Chapter 102: Are You Going To Marry Her?
It was not something reasonable, but looking at his experienced action, it seemed very natural too. The warm sunshine went into the room. He was busy while she was looking on with a cat in her arms. How would an outsider interpret this scene?
Suddenly, Tristan paused and picked a thing from the table and looked at her, asking seriously, “Where did this come from?”
In his hand was a half-smoked cigarette. “Taken from my study?”
Kate didn’t reply and was ready to fight back.
“Stop this nonsense.” He replied, “No more next time.” He threw the cigarette into the dustbin and went on with his mopping.
Kate expected he would lose his temper, in which case she could vent out her anger too. But he let it pass. It was so depressing.
At night, Tristan put his hand on her belly again. This had become a daily routine. Sometimes he would move his hand upward and squeeze her for some time to pacify his breathing.
He was suppressing his desires. The longing for a child of a man in his thirties was so apparent.
After thinking about it for a day, Kate opened her mouth, “I can deliver the child.”
“Then you have to let me go.”
His hand on her belly moved a little, and he said with a condescending tone, “No negotiation about it. You cannot leave before the 3-year term is over.”
“We don’t have the term that I have to deliver a baby in the agreement.”
“No term says that a child cannot be delivered.”
“…”
He kissed her earlobe and said with a soothing tone, “Stop pondering about it. A student cannot outwit a teacher. Troubling yourself with these unrealistic ideas is bad for the child.”
“And bad for yourself too.” He added.
The next afternoon, guests came to the villa.
Kate was shocked at the two people standing in front of her.
Beside Max stood a pretty young girl. It was her younger sister Daisy. Daisy was out-going, vivacious, and coquettish. She ran to hug her, “Sister, I missed you so much!”
After checking her out, she said laughingly, “I haven’t seen you for over a year, you are prettier.”
“How did you come to LA?” Kate was still uncomfortable with this meeting.
“I am going to graduate next year. So I took the chance to come to LA to see if I can find a job as an intern.”NôvelDrama.Org content.
Max explained, “Mr. Fox called this morning and said you are in a mood and asked me to come over to see you. Daisy happened to be with me. So Ed took us here.”
Daisy asked with concern, “What’s wrong with you, sister?”
Max said, “Is it because of Jimmy?”
“Who is Jimmy?”
Kate winked at Max and said, “I just caught a cold. Come, sit down.”
Laura brought tea and desserts and went back to the kitchen to prepare juice. Daisy touched the fat cat lying on the couch with curiosity, “The cat is so fat. What is its name?”
Kate paused for half a second, “Fatty.”
“Well, a rustic name for a very cute cat.”
Daisy tried to carry it, but it jumped down from the couch and wobbled its way out.
The three of them started to catch up. Max was apparently preoccupied. And Kate thought she knew what he was thinking about.
Daisy was the most talkative one. She came to LA three days ago. She told them her experience of applying for jobs and charming interviewers with her witty language. Kate was soon touched by her upbeat attitude and funny stories. She felt relaxed.
Max asked Kate with a low voice when Daisy went to the bathroom, “Did he bully you?”
Kate shook her head.
Tristan came back early these days. When he stepped into the room, the three stopped their heated conversation at the sight of him. Alert came to Max’s eyes, and Daisy was startled for a moment.
Tristan said hello to them and went to sit by Kate. His hand put on Kate’s waist naturally. He asked Max and Daisy about their school and how the job hunt was going. The siblings replied to him.
Laura came to inform them that dinner was ready.
After they took their seats, Laura poured wine for them, but when she came to Kate, she poured juice. Daisy asked, “Kate, you still don’t drink anything alcoholic?”
Tristan said with ease, “She cannot drink alcohol. It is bad for the child.”
The two were shocked.
Daisy reacted first with a smile, “Congratulations to you two.”
Tristan accepted with thanks.
It was late, and Tristan asked Laura to prepare two guest rooms for Max and Daisy. Max followed Tristan to his study and asked him with seriousness, “Do you know what it means to a woman to have a baby?”
Tristan raised his eyebrows, “So?”
“Couldn’t you have mercy on her?” Max was indignant.
Tristan palmed his forehead and said, “Is it in the eyes of you all, I either use her or abuse her?” And then, after a pause, like speaking to himself, he said, “The child is not only mine but also hers.”
Max was angry, “So what? Are you going to marry her?”
Tristan looked at him immediately. As Max thought he was offended, he smiled silently, “That is business between her and me. I don’t need to promise anything to others.”
Max could not find anything to say back, but he didn’t want to give up.
Tristan saw through his mind and said slowly, “I do appreciate you looking out for each other as a family. However, if you want to protect your family, you need to have the capability to protect them, instead of trying to appeal to other people’s consciousness, because usually…” he turned a little sarcastic, “a person who hurt you once could only hurt you again.”
At night, Kate slept on her side and had her back to Tristan. Tristan turned her to lie on her back and said, “Be careful with the child.” And he put his hand on her waist habitually. “Feeling better about seeing your family?”
“Is this what you want? To make the whole world know about it?” Kate hated his trick. Like last time, when he rescued Max, he dragged him to witness her awkward situation.
“You are right.” He chuckled in a low voice, “My child is not a shame.”