Martin sat up, asking, “Hungry? What do you want to eat? I’ll get breakfast.”
He usually did the same every morning back home, since he was a bad cook.
He did not mind the hassle at all, making it a routine to only buy the stuff she liked.
When he heard from a colleague that the lasagna in Bridge Town was good, he drove thirty miles just to get it for her.
It was nothing rare or extravagant, but he was willing to do it anyway.
That was what made him precious—that he was willing to go so far for her.
Lulu shook her head. “I’m not hungry.”
“Alright. Let’s check on Abigail today, then?” Martin asked as he got out of bed and got dressed. “Let’s ask her how things are going now.”
Lulu nodded. “Yeah. It’s a bit early though, so I’ll call her later.”
“Sure,” Martin replied.
With that, she got out of bed as well… when the doorbell rang.
Martin answered it, since the housekeeping team was not usually that early.
He opened the door, and it turned out to be some stewards bringing in breakfast.
While Martin let them in, Lulu happened to finish washing up and she stepped out.
Her gaze darkened at the breakfast cart!
Lulu promptly wheeled on the stewards who brought the breakfast cart and snapped, “We don’t need this. Take it away!”
Martin turned toward her just then.
What happened? She usually would never get upset this easily…
Still, he did not question her. Instead, he told the stewards, “You can take these away. We’ve actually been having breakfast here for a while…”
“Actually, sir, this isn’t from our hotel,” one of the stewards said awkwardly. “A gentleman had us deliver it.”
Martin promptly understood why Lulu got upset.
The man they met at the lobby must have sent these.
“Alright, just leave it here. You may go now,” he said.
Lulu stared at him in confusion. “Why? Don’t you know who sent these?”
“I do,” Martin replied.
Lulu was even more confused. “If you do, then…”
Martin did not explain, but instead closed the door after sending the stewards away.
Then, he walked up to Lulu, and helped her sit down on the couch.
“Would you change anything if you throw these away?” Martin said patiently, already knowing everything. “These must be your favorites, right? He’s trying to provoke me since I don’t know, but so what? That’s in the past—people, their tastes, and their feelings change with time. Just like you and me.”
As Lulu held his gaze, Martin held her hands and continued. “If you’ve given up on him and have no delusions about him, you should be facing his challenge with composure… and to be frank, I was hoping he wouldn’t affect you at all, if you know what I mean?”
Lulu stayed silent for a long while.
Yes.
If she no longer cared about Zachary Slate, why would she get agitated over this?
He was no longer the man who would affect her mood!
Leaning against Martin’s shoulder then, she said, “Thank you.”
For not berating her over this, and instead comforted her, even guiding her.
As she was enlightened right when, Martin asked, “You must be hungry, right? You should eat before it gets cold.”
“Yeah,” Lulu replied. “I used to like these back in college, but not now!”
Unlike other pregnant women who preferred more lightly flavored food, she preferred food with strong flavor, and could handle anything spicy or sour.
Still, she showed restraint when the doctor told her that eating spicy food would cause reddened skin for her baby, though she would let loose once in a while.
“This stuff is good. The flavor is not strong,” Martin said just then.
Lulu pursed her lips. “Then it’s decided. We’ll have chili tonight!”
Martin was speechless. “Fine, but that’s the last time. You’re due soon.”
Lulu nodded repeatedly, “Yeah, yeah. Just this once.”
With that, they had a simple breakfast before Lulu called Abigail to meet up.
After they cleaned up and took the elevator downstairs, and ran into Zachary at the lobby… although ‘ran into’ was stretching it.
Zachary said, “Fancy that.”
Lulu held on to Martin’s hand and smiled. “Yeah, fancy that.”
She knew it was no coincidence, but she did not expose him.
She would no longer lose composure over him, and would instead face him with calmness and composure. “I’m going to meet Abigail. Do you want to join us?”
Zachary was actually surprised that she would invite him, and he nodded. “I’m not imposing, am I?”
“You wouldn’t have showed up here if you thought you were, would you?” Lulu said. “By the way, the breakfast was delicious, and my husband liked it too. Feel free to send more tomorrow if you’re free tomorrow.”
With that, she started to head outside, still holding onto Martin’s hand, leaving Zachary behind, stunned.
Zachary did not follow them since he had his pride.
If he still tagged along after everything Lulu said, he would cheapen himself!
So what was he still obsessing about?
Lulu had already started over!
As he stared at Lulu and Martin holding hands, he suddenly hung his head and chuckled self- deprecatingly.
Maybe he had just made himself a joke for them, showing up here?
He strode out of the hotel and drove away.
Since she was happy now, he should not bother her.
He could make amends by offering her his blessing anyway.
…
Abigail was meeting Lulu at home.
Mrs. Watson brewed a pot of tea for them, while the rest of the hilltop mansion was quiet—Tommy was still obsessively playing with his Bumblebee walker outside, while Abigail’s second child was asleep.
“So? How is the case going?” Lulu asked directly.
Abigail had yet to ask Diarmuid for an update, but since he had returned home very late last night, it was probably resolved.
“I think it’ll be resolved soon,” Abigail said, looking at Lulu just then. “Are you in a hurry to get home?”
“No,” Lulu replied. “I’d rather wait until your case is resolved, or I’d be worried.”
Sheryl Harris then arrived with a plate of sliced fruits, placing it in front of Lulu. “You should eat more fruits while you’re pregnant—for your baby’s skin.”
Lulu looked up at her and smiled. “Okay.”
Sheryl then gave her hand a squeeze. “This is good… Getting married, and now having a child.”
As Lulu smiled, Sheryl turned to Martin. “Lulu is a good kid, so you have to be good to her. I’ll be the first to come after you if you ever bully her—even if she’s lost her mother and her father neglected her as a child, she still has us. Abigail and I are her family now.”
Martin understood right then why Lulu was willing to return and help Abigail despite her pregnancy.
They were more than just friends, and Martin was glad that Lulu had someone like Abigail in her life.
“Don’t worry, ma’am,” he said with a grin. “Though you can come knocking on my door and beat me up if I ever hurt her. I won’t hit back.”
“I’ll remember that,” Sheryl said.
Lulu felt her nose turn runny just then, and she felt tearful although this was something one could be happy about.
Still, she did her best to hold back her tears and pursed her lips into a smile.
Sheryl patted her head. “Alright, I’ll leave you be now. Chat as much as you want.”
She headed to the nursery, where the baby had just woken up.
He did not like staying in the house these days, so Sheryl fed him a bottle of milk before putting him into a stroller and headed outside.
After Mrs. Watson left, Martin asked, “Both sons?”
Abigail nodded. “Yeah.”
“Well, I prefer having a daughter myself. I’d be happy Lulu had a daughter.”
As he spoke, he took Lulu’s hand in his.
Abigail watched them and smiled. “Why do all men prefer daughters?”
Diarmuid told her he wanted a daughter too.
Still, he did not have such hope, while Martin did.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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