Chapter 247: Guard Her From Here.
"Mommy, it’s okay. We will protect you!" Second exclaimed, hugging Lola on the bed. "We will challenge Father Sir later and make him apologize to you!"
Chacha clung to Lola as well, wiping her eyes with her arm. "Mommy, does it hurt? Tell us who did this to you, and we’ll teach them a lesson!"
Lola laughed awkwardly, rubbing the children’s backs to comfort them. The twins had just rushed into her room, crying, and immediately started hugging her. Since then, they had been throwing threats at their father and offering reassurances.
Yet, it was obvious they were the ones who needed comforting.
"Actually, I’m not really hurt," she muttered, only to flinch when Second huffed.
"Mommy, you don’t have to lie to Chacha and me!" Second drew his head back, his arms loose around her neck. "We can see your bruises! See!"
He pressed his little finger against the side of her neck and then her arm.
"Here too!" Chacha sniffled, teary-eyed. "And here! Mommy, I think you got bitten here on your shoulder too."
Lola held her breath while the children pointed at the "bruises" on her body. She bit the inside of her bottom lip, her cheeks flushed as she tried to think of an excuse.
Hickeys are a type of bruising, so they weren’t entirely wrong.
Pursing her lips, she let out a shallow breath and pulled the children into her arms again, patting their backs gently.
"Chacha, Second, it’s not like that, okay?" she cooed. "Actually..."
Lola looked up briefly, closing her eyes in a short prayer. When she opened them, she released the twins and held their hands, looking them in the eye.
"Actually, your dad saved me from the bad guys," she explained. "He’s like a knight in shining armor, and if not for him, I think I would’ve... cried."
The twins raised their brows, studying her, their lips curving downward as they listened intently.
"It was raining so hard last night, but Father Sir ran in the rain to catch the bad guys and save me," she continued sincerely. "So I’m really grateful he did his best for me."
She smiled. "So, don’t blame him, hmm?"
"Did he really do his best, Mommy?" Chacha asked. Second followed with, "Are they strong enough to give our daddy a hard time?"
"...yes."
The twins frowned deeply, shoulders drooping with a heavy exhale. Lola smiled and pulled them into her embrace.
"I’m fine," she reassured them. "And even better now that Chacha and Second are with me, okay?"
"Don’t worry, Mommy. We won’t leave you alone anymore," Second promised. "This won’t happen again!"
"Mhm!" Chacha nodded. "We won’t let this happen again! Whoever those children are who tried to abduct Mommy, we’ll teach them a lesson!"
"Huh?" Lola’s mind went blank. "Children?"
She watched the two draw back, their round eyes beaming with the fire of determination. Her lips parted, but no words came out.
Did Atlas really tell them I was abducted by children while I was sleeping last night? And they believed it?
"Mommy." The twins cradled her hands, looking her straight in the eye. "From now on, we’ll always be with Mommy."
"..." Lola pursed her lips and smiled. "Okay."
She didn’t think there would be a problem with that. She had already planned to spend a lot of time with the twins. Since they started school, she had only seen them in the evenings, as they usually went straight to Summit Partners after classes ended.
The problem with the twins’ declaration to stick with Lola every minute of the day would only grow when night fell.
*****
"What are you doing?"
Standing beside the bed, Atlas stared at Lola lying between the twins. The bed wasn’t big—just enough for two people—but since the children were small, the three of them fit perfectly without needing another room.
"Daddy, we’re going to protect Mommy so she doesn’t get carried off by other kids," Second explained innocently. "Don’t worry anymore."
Chacha nodded. "With us in here, we can all sleep without worry."
"I’ll do that," Atlas deadpanned. "