Chapter 417 I Want To Have Another Child
Andrew clutched his phone, its screen flickering in the dim light. He didn't pick up right away, just stared at the study door where Chloe had vanished. His throat bobbed as he finally hit the answer button, and Molly's uneasy voice filled his ear.
Lighting a cigarette, he let it smolder between his fingers. "Why aren't you asleep, kiddo?" he asked softly.
Molly's voice was barely a whisper. "I'm scared!"
Andrew's heart ached for her. Celeste had given birth to Molly but left her to the nanny, and now she was in a new place. It was rough for a kid.
He comforted her a bit, then asked her to pass the phone to Luke's parents. After a quick chat, they realized Molly was having trouble sleeping. They promised to look after her.
Molly didn't want to say goodnight. She'd been starved of affection, and now even Andrew, the warmest person in her life, was far away. Andrew hung up, feeling lousy, but he knew Chloe felt even worse.
He stubbed out the cigarette and headed back to the bedroom. Chloe was still awake, leaning against the headboard, her hair cascading like a waterfall. She looked stunning.
Andrew tossed his phone on the nightstand and leaned in to kiss her. Her lips were dry, but he kissed her gently. "Don't you have a shoot tomorrow morning? How are you gonna manage if you don't sleep?"
She didn't resist, just slid down and rested her head on his chest. After a while, he felt her tears soaking his shirt. He gently stroked her hair, then kissed her again, deeper this time. Neither of them spoke.
The next morning, Chloe woke up to find Andrew already gone. She figured he was at the office. But downstairs, there he was, still at home, wearing a light brown sweater and dark brown pants, having breakfast with Gavin.
Seeing Chloe, he smiled. "Let's take Gavin to kindergarten together later!"
Chloe sat down, brushing her hair. "I have a commercial shoot this morning."
Andrew handed her a cup of hot milk. "I'll take you after."
She sipped the milk, looking at him. "You don't have to do this."
Last night, she'd given him the phone out of pity, not to make him feel guilty. If Molly didn't affect her and Gavin's life, she could pretend not to know, even if she couldn't accept him meeting her.
Andrew just rubbed her hair, saying nothing. After breakfast, they took Gavin to kindergarten. He was thrilled to have both parents with him.
Back in the car, Andrew didn't start the engine right away. He turned to Chloe. "Got any plans this afternoon?"
She knew what he meant. He wanted to spend time with her. "Aren't you busy today?" she asked, her voice teasing.
"Yeah, but my wife needs some company too," he said, his eyes deep and serious.
Chloe knew he was trying to fix things between them. She loved him and didn't want to make it hard for him. "I'm free after two."
Andrew leaned in and kissed her. "Let's hit the amusement park."
Chloe felt a warm fuzz inside but played it cool. "Isn't that kinda childish, Andrew? I'm not a kid anymore."
He gave her a look.
She squirmed under his gaze. "Why are you staring at me like that?"
"Chloe, I love it when you call me Andrew," he said, his voice rough.
Her cheeks flushed, and she buckled her seatbelt. "Let's go!"
Andrew smiled and gently pressed the gas pedal.
At the set, Chloe didn't hide their relationship. Everyone knew she had a fiancé and a son. They'd heard of Andrew but didn't expect him to be so young.
The director came over to greet them. Andrew, being a pro at socializing, quickly had the director calling him Mr. Devereux. After a few polite words, Andrew left to handle other business.
By two in the afternoon, Chloe wrapped up her work. Her assistant, knowing Andrew was picking her up, teased her a bit. Chloe felt a sweet warmth inside.
Andrew's car was parked outside. He greeted her colleagues and then led her to the car. Such public displays of affection were rare for them.
She took his hand, softly asking, "How much cash did you bring? I'm worried you might not have enough."
Andrew tossed her his wallet. "Count it. If it's not enough, I'll get more!"
Andrew, in a good mood, drove them to the city amusement park. Since it wasn't a weekend, it wasn't crowded. Chloe was surprised at how good Andrew was at the games.
She hugged his waist, looking up and murmuring, "It's not fair! You shouldn't have played these before, right?"
Andrew won her a few stuffed animals. He patted her head, smiling. "You just need to look cute!"
