"So what you're saying is that the slutty woman isn't alone?" Bellatrix shifted her attention to Ollie. The man had explained everything, and as soon as Bellatrix learned the full story from Ollie, she promptly instructed him to go home.
"That's right, ma'am. And it seems she's been protected all this time."
Bellatrix fell silent, digesting Ollie's recent statement. She truly didn't expect Serena to have a protector, as Ollie described. Who could this man be? It couldn't be Rhys, right?
"I want you to keep monitoring Serena! Follow her discreetly and keep an eye on her. Also, try to gather as much information as possible about the man you mentioned. Find out his name and background, and give me all the details about him. I need to know everything about this man, so I can assess whether he could be a threat or not. If he's not a threat, we'll get rid of the man first!"
"Alright, ma'am. I understand."
"Now go, and don't forget to keep me informed!"
Ollie bowed before leaving the place. Bellatrix fell silent again, pondering over every word that had just escaped Ollie's lips. Various questions crowded her mind, intensifying Bellatrix's curiosity about the man he referred to.
"I'm sure it's not him. But for some reason, I feel uneasy. Since I met her at the restaurant, I haven't been able to relax at all." Bellatrix shifted her attention to something else. Her hand reached out, picking up her phone lying on the table.
For a moment, Bellatrix busied herself searching for someone's number before eventually making a call. "Hi, darling!" Bellatrix spoke in a gentle tone to the person on the other end of the line.
*
"Daddy, I can't wait to start school tomorrow! I want to meet my new friends soon!" Shawn smiled cheerfully while chewing his food. Hugh smiled as he reached out, wiping Shawn's mouth with a napkin. His son always managed to make a mess while eating.
"Well then, tonight, you have to go to bed early so you can wake up bright and early."
"Okay!" Shawn devoured the food in front of him and began to enjoy his dinner.
Currently, they are sitting together in the dining room, savoring their dinner session. Hugh, as usual, always focused more on Shawn, while Serena was busy enjoying her own meal.
Hugh's attention shifted to the woman, who was his wife. For some reason, since returning from the office, Serena has seemed different than usual. Hugh could sense that Serena was still frightened by what had happened.
Hugh held Serena's hand, causing her to instinctively look up, locking eyes with him. "I'll always be here to protect you. No matter what happens, I'll protect you and Shawn."
Serena fell silent without a word. Hugh always had the ability to make her feel safe and comfortable. But at the same time, she also couldn't help but feel afraid that Hugh might get into bigger trouble because of her actions.
*
The night grew later. After putting Shawn to sleep, Hugh left his son alone in the room. He decided to go to his room and rest. Upon arriving, Hugh saw Serena standing on the balcony, deep in thought. "Babe?"
Hugh called out, but Serena didn't hear his call. She didn't respond at all. Sensing something amiss, Hugh approached Serena. "Babe?" Hugh gently touched Serena's shoulder from behind. What Hugh did managed to bring Serena back from her thoughts. She immediately turned towards the source of the sound, finding Hugh standing behind her.
"Hugh." Serena locked eyes with him.
"What are you doing here? Why are you standing outside? The night air isn't good for your health. If you stay outside like this, you might get sick."
"I just need some fresh air to clear my mind." Serena shifted her gaze elsewhere. Hugh sighed softly. He stepped into the room and returned with a warm coat, which he then draped over Serena.
"I don't want you to get sick," Hugh said as he put on the coat.
"Thank you." Serena smiled at him. Hugh then moved, standing beside Serena.
"If you want to stay here and get some fresh air, then I'll keep you company until you feel better." Hugh folded his hands and leaned against the balcony wall.
"It's already late; you should rest. Besides, you must be tired from taking care of Shawn all day, right?"
"Taking care of Shawn is not tiring at all. It's very enjoyable, and besides, I should be the one asking you to rest."
"I'm not sleepy."
"Well then, it's okay if I keep you company here, right?" Hugh smiled.
Serena fell silent, and for a moment, a quiet atmosphere enveloped their togetherness. Not a word was spoken by either of them. Hugh was busy enjoying the beauty of the garden next to their house, while Serena was preoccupied with her own thoughts.
"I want to apologize because you know me, you got involved in a lot of things. You even got dragged into the problems I have. I truly didn't intend to involve you in my issues." Serena mumbled with her head bowed. Her words instantly broke the silence between them.
"You don't need to apologize. Besides, I'm the one who started all this. I wanted to protect you and Shawn from the beginning. So, you shouldn't feel guilty."
"But still, since you met me, you've been dragged into my problems."
"It's been a risk I willingly took, and for me, it's not a problem as long as I can protect you and Shawn." Hugh smiled warmly.
"Don't smile like that. You don't know, do you, that what you're doing has significant risks that could even jeopardize you."
"That won't happen." Hugh looked at Serena. There was a change in his expression when he uttered those words. Hugh's face immediately turned serious.
"You don't understand who you've been dealing with all this time. They're not ordinary people, Hugh. They are individuals who can easily kill someone without feeling guilty at all. Sometimes, I feel guilty because I've involved you in all of this. I—"
"Sssttt..." Hugh pressed his index finger to Serena's lips, causing her to fall silent and not continue her sentence. Serena froze, locking eyes with Hugh at an incredibly close distance. His hand now cupped her cheek. "I told you, there's nothing you need to worry about. As long as you and Shawn are with me, you'll be safe. I'll protect you both, and you don't need to worry about me. No matter how formidable or dangerous they are, I'll never been in harm's way as you fear."
"How can you speak so calmly?"
"Because there's nothing that can harm me."
