expression on his face turned cold as a gleam of possessiveness simmered in his eyes.

 

[Gily]

Chapter 171 A Sleepless Night

After the bonfire party ended, everyone returned to their tents, ready to retire for the night. Even though Aiden was already in the tent, he didn’t forget to call the two grown-ups, “Uncle Elias! Mommy! Come and sleep together!”

Sleep together? Amanda’s facial expression turned slightly awkward as soon as she heard that. Then, she couldn’t help but look up at the man standing beside her.

Elias could tell Amanda was in a difficult situation. Therefore, he explained, “Go to sleep with your mommy. I will protect you outside because there will be many unlovely little critters here at night.”

“Unlovely little critters? What are those? Uncle Elias, I want to be outside with you too! I want to see them!” the little guy said innocently.

“Aren’t you going to sleep?” Amanda frowned.

“Do you like snakes? Do you like mice? Do you like bugs?” Elias questioned in a threatening tone.

Aiden instantly widened his big, round eyes and shook his head violently. “I don’t like them! Mommy, are there mice and snakes here? I don’t want to stay here! I want to go home!” He was so frightened that he almost cried as he snuggled into Amanda’s arms and hugged her tightly.

That’s why you should be a good boy and stay in the tent with your mommy. I will stay outside and protect you. Okay?” Since Elias’ solemnity didn’t seem the least bit deceitful in a child’s eyes, Aiden was utterly convinced. Thus, he obediently nodded and refused to leave the tent.

Meanwhile, Amanda couldn’t help but smile when she saw this. The teachers in the kindergarten were the ones who chose this campsite. I’m sure that this place is the safest spot possible. Then again, I can’t deny what Elias said either. After all, encountering critters such as snakes, ants, and mosquitoes is unavoidable when camping outdoors. Still, Aiden has always been a fearless little guy. It seems that Elias truly has a way when it comes to dealing with difficult children.

Hence, Amanda and Aiden slept in the tent while Elias stayed outside. Everything seemed so harmonious” when suddenly, Aiden looked up at Amanda and asked, “Mommy, do you like Uncle Elias? Do you want him to be your husband?”

Since Amanda didn’t expect Aiden to ask her such a grown-up question out of the blue, she smiled and retorted, “Why are you asking? Do you want Uncle Elias to be your daddy, then?”

Aiden replied sensibly, “Mommy, I like anyone you like.

Amanda was slightly surprised by his words. Still, she couldn’t deny that his words melted her heart as she lowered her head to kiss his soft cheek. “There, there. Don’t overthink things. You just have to spend every day of the rest of your life happily.”

“But Mommy, I think you like Uncle Elias…”

Her heart skipped a beat as her eye fluttered in panic. Then, she lowered her head and looked at Aiden, who lay in her arms. She couldn’t help but feel flustered, it was as though Aiden had spilled her secrets.

“You’re still a kid, so what do you know? I like him? When?” Amanda blustered. When she parted her lips. to rant, she immediately shut her jaws with a click when she realized there was no point in explaining this matter to Aiden.

“Oh, I know, I can feel it, Mommy. I can feel that you like Uncle Elias. You treat Uncle Elias differently than Uncle Simon.”

Amanda was stunned. Really? How did I treat Elias? And how did I treat Simon? Is there really a difference? Why can’t I see it? “What’s the difference?”

Aiden thought it over carefully for a few seconds before answering. “You treat Uncle Elias like a family but treat Uncle Simon like a friend.”

She kept quiet, unable to respond. Is it really as what Aiden said? Is it truly so obvious?

It was 1.00AM, and Elias sat by the fire, staring at it while immersed in his train of thought.

Just then, an unzipping sound came behind him as Amanda left the tent.

Elias swiftly snapped out of his thoughts, raised his head, and looked at her. “Why are you out? Are you not sleeping?”

“I’ll take over for a while, so you can go in and sleep for a moment. We still have to take Aiden mountain climbing tomorrow, so Elias will be dead on his feet if he doesn’t get some rest tonight.

