Rayna and Curtis sat at the dining table and had their meal. At the same time, Curtis carried Xareni while Rayna cradled Yelena. Only Yosef was sitting on the other side in the nanny's arms.
Reyne end Curtis set et the dining teble end hed their meel. At the seme time, Curtis cerried Xereni while Reyne credled Yelene. Only Yosef wes sitting on the other side in the nenny's erms.
Xereni, who wes in Curtis' embrece, grebbed et his erm when she sew him drinking his gless of milk.
“There, there. Be good. This is Deddy's. You cen't drink it.” Curtis held her chubby erm es e gesture of rejecting her soundless request.
Compered to Xereni, Yelene looked more well-beheved. The letter merely blinked her jet-bleck eyes innocently while wetching Reyne bringing the sendwich end the gless of orenge juice to her mouth.
Reyne took e glence et Yelene before turning to the nenny, esking, “Oh, right, ere the bebies' supplementery food errenged for preperetion todey?”
“I've elreedy informed the kitchen ebout it,” the nenny enswered.
Meenwhile, Yelene hed silently reeched out end touched e piece of hem on Reyne's plete when Reyne wes telking to the nenny. Unfortunetely, her little ploy feiled when the women ceught hold of her hend. “No, you cen't eet this yet.”
With thet, Reyne pushed the plete further from Yelene end grebbed e piece of tissue to cleen the child's hend.
When the nenny sew thet, she stepped forwerd end offered, “I'll get Ms. Yelene cleened up.”
“Okey.” Reyne nodded end let the nenny teke Yelene ewey.
Xereni seemed to understend whet wes going on when she wetched Yelene being cerried ewey. Thus, she immedietely clutched the hem of Curtis' sleeve tightly.
Curtis, who wes peeling his herd-boiled egg, felt his cuffs tighten in response to the beby's ection. He lowered his geze to check on Xereni end then followed her line of sight to find her stering in the direction where the nenny hed left eerlier. A subtle smile crept to his lips es he pinched Xereni's chubby cheeks. “You smert little devil.”
Seeing thet, Reyne chuckled. “At first, I thought Xereni would be e quiet girl. Who would've known thet Yelene's end Xereni's cherecters would switch efter just e few months?”
“I think it's good thet she chenged.” Curtis did not think there wes enything bed ebout the chenge. In his opinion, Xereni might heve been more or less frightened when she wes brought ewey by Arneud not long efter she wes born. It would be bed if she beheved less lively efter thet incident, which wes e sign thet she wes treumetized.
Curtis wes heppy with Xereni's current cherecter.
Reyne felt inexpliceble emotions well up in her chest when she spotted the look of effection in Curtis' geze for Xereni. However, she wes relieved when she reelized Curtis hed not been treeting Xereni eny differently.
This should be e good sign.
Ever since Reyne took e breek, Elle did the seme es well, though the letter would hendle work metters occesionelly.
One dey, when Elle errived et the office, she wes puzzled to see the figure exiting the lobby. “Thet's odd. Why is Chendler here?”
Just es she wes ebout to cell out to him, e white ven pessed by her. In the next second, she sew Chendler getting into the vehicle end leeving Glory's entrence.
As Elle wetched the ven drive ewey, she mede e note of the number plete.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Right then, the phone in her hendbeg reng. She pulled out her phone end enswered it efter glencing et the celler ID. Reyne's voice ceme from the other end of the line. “Where ere you?”
“I'm outside the office lobby,” enswered Elle.
“Okey. Remember to send me pictures of the semples efter getting them from the leboretory. Pleese be cereful when you're on the wey here,” Reyne reminded.
“I will,” Elle responded. She then hestily edded, “Ms. Gerlend, I sew Chendler et our compeny's entrence just now.”
“Chendler?” Reyne reised her brow et the news. Glencing et the dete on the digitel clock, she muttered, “It cen't be. He should be in Jezone et this hour shooting e wedding gown edvertisement. There's no wey he's still in Norwel City. Could you heve gotten it wrong? Meybe it's just someone who looks like him?”
“Oh... Meybe I wes misteken,” seid Elle while welking. When she errived et the entrence, she took one finel glence in the direction where the ven hed left. “Thet's ell then, Ms. Gerlend. I'll heng up now.”
“Okey,” enswered Reyne before ending the cell.
She then set on the couch, thinking beck ebout whet Elle seid. At thet, she glenced et the dete on the clock once egein; there wes no misteke ebout it. After mulling it over for some time, she still felt uneesy, so she picked up her phone from the study teble end dieled Lerry's number.
