Despite being naughty at home, Damian was an obedient child who was protective of his family.
That was the result of how Clarissa raised him.
Usually, outsiders would see his handsome and gentle demeanor or marvel at how mature he was for his age. But now that he was protecting his mommy by standing in front of her, he awed everyone with his display of chivalry.
Before Clarissa had the chance to feel touched and hug him, he was already snatched away by the others, who showered him with endless affection.
Right then, Clarissa was pulled into Matthew’s embrace.
Seizing the opportunity to get close to her, he whispered, “Clare, it seems we should hurry up and have another one.”
Despite being stunned, she had yet to forget her initial intention of looking for Matthew.
She shot him a dismissive glare that also served as a threat and warning. She wanted him to know that she was aware of his attempt at snaking his way out.
Matthew couldn’t help but smile awkwardly as he pleaded with Clarissa with his eyes.
However, Clarissa didn’t care. At the same time, Damian had managed to struggle free from the group of over-friendly adults and threw himself into his mommy’s arms.
Poor child. His face is covered in saliva and his cheeks are red from all the pinching.
Judging by that, it can be said that their love for Damian was truly intense.
Being carried by Clarissa, Damian put his arms around her neck and lay his head on her shoulders, snuggling up pitifully.
When he saw the expression on Damian’s face, Matthew put his foot down to stop them from scaring his son further.
Calm as usual, Justin proposed a solution.
“Since all of you like children so much, you should go home and make your own. At least you won’t have to terrorize poor Damian anymore.”
Henry was visibly upset. “I want to but my girlfriend shut me out when I suggested it.”
Jeremy laughed. “I respect women for their role as mothers. Unfortunately, I haven’t found one willing to make a baby with me yet. Henry, you and the rest still have some hope. Good luck.”
Yarick retorted, “There are plenty of women willing to have your child. It’s just that you don’t have the courage to have one.”
Jeremy sneered and gave Yarick the side-eye. “Do you?”
“Why not? I am ready to do it right now. Whoever is willing, I will pay her ten million.”
Only they were capable of talking about having children in such a transactional nature.
Clarissa was no longer bothered to admonish them. All she could do was pray that they didn’t find a partner. Or else, she would teach them a lesson to educate them that this wasn’t the way to treat women.
As for Ellie, she was oblivious to what was going on. Throughout the night, her attention was solely focused on Damian.
Only when Clarissa smiled at her did she peel her eyes away from him.
She got straight to the point. “Don’t you want to know how I found out about Damian?”
Scanning around at everyone present, Clarissa wasn’t surprised that Ellie knew. After all, the rest of the guys were aware of it too.
Chewing on her food, Ellie remarked casually, “Did you know that my mom called me to ask if I have heard anything about Uncle Matt’s son? She even asked me if it was a rumor.”
Clarissa’s heart sank.
Since Yuliana knew, the Tysons would have heard about it too.
She shot an icy and fearsome glare in Matthew’s direction.
Feeling helpless, Matthew reached out his arm to her while she avoided it.
By now, she no longer cared about Matthew’s pride in front of everyone else.
As for the rest of them, they felt awkward when they noticed the interaction between Clarissa and Matthew.
However, Ellie continued to eat as if it had nothing to do with her. Despite revealing the news that caused the tension, she didn’t look guilty at all.
Jeremy who had always been the one to ease any awkward situation quickly added, “Clarissa, don’t worry about it. After all, Damian is your son and I have learned from Matthew that he even carries your surname. Hence, I’m sure you can feel Matthew’s sincerity.”
“Clarissa, things are different now compared to three years ago. Matthew’s relationship with his family has changed—”
Mid-sentence, Yarick swallowed his words when Justin shot him a glare.
Justin remarked, “It’s getting late and Damian needs to rest. We’re done eating anyway. Since the room is ready, both of you should stay the night here.”
Just as he spoke, all of them took their leave.
However, Ellie suggested, “Uncle Matt, don’t you and Clarissa have something to discuss? I’ll bring Damian to my room and take good care of him so that he doesn’t disturb both of you.”
Given how obvious Ellie’s intention was, Clarissa rejected her right away.
“He won’t be able to sleep unless Matthew or I tuck him in. Anyway, you should get some rest as you have just taken a flight. Since you like Damian so much, you should drop by more often to play with him.”