So, Amanda walked up to Elias, sat beside him, and poked the fire with a branch.

Nonetheless, Elias declined her offer, “I’m not sleepy. Besides, I’m a man. Just go to sleep. I don’t know how to coax children.”

“So, what if you’re a man? Men can also get tired. Just go into the tent and sleep. After all, I can’t sleep right now. Indeed, Amanda only came outside for some fresh air because she was having trouble sleeping after hearing Aiden’s astute observation. She couldn’t help but feel awkward around Elias whenever her mind. strayed to her conversation with Aiden earlier. Do I really treat Elias like a family?

“Then, I’ll stay with you for a while. I can’t sleep either. Elias couldn’t sleep because of the pain he felt from hearing Amanda’s hurtful remarks while Amanda couldn’t sleep because of Aiden’s words.

Either way, tonight was bound to be a sleepless night for Amanda and Elias.

The others were sleeping soundly in their tents. Only Amanda and Elias were sitting by the fire.

Only the sound of cicadas chorusing and the light and hurried footsteps of some little critters crawling were heard in the quiet night.

Suddenly, Elias said, “Tell me about your life abroad in the past four years. Were you nervous when you gave birth to Aiden?” Besides his misunderstanding of Amanda, there was one more thing Elias regretted. That was he wasn’t by Amanda’s side when Aiden was born. Was there anyone by Amanda’s side when she gave birth? Could it be Simon again?

He felt his heart wrench at that thought. It was my woman who gave birth, yet it was another man who stayed by her side. Such a feeling is indescribable.

Amanda smiled faintly and said, “Frankly, I was quite nervous. I was very anxious throughout my pregnancy. Since I was abroad and couldn’t access home-cooked meals often, I was constantly afraid that I lacked nutrition. Baby was born when he was about 38 weeks old and weighed less than 8 lbs. At that time, I kept blaming myself for not eating well. Fortunately, my worries were for naught as it turned out that he was pretty healthy. I made sure he ate well and slept well after he was born. Sure enough, he gained weight. rather quickly.”

“Then, who accompanied you to the hospital when you gave birth?” Since Elias knew how complicated the healthcare system abroad was, he naturally knew giving birth abroad was very troublesome,

“It was all thanks to Simon, I suppose. He helped me a great deal. He helped me make the hospital appointment. He sent me to the hospital when I went into labor in the middle of the night,” Amanda. answered truthfully while feigning nonchalance..

There was an apparent hint of despair in Elias’ eyes. My guess was right on the money. It was indeed Simon who was by her side. At that moment, Elias genuinely felt that he failed terribly as a father. I can’t believe I was unaware of my son’s birth! “Really? I would have shown up by your side promptly and kept you company in the labor room if you had informed me earlier.” Elias sounded jealous.

“Unfortunately, there is no if. At that time, I thought you were long married and had children of your own. After all, you had already shown me that you liked that woman a great deal. Amanda felt her blood boil whenever she remembered the scene from four years ago. She could never get over it, no matter how hard she tried.

Elias had no words to say in his defense. He also knew that it was all his fault. He was the one who pushed his wife and child into the abyss of despair, and he even nearly killed his own son due to his actions.

The silence dragged on as their discussion brought back terrible memories. Suddenly, Amanda heard something rustling through the leaves. She followed the source of the sound, and to her horror, a snake had crawled to her foot. It was even flickering his tongue, as though it was scenting her as prey.

“Oh, my God! A snake!” she yelled instantly in fright.

He got up and pulled Amanda to stand behind him quickly. Unfortunately, due to the ruckus, the snake seemed to have been frightened as well, for it bit Elias ankle.

Elias grunted in pain. Then, he immediately pulled the snake up and tossed it into the woods.

 

[Gily]

Chapter 172 Are You Trying to Murder Your Own Husband?

