CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

Luther received Melanie's message in the afternoon, and he spent the whole time planning what to do with her.

They could chat, play cards... He could bring her flowers.

Oh, he had to find a new perfume close to the one he used before. That specific one wasn't sold anymore. Even though he couldn't conquer Melanie with his old perfume. Maybe changing was better. But he would feel like being in another man's skin. Was it worth it to get Melanie's affection?

Likely, yes.

Also, the simple fact that she had invited him was proof enough: he stood a chance!

When evening finally came, he was ready for a date. Wearing his best - new - clothes, his hair cut by a hairdresser, and his hands holding flowers for her, he got off the taxi in front of a residence. He checked once again whether his tie was in order - he remembered how she would get mad every time Robert's tie was crooked - and threw a glance at his shoes, clean and shining.

He was presentable, like that. And he would let her see that he was careful about every detail. She would have liked that, wouldn't she?

Their dinner would be very romantic, he would have ensured it. Especially since she was looking forward to it as much as he was: she had sent him a second message telling to come sooner than time to eat!

He walked to the door, pressed the button ringing the bell, and took a deep breath. He was excited like a little boy.

He couldn't even imagine Melanie accepting him so fast! He was planning years of wooing, courting, convincing. Yet, luck was on his side for once.

When the butler opened, Luther smiled politely.

«Oh, Mr Clayton. Please, follow me. The Mistress and the children are waiting in the living room.» Continue reading on empire

«C-children?» he repeated, but he didn't let it get to him just yet.

Maybe he had heard wrong. Age would make people deaf. It was time to visit a doctor for a check-up.

He followed the butler, still wondering whether it was some kind of code. But then, after crossing the living room, he understood he had been tricked into a date so that he would babysit the twins instead of Melanie.

He couldn't understand why going to such lengths with two so calm children!

«Hello,» he said, observing the flowers as if seeing them for the first time. He wanted to give them to Melanie, of course. But how could he ignore the second lady in the room?

He took out a white flower, checking twice whether it had any kind of thorns. Since it didn't, he stepped up to Melanie, and offered the bouquet.

She smiled at him, accepting the flowers with a light smile. One of those polite.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

He sighed, realising she had used him. She had tricked him to come just because she wanted to share the burden of keeping two kids.

However, no matter how much he tried, he couldn't be mad. Not at her, nor at the two being in between him and his plans to stay with the woman he loved.

Jaden and Scarlet were sitting on the couch. One was playing with a puzzle game, while the other had a fashion magazine in her hands and was attentively analysing the dresses - as if she had a mission.

Luther offered the white flower to Scarlet, and she widened her eyes in shock.

«W-why?» she asked.

«It's a flower for another flower,» Luther said. His line would have been useful if only Melanie was the one asking him for explanations.

But the woman had accepted with grace and delivered to a maid a second later. She hadn't even glanced twice at the flowers.

Scarlet, however, was different.

She observed the flower keenly, analysing it just like the dresses before. Her daddy would buy flowers for her mommy sometimes. And she would always blush when he did. Scarlet didn't understand the whole meaning of it, but she was sure it was a nice thing.

«Thank you, grandpa Luther,» she said.

Her smile made the old man chuckle, and he patted her head. As a result, she pushed her hair against his palm like a kitten. Those two had weird habits, sometimes.

He hadn't seen kids act like kittens, before. Not as much as those two: they would rub their heads against caresses and nestle on the sofa to take a nap. And their steps were kind of silent for kids.

But it just made them more adorable to his eyes. Maybe just a little worrying.

«Hello, grandpa Luther,» said Jaden, putting his puzzle game on the table. «Are you here to play with us?»

«U-uh, yes,» he said. «Your grandma called me here, so I ran to be on time for dinner. Isn't her cuisine the best?»

The two crooked their mouth.

«It's good,» they said. «We love when grandma cooks for us.»

They didn't say their mommy was the best in everything, including cooking. They kept it in their brains, but their expression was as transparent as to make Melanie laugh out loud. Lara must have told them not to say out loud whose cooking was better. She could picture the woman lecturing the pups, telling them it was rude. Especially after eating everything on the table like they usually would.

But the twins had always been biased when it came to their mommy. However, they had once whispered to her that hers was the best cooking after their mommy's. So, once excluded Lara, her dishes were the tastiest.

Melanie wasn't sure how much to trust them, but it had made her content. And seeing how they were listening to their mommy and being polite made her chuckle.

Luther didn't know them enough to understand the meaning behind such complex expressions, but it couldn't be too bad if Melanie was laughing.

Even if he had come there to be with her only, he couldn't be angry. He couldn't wish for the twins to be somewhere else. Also, if Melanie had asked him to help her with such calm children, it was because she liked it when he was nearby, wasn't it?