Chapter 12

"Why does Peter Pan keep on flying?" Chase asked his parents with a grin on his face, feeling proud of what he’d have to say next.

Isabella snorted softly as she could, trying hard not to let out a mocking laugh at her boyfriend who was trying really hard to be funny at the moment. They were having their dinner with Chase's parents and Chase was the happiest again when he saw how his parents accepted Isabella like their own child, even forgetting Chase's presence sometimes.

"Oh dear, just what was Chase trying to do?" Mrs. Dalton asked her husband beside her, her mouth forming a big "O" with a hand hiding it.

Mr. Dalton smiled, clearing his throat, he turned to Chase, "Why?"

Chase smiled the widest at his father’s response and cleared his throat a few times before answering, "Because he Neverlands."

And there were crickets. A hundred of them. Everywhere.

Isabella laughed, holding her stomach, forgetting she was in the middle of a feast in a few seconds. The whole dining area or probably the whole mansion was erupted by Isabella's laughter. Realizing her voice was the only thing she could hear, she looked around only to find very amused faces, particularly of Chase's parents and when she looked at Chase, Chase was smiling at her like he had won a prize.

Isabella then felt embarrassed, so she shifted her gaze down to her lap.

"Sorry," Isabella muttered and bit her lower lip.

"Why are you saying sorry? Mom and Dad liked your laugh so much they couldn't speak!" Chase told her, creasing another smile up to his eyes, hand caressing Isabella's fisted one on her lap.

"That's right, dear. We haven't had much fun here in this mansion for a long time, so we really like it. Your laugh, I mean," Mrs. Dalton said and gave Isabella a gentle smile Isabella found really comforting.

Isabella felt embarrassed even more because of the special treatment she was receiving from the household. She didn't deserve this.

"Isabella?" a voice of a woman was heard from the door and Isabella's head turned immediately towards it upon hearing her name.

"Oh, Pat!" Chase called out and he almost choked when Patricia headed to him and started to strangle him with her arm.

"Big Sis! Call me ‘big sis’!" she furiously exclaimed as she strangled Chase more, totally forgetting their parents' presence in the area.

"Ack! You-!" Chase choked between his breaths and forcefully tried to remove Patricia's arm around his neck. 

There was an amused expression painted on Isabella’s face as she watched her very own boyfriend get attacked by what she assumed to be his elder sister. It was quite a scene where nobody could intervene. 

Patricia seemed to notice Isabella's presence again, so she finally let go of Chase's neck and headed towards Isabella, giving her a very warm hug. Isabella's eyes widened at the sudden physical contact. But Chase's own eyes widened even more at the sight.

"Isabella. You grew up so well," Patricia whispered to Isabella's ears and Isabella' heartbeat stopped for a second.

"Stop hugging my girlfriend and go get your own! And don't go whispering things to her! She's mine!" Chase shouted as he moved closer now and separated Patricia and Isabella. He thought, by how weird this sister of his could be, it would be certainly bad if she got to influence the pure and innocent Isabella. 

Patricia gave Chase a grimace and Chase felt a sudden cold dark aura coming from his sister. She smirked at Chase and finally went to her mother and father to give them a quick kiss on the cheek, telling them she would be back after a few minutes. Not a minute later, she had already left and directly headed towards her room upstairs, leaving quickly as she had come.