Amanda instantly caught sight of the bite mark on his ankle as blood oozed out of the wound.

“You’re injured! Was it a venomous snake?” She grew anxious upon seeing that. What if it was indeed a venomous snake? The hospital was quite far from their current location. It would be too late by the time they rushed there for help.

Elias couldn’t help but feel a bit delighted when he saw her getting nervous. He even deliberately. pretended to be in pain and replied, “It does seem like the bite of a venomous snake.”

As soon as he spoke, her eyes widened in fear. “Really?! What should we do? We need to call an ambulance quickly! Wait, will they come here? What do we do now?”

Amanda was at a loss, unsure of what to do. Was Elias going to die? The thought of him dying made her burst into tears, and her hot, panicked tears fell onto his palm. He looked at her sobbing for him and felt a strange sense of pleasure, so he decided to prolong his enjoyment just a little longer.

“Maybe it’s a cobra,” he added, deliberately scaring her again.

“Cobra?” She became even more agitated upon hearing those words. Cobras were truly deadly! She needed to hurry and take him to the hospital to treat the wound!

Quick, make a call for Yacob to pick you up! Cobras are deadly! We should hurry to the hospital!”

She grabbed Elias’ hand and was about to leave, even forgetting that Baby was still sleeping inside the tent in her worry.

He held her wrist. “What about the child? He’s still sleeping inside the tent.”

“Oh, yes, how could I forget about Aiden? I’ll wake him up now.”

She was in a state of complete terror, and her mind was unable to think clearly. Her thoughts were consumed with the fear of what would happen if he died.

He couldn’t bear to tease her any longer upon seeing her in such distress. So, he pulled her into his. embrace and comforted her, “I lied to you. I’m fine. There’s no need to panic.”

Amanda cried even harder, but this time she didn’t push him away; she knew he was physically hurt. Nonetheless, her tears were mixed with anger as she exclaimed, “What do you mean you’re fine? That was a venomous snake! A cobra! It’s deadly! What if you die? The hospital is so far away. Can you even make it to the hospital? Should I ask Howard to send a helicopter to pick you up?”

As she spoke, she reached for her phone, intending to call Howard.

Once again, Elias stopped her. “Amanda! Amanda! Calm down. I lied to you. It’s not a venomous snake. There won’t be any venomous snakes here. It’s just an ordinary snake, and the wound isn’t deep. It doesn’t hurt. We can just clean and disinfect it casually.”

“How do you know it’s just an ordinary snake? It’s dark, and we can’t see clearly. What if it really was a venomous snake?” she questioned sharply.

He couldn’t help but laugh. Then, he gently touched her cold cheeks with his large hand to soothe her anxiety. “This is a camping location chosen by the kindergarten. How could there be venomous snakes here? Just think about how many children are here. The kindergarten would be cautious since they’re afraid of such accidents befalling the children.”

Finally, her sobs quietened as she looked at him dazedly. Her eyes slowly cleared as if she had regained her senses. Well, what he said made sense. The kindergarten’s choice of location would undoubtedly be the safest with so many children around.

“Then, why did you say it was a cobra earlier? Why did you lie to me?” Her expression changed instantly. even though tears still streaked her cheeks.

He wiped away her tears and spoke slowly, “I felt a little happy seeing you worry about me, so I wanted to enjoy it a little longer.”

Was this man losing his mind? He lied to her about being bitten by a venomous snake just to relish in her worry. Amanda looked at the man in front of her incredulously.

“Are you sick? Are you asking for a punch in the face?” She even fiercely pinched the area on his skin where he was bitten by the snake.

This time it genuinely hurt. Elias let out a pained groan, barely enduring the discomfort and gritting his teeth. “Are you trying to murder your own husband?”

She sneered. “Ex-husband, you mean!”

For some strange reason, he couldn’t help but laugh in response. It certainly didn’t seem like she had no feelings for him at all, especially after witnessing her worry and panic earlier. Could it be that she was genuinely afraid of history repeating itself and was trying to avoid him to prevent herself from getting hurt again?