He clearly thought she was clumsy.
Chloe pouted, resting her face in the crook of his arm. "I'm not clumsy! I graduated from a top school and can speak four languages."
In no time, Andrew won a few more stuffed animals. He teased, "So, you are quite capable."
He meant it in more ways than one.
She got the hint, feeling both shy and annoyed, but she couldn't stay mad.
Andrew glanced at her. He could easily guess her thoughts. She'd been clinging to him the whole time, and he figured he should spend more time with her when he could.
Life went on smoothly. Andrew only called Molly occasionally. His business was thriving. Chloe joined a new project, luckily being filmed in the city. Whenever Andrew was free, he'd pick her up and take her home. After taking care of Gavin at night, it was their private time.
Andrew had a high sexual drive, and Chloe was willing to keep up. Almost every night, she'd end up begging him with tears. But Andrew always took precautions. He clearly didn't want more kids just yet.
But Chloe thought, given his age, if they wanted another little girl, they should do it soon. Plus, while Adeline was still in good health, it would bring joy to the family. Gavin also wanted a sister. Every day, he'd lie on her belly and listen, afraid his mom might get it wrong. Chloe found it adorable.
One morning, she told Andrew. He was in the bathroom shaving, and his voice came from inside. "You want another kid?"
He wiped his face and walked back to the bedroom. He had a meeting to attend, wearing a gray shirt and trousers, with a tie Chloe had picked out. He looked fresh and handsome.
Chloe had the day off. She was soft and relaxed, leaning against the headboard, flipping through a magazine. With the wedding coming up, she wanted to pick out some nightwear.
While the wedding dress was a big deal, the little things in a marriage mattered too, especially the intimacy between newlyweds. She loved the way Andrew looked at her when he held her close.
Andrew didn't plan on getting frisky, but seeing what she was browsing, he felt a spark.
He sat on the edge of the bed, his hand slipping under the covers, lifting her nightgown, and touching her belly.
Chloe blushed. "What are you doing?"
Andrew chuckled. "Just checking if you're pregnant."
He turned off the light, the curtains slowly closing, darkening the room. He lifted the covers and pulled her under him.
Chloe gently pushed his shoulder. "Don't you have a meeting?"
Andrew glanced at his watch. There was still time.
Chloe's face was burning. "I'm being serious!"
Andrew laughed softly. He still gently touched her belly. "Doesn't Gavin want a sister?"
Chloe wrapped one arm around his neck and used the other to hold him back, not letting him go further. Her face was red as she pressed against his handsome face, feeling his skin hot too. She whispered, "I want another child! After this movie, I won't take on any more projects for a while. Plus, we can bring Adeline over; there will always be someone to help out at home."
Andrew gently rubbed his nose against hers. Her nightgown fell to the floor.
At the critical moment, Andrew seemed to hesitate, but in the end, he withdrew his hand from the drawer and held her body, kissing her more passionately than before.
When it was all over, Andrew gently touched her belly. Maybe, there was a child there again.
Chloe lay in his arms, her heart still racing. She whispered, "Aren't you going to the office?"
Andrew kissed her. He got up and dressed, pulling up his pants and grabbing his shirt. There were hickeys on it. Chloe didn't dare to look.
Andrew chuckled and went to the walk-in closet to change his shirt, then came back to kiss her again. "Rest up! I'll pick up Gavin this afternoon."
Chloe nodded obediently, then couldn't help but lift herself to kiss him back, her face red.
Andrew coaxed her, "I'll make you more satisfied you when I get back tonight."
Even after he left, the air in the bedroom was sweet. She gently touched her belly. It still retained the warmth of Andrew's palm.
Earlier, when they were intimate, Andrew hadn't used any protection. So, he also wanted a child.
Chloe happily rolled around on the bed a few times, and her hand touched something hard. Andrew had forgotten his phone on the nightstand.
She didn't mean to look, but a Facebook message came through from Celeste. Andrew's phone didn't have a password. Chloe opened it and saw that Celeste had sent many messages over the past half month, mostly asking about Molly, in a somewhat soft tone. Andrew had barely replied. He had only replied once last week: [Molly is being well taken care of.]
