Chapter 93

The effect was immediate; Alvin quickly let go of Karen.

He clutched his waist, looking like he was in pain.

Karen's lips curled into a smile, clearly amused.

"Alvin, come on, be serious!"

"Isabelle is right here!"

At that moment, Isabelle looked up, her face full of confusion as she stared at Alvin.

In a sweet, gentle voice, she asked, "Daddy, what's wrong?"

"Did Mommy hit you again?"

Hearing this, Alvin forced a pained smile while still holding his waist.

Alvin was quite the actor. He gently ruffled Isabelle's hair, trying to look as pitiful as possible.

All of this was to gain Karen's sympathy.

"It's nothing, sweetheart. Mommy loves Daddy too much to hit him."

"Daddy and Mommy were just playing around."

With that, Alvin stood up, trying to appear strong.

Isabelle blinked her big eyes, seemingly unsure whether to believe Alvin.

She turned to Karen for confirmation.

"Mommy, is that true?"

Karen immediately stopped glaring at Alvin.

She nodded, her expression softening.

"Of course, sweetheart. Mommy would never hit Daddy!"

"I love him too much! We were just joking around."

Internally, Karen was fuming. Alvin was such a faker; he was too much!

Isabelle pursed her lips, unable to hold back her laughter.

"You guys are lying!"

"Daddy likes it when Mommy hits him!"

Both Alvin and Karen were stunned by her words.

Before they could react, Isabelle grabbed Alvin's hand, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Daddy, what does 'lesbian' mean?"

Alvin was taken aback; he hadn't expected Isabelle to ask that.

He knelt down and explained in simple terms, "A lesbian is a girl who likes other girls, just like how boys like girls."

Isabelle nodded, somewhat understanding, then turned to Robert.

Her small face looked pained as she gazed at Robert.

"Robert, girls like girls but not you. That must make you really sad."

Hearing this, Robert quickly stopped his playful fight with Sam.

"Sam, Sam, let's stop for now."

Robert straightened his clothes, almost laughing at Isabelle's words.

Little Isabelle's sharp tongue was just like her dad Alvin's!

He knelt down and gently pinched Isabelle's cheek.

"Sweetheart, saying that makes me even sadder."

Realizing she might have said something wrong, Isabelle awkwardly scratched her head and smiled.

Sam watched the scene, trying hard not to laugh.

Even though Robert seemed relaxed, he was actually quite flustered inside.

Meanwhile, Karen noticed Alvin still clutching his waist in pain.

Even though she knew he was probably faking it, she couldn't help but ask with concern.

"Alvin, are you okay?"

"Did I use too much force?"

Alvin waved his hand, forcing a pained smile to show he was fine.

Seeing his unusual reaction, Karen thought she might have actually hurt him and became very worried.

Seeing Karen's concern, Alvin quickly changed his expression, the pain vanishing from his face.

He smirked, looking very pleased with himself. "I'm fine, Karen."

"But wow, your elbow packs a punch!"

Realizing she'd been tricked again, Karen rolled her eyes at him.

But she couldn't help but smile.

She couldn't help but think that Alvin, despite his childish pranks, added a lot of fun to their life.

Just then, Shirley arrived at The Epicurean Haven and witnessed the warm, harmonious scene.

She finally saw what Karen, the woman Alvin always talked about, looked like.

Karen was indeed beautiful and elegant.

Shirley could feel the gentle, loving aura Karen exuded just by looking at her.

Watching Alvin and Karen's playful interaction, Shirley's previous thoughts vanished.

Despite Alvin's pained expression, his happiness was unmistakable.

Shirley had never seen Alvin smile like that in front of her.

She had to admit, their relationship was far deeper than she had imagined.

They were a perfect match.

And the little girl standing next to them, who looked like both Alvin and Karen, had clearly inherited the best of both parents.

It seemed Alvin was genuinely willing to give everything for this family.

There was no sense of obligation or force.

Shirley smiled confidently and walked over.

"Alvin, Sam!"

"You guys are already here. I didn't expect to be the last one."

"I thought I'd be the first!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Sam immediately turned around.

The moment he saw Shirley, his heart raced, and he could hear his own breathing.

Sam couldn't help but murmur, "She's so beautiful!"

Shirley was indeed stunning.

Alvin saw Shirley and whispered to Karen.

"Karen, that's Shirley!"

Karen's eyes lit up, and she whispered back, "She's so elegant and beautiful!"

Shirley was indeed beautiful, her grace and beauty drawing everyone's attention.

Alvin, however, winked and gave a mischievous smile.

"In my eyes, no one compares to you!"

"You're the most elegant, my favorite woman."

Hearing this, Karen smiled happily.

She playfully pushed Alvin's face. "You just love making me happy!"

Alvin raised an eyebrow, looking serious. "Karen, that's not right!"

"You're my wife. Making you happy is my duty!"

Robert, seeing Sam's reaction, looked at the stunning woman across from them and instantly understood.

He nudged Sam, curious.

"Who's that, Sam?"

"I see you're practically drooling."

"Is she your dream girl?"

Realizing his slip, Sam quickly coughed to cover his thoughts.

"Robert, I wasn't drooling!"

"You saw wrong, you saw wrong."

"This is Shirley, Alvin's trusted stock trading assistant."

"We're just friends. Where did you get the idea that I like her?"

Robert nodded. "So, you guys worked on this afternoon's project together?"

"Of course!"

"Without Shirley's help, it would've been tough!"

"That's great. Shirley is not only beautiful but also very capable."

Seeing Sam still in denial, Robert decided to tease him.

"If you don't like her, then I'll make a move."

Hearing this, Sam immediately protested.

"Robert, I didn't know you were that kind of person!"

"Why do you always go after the women I like?"

Robert laughed.

"Sam, you fell for it!"

"You said you didn't like her!"

Sam's face turned red, realizing he'd been caught. It was too embarrassing.

He looked at Shirley, who was smiling, and his heart started racing again.

Suddenly, Sam's mood dropped as he thought about something.

He couldn't help but worry that someone as beautiful and capable as Shirley wouldn't be interested in him.

He was struggling to support himself, let alone think about love.

Seeing Sam's low spirits, Robert patted his shoulder.

"Sam, don't tell me you're feeling insecure!"

"Are you a man or not?"

"If you like her, go after her."

"You won't know if you'll succeed unless you try."

"And I'm sure you'll regret it if you don't."

"You're such a confident, outgoing person. How can you doubt yourself?"

Sam looked at Robert, unsure if he was being praised or insulted.

He took a deep breath and smiled.

"Let's take it slow. After all, I just met Shirley today."

Robert chuckled and teased, "So, Sam, do you like her because she's pretty or was it love at first sight?"

Sam was exasperated by Robert's teasing.

He glared at Robert and quickly moved away from him.