He looked at her as she angrily wiped away her tears and couldn’t help but ask, “Are you avoiding my pursuit because you’re afraid of history repeating itself? Is that why you’re trying to stay away from me?”

Amanda paused in her actions and looked up but found herself unable to escape his intense and focused. gaze. “No!” she firmly denied, but her heart raced as if she feared he could read her thoughts.

Alas, Elias wasn’t about to let things slide so easily as he pressed on. “Then, why is it?”

Her mind was a jumbled mess at that moment. “There’s no ‘why.” I just don’t love you anymore. Is that not allowed? You didn’t love me when I loved you. Now that you want to love me, you expect me to reciprocate. What kind of rule is that?”

He remained silent, continuing to stare at her. His dark eyes held many unspoken thoughts, intriguing anyone who dared to delve.

She avoided meeting his eyes as she felt flustered under his unwavering gaze. “Why are you staring at me like that? I already told you I don’t love you anymore. Don’t ask for an explanation. It’s irritating. You’re such a liar; you deceived me four years ago, and you’re still deceiving me now. Is getting bitten by a snake. something to be proud of? Let me tell you, my concern for you earlier wasn’t because I still love you. It was because I was afraid it would be my fault if something happened to you. After all, I was the one who invited you to join the camping trip.”

She explained all of this to prevent him from misconstruing her feelings. Regardless, the truth remained that she had always reserved a place for him in her heart-the most significant place where no one else. could enter, and he had remained there for a long time. Sometimes she despised herself for being so weak. Despite all the wrongs Elias had done to her, she still held a place for him in her heart. The thought. brought her to tears once again. Hence, she rose to her feet and stomped back into the tent. She didn’t want to be alone with him right now, fearing that her true emotions would be exposed if she lingered.

Alas, he became flustered upon seeing her leave. So, he quickly rose to his feet and apologized, “I’m sorry.

I didn’t mean to deceive you. I was only trying to tease you. I didn’t expect you to take it seriously.

He thought she could see through his intentions. He honestly didn’t anticipate her falling for his trickery and immediately worrying about whether he would die from the snakebite.

“Please, stop fooling around. We’re not in that kind of relationship anymore. I genuinely fear that something has happened to you, and I can’t bear that responsibility. I’m just your ex-wife now.” She turned and walked into the tent without any hesitation, paying no heed to the man behind her.

He was left standing alone, gazing at the tent illuminated by the fire’s faint glow. Although he wanted to retort, all those words shriveled up in his throat and died when he thought just how things had gotten this far.

 

[Gily]

Chapter 173 Mommy, Uncle Elias Is Bleeding

As the first light of dawn painted the sky the next day. Elias found himself unable to sleep, keeping a vigilant watch throughout the night. Yvonne’s mom emerged from her neighboring tent, awakening to the sight of him sitting beside the extinguished campfire.

“Hey, Mr. Winters. Why are you up so early? Did you not get any rest?” she inquired with genuine concern. Having received Elias’ assistance in setting up her tent the previous day, she felt a sense of gratitude toward him.

He looked up at the sound of her voice, his countenance unchanged, and responded calmly, “I couldn’t sleep. Oh. There might be serpents, ants, mosquitoes, and insects lurking about during the night. I suggest you exercise caution and ensure the tent is securely zipped.”

“Really? This location was selected by the kindergarten, so I presumed there wouldn’t be any creatures of that nature…” She suddenly became anxious.

Just then, Amanda awakened and unzipped her tent, catching sight of Elias engrossed in conversation with Yvonne’s mother. Her eyes filled with disdain as she muttered, “Flirting so early in the morning and behaving like a peacock flaunting its feathers. Heartless man…

Yvonne’s mother was the first to notice Amanda’s presence and courteously nodded and greeted fier, “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” she replied, maintaining a vencer of politeness, although she felt a tinge of displeasure.

