"Mommy, are you alright? Did daddy do something to you?" Little Louie asked worriedly.
Hearing the child's agitated voice, Laurice finally recovered from her trance. She heaved a long sigh before casting a long glance at the huge man towering before her. He was clearly giving off an air of dominance and mischief. And it was definitely no easy fit to deal with the devil himself. He can't be tamed. Resistance was indeed futile. She glared at the man in front of her before shifting her gaze to the little one clinging unto her neck sympathetically. Her expression immediately softened when she looked towards the little young master.
Laurice's heart instantly mellowed with the sight of Little Louie. His expression was literally that of a little child protecting his mother from a beast. His eyes that were boring through the depths of her soul were both fierce and warm it was quickly melting her heart away. It was so weird that she was feeling a strong sense of affinity towards the child the longer he stays in her arms.
Laurice stared unblinkingly at Little Louie and rather affectionately. After a long pause she replied softly, "I'm fine sweetie. It was nothing." She lied.
...
Nothing?
Really? Sid was somehow annoyed hearing her apparent pretentious remark. It was no nothing. It was definitely something. And she should be shaken by it. But to no avail, Laurice looked calm and unaffected already. Her momentary stupor was shortlived. Sid had a wishful thinking. He wanted the woman to feel more and to be more conscious of his presence.
These two people, one big and the other small was making him feel so little and petty somehow and it was vexing. He was about to give an earful to the woman when his son spoke.
"Really?" Little Louie said warily. A twinge of disbelief flash in his eyes. He knew something was bothering his 'mother' but he chose not to pry with her matters in the end. It might have been related with his father so it was indeed all his father's fault. His 'mother' could not be blamed. He leaned on Laurice's shoulders sideways while looking at his own father and chided, "Daddy, apologize."
Not prying on her affairs indeed.
The child was a busybody.
He just wouldn't let his father off that easily.
Sid: " ...?"
Sid's amusement towards his son's behavior awhile ago turned into despair. For having such a smart child, he was truly the one at fault here. He could not believe he would be condemned by his own son for such a small matter.
'Son, i was winning your mother over.'
That's what he did, he supposed.
Laurice was caught in a dilemma between two soldiers. Her mouth dropped open, and disbelief crossed her features.
"Enough you two." She rebuked with a serious and exasperated tone. She caught a glimpse of another sullen figure from a distance and called for him instead.
"Butler Han, please lead the way." Laurice uttered.
The butler who was dazed stirred in his place. He replied abruptly, "Y-yes, y-young miss." He stammered. His stuttering earned a helpless impression from the woman.
By the looks of it, their entire household is a bunch of bizarre and worrisome individuals. Her only consolation is that these people around her still managed to look adorable in her eyes despite their weird behavior. She wondered how these people will respond if she finally decided to do something explosive right before their very eyes. Could they even handle it? Hehe. She smirked inwardly with the thought.
A sudden chilly silence filled the air afterwards. The three other people besides Laurice stiffened in their backs.
Sid: " ...???!!! "
Little Louie: " ...???!!! "
Butler Han: " ...???!!! "
'What is this ominous feeling?'
...
Moments passed and all three of them already reached the ground floor walking hand in hand together. Little Louie was striding down the hall holding Laurice's hand on his left while his father on his right. They undeniably looked like a happy and clingy family of three.
Little Louie was gleefully humming on his way while Sid was casting sidelong glances as if completely drawn towards the two people beside him. He himself was chanting merrily on the inside. He could not believe that by just being close with them together would bring a different kind of peace and joy in his heart.
Laurice on the other hand was distracted by the grandeur of the place they were threading. Her eyes darted towards the massive chandelier and huge flower arrangement across the lounge area. The designs were intricate and the view from every corner is simply breathtaking. The smell around the entire building was so pleasant that she thought she was in a high class hotel instead and the furnishings were all of the finest quality she believed. W Residences seemed way more classy than most of their hotels under Suma Realty which she have only seen in pictures recently.
W Residences?
Somehow the name of the condominium ringed a bell.
She pondered curiously.
When they've almost reached the glass doorway leading outside the building, Laurice jolted and halted in her steps abruptly.
Laurice: " ...!!! "
A sudden realization came crashing down at her. She stood looking at the man opposite her with her mouth agape.
"What does W stands for in W Residences?" Laurice inquired in panic.
Little Louie looked at his 'mother' with a questioning stare while Sid locked gazes with Laurice and felt another round of amusement towards her guileless. Her curiosity and straightforwardness was sincere and genuine. Unlike those scheming women who pretended not to care at all but knew everything all along in the first place. They all have hidden motives under their sleeves in approaching all the men in his family.
He smiled inwardly.
With a blank stare he replied at the woman nonchalantly, "Walsh."
Laurice: " !!! "
"Y-you! You o-owned this place?" She almost tripped in her own words. Laurice realized that not only the man owned an exclusive penthouse that occupied an entire floor on the topmost level but he was apparently the owner of the entire building himself. She have met tons of other wealthy people in the past, probably even wealthier than him but none of these men did she ever had an affair with.
No, no, no! Something was wrong with that phrase.
It wasn't like she was having an affair with the man himself but, but ... !!!
Her eyes flew wide opened.
She wasn't planning on dating anyone at all.
But if she ever was to date someone, she wanted to date a simple guy instead with a decent job and an average features but with an outstanding personality.
She have never thought of dating executives. Not even once. She firmly believed that businessmen are all cunning men! They are certainly not the type to be triffled with.
Now that answered all her questions about the man.
Suddenly a fear crept down her spine.
She did not want to get herself involved with another malicious and scandalous affair.
...
Sid was incredibly surprised with the changes in Laurice's expression. He was getting worried for some unknown reason but he could not quite put his finger on it.
"It's a conglomerate under The Walsh Group. My late father was the one who established it so that fact still makes him the owner i believed." He responded.
"That doesn't answer my question." She retorted.
Sid's brows creased. He do not understand why there was a need to explain to the woman his current standing and position in the company but did so anyway just to pacify her curiosity. It seemed the woman did not search his identity up. Was she really not interested about him at all? Somehow, this idea was making him annoyed yet again.
He sighed heavily and was about to reply to her when a man spoke in his behalf.
Butler Han: "Young miss, if i may so brazenly intervene. Allow me to introduce to you our Young Master, Mr. Sid Walsh. He is currently the chairman and president of The Walsh Lifescapes. W Residences is a project of said subsidiary managed under The Walsh Group. It was indeed our utmost pleasure to meet you young miss. From this day forward, we are in your care."
Laurice: " ...!!! "
Little Louie: " ...??? "
Sid: " ...!!!???!!! "