Adina heard the discussion among the crowd, but she walked inside indifferently and did not mind it.But Duke slowly broke into a happy smile.He had booked VIP seats, which were in the front row, so the group of six walked ahead.Harold instantly forgot Duke’s warning and started to talk noisily again. “Mel, can we sit on this side?”Melody jumped down from Adina’s arms and sat at the side with Harold.“George, you sit on my left. Alden, you sit on Mel’s right.”Harold arranged the seats clearly. In the end, the remaining two seats on the other side belonged to Adina and Duke.Adina sat next to George, and she could hear Harold speaking from time to time.“Mel, the concert’s going to start. Are you happy?“Mel, I’ve never been to a concert before. If I don’t get it later, don’t laugh at me.“Mel, can I hold your hand? Wow, your hand’s so soft.”“Harold Winters, can you be quiet?” George spoke and sounded annoyed.Harold pulled a face. “Mel likes to listen to me. Bite me! M
Duke stared at Adina’s exquisite face and could not help but gulp.“Mr. Winters, please move your leg a little. My water bottle is under your leg.”Adina bent down and patted his leg under the chair.Duke suddenly tensed up.This woman had just touched the hem of his pants, but he felt it in his heart for some reason.He recalled her red face and curvy figure on the cruise that day… and the faint scent of her body.He subconsciously leaned forward and breathed in when he faced the back of her neck.It was the same scent that belonged to that woman from five years ago.How was it possible that she was not the one who had slept with him that night?“Mr. Winters, please move aside…” Adina reminded him.Duke snapped out of his daze again and immediately realized what he had just done.Was this not something that Trent loved to do? Was he possessed by Trent’s spirit?He glanced at the children next to them. They were listening to the piano music intently, so they did not notice
“I’ve thought about your suggestion.”Duke was very close to her. When he spoke, she could feel the warmth of his breath.She moved to the side uncomfortably before she turned and slowly asked, “What’s your decision, Mr. Winters?”“I can be your boyfriend, but…” Duke firmly said, “...I’m not good at acting. Unless, you agree to let me be your real boyfriend.” What?Real boyfriend?Adina was stunned.She looked up at him. “Mr. Winters, you don’t have to act or do anything. You just need to be my nominal boyfriend to convince the judge.”“Do you think the judge can be easily fooled?” Duke smiled faintly and looked at her. “You need me to be your boyfriend in order to win custody, and I also need you to be my girlfriend to keep my mother off my back. Since both of us have a need, why don’t we try to be a real couple?”Adina found herself speechless.There were so many women around this man. Did he really need her to keep Mrs. Winters off his back?Besides, pretending to be his
Duke held Adina’s hand tightly, and she was unable to move away.She gritted her teeth and said, “You said that we just needed to act like a couple in front of your mother. You’re going against the agreement!”Duke’s expression was indifferent. “Harold and Mel want us to be together. Do you want to disappoint them?”Adina turned around and looked over. She saw Harold and Melody standing together and talking. The children’s eyes were as bright as the lights in the night sky.Her heart melted for some reason.Her initial intention of letting Duke be her boyfriend was also for the children’s sake.“Uncle Duke, what are you doing?”Alden walked over, and his face was full of anger. He pushed Duke away with great strength. “Let go of my mom!”Duke did not want to fight a child, so he released Adina’s hand.“Mom, is he harassing you?” Alden bit his bottom lip and looked mature as well as headstrong, which did not fit his age.“No, Uncle Duke didn’t harass me.” Adina stroked his hea
“What about me? What about me? Can I call Aunt Adina ‘Mommy?’” Harold raised his head and asked.Duke carried the girl as he nonchalantly said, “As long as Aunt Adina’s fine with it, you can call her whatever you want.”Harold widened his eyes and looked at Adina, while he excitedly but carefully asked, “Aunt Adina, can I?”Adina felt dejected, but she suppressed the feeling as she smiled faintly and said, “Of course, you can.”“Yeah! I have a mommy too! I’m so happy. I have a mommy! Mommy! Mommy!” Harold circled Adina and shouted as he ran around her.Adina looked at him gently. When she looked up, she saw the two other children, George and Alden, standing one step away from her.Alden had a complex mind, so he might not accept her relationship with Duke that easily. She would slowly explain it to Alden once they went home.As for George… “Georgie, come here.” Adina waved at him.George felt conflicted as he walked over.He had changed his mind toward Adina slightly, but he
Adina lowered her head, and her exquisite chin accentuated her perfect jawline under the light.She was wearing a white shirt, and her collar was unbuttoned. It revealed the clavicular line of her collarbone and her fair skin, which was undulating slightly.Duke struggled to look away.Over the past twenty years, his mind had always been clean. Even if a naked woman stood in front of him, he would not be bothered to look at her.But the ridiculous thought of taking Adina’s clothes off invaded his mind at that moment.He thought he was a righteous man, but right then, he finally realized that he was no different from a playboy like Trent.He had just never met a woman whom he was interested in previously.“I’ll help you put on the apron.”Duke took out an apron from the cabinet and helped Adina to put it on.Duke’s musky scent was faintly discernible, and it surrounded Adina like an invisible net.When she first smelled him, she was terrified. But after she got used to it, she
“Daddy, Mommy likes to eat potatoes,” Melody suddenly spoke. She supported her chin with both hands and looked at Duke for a while before she glanced at Adina.Adina suddenly felt embarrassed when her own daughter stared at her like that.Her intention was to look after Harold and George. Why were the children watching her be “in a relationship”?“I washed the potatoes. You can see how they taste.”Duke placed a piece of potato on Adina’s plate.Adina could only lower her head and take a bite of the potato. She felt that all the five people at the table were staring at her.She raised her head before she awkwardly smiled and said, “It’s delicious.”She was the one who cooked it, so obviously it was delicious. Did it have anything to do with this man’s washing?Dinner ended in a lively manner.Adina thought about Alden’s feelings, so she informed them that they were going home.Harold pushed Duke outside. “Daddy, send mommy out. Don’t forget the goodbye kiss.”His voice was j
The piano music resounded in the courtyard.Adina held Alden’s hand and softly said, “Every child should have a father as they grow up. Look at Mel. She has smiled more than she ever has in the last four years now that she has a father figure—”Halfway through her sentence, Alden interrupted her. “So, you’re with Duke because of Mel and me?”When Adina saw the way he was acting, she knew that this child must have reached a dead end again.She stroked his hair. “No, I just find that Duke is really a good person. He’s responsible and caring toward children.”Alden looked down.Duke was a man who had made two women pregnant at the same time. How responsible could he be?How could such a person be good enough to be his and Melody’s father?But he had to admit that Melody had almost recovered from her autism because of Duke.“Mom, I support all your decisions,” Alden slowly said. “I’ll always support you.”…… It was 9.00 pm, and people were coming and going in Sea City’s airport