Looking at Damian in disappointment, she gave him a kiss before leaving.
As for Clarissa, she carried Damian and returned to their room with Matthew.
The moment they entered, Damian could sense the tension between his parents.
As he had never seen them unhappy before, he began to feel afraid. After Clarissa put him down, he was unusually silent. When Clarissa saw his innocent gaze staring at them, she couldn’t bring herself to argue with Matthew in front of him.
Hence, Clarissa smiled at him immediately. The moment Damian saw her smile, he returned it at once.
Damian placed his hand on Clarissa’s face and asked, “Mommy, are you angry with me?”
Feeling the sting in her heart, she quickly explained, “No, Matthew. I’m not angry at you.”
“Are you angry at Daddy then?”
Clarissa shook her head with a smile. “No, I’m not angry at him either.”
Feeling satisfied, he looked in Matthew’s direction with a grin.
“Daddy, Mommy says that she is not angry with you. That’s great!”
Matthew approached and knelt in front of both of them with a smile.
Suppressing her dissatisfaction, Clarissa returned his smile out of courtesy. She always refrained from quarreling with Matthew in front of Damian.
Although it was normal for adults, it was nonetheless a traumatizing experience for young children. In fact, it was even more terrifying to them than seeing a ghost.
Clarissa could recall the time she heard her parents fight when she was a kid. She was so scared she wanted to hide. Hence, she was cognizant of the emotional scarring that Damian would have if he saw them quarrel.
That night, Clarissa accompanied her son together with Matthew. They enjoyed their time together without having to say too much. In fact, she even apologized for neglecting Damian due to her busy schedule.
Damian was generous enough to forgive her.
After Clarissa coaxed Damian to sleep later in the night, she got out of bed and closed the door. Then, she walked out to the living hall.
There, Matthew was working on the laptop. When he saw Clarissa approaching, he asked softly, “Is he asleep?”
Snorting, Clarissa’s expression changed instantly.
Lowering her head, she checked her phone for messages before heading to the window to make a call.
Shaking his head, Matthew pinched his forehead. She really is becoming increasingly quick to temper.
Clarissa was still mindful of not giving the cold shoulder to Matthew in front of Damian. But when he was not around, she would let her temper flare.
Can it be that after getting her figure back from childbirth, her temper had actually gotten worse?
Scrutinizing her figure, Matthew noticed that her curves were even more accentuated than before. In fact, her hips had grown plumper. Perhaps, her temper had grown alongside her hips?
Although Matthew wasn’t aware that he was ogling at Clarissa, she had noticed it instead. After ending the call, she realized the look on his face was getting increasingly lecherous.
As her face reddened with anger, she stormed up to Matthew and threatened to poke his eyes with both her fingers.
“What are you looking at? Stop looking! Must I—”
Must you what?
Obviously, it wasn’t going to work. As Matthew grabbed her wrist, he pulled her forward. Losing her balance, she fell right into his embrace.
The next moment, Matthew circled his arms around her waist, stopping her from moving. She had no choice but to lay on top of him, pressing her body suggestively against his.
Despite almost screaming in anger, she suppressed the urge to do so when she remembered Damian was still sleeping in the room. After steadying herself, she looked up and stared daggers at Matthew.
Unfazed by her scowl, Matthew smiled slightly as his hand was still circled around her hip.
Even if she didn’t notice the lust in his eyes, the warmth and biological reaction from his body had made his intentions obvious.
Gritting her teeth, she warned, “Matthew, do you have a death wish?”
“Mmm-hmm, dying in your arms is the best thing I could ever wish for.”
Clarissa’s lips twitched. “If you keep messing around, I will kill you with my bare hands.”
She meant every word she said.
However, Matthew took her words wrongly. As his gaze darkened, the reaction in his body intensified. His voice turned raspy at the same time. “Clare, your hands. They’re a good choice too—”
At that moment, Clarissa pinched his waist, causing him to feel “pleasure.”
“Let’s see how long you can keep this up—”
Releasing his grip on her, Matthew stared into her burning gaze with helpless affection.
“Clare, I was wrong.”
“Do you realize your mistake now? What happened earlier? Didn’t you tell me that you don’t want to reveal Damian’s existence too? And yet—”
Before she could finish, Matthew interrupted her.
“I was wrong, but not about this. Instead, it’s about my—ahem!”
Clarissa was dumbfounded.
