Chapter 252 Brazen Invasion
Candice was a little speechless.
Brandon wasn't a child; did he really need her to coax him to sleep? Still, she had a feeling he wouldn't let her go until she said goodnight.
Finally, she relented. "Goodnight."
"That's not really enough. Something's missing." Brandon's gaze was deep, fixed on her flushed lips.
"What's missing?" Candice asked, genuinely confused.
Seeing her cluelessness, Brandon decided to take matters into his own hands. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
"That's what was missing."
Candice's brain finally caught up. This wasn't about a simple goodnight; he was clearly talking about a goodnight kiss. She shoved him away, her tone laced with annoyance. "You're really making a habit of taking advantage of me, aren't you?"
"A goodnight kiss is just polite. How is that taking advantage?" Brandon retorted, completely unrepentant. "This, on the other hand, is taking advantage."
Before she could react, his lips descended on hers again, this time with a bold, unrestrained hunger. The searing heat of his kiss consumed all of Candice's rationality as he devoured her mouth, his actions far more audacious than before.
Pinned against the wall, she was completely unable to move.
It was a long moment before Brandon finally pulled away, his breathing ragged. Candice's own breath was just as uneven, but her mind was in even greater disarray.
"You're a real rogue," she snapped, her cheeks burning with a mixture of shame and anger.
This time, she was smarter. The moment the words left her mouth, she turned and fled, not giving him another chance to bully her.
Brandon watched her retreating figure, a faint, lingering smile on his face, a sense of unfulfillment still tracing the edges of his thoughts.
He waited outside the children's room for a while, and once he judged enough time had passed, he slipped inside and carried a sleeping Elijah out.
In the early hours of the morning, Candice was pulled from her sleep by the sound of a car pulling into the driveway.
When she fully awoke, she realized Ainsley and Gabriel had arrived. She quickly splashed some water on her face and hurried downstairs to greet them.
"Dad, Mom, you're here. Was the drive tiring?" She asked, thoughtfully pouring two glasses of water for them.
"Sit down, don't fuss over us. We can get our own water," Ainsley said, her voice filled with concern as she motioned for her daughter to come closer. "Come here, let us see your hand."
Though Gabriel remained silent, his eyes were etched with the same worry.
"It's really just a minor wound. You don't need to worry," Candice said, but she obediently walked over to her mother's side.
Gabriel was a brilliant doctor, and she knew they wouldn't truly be at ease until he had examined it himself. Anais had bandaged her wound expertly, and she had been careful to keep it dry while showering.
Gabriel inspected the injury, and only after confirming that no tendons or bones were damaged did he finally relax. He turned to Ainsley. "No bones were hurt. It seems Candice wasn't lying; it's just a minor wound."
"I still feel for her!" Ainsley retorted, her heart aching. "I worry even when she gets a little scrape. This time, she lost so much blood!"
"Listen to me. Of course, I feel for her too! She's my only daughter," Gabriel said, defending his own paternal feelings.
Seeing her parents begin to bicker over her, Candice quickly stepped in to soothe them. "Okay I know you both care about me. Dad has checked my injury, so you can both rest easy now."
She then turned to Ainsley. "Mom, it's getting late. Are you and Dad hungry? Orla prepared a late-night snack for you. If you're not hungry, maybe you should get some rest? We can talk about everything else tomorrow."
"That's a good idea," Ainsley agreed, then turned her attention back to Candice. "You should go back to bed immediately. Gabriel and I can manage on our own. Don't catch a cold, or you'll feel unwell tomorrow."
"Okay," Candice replied obediently and went upstairs. Although she had told them on the phone not to rush over, seeing them drive through the night just because they were worried about her filled her heart with a profound warmth and gratitude. Perhaps because of her improved mood, Candice slept soundly that night, untroubled by nightmares.
The next morning, at Villa No. 2, Elijah woke up to find himself back in his old room. His little mind went completely blank for a moment.
"What's wrong? Why are you just staring into space? Now that you're awake, aren't you going to get up and wash your face?"
Hearing Brandon's voice, Elijah lifted his head and looked at him, his face full of confusion. "Daddy, what's going on? Wasn't I at Mommy's house? Did you kidnap me?"
Brandon couldn't help but chuckle at the question. "What do you mean, kidnap?"