Serena fell silent again. Her gaze delved deeper into Hugh's blue eyes, who looks like resembling the open sea. Somehow, Serena could never guess what was on Hugh's mind through his eyes. Hugh was like a deep ocean, holding so many mysteries that made Serena have to dive deeper to find answers to her every question.
Hugh leaned in, landing a gentle kiss on Serena's lips. "So, there's nothing to worry about," Hugh said as he pulled away from the kiss. He smiled, gazing intensely at Serena, trying to reassure her. Serena didn't respond at all. Sometimes, Hugh's actions left Serena completely speechless.
"The air is getting colder. We better go inside before you catch a cold." Hugh held Serena's hand and led her back into the room. Hugh made sure to close and lock the balcony door to keep the cold air out.
Serena watched Hugh, who now lying on his side, facing her. Hugh's eyes were now closed, attempting to sleep. I really don't understand what's on his mind...
*
Ding!
Rhys's attention instantly shifted as his phone rang. Upon checking, he saw a new message notification. Rhys quickly opened the message and read it.
Romeo: Sir, I have arrived at the airport. Should I proceed to your house immediately?
Rhys stopped as soon as he received the message from Romeo. Without delay, he replied.
Rhys: Take a short rest and meet me during lunchtime. At the office. We'll talk there!
Rhys placed his phone back into his pants pocket and continued down the stairs.
"UNCLE RHYS!" Loui shouted, running towards Rhys, who had just reached the lower floor. Rhys's attention shifted to the source of the voice. When he turned, he saw Loui approaching, arms outstretched, and with one swift motion, she tightly hugged Rhys's legs.
"Loui?" Rhys was somewhat surprised by her sudden appearance. Yesterday, Rhys returned home late and didn't have a chance to meet Aiden and Loui. Upon arriving home, Rhys went straight to his room to rest.
"I missed you, Uncle." Loui grinned broadly. Rhys released Loui's hug from his legs, then crouched down to match her height. Only then did Rhys embrace the young girl.
"Nice to meet you again," Rhys smiled.
"I'm also happy to meet Uncle again."
"By the way, when did you arrive?" Rhys gently parted from the hug and looked at Loui.
"Yesterday. Why didn't Uncle Rhys come with Aunt Hailey to pick me up at the airport?"
"I've said Uncle Rhys is a busy person, so it's impossible for him to have time to pick you up, dear," Aiden suddenly interjected, shifting their attention.
"What your Dad said is true. Uncle Rhys was a bit busy yesterday, so I couldn't pick you up. I'm sorry." Rhys gently patted the top of Loui's head.
"Then, can Uncle take me to school today? It's my first day at school." Loui asked, looking at Rhys with hopeful eyes.
"Dear, Uncle has to go to work. If he takes you, he might be late."
"But, Dad..." Loui whined. The girl was very fond of Rhys, so it's not surprising that she always wanted to be close to him.
"Uncle will take you later, okay?" Rhys said. He couldn't bear to see Loui whining like that. Rhys also thought this might be one way to make up for not coming to pick her up yesterday.
"Hooray!" Loui beamed. "Thank you, Uncle."
"Are you sure it's okay to take Loui to school?" Aiden asked, looking at Rhys.
"Yes, I can make a quick stop to drop her off. But, by the way, didn't you just arrive yesterday? Why didn't you give her a little rest?"
"I initially wanted to give her a short break, but she refused. Loui said she would feel bored playing alone at home while everyone was out. Maybe because during her time in Cybertrone, she always had fun at school, so she doesn't want to take a break."
"Quite a unique child," Rhys commented.
"Fortunately, Hailey has helped me with Loui's relocation. She has also chosen a new school. Today, I just need to drop her off while taking care of the remaining documents."
*
Shawn smiled happily. It was his first day of school, and he couldn't wait to meet his new friends. Walking down the hallway toward his classroom, Hugh and Serena followed him from behind. They just wanted to make sure Shawn didn't get lost and safely reached his class to meet his new teacher. But as they were walking, suddenly a girl ran out of one of the rooms and accidentally collided with Shawn, causing both of them to fall.
Thud!
Shawn and Loui fell simultaneously. They winced as the pain spread through their bodies due to the hard impact. Serena and Hugh, witnessing their son's fall, hurriedly ran to him with worried expressions. With one swift motion, Hugh lifted Shawn into his arms. "Shawn, are you okay, sweetie?"
"I'm fine." Shawn smiled, trying to reassure his parents. Meanwhile, Hugh quickly checked his son's body, making sure there were no scratches from the incident. "No injuries, where does it hurt?" Hugh asked, looking at him anxiously.
"Haha, I told you, Daddy, I'm fine. So you don't need to worry." Shawn chuckled in response to Hugh's exaggerated reactions whenever he faced something that could potentially harm him.
"Thank goodness, I'm relieved to hear that." Hugh hugged Shawn while repeatedly kissing his forehead. Meanwhile, Serena's attention shifted to the girl still sitting on the floor. Serena quickly approached to offer help.
"Are you okay?" Serena asked. Loui lifted her head, locking eyes with Serena, who was now crouched in front of her.
"I'm fine..." Loui nodded slowly.
"Let me help you up." Serena extended her hand to assist Loui, and the girl stood up with her help. Serena once again ensured Loui was okay.
"LOUI!" Aiden suddenly appeared from another direction, his face filled with concern. His steps halted as soon as he saw Loui now with Serena. Everyone's attention shifted towards the source of the voice, and Serena's expression changed instantly as she saw who stood there. Serena widened her eyes, and her body froze. Why is he here?
***