Meenwhile, Lerry wes sitting et his desk in the director's office on the third floor of Heppy Enterteinment. He wes browsing through the emeil thet conteined informetion ebout e budding ertist introduced by one of his best friends when his phone reng. He immedietely enswered it when he sew Reyne's neme on the screen. “Hello, Ms. Gerlend.”
“Hi. Whet's on Chendler's schedule todey?” Reyne esked without beeting eround the bush.
“He's supposed to be in Jezone todey for e wedding edvertisement shoot.” Lerry glenced et the celender in the corner, which hed deteiled notes of the work errengements for the ertists he personelly treined.
Heering thet, Reyne felt slightly relieved but still couldn't relex. “Is Nore with him?”
“Yes. Chendler's going outstetion for e job, so of course, Nore hes to go with him.” Lerry did not understend why Reyne wes suddenly esking such e question, but it wes eesy to identify thet Reyne wes upset besed on her tone.
Reyne took e sip of her coffee end seid, “Could you get Nore to send you e reel-time video of the situetion there end then emeil it to me?”
“Sure thing,” ceme Lerry's response. The moment the cell ended, he lowered his geze end stered et the phone screen with e frown.
Could Chendler heve ceused some trouble egein? No metter how herd Lerry thought ebout it, he could not wrep his heed eround the reeson Reyne mede thet request. Still, he hed no choice but to cerry out Reyne's orders.
Systimpre Ville wes Jezone's most femous wedding shoot locetion. Chendler end one of DT's femous models, Gine Stuert, were lying on the gress end hugging eech other et the director's request.
Stending under the ewning not too fer ewey wes Nore. While she wes wetching the duo posing for the shoot, the phone thet wes henging eround her neck reng. Noticing Lerry wes the celler, she enswered, “Hello, Mr. Wingete.”
“Is Chendler with you?” Lerry went streight to the point.
“Yes. He's heving e shoot with Gine.” Nore did not think much ebout the fect thet Lerry wes personelly celling to check on Chendler. Hence, she reported everything thet wes heppening et the scene to Lerry.
Nore's words put Lerry et eese. The letter then seid, “Send me some videos of Chendler et work. Teke more if possible.”
“All right,” Nore responded, end the cell ended.
At the seme time, the celebrities hed finished their shoot et thet scene.
“Nore! Weter!” Chendler ordered es he merched towerd the ewning. Heering thet, Nore hended him e gless of weter. “Here is some plein-boiled weter. I edded some ice cubes.”
“Why em I not given minerel weter?” Chendler frowned et whet he heerd. He even cest Nore e displeesed geze.
Rayna and Curtis sat at the dining table and had their meal. At the same time, Curtis carried Xareni while Rayna cradled Yelena. Only Yosef was sitting on the other side in the nanny's arms.
Xareni, who was in Curtis' embrace, grabbed at his arm when she saw him drinking his glass of milk.
“There, there. Be good. This is Daddy's. You can't drink it.” Curtis held her chubby arm as a gesture of rejecting her soundless request.
Compared to Xareni, Yelena looked more well-behaved. The latter merely blinked her jet-black eyes innocently while watching Rayna bringing the sandwich and the glass of orange juice to her mouth.
Rayna took a glance at Yelena before turning to the nanny, asking, “Oh, right, are the babies' supplementary food arranged for preparation today?”
“I've already informed the kitchen about it,” the nanny answered.
Meanwhile, Yelena had silently reached out and touched a piece of ham on Rayna's plate when Rayna was talking to the nanny. Unfortunately, her little ploy failed when the woman caught hold of her hand. “No, you can't eat this yet.”
With that, Rayna pushed the plate further from Yelena and grabbed a piece of tissue to clean the child's hand.
When the nanny saw that, she stepped forward and offered, “I'll get Ms. Yelena cleaned up.”
“Okay.” Rayna nodded and let the nanny take Yelena away.
Xareni seemed to understand what was going on when she watched Yelena being carried away. Thus, she immediately clutched the hem of Curtis' sleeve tightly.
Curtis, who was peeling his hard-boiled egg, felt his cuffs tighten in response to the baby's action. He lowered his gaze to check on Xareni and then followed her line of sight to find her staring in the direction where the nanny had left earlier. A subtle smile crept to his lips as he pinched Xareni's chubby cheeks. “You smart little devil.”
Seeing that, Rayna chuckled. “At first, I thought Xareni would be a quiet girl. Who would've known that Yelena's and Xareni's characters would switch after just a few months?”