"Does Mommy know?" Elijah pressed.
"Of course she knows," Brandon confirmed.
Elijah's lips tightened into a pout, his little expression looking a bit wronged. "Why didn't Mommy stop you? Why would she agree to let you bring me back?"
His trembling lower lip looked as if it would give way to tears if Brandon had joked that his mother didn't want him anymore.
But Brandon wasn't that cruel to his son. He explained the situation in detail. "It was your mother's idea for me to bring you back last night. Your grandma and grandpa are coming, and she hasn't figured out how to tell them about us yet. She was worried they might react like your uncle and dislike us on sight, so she suggested we come back here for now."
Elijah's mood brightened considerably upon hearing the explanation. However, his expression turned skeptical at the last part. "Daddy, I think Uncle Ulysses only dislikes you. He likes me a lot."
Called out by his son, Brandon replied without a hint of a blush, "That's not the point."
Elijah didn't press the matter further and simply nodded. But his curiosity about his grandparents was piqued. "I wonder what Grandma and Grandpa are like."
Noticing his son's anticipation, Brandon's expression softened. "It's fine to be curious, but you'll have to be patient for now. You'll meet them eventually. Your mother and I haven't fixed our relationship yet, so you just need to wait a little longer."
"Alright," Elijah said, his intelligence shining through. "I get it. You're afraid Grandpa and Grandma will beat you up, right, Daddy?"
Brandon was momentarily speechless. Why did he suddenly feel an itch in his hands, a strange impulse to discipline this child? In the end, he refrained from bullying the boy.
"A beating wouldn't be a big deal." If a good thrashing could mend his relationship with Candice, he would take it without complaint. His real fear was that after he took the beating, her family would still take her and Yasmin away, their opinion of him unchanged. He would lose his wife, son, and daughter all at once. He had never made such a terrible deal in his life.
Elijah seemed to understand. He sighed dramatically. "Okay. I guess I won't be able to see Mommy for some days."
The resentment in his tone was thick, as if he found the prospect of being with Brandon utterly distasteful.
Provoked by his son for the third time, Brandon's eyes narrowed. He dangerously pinched Elijah's chubby cheek. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you that unhappy to be with me?"
Elijah nodded with complete sincerity. "Of course! Mommy is soft and smells nice, and she gives morning and goodnight kisses. All Daddy does is work."
Brandon was so exasperated that he laughed. Releasing the boy's cheek, he pulled out his phone and typed out Elijah's exact words, sending them to Candice in a message that felt suspiciously like a tattletale's complaint.
Candice was already awake and having breakfast with Ainsley and Gabriel. When she saw Brandon's message, a vivid image of the scene popped into her head, and she couldn't help but smile.
Ainsley noticed immediately. "Who's that texting you? Making you smile so happily this early in the morning. Could it be someone you like, Candice?" Ainsley's interest was suddenly piqued. "I haven't even asked you yet. In all the time you've been in Seaside City, have you met anyone special?"
The question came so suddenly that Candice, who was in the middle of eating, nearly choked. "No," she rushed to explain. "Where would I find the time?"
Gabriel tensed at the question, terrified that some man had managed to deceive his precious daughter right under his nose.
He visibly relaxed at Candice's denial and snorted. "Just anyone wouldn't be good enough to catch Candice's eye. Besides, Candice is so wonderful, not just any man would be worthy of her!" His words dripped with a meticulous critique of any potential son-in-law.
Hearing this, Yasmin raised her little hand and said in a sweet, childlike voice, "Grandpa, we know you love Mommy, but you don't have to be so strict! With your standards, probably no one in the world is good enough for Mommy. If it's up to you, she'll probably be single forever."
"Single is fine," Gabriel grumbled. "It's not like our family can't support her."
Ainsley chuckled beside him, and Candice couldn't help but laugh along.
After breakfast, because of her injury, Gabriel forbade Candice from taking Yasmin to school or even going to the research institute. "I've reviewed all the data for the third phase of development. I know how to handle it. You just rest at home and leave it to me."
"Gabriel is right. You've been exhausted working on this project for months," Ainsley added, chiming in with her support. "You've lost weight recently. Just stay home and rest. I'll cook for you today and help you get your strength back!"
"Okay," Candice said, her heart full. "I knew it. Mom and Dad care about me the most!"