She responded with a sweet smile and stepped out of her tent.

“I must say, you are truly fortunate. Your husband remained outside all night to protect you and the children from snakes, ants, and mosquitoes, Yvonne’s mother remarked, finally understanding why Elias had forsaken sleep. He had done so to ensure the safety and peace of mind of his wife and child, a realization that stirred a sense of envy within her as a single mother.

Amanda paused, comprehending Yvonne’s mother’s sentiment, and cast a glance at the faint dark circles beneath Elias’ eyes. With a smile, she uttered a heartfelt thank you.

Yvonne’s mother proceeded to fetch water for their morning ablutions while Amanda turned her gaze toward Elias, weariness etched on her face. “How do you plan to accompany the children on the mountain in this condition? Rest in the tent for a while, and I can take Aiden climbing instead.”

Her concern centered mainly around the snake bite on Elias’ ankle. Even if the snake had not been venomous, the wound must still have been painful. Hiking with only one fully functional leg would undoubtedly be arduous.

However, he furrowed his brow and replied, “No, I must accompany you.”

The ascent up the mountain held its dangers, and should an unforeseen event occur, he needed to be by their side at all times. He could not afford to be absent once again.

“Are you sure your injury will permit hiking?” She glanced at his wounded ankle.

“It’s nothing serious. It has already scabbed over. I tended to it last night. Just a minor inconvenience,” he assured her.

“Suit yourself,” she relented. She contemplated saying more but thought better of it, choosing to turn and collect water, preparing to rouse Aiden.

As Amanda walked away, Elias cast a downward gaze at his injured ankle. In truth, the snake had delivered a rather deep bite, and he had not properly tended to the wound.

Yet, he was determined to accompany her and Aiden on their mountain trek.

After breakfast, the kindergarten organized a hiking trip for everyone. As they were all children, the trail they followed was not perilous, allowing them to enjoy a gentle immersion in nature. With Elias’ injured. ankle, each step he took felt like treading on a knife’s edge. Nevertheless, he silently trailed behind. Amanda and Aiden.

“Mommy, look! A butterfly! It’s so beautiful!” Aiden exclaimed, pointing at a delicate blue butterfly gracefully fluttering through the air.

She followed the direction indicated by her son’s tiny hand and spotted the marvelous creature. It had been quite some time since she had last seen such beauty.

Meanwhile, Elias settled on a nearby boulder, maintaining an outward appearance of tranquility. However, his wound had reopened slightly due to the strain of walking, and fresh blood began to trickle forth.

Aiden turned back to him, brimming with happiness, and pleaded, “Uncle Elias, catch the butterfly for me! I want to catch one too!”

Just as he was about to rise and fulfill the child’s request. Aiden’s innocent eyes caught sight of the blood staining Elias’ ankle, a few droplets marking the ground.

The kid was startled by the sight, fear gripping his heart as his adorable voice tinged with panic. “Mommy,” Uncle Elias is bleeding! It’s blood…”

Amanda instinctively looked toward Elias’ ankle and witnessed the seeping blood, which left its mark on the ground. Worry instantly took hold of her. Is the wound reopened?

Elias stood up, his tall figure and large hand gently patting his son’s head to comfort him. “It’s fine. I accidentally scraped it just now.”

“Does it hurt?” Aiden asked, tilting his head.

“Not at all. Men shouldn’t cry out in pain.

Amanda retorted coldly, “Can you not instill such thoughts in him? What do you mean men shouldn’t cry out in pain? Are men not human? Pain is pain. He remained silent.

She crouched and patiently explained to her son, “Aiden, Uncle Elias hurt his foot. Let’s go back to the city and take him to the hospital to have the wound treated, alright? We can go camping again when we get another chance, okay?”

Although Aiden initially resisted, the sight of bloodstains on the ground softened his heart, and he obediently nodded.

“Good boy. Next time, we’ll take you to an even more exciting camping spot, and you can even try fishing.” she assured, hugging her son. Once again, she was moved by his thoughtfulness.

