Jack and Naomi were chatting openly, without a care about the family members around them.
Naomi used to worry that her sister-in-law, Emily, might get hurt. But after witnessing the whole thing, she was left speechless.
Jack thought to himself that Emily and her husband were definitely not the kind of people to mess with.
The butler quietly slipped away, realizing just how polite Emily had been to the Cedillo family at her wedding. She hadn't even laid a finger on anyone despite the tension!
Basking in the warm sunlight, Emily looked up at Jack and Naomi with a cheeky smile, "Dad, Naomi, did you enjoy watching me stand up for myself just now?"
Jack blinked his amber eyes, "Uh, yeah, it was something."
Naomi coughed lightly, "Emily, sweetie, let's try to keep things peaceful, okay?"
Emily, looking innocent, replied, "But Naomi, I was just defending myself."
Naomi blinked, not daring to argue, "Ah, right, self-defense. Just, try to avoid it in the future, okay?"
Emily's gaze flitted between them, "Dad, Naomi, you’re not scared of me now, are you? Thinking I might turn on you next?"
The duo exchanged awkward glances. Silence filled the air, an eerie calm.
"Oh, come on..." Emily protested.
Then, in the yard, she defended herself loudly, "Of course not, you’re my family. Why would I ever turn on you? I've never raised my hand to you. My fights are with the outside world, not within."
Jack nodded, "That’s all I needed to hear."
Leo, the ever-teasing grandson, chuckled, "Ha, Grandpa, you’re not usually scared of anything. Why worry about Emily? Take her on."
"Mom, I told you before, don’t be fooled by Emily’s sweet exterior. Seriously, don’t be. Did you listen? Now, who’s startled? Serves you right. Emily is no pushover."
As Leo finished, the trio in the yard turned their gaze toward him. Realizing his mistake, Leo’s smile faded, "Why’s everyone looking at me?"
Naomi, no longer intimidated by her sister-in-law, pointed at Leo, "Emily, go take him down."
Jack, also shedding his fear, pointed at his grandson, "Emily, go on, sew his mouth shut."
"Alright! Just hold my baby for a moment."
After handing over her child, the yard turned into a chase scene with Leo running and Emily in pursuit, their young son watching eagerly, filled with excitement.
After the guards had apprehended the culprit, they turned to Jack for instructions. Jack went to confront Wesley in his room alone, his demeanor stern, "What’s your name?"
Wesley remained silent, not uttering a word. Emily, barred from entering, could only eavesdrop at the door with her son in her arms. The little one, nestled against his mother's neck, struggled to stay awake amidst the fatigue. Soon, sounds of a scuffle emerged from the room.
Leo, worried about Anya, decided, "I’ll go pick up Anya."
"Wait a minute," Emily suddenly stood up, listening to the muffled groans from inside the room. "Should we bring her back to try?"
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Sweet Mischief's Rollercoaster Romance