Chloe quietly looked at it, the heat from her body cooling down significantly. It was a simple sentence, but it bothered her a lot. Andrew and Celeste seemed like divorced parents bound together because of a child, and the most absurd part was that the child wasn't even his.
The bedroom door opened. Andrew came back to get his phone and saw Chloe in a daze, his phone in her hand.
Andrew guessed what she had seen, walked over, gently took the phone back, deleted Celeste's messages, and rubbed Chloe's head. "Don't overthink it!"
Chloe looked up and asked softly, "Can't you just not get involved?"
He had already fulfilled his responsibility by helping the Jackson family get the child back.
Andrew put Celeste on the blacklist. He kissed Chloe, who felt sad and hugged his waist.
Andrew said softly, "I won't get involved anymore. If the Jackson family has any issues, I'll let Nathan handle them."
Chloe could understand this. She wasn't unreasonable. Even if it was hard to accept, she had to learn to accept it slowly. Besides, she hadn't told Frederick and Charlotte. She thought she should learn to grow up and not let them worry about everything.
Their wedding was set for early April. Although they lived in Syeattel, the location was set at the Devereux Mansion in Copenhegan. Chloe loved it. The Devereux Mansion, especially Andrew's master bedroom, held special meaning for her.
The Devereux family and the Hawkins family were both prominent families. That night, they hosted 100 tables at the largest hotel in Copenhegan, inviting friends, family, and business partners.
At ten in the morning, Chloe sat in her room, wearing a beautiful dress. She was naturally beautiful, and today she looked even more stunning.
Charlotte was over eight months pregnant but had been organizing the wedding from start to finish, afraid it wouldn't be perfect. Chloe helped her sit down. Charlotte gently stroked her hair, softly giving a few pieces of advice.
Frederick came in from outside, wearing a classic black and white three-piece suit, looking mature and handsome.
Chloe teased, "Frederick, you're going to outshine Andrew!"
Frederick knocked her on the head. "I still need this face to keep Charlotte hooked!"
Chloe blushed at his teasing. Charlotte glanced at Frederick. Frederick smirked but didn't make things difficult for Chloe anymore.
At that moment, the butler came in and said, "Matthew and Landon from Boston are here for the wedding and want to see Charlotte."
Charlotte didn't mind. Frederick thought of Landon and snorted. "Did we send them an invitation?"
The butler smiled. "Yes, Frederick, we did."
Frederick, still uneasy, accompanied Charlotte to meet them.
Chloe was left alone in the bridal room, feeling a bit bored and thinking about sneaking some food. Then her phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number, but she recognized it as Celeste's.
She didn't want to answer but was curious about what the woman wanted. Chloe answered the call.
Unexpectedly, Celeste didn't sound arrogant; instead, her voice was weak. "Chloe, you won! I lost completely! I'm not willing to accept it! I don't believe Andrew can be so heartless, not answering my calls, not willing to see me! Now I'm betting that he still has a bit of compassion for Molly! Chloe, Molly is with me. If I make one cut, she'll leave this world with me. Do you think he'll care about us?"
Chloe held the phone. She didn't believe Celeste could be so crazy. Even if she didn't love Luke, that was still her child. She said softly, "I don't believe you!"
Celeste didn't argue further. She quickly hung up.
The phone beeped, and Chloe's face turned pale. At that moment, Andrew walked in from the door. His eyes were gentle. "Whose call was it?"
Chloe shook her head. "An old friend."
She didn't believe Celeste would go to such extremes. Celeste just wanted to ruin today's wedding. Chloe hesitated but decided not to tell Andrew.
The wedding proceeded as planned, lively and grand. Lola and Gavin served as the flower girl and ring bearer. Their faces, so similar to the Devereux family, were very endearing.
Just as they were serving tea to Adeline, two people hurriedly walked in from the door. It was Luke's parents. They were anxious.
"Andrew, Molly was taken by Celeste! She took Molly and did something to harm herself. She called and said she informed Miss Hawkins, but Andrew, I beg you, for Luke's sake, save Molly. She's the only child of the Jackson family."
They even knelt to Chloe. Chloe's face turned as pale as paper.
Andrew looked at her and asked softly, "Did she call you?"
Chloe froze. He was blaming her!
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