Chapter 1876

In the dimly lit study, the air was thick with tension.

Chloe, fresh from a soak in the tub, was once again drenched in sweat. Caught by a man starved for months, she knew the outcome would be memorizing.

Whenever she hesitated to compromise, she worried that Damon would strain her physically. The pain of childbirth had scarred her heart, and the stitches that followed haunted her with every pull and twinge, making it an indelible memory.

She was, in truth, frightened of that pain. Thus, it had become a no-go zone, both physically and psychologically. But she couldn't let her fear stop him forever.

It had indeed been too long.

At first, she was too shy to let him touch her because of her insecurity about her body, but as time dragged on, she worried that he would only grow more fierce. And so, she had steeled herself for this encounter.d2

Thankfully, the anticipated pain never came.

Damon was relentless. Cradled in his arms, utterly spent, Chloe's voice was a mere whisper, fragmented almost beyond coherence, "Enough... it's... time for... dinner."

Damon, seemingly deaf to her plea, scooped her up and carried her back to the desk, where he pressed the intercom button.

The phone was quickly answered.

"Hello."

"Dinner is postponed by thirty minutes."

"Alright."

The maid hesitated before complying, then swiftly relayed the message to the kitchen.

Chloe cursed inwardly, regretting letting his desire build for so long. "The babies will probably start fussing soon."

"There are plenty of people to tend to them."

"But..."

"No excuses, you're mine right now."

He'd stressed this point many times, and she never took him seriously. Today was a lesson in action.

Resigned to her fate, Chloe clung to Damon's shoulders, pressing her body against his, murmuring softly, "Be gentle."

His grip tightened at her words.

Noticing the sudden change in his expression, she instantly regretted her plea. "Don’t go too hard please."

"I'll try." His response was terse, his passion unleashed.

Chloe bit her lip. This was going to be intense.

--

The celebration banquet was a hive of activity.

Employee after employee called, each eager to attend the twins' celebration.

Chloe was initially hesitant, fearing too many guests would lead to chaos, but once Damon said he'd handle the arrangements, she gave her consent.

Elizabeth, ever the worrier, wanted the twins' celebration to be grand and had spent days overseeing the plans. Naturally, the children's care fell mostly on Yasmine and Chloe.

...

At three in the afternoon, Yasmine entered Chloe's bedroom with two bottles of formula to feed the little ones.

The weather had cooled, but the sunlight was warm. Chloe placed the babies by the window, basking them in the gentle rays.

Yasmine's demeanor had softened over the months of caring for the twins, no longer the icy figure she once was.

"Presley will probably want to get involved in the celebration. What are your thoughts?" Yasmine asked suddenly.

Chloe remained unfazed. "He's their great-grandfather. If he insists on coming, I can't stop him."

Yasmine wiped a dribble of milk from her grand-daughter's mouth. "He probably won't cause any trouble. I've thought it through for him, and he really doesn't have much to gain."

Little Sun found a comfortable position, hugging his bottle contentedly.

Chloe, supporting with one hand, gazed out the window before turning back with a small smile.

"I can't think of anything either."

Ever since her hospital stay, she'd heard about Presley's frequent visits to see the children. But until her discharge, Alyssa had barred him from so much as holding them. He could only look on from a distance, getting close now and then, only to be chased away by Alyssa.

The great-grandfather's reputation was terrible in Chloe's mind, but on this issue, Yasmine seemed to have inadvertently spoken on his behalf.

"Shouldn't you at least make a gesture?" Yasmine teased.

"An invitation?" Chloe replied noncommittally.

Chloe continued, "With his personality, he wouldn't accept such courtesy. In his eyes, attending his great-grandchildren's celebration banquet is his right, and an invitation would be an insult."

Yasmine smirked, "Right, then don't insult him. On the day, Alyssa will probably know how to 'insult' him better than you."

Chloe had wondered why her mother had brought up such a redundant topic, so that was the reason. But what did it have to do with her, the villain?

She wouldn't invite, yet he would come of his own accord, so why bother with such a thankless task?

"That's between them, then."

Yasmine fell silent.

Chloe tested letting go of the bottle, only to find her Little Sun still too small to hold it, and so she continued to support it.

Leaning back in her chair, her gaze returned to the window.

"Once the celebration banquet is over, are you planning to leave?"

Yasmine's smile faded as she faced Chloe, her expression growing displeased. "What, you're tired of me staying at your place?"

"Is it not long enough?"

Yasmine glared at her.

"You have your own property, and if that's not enough, I'll get you another place."

Yasmine's frown deepened. "Fine, kick me out if I'm in the way."

"Don't provoke me."

"I want to be close to my grandchildren."

Chloe curled her lips into a gentle smile, "You've been baby-watching for a hundred days. How many sets of a hundred days does life give you? You sure you don't want to tend to your own life? Using your grandkids as a shield to hide away—isn't that a bit embarrassing?"

Yasmine's face darkened instantly, "I never thought I'd live to see the day when I'd be scorned by my own daughter, let alone lectured."

"My mother, as I remember her, was an independent, strong, and charismatic woman. Decisive and clear-cut in her actions, she never dawdled or dallied."

