Clarissa and Matthew had no choice but to leave Damian behind and rush to the hotel Hilary was purportedly at.
Upon arriving at the hotel, they knocked on the door, only to be greeted by silence.
The pair decided to seek help from the hotel staff to unlock the door. However, there was no sign of anyone in the room.
Only after they did a check did they realize that Hilary had already left the hotel a while ago. At that hour, it was going to be laborious to find out where she went.
With Hilary’s whereabouts unknown, Clarissa was worried sick and dialed her mother’s phone number incessantly. She grew increasingly uneasy about her lack of response.
Unfortunately, due to the fact that it had not even been twenty-four hours since she went missing, the police would refuse to carry out a search. Not only that, Hilary was also a grown person who required zilch supervision.
Clarissa and Matthew could only return to Zen Highlands empty-handed.
An absent-minded Clarissa lay in Matthew’s arms as he tenderly consoled her.
“Don’t worry too much. Maybe she’s deliberately playing a prank on you so you would feel horrible. Besides, she’s a grown woman. No harm will come to her.”
Reluctant to dwell on the issue any further, Clarissa just briefly nodded in response.
All of a sudden, Damian came to mind. She had given him her word that she would accompany him until he fell asleep, but it was yet another night she failed to keep to her promise.
“I disappointed Damian again.”
Matthew faintly smiled. “It’s alright, he’ll understand. He’s a big boy now. Earlier today, he even told me that he supports Mommy in her occupation and that he’s very proud of her.”
“He told you that? When?”
“He gave me a call this afternoon.”
A jealous Clarissa pouted at his answer. “Why didn’t he call me instead? He only told you and not me!”
She was beginning to feel a tad envious about the close-knit relationship they had.
Matthew’s eyes glinted with amusement while he gave her a look of adoration. Then, he grabbed her hand and gently kissed it. “Is that jealousy I sense?”
Clarissa snorted and retracted her hand.
At the same time, Matthew pulled her closer to him and gently caressed her head. “Don’t be jealous. We men have our own secrets. You should birth a little princess as soon as possible. That way, you ladies can have your own little secrets as well. Then I’ll be the one green with envy, isn’t it?” he quipped.
At that, she shot him a menacing glare.
“Easier said than done. Childbirth is no easy feat, okay? Anyhow, I’d rather let nature take its course. We’ve been doing our best for another child but she’s just not coming. Is that my fault?” Clarissa scoffed.
With a cheeky grin, Matthew retorted, “No, I’m the one to blame. I’m not trying hard enough.”
Clarissa instantly shot up and eyed him warily. “Gosh, I’m deadbeat. I’m so, so tired. Time to sleep! I’ve still got to wake up in the early morning for work tomorrow…”
She fled the scene without looking back.
Unfazed, Matthew calmly strode behind her and followed her upstairs.
There’s only one room and one bed anyway. At the end of the day, I’m still going to be the one lying by her side. It’s just a matter of time… I guess I’ll compromise. Just a quick one will do since she’s got to wake up early tomorrow…
Even after her alarm rang for a long time, Clarissa still did not stir in her sleep.
Only when Matthew woke her up did her eyelids slowly part. She drowsily stretched in her bed, still unaware of her surroundings.
All of a sudden, her eyes flew open before she gave Matthew a strong kick that sent him rolling off the bed.
He landed on the floor beside the bed sans clothing. After stoning for a couple of minutes, he chuckled heartily whilst remaining in that position. Clarissa hurriedly made a beeline for the bathroom dressed in her sleepwear.
When she emerged from the bathroom, the sight of Matthew still motionless on the floor greeted her.
Instantly, she flung the blanket at him.
“Pervert!”
At that, he tilted his body and grinned before shooting Clarissa a coquettish wink.
An unamused Clarissa rolled her eyes at him and exited the room.
Without an audience, Matthew dejectedly got up and headed straight to the bathroom in his birthday suit. After a long while, he finally came out. He quickly changed into a set of clothes then made his way downstairs.
It was barely the break of day and sunlight had yet to shine in.
Clarissa was in the middle of grabbing a quick bite when Matthew showed up.
At the sight of him, she gently rubbed her red-rimmed eyes. Matthew swiftly rushed over and asked her a foolish question.
“What’s wrong? Clare, are your eyes alright?”
That peeved Clarissa even more. She cast him a bitter look and seethed, “Whose fault is that?”
Matthew went silent for a brief moment before letting out a light chuckle. “Alright, I’m the culprit…”
She snorted and pushed him aside, all ready to leave.
Matthew offered to send her to work, only to be rejected by her.
“I’ve still got a shooting tonight. So I don’t want to see you until tomorrow morning. Hmmph! Remember to keep Damian company. If he’s unhappy, I’ll hold you accountable.”
Her thunderous warning was rather intimidating.
He watched her leave with a smile on his face. Then, he went on with his day. After a quick jog and having his own breakfast, he woke Damian up and accompanied him for breakfast before leaving for work.