She could tell he did not want to leave, but seeing Elias bleeding scared him.

Thus, she informed the teacher before they left early, returning to the city.

Upon arriving at the hospital, a sense of relief washed over Amanda as the doctor tended to Elias’ wound, assuring her that it was not a severe issue.

“The wound became infected due to delayed treatment, likely from bacteria in the wilderness. There’s some pus, but now that we have treated the wound, all you need is to rest and avoid excessive walking. Remember not to consume seafood or alcohol…” The doctor provided instructions while Amanda. attentively jotted down notes.

However, Elias appeared indifferent as he played with Aiden, their bond resembling that of a loving father and son, especially due to their striking resemblance.

“Alright, let’s go home and rest. Did you hear what the doctor said? Don’t exert yourself, and take it easy. Otherwise, the wound may reopen,” Amanda nagged, her concern evident.

Yet, he merely responded with a faint hum..

Just as she was about to send him home, the sound of Howard shuffling with a cane reached their ears, emanating from the corridor. “You mischievous rascal, what trouble have you gotten into now? Did a snake bite you again?” he bellowed as he entered the room, but his expression swiftly changed upon catching sight of Amanda and Aiden.

“Oh, Amanda, you’re here too! Oh my, my adorable great-grandson is here as well,” he exclaimed, a wide smile spreading across his face. He approached, gently clasping the chubby little hand of the child, unable to resist the affection that welled up within him.

 

[Gily]

Chapter 174 Who Said I Have to Take Care of You?

“Grandpa, Elias joined us on a camping trip and got bitten by a snake. I’m terribly sorry. I had no idea there were snakes in that area…” Amanda’s heart sank, weighed down by guilt. After all, Elias was Howard’s beloved grandson, a treasure in his eyes.

“Well, things happen. Don’t fret. It’s just a minor inconvenience to endure for the sake of his woman and child,” Howard reassured, his voice carrying a soothing tone. As long as Elias could reconcile with Amanda and bring their child back to the Winters Family, this minor injury would seem insignificant.

She stood there, momentarily stunned, as Howard took Aiden’s hand without delay, addressing her directly. “Amanda, take care of Elias. After all, he got injured because of you. I’ll take care of the child in your absence. Is that agreeable?”

“1” Before she could utter a word, he had already taken Aiden’s hand, ready to depart, completely unaware of the purpose of his visit.

“Aiden, would you like to come and play with me? My house is a big playground!”

“Okay! Let’s go, Great-Grandpa!” Aiden’s face lit up at the mention of something fun, eagerly clutching Howard’s hand and leading the way to the door.

Amanda was left speechless. This little brat only cares about playing.

With Howard and the kid gone, she and Elias found themselves locked in a silent gaze. “Let’s go. I’ll help. you find a wheelchair,” she offered, breaking the silence.

However, he promptly rose to his feet without hesitation. “No need. I’m not that delicate.”

Defiantly, he started walking toward the door, but she swiftly caught hold of his arm. “Didn’t you hear what the doctor said? They told you not to exert yourself too much. Why are you so stubborn?”

“The doctors enjoy scaring people like you, who are easily frightened. The wound has been treated, so it’s not as serious as you think,” he countered, determined to push forward.

With his long strides, he attempted to proceed, but Armanda walked beside him, draping his lengthy arm. around her shoulders, bearing his weight on her slender frame. “Forget it. I’ll support you,” she muttered, her mood tinged with annoyance.

Elias smiled in response, choosing to remain silent. Leaning on her fragile body, they painstakingly made their way outside, step by step.

Little did they know, Howard had inadvertently done them a favor this time.

Instead of returning to Winters Estate, Amanda brought Elias back to Northern No. 1.

As they arrived home, Selina hurriedly opened the door, her surprise evident upon seeing their current state. “What happened to you two? Weren’t you supposed to be camping with Aiden? Why have you come back so soon?”