She paused, looking at her with a smile, "But the woman standing before me now is evading issues, far from solving them. Is this really the mother I remember?"

The twins finished their bottles almost simultaneously. Chloe gently wiped their mouths with a burp cloth and stood up, cradling the empty bottles and walking over to the window to look outside.

"If you linger any longer, I might start believing that that person could outright buy a patch of my land to settle down here for good."

Yasmine pursed her lips, staying silent this time.

After taking the empty bottles and wiping the babies' mouths, she mused, "Do you think I should really sell him a piece of land?"

Yasmine stood up and joined her by the window, gazing out.

Almost daily, they’d see the same figure on the arched bridge beside the manor, a fixture in the landscape.

Yasmine snatched the baby bottles from Chloe's hand, "Live your own life and stop meddling with others. If you think I'm an eyesore in your house, I'll just leave."

Chloe nodded, "Of course, you're always welcome to see the babies. If it's convenient, I'll bring them over to see you too."

Yasmine held her breath, casting a cold glance at her daughter before taking the bottles and leaving the room.

Chloe turned back to the center of the twin cribs, looking down at the two happy babies gazing up at her, her face unable to hide her joy.

"Babies, will you miss Grandma if she leaves?"

"Ah-ee."

"Doo-ah."

The little ones obligingly cooed in response.

Chloe laughed heartily, "I know, Grandma's been so good to you, you'll miss her, won't you?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Mm-hmm."

She stroked their soft cheeks and whispered, "But Grandma has her own life to live, right? To make her happy, we need to let her find her way back to her love, don't we?"

The babies didn't understand Chloe's words, but they kept their eyes fixed on her face, giggling and kicking their little limbs, their voices like tiny bells, irresistibly adorable.

Chloe's heart melted every time she saw them.

--

Yasmine, seemingly unaffected by Chloe's words, continued to care for the twins at the estate.

A week later, the Harper family celebrated the twins' celebration banquet. Nearly everyone was looking forward to this event. There was curiosity about what Damon and Chloe's children looked like, and some were eager to see Chloe herself. It had been so long since the high-profile woman had been seen since her pregnancy, childbirth, and the following months. And now, the she devil was ready to re-emerge.

The Harper family's grandeur was beyond doubt. The Watson Hotel in P City had closed its doors to other guests for the day.

Claud had offered the venue for free, but Damon, with a steely expression, had transferred a hefty sum to him instead. He wasn't going to give any man the chance to covet his wife, not even a glimmer of opportunity.

Not only had they booked the most upscale hotel in P City, but the Harper family's security was deployed in full force, protecting the venue inside and out.

The guests were plentiful. Reporters were also many but had been discreetly informed that no footage of the babies was allowed.

The reporters understood. After all, for such a prominent family, keeping the children out of the public eye was safest. While no one in their right mind would dare to threaten the Harpers, the world was vast, and there was always a fool who might try their luck.

Rose brought her son directly to the celebration banquet.

She had seen Chloe's adorable twins over video chat, but seeing them in person still made her exclaim, "They're just gorgeous."

Regaining her composure, she placed her son in Little Moon's crib. "Little Moon, look, this is your future husband."

Little Moon turned to stare at the unfamiliar baby lying in her bed, her bright eyes fixed on Colt unblinkingly. She kicked her legs and waved her tiny hands, finally grabbing Colt's shirt, her little mouth slightly open, revealing a hint of her tiny tongue.

She babbled, trying to express things no one understood.

Rose explained on her own accord, "See! Little Moon likes our Colt so much! She's saying she likes him. Hey, hey, hey, Damon, what are you doing?"

Rose hurried to rescue her son from Damon's grasp, her heart racing.

"Come near my daughter again, and next time I'll throw you out the window."

"God, are you out of your mind?" Rose shouted in indignation, "Chloe, look at him!"

Before Chloe could speak, Damon preempted with a stern look. "He’s in my daughter's crib. No man but me is allowed near my daughter's bed."

Chloe and Rose fell silent.

Someone, please take this man away. He was truly unbelievable.

He was already this protective of such a small child. What about Rose's son's future then...

Rose looked at her son with a tinge of sorrow, holding him a little tighter. "Baby, don't give up. A man can't shrink back at small setbacks. For your happiness, Mommy hopes you'll be strong."

Colt nestled quietly in his mother's arms, turning to stare at Damon for a moment.

Damon caught his gaze and gave him a chilling look. His eyes flickered away, no longer on him, and his bright gaze returned to Chloe.

Without a moment's hesitation, he began to babble enthusiastically and wave his tiny hands at Chloe.

Rose saw the interaction and walked over to Chloe, "Here, why don't you hold him? Look how much he adores you."

Chloe instinctively took the little bundle, and Colt burst into a joyful laugh in her arms.

Rose watched her son's reaction, her eyes suddenly sparkling with delight.

Clever boy. If father-in-law was a tough sell, start by winning over mother-in-law. Smart strategy, kiddo.

Damon furrowed his brow, unwilling to believe that such a small baby could have any cunning intentions, but even if the baby was innocent, Damon couldn't help but feel a bit irked.

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