Part 13

13. 

Chelsea nodded as Vano signaled her using his index finger, drawing it across his left index finger. That was the final code Vano gave Chelsea before she shouted in the kitchen.

"Help me!" Chelsea yelled repeatedly until Carlos came rushing.

Their household assistant heard Chelsea's cries and hurried over, but Vano stared at them sharply and signaled for her to step back.

"Can you check on Chelsea in the kitchen, see what's wrong?" Carlos asked.

Instead of obeying his father's request, Vano got up from his seat.

"Just wait a moment, Dad. I have a stomachache. Instead of helping Chelsea, I might end up soiling myself." Vano rushed out of the dining room.

Reluctantly, Carlos paused his breakfast to check on Chelsea in the kitchen.

"What happened?" Carlos approached Chelsea, who was holding her left hand.

"My hand got scratched by a knife, and I'm afraid of blood." Chelsea's panicked expression was clear as she closed her eyes, as if she couldn't bear to see the blood flowing from her index finger.

Quickly, Carlos took Chelsea's hand and guided her to the sink. He washed it clean with running water and wrapped it with a bandage that was conveniently nearby.

"There you go." Carlos pulled the corners of his lips into a reassuring smile.

"Thank you, Uncle." Chelsea hurriedly hugged Carlos before he left.

"You're welcome." Carlos ruffled Chelsea's hair, trying hard to suppress something when he felt a round, elastic object touch his chest.

"What are you two doing!" Margareth snapped, slightly annoyed to see Chelsea and Carlos hugging.

Margareth couldn't hide her frustration and anger, now mixed into one. She saw Carlos and Chelsea hugging in the kitchen without anyone else around.

However, Margareth tried to conceal her discomfort, not wanting Carlos to know about any negative aspects of her personality.

"Explain what made you hug Chelsea in the kitchen, Carlos! As a woman, I'm jealous, and as a mother, I question this." Margareth posed a stern question to Carlos, fearing that Chelsea was trying to steal her sweetheart. Carlos, still handsome in his mid-forties, would undoubtedly charm anyone with his charisma.

Moreover, Carlos had fantastic wealth. "I didn't do anything to Chelsea. I just helped her treat her wound. I was going to ask Vano for help, but he had already left. He said he had a stomachache," Carlos explained according to the actual facts.

"Treating Chelsea's wound? How big of a wound did that girl have that you had to go through all this trouble?"

"Not too big, just a scratch on her index finger. But Chelsea said she's afraid of blood, so I quickly helped her. Although the wound wasn't too severe, if left untreated, it could have gotten worse."

"W-what? Chelsea is afraid of blood? Is that true?" Margareth was alarmed. "As far as I know, she doesn't have any phobias, because Chelsea is a brave girl. Could it be that this is just an excuse for you to hug my daughter?" Margareth was still convinced by her intuition that Chelsea and Carlos had more than just a casual acquaintance.

"I swear on anything, Margareth, I never even thought in that direction, because I love you, not your daughter."

"Come on, that's just what you're saying. Just admit that you're interested in my wife because she's younger and more attractive, of course."

Carlos chuckled, teasing Margareth for her negative thoughts. "You've only been living in my house for one day, and you're already thinking all these things. What if you stay here for a month? It'll probably get worse. And just so you know, you're not even allowed to glance at Chelsea. If you need to know, Margareth, it's true that my love for you is strong, but if I'm constantly suspected like this, I won't be able to handle it. And since Chelsea will become part of our family, that means she and I will only get closer."

Margareth rolled her eyes lazily, hearing Brun's defense. It was true that Chelsea was arranged to marry Vano, but it didn't mean the girl could be close to her sweetheart. Anyway, Carlos could marry Chelsea because they weren't related by blood.

"Fine, let's leave it at that. I'm warning you, this is the last time you'll be close to Chelsea, especially hugging her." Margareth got up and left the living room. That's where they had argued so Chelsea and Vano wouldn't hear.