Then, the nanny and chauffeur drove him to Ellie’s place. She was tasked to take care of him for that weekend.
When she spotted Damian, he was evidently sulking. In his little backpack, he had some of his favorite toys as well as his water bottle.
After he entered the house, he remained seated at the sofa with his arms crossed.
Ellie quietly observed the little guy. There was a sullen pout on his adorable face as he stewed in anger.
She heaved a sigh. If only his growth would cease here… He’s the cutest at this age. If he grew up and looked exactly like his stoic father, that’d be frightening. Sigh…
Ellie shook her head and sighed inwardly. Nonetheless, she strode over and embraced him.
“What’s wrong, Damian? Are you unhappy?”
He pursed his lips and replied, “Mommy’s too busy.”
He candidly expressed his grievances to Ellie, complaints he had never communicated to his parents. However, Ellie was more like his companion and friend since she often played with him.
She grinned from ear to ear at his statement. “Ah, you’re missing your mommy. But Mr. Shawn and Ms. Ellie have a whole day filled with plenty of games lined up for you. Don’t you wanna go?”
A lethargic Damian just shook his head in response.
“Alright. Ms. Ellie’ll help you!”
“With what?”
Laughing, Ellie explained, “Help you find your mommy, silly!”
“Really?”
“Of course. Ms. Ellie would never lie to you.”
She got up and dialed Shawn. Shortly after, he arrived donning a black leather jacket, black jeans, and black boots, looking absolutely dashing.
His usual cold, impassive face softened at the sight of Ellie and lovable little Damian.
He casually lifted Damian on one arm with ease. Then, he leaned in to give Ellie a peck before heading downstairs.
The trio boarded a Land Rover, with Damian and Ellie in the backseat all excited to begin their day.
“Mr. Shawn, I love your car! It’s so cool…”
Shawn glanced at him through the rearview mirror as the corners of his lips curled upwards.
“Good taste.”
“Tsk tsk. That’s because this little guy hasn’t seen better cars. Damian, let Ms. Ellie tell you something. When you grow up, you should aspire to be a well-mannered and polished gentleman. Don’t be like this boisterous and unruly man…”
Shawn raised a brow at her statement and retorted, “Hmm? I thought you liked that too.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
Ellie paid no heed to him and continued conversing with Damian.
Shawn’s eyes shone lovingly as he occasionally took a look at the pair while driving.
Soon after, his phone began ringing. His face turned grim as the person on the other end spoke. After the call was over, he uttered, “Something came up so I’ve got to go now. I’ll drop you guys off first.”
Unperturbed by the sudden disruption, Ellie replied, “It’s fine, we can just take a cab. We won’t get lost so you don’t have to worry. Go ahead with what you need to do.”
He gave her a look and planted a kiss on her lips before driving off.
Ellie had no choice but to call for a cab and bring Damian to Ellie’s shoot location.
Unfortunately, due to Clarissa’s and the movie’s surging popularity, visitors were strictly prohibited from entering the premises.
At a loss, the duo decided to give Clarissa a call from the outside.
Without delay, the latter sent someone to get them. When Damian caught sight of his Mommy, he rapidly sprinted over.
“Mommy, Mommy!”
He leapt straight into Clarissa’s embrace.
Her heart warmed at her son’s affection as she gave him a few pecks. Ryler, who was resting, instantly rushed over and carried Damian.
“Damian! You only care about your Mommy. You didn’t even see your Uncle Ry, did you?”
“Wow Uncle Ry. I didn’t know you were here too! Damian missed you too…”
The set crew was given a short break. When the crew caught wind that their director’s son had arrived on set, they all curiously gathered around to catch a glimpse of him. Damian and his Mommy didn’t even get the chance to chat and all of a sudden he was surrounded by a throng of people.
With his chatty personality, he soon attracted many fangirls. Of them all, Roxanne was the most charmed.
Roxanne was already a huge fan of Clarissa and her works. Now that she’d met Damian, she’s even declared herself as the president of his personal fan club.
I’ve decided I’m going to pioneer the Damian Fanclub! I’ll be loyal to him and only him till the end of time. No other handsome men will be able to entice me. Damian will be the only hunk in my life! This fan club will be sure to thrive.
Thanks to the adulation Damian was receiving, Clarissa had less opportunities to interact with him. Yet, she was grateful her son was there with her while she worked. He was well-behaved and did not bother her.
Ellie even brought him around to tour the place since he was intrigued by everything.
On the other end, Shawn arrived at a random hotel in D City.
“What happened?”
An unforeseen homicide case that happened at the hotel concluded his short-lived holiday.
The moment he arrived, his team members got down to briefing him about the incident. That afternoon, the hotel staff knocked on the customer’s door but was met with silence even after a long time. They instantaneously opened the door and entered the room. After a quick search of the room, they chanced upon the customer laying in the bathtub, soaked in their own blood with slashed wrists.