Mr. Winters is leaning on Miss Bailey, their posture so intimate. Have they reconciled?

“It’s a long story. Let us come in first,” Amanda requested, feeling the strain of supporting Elias’ weight. It almost seemed as if he purposefully burdened her.

“Oh, oh. Understanding dawned on Selina, and she quickly stepped aside, allowing them to enter.

Amanda took a deep breath and helped Elias settle onto the living room couch. She slumped down beside him, slightly panting and overcoming with weariness.

Observing her gasping for breath, he could not help but let out a light chuckle. “Already exhausted? How do you plan on tending to me?”

“Who said I have to take care of you? Now that we’re back home, just rest properly. When it’s time to eat, Selina will call you. You won’t starve.” She rolled her eyes at him, rising to return to her room.

Having spent a restless night during their outdoor camping trip, she desperately needed to make up for lost sleep. However, Elias grasped her hand firmly and remarked, “Did you forget what my grandfather said at the hospital? I got injured because of you, so it’s your duty to look after me”

“What do you mean you got hurt because of me? It was clearly for your son. What’s the big deal, sustaining a minor injury for your child? You’re a man; men shouldn’t complain about pain. Amanda smiled faintly, using his ideology to render him speechless.

He froze there, unable to rebut. Just as he was about to respond, his phone buzzed, breaking the tension. She glanced at the screen and saw the caller ID displaying ‘Natasha.’ Another call from his first love?

Elias glanced at the phone screen, a hint of impatience etching across his handsome face. Must this “actress’ be so persistent? Calling me every day as if she is truly my first love. Is it that necessary? Isn’t she just in it for the money? Hasn’t Lazarus paid her enough?

He answered the phone with an impatient tone, “Can you say everything at once? Didn’t I tell you to find Mr. Briggs?”

Amanda was taken aback by the man’s attitude. Is this how he treats his first love?

She did not know what Natasha said on the other end of the line, but she noticed a slight change in Elias” expression. Speaking in a deep voice, he stated, “Hmm, understood. I’ll give you a week off. Handle your matters and come back to work.”

After ending the call, Amanda asked curiously. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Though she did not want to pry, Elias shifting expression successfully piqued her curiosity. He glanced at her and replied, “Nothing significant. Natasha’s grandmother passed away, and she requested some time off.

“Then… Aren’t you going to her grandmother’s funeral? People in such situations are usually fragile and need someone to lean on.”

She understood that feeling all too well. When her mother passed away, not a single relative on her side was willing to step forward, and her deadbeat father was nowhere to be found. She could only rely on her so-called husband, Elias, who handled every aspect of her mother’s funeral.

During that year of their secret marriage, she was grateful, despite his mistreatment, because he provided. support during her most difficult and helpless moments, becoming the sole ray of light in her darkness.

Elias sneered. “Right now, she’s just my subordinate, and I’m her boss. There’s no need to be excessively. friendly.”

Amanda deliberately prodded, “Oh? Are you frustrated that the reconciliation is taking too long? If Natasha were to fall into your arms now, would you handle everything for her just like you did with my mother’s funeral”

Regret filled her immediately after saying those words he did not want to act this way, but her resentment seeped into her speech, making her sound like a scorned wife in a melodramatic affair

He was momentarily stunned, caught off guard by her words. Then, a ift chuckle escaped his lips. “Can I interpret this as jealousy on your part) Bevdet. I have to intention of getting back together with her, so why are you so antroir?“

Judging from her earlier remarks, it was evident that Amanda was growing increanmely anxious. Her gaze started to evade him, and she replied, I’m not jealous. You’re overthinking. Since you’re to irritated and injured, why don’t you find your first love and let her take care of you? To’d be a perfect oppe you to bond“

At that a displeased frown creased Elias face. He asked To that truly what you believe?

He felt genuine frustration building within him as the persistently pushed him toward other women. Er ide truly resting me in this manner?