With each firm step thudding on the floor, Margareth headed to the dining room. Arguing with Carlos had only made her hungrier. In the dining room, she found Vano and Chelsea engrossed in conversation. They seemed so comfortable and close, as if they had known each other for a long time, not just recently acquainted.

"Aunt, you see how comfortable and compatible you are talking with Chelsea." Margareth made small talk as she sat down beside Chelsea. Vano only nodded and slightly raised the corners of his lips, continuing to enjoy the delicious chicken soup that tingled on his taste buds.

This time, Vano gave Chelsea's cooking a perfect 10 out of 10. He admitted that Chelsea's cooking was almost as good as the dishes made by his late mother.

"Instead of being close like this without any commitment, how about getting engaged first?" Margareth offered, as if in a hurry to ask Vano and Chelsea to get married. This idea caught Vano off guard, and he nearly choked on the rice he was eating.

"W-what did you say, Aunt? But, with Chelsea?" he protested. "I accept you and Chelsea being here, but that doesn't mean you can dictate my life. Whether we end up together or not is not your concern, and I remind you again, no one can dictate my life. Not even you, Aunt, let alone Dad. Don't let this lead me to kick you out of the house." Vano, annoyed, put his spoon down in his bowl and reached for his bag on the chair.

He left Margareth stunned by his reaction. To be honest, the middle-aged woman was surprised by Vano's response. At first, she thought Vano was a polite child, but it turned out that he had no manners at all when he got offended.

"Don't blame Vano for being impolite to you." Carlos immediately interrupted when he saw that Margareth was about to speak. He didn't know what the woman was going to say, but he didn't want anyone to speak ill of his son.

"If you treated Vano as a friend, he wouldn't have acted that way. If it's so wrong to immediately pressure Vano into getting engaged with Chelsea, especially since they just met. If they were close, you should be grateful, because that means it's easy for Chelsea to win Vano's heart. But don't rush like this, because Vano can't be forced at all."

Once again, Margareth felt annoyed hearing Carlos' explanation, so she got up from her seat and abandoned her breakfast. Suddenly, she felt full because Carlos had been scolding her all the time.

First, it was because of Chelsea, and now it was about Vano. It seemed as though Margareth felt as if she wasn't liked there.

"Uncle doesn't need to follow Mom. Let Mom be alone for now. She'll meet you again later," Chelsea prevented Carlos from going after her as she noticed Margareth's steps.

Originally, she wanted to apologize because she had been rebuking what the woman had said.

"Mom is the type of woman who likes to sulk. She wants to be coaxed but doesn't want to admit she's wrong. So just let her introspect herself. When she's tired, I'm sure she'll come see you again."

Carlos turned to Chelsea, and the girl casually held his wrist. "We better have breakfast first. I'm sure you're hungry, Uncle. Let's finish your breakfast first."

Carlos sighed deeply, sitting back down. He admitted that what Chelsea said was true. Margareth often sulked and was a bit selfish, wanting everyone to listen only to her words, while others had to follow her rules.

"Chelsea, what are your plans while you're on break from school?" Carlos started small talk with Chelsea, as they had been silent for a while.

Chelsea, who wasn't yet fully acquainted with Carlos' personality, was being cautious in her approach. She was afraid that she might not be able to win Carlos' heart, but instead might make him averse to her. 

"None, Uncle. Probably just studying at home."

"Instead of staying home, why not come to the office with me? Besides, you can learn how to manage the company, considering that your mother might marry me in the future." Out of nowhere, Vano suddenly appeared next to Carlos and grabbed the untouched hot chocolate.

All this because of Margareth, who casually arranged his life. Carlos nodded his head.

"It seems like what Vano said is true. While you have some free time, let's go to the office together."

"Really?" Chelsea tried to put on a cheerful face, happy about Carlos' offer. Even though she had initially rejected the job offer.

But this time, she agreed because of the pleading look from Vano.

"Well, then you might as well start packing, Chelsea. Papa will be leaving for the office soon." Vano glanced at his watch. "I also need to say goodbye, Dad. I'm going to campus."

