Wanting Me?
Alison had wanted to call Jack, but she suddenly changed her mind.
"Sophia, call Daddy now. Ask him how much longer it will take him to get home. We're ready to eat."
Sophia agreed and quickly dialed Jack's number. "Daddy, are you almost home? We're about to eat."
On the other end of the line, Jack seemed to say something.
Sophia's expression shifted to surprise. "What? Isn't Daddy eating at home? But it's the weekend, and he never works overtime on weekends."
The spoon in Alison's hand slipped to the floor with a thud.
Jack explained further, and Sophia was a little disappointed.
"Fine, then I'll tell Mom we'll eat first."
"I'll ask Mom to call in sick for you, but you have to come home early, okay?" she added.
After hanging up, Sophia said to Alison, "Mommy, Daddy said he has to work late tonight. He'll be back later, so we should eat without waiting. He also said we should help you more so you don't have to work so hard."
Alison merely replied briefly, then picked up the spoon from the floor.
She looked at the table piled with dishes and felt ridiculous.
Ethan and Sophia ate with great relish and praised Alison's cooking, which eased her unease.
Although only Skyla and the four of them were at the table, the eight large plates of food still seemed excessive.
For Lyla and Tyler's sake, Alison forced herself to eat more, but a huge pile of food remained.
At 9:00 p.m., Alison told Skyla to get some rest.
The children were dozing on and off.
By the time she realized it, it was almost midnight.
Worried about the children, she made a point of leaving the bathroom door open while she showered.
In the mirror, her skin was still fair, but a dark stretch mark ran across her lower abdomen, a reminder of Lyla's birth.
She stared blankly at the mirror when, just then, an alluring face popped into her mind.
Just then, she heard low footsteps in the room.
Naked, Alison turned her head and saw Jack standing outside the bathroom, having actually come back.
He had actually returned. Alison's heart tightened.
The sound of running water still echoed.
Alison casually closed the bathroom door.
She told herself not to overthink things, but she couldn't help replaying the events of the day in her mind.
Outside the bathroom, Jack's gaze fell on the door that had just been closed, and he took off his coat.
He took off his coat and was about to grab a clean pair of pajamas from the closet.
Noticing his pajamas neatly laid out beside the bed, mixed emotions flooded him.
He wanted to rush into the bathroom and tell Alison the truth.
But he held back.
Just then, his phone buzzed softly.
He turned around to pick it up and saw a text from Yukon.
[We've found a doctor. Why did you go back?]
[Should I come pick you up and take you to the hospital?]
[It'd be better to get a thorough checkup.]
Jack: [I'm fine, but I let that guy get away. It'll be harder to lure him into the trap next time. Keep a close eye on Gwendolyn.]
[Be careful.]
Jack rubbed his forehead, his gaze falling once more on the mosaic glass of the bathroom.
Through it, he could faintly make out her graceful silhouette.
He would have to explain himself to Alison.
Matthew was dead, and the people connected to him were still out there. The list he'd obtained had allowed the police to crack down on many gangs involved in drug trafficking linked to the Polar Bear Alliance, but it had also sown trouble.
He was surprised that someone was willing to pay 50 million for his life.
He hadn't expected his head to be worth so much.
A playful smile touched the corners of his mouth.
Just as he was thinking, a soft hand gently rested on his neck. "Jack, what are you thinking about?"
He looked down and saw a woman with a graceful figure before him.
Her curves showed through her sheer nightgown, making her look alluring.
Jack's Adam's apple bobbed.
"Honey," he murmured, and Alison's heart shivered.
She tightened her grip and pressed her whole body close to Jack.
"Ow…" he groaned.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?" Alison asked, concerned.
Suppressing the pain in his chest, he narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Wanting me?"
A glint appeared in his eyes.