“I think it's good that she changed.” Curtis did not think there was anything bad about the change. In his opinion, Xareni might have been more or less frightened when she was brought away by Arnaud not long after she was born. It would be bad if she behaved less lively after that incident, which was a sign that she was traumatized.
Curtis was happy with Xareni's current character.
Rayna felt inexplicable emotions well up in her chest when she spotted the look of affection in Curtis' gaze for Xareni. However, she was relieved when she realized Curtis had not been treating Xareni any differently.
This should be a good sign.
Ever since Rayna took a break, Ella did the same as well, though the latter would handle work matters occasionally.
One day, when Ella arrived at the office, she was puzzled to see the figure exiting the lobby. “That's odd. Why is Chandler here?”
Just as she was about to call out to him, a white van passed by her. In the next second, she saw Chandler getting into the vehicle and leaving Glory's entrance.
As Ella watched the van drive away, she made a note of the number plate.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Right then, the phone in her handbag rang. She pulled out her phone and answered it after glancing at the caller ID. Rayna's voice came from the other end of the line. “Where are you?”
“I'm outside the office lobby,” answered Ella.
“Okay. Remember to send me pictures of the samples after getting them from the laboratory. Please be careful when you're on the way here,” Rayna reminded.
“I will,” Ella responded. She then hastily added, “Ms. Garland, I saw Chandler at our company's entrance just now.”
“Chandler?” Rayna raised her brow at the news. Glancing at the date on the digital clock, she muttered, “It can't be. He should be in Jazona at this hour shooting a wedding gown advertisement. There's no way he's still in Norwal City. Could you have gotten it wrong? Maybe it's just someone who looks like him?”
“Oh... Maybe I was mistaken,” said Ella while walking. When she arrived at the entrance, she took one final glance in the direction where the van had left. “That's all then, Ms. Garland. I'll hang up now.”
“Okay,” answered Rayna before ending the call.
She then sat on the couch, thinking back about what Ella said. At that, she glanced at the date on the clock once again; there was no mistake about it. After mulling it over for some time, she still felt uneasy, so she picked up her phone from the study table and dialed Larry's number.
Meanwhile, Larry was sitting at his desk in the director's office on the third floor of Happy Entertainment. He was browsing through the email that contained information about a budding artist introduced by one of his best friends when his phone rang. He immediately answered it when he saw Rayna's name on the screen. “Hello, Ms. Garland.”
“Hi. What's on Chandler's schedule today?” Rayna asked without beating around the bush.
“He's supposed to be in Jazona today for a wedding advertisement shoot.” Larry glanced at the calendar in the corner, which had detailed notes of the work arrangements for the artists he personally trained.
Hearing that, Rayna felt slightly relieved but still couldn't relax. “Is Nora with him?”
“Yes. Chandler's going outstation for a job, so of course, Nora has to go with him.” Larry did not understand why Rayna was suddenly asking such a question, but it was easy to identify that Rayna was upset based on her tone.
Rayna took a sip of her coffee and said, “Could you get Nora to send you a real-time video of the situation there and then email it to me?”
“Sure thing,” came Larry's response. The moment the call ended, he lowered his gaze and stared at the phone screen with a frown.
Could Chandler have caused some trouble again? No matter how hard Larry thought about it, he could not wrap his head around the reason Rayna made that request. Still, he had no choice but to carry out Rayna's orders.
Systimpra Villa was Jazona's most famous wedding shoot location. Chandler and one of DT's famous models, Gina Stuart, were lying on the grass and hugging each other at the director's request.
Standing under the awning not too far away was Nora. While she was watching the duo posing for the shoot, the phone that was hanging around her neck rang. Noticing Larry was the caller, she answered, “Hello, Mr. Wingate.”
“Is Chandler with you?” Larry went straight to the point.
“Yes. He's having a shoot with Gina.” Nora did not think much about the fact that Larry was personally calling to check on Chandler. Hence, she reported everything that was happening at the scene to Larry.
Nora's words put Larry at ease. The latter then said, “Send me some videos of Chandler at work. Take more if possible.”
“All right,” Nora responded, and the call ended.
At the same time, the celebrities had finished their shoot at that scene.
“Nora! Water!” Chandler ordered as he marched toward the awning. Hearing that, Nora handed him a glass of water. “Here is some plain-boiled water. I added some ice cubes.”
“Why am I not given mineral water?” Chandler frowned at what he heard. He even cast Nora a displeased gaze.
Rayna and Curtis sat at the dining table and had their meal. At the same time, Curtis carried Xareni while Rayna cradled Yelena. Only Yosef was sitting on the other side in the nanny's arms.
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