"Alright, if that's the case." Carlos extended his hand so Vano could kiss the back of it. "Take care!"

Meanwhile, Chelsea could only grin broadly, feeling increasingly embarrassed about being close to Carlos. It wasn't because she was falling in love with him, no.

However, her mind went back to the idea of getting close to Carlos to make him fall in love, and she felt uneasy about it if they were to be constantly close.

Still in shock from the incident in the kitchen earlier, now Margareth had to face another surprise as she was about to leave her room. She froze and stared in disbelief as she saw both Chelsea and Carlos getting ready to leave.

"Where are you going?" Margareth asked, trying to suppress the anger that was about to consume her whole body.

"I'm heading to the office, and I'm taking Chelsea with me. She will be Vano's wife. Of course, she should be involved in learning how to manage the company. To be honest, I'm tired of working from morning until evening, dealing with the files that keep coming to my desk. So, instead of being frustrated alone, I might as well teach Chelsea a lot of things. It's a good idea, isn't it?"

Margareth wanted to open her mouth to reject Carlos' proposal, but he had already raised his hand.

"Just agree with what I say because Vano himself ordered it."

"Really?" Margareth couldn't believe it because as far as she knew, Vano hadn't fully accepted their presence yet.

"Of course, when have I ever lied to you, Margareth?" She had to reluctantly agree. Within 24 hours of being in the house, it seemed like Margareth had become the second person and Chelsea the primary focus for Carlos.

She wanted to protest again, but the two incidents earlier made her hesitant to express her opinions, as Carlos would not accept any objection. And he used Vano as an excuse.

"Before you leave, if I may, I want to protest Chelsea's outfit." Margareth tried to remain patient, but seeing the clothes Chelsea was wearing slightly disturbed her peace of mind.

"What's wrong with my outfit, Mom?" Chelsea asked, pretending to be innocent and not understanding anything. Even though she knew her skirt was much above the knee and the shirt she was wearing showed off her figure.

"That skirt, isn't there anything shorter than that?" Margareth remarked, pointing to Chelsea's skirt.

Chelsea shook her head. "It's not that there's nothing shorter, Mom. But Vano chose this outfit for me. He said he likes girls who dress fashionably like this, so to win Vano's heart, I have to follow all the rules he sets. Isn't that right, Uncle?" Now Chelsea turned to Carlos.

Carlos, who indeed felt that Chelsea was dressing more boldly than when they first met, sensed that something was off. However, for Chelsea's comfort, Carlos didn't make an issue out of it. He was initially relieved that Margareth was scolding her daughter, but after hearing Chelsea's response, Carlos supported whatever the girl wanted.

"As long as it's Vano who requested it, just let it be. After all, Vano will be her husband." Carlos ruffled Chelsea's hair, only further fueling Margareth's resentment towards her daughter.

"Yes, let's stop arguing. It's still early, and it's not good." Carlos curled his lips into a smile. "Alright then, the two of us will say goodbye. Take care of the house, okay? Just relax at home, no need to do too much."

"I'm going to the salon later, dear. I'm bored being at home all the time," Margareth grumbled. Carlos still didn't quite understand what she wanted.

He should have realized that Margareth wanted to be hugged and have her forehead kissed like any other husband and wife would do. It was quite presumptuous of her, demanding so much so early in their relationship, but that's what Margareth wanted. In her pursuit of that desire, she wanted to bind Carlos so tightly that he wouldn't have any reason to stay away from her.

"Whatever you want, go wherever you please. I'll transfer the shopping money later." Without saying anything else, Carlos motioned for Chelsea to walk ahead, leaving Margareth feeling completely isolated at the moment.

"Just watch, I'll make sure Chelsea and Vano do something improper soon so that they'll hurry up and get married." That was the promise Margareth echoed in her heart, hoping to marry Carlos soon. If Chelsea and Vano were already married, it meant that she and Carlos could also get married since one of the conditions Vano had set was that Carlos could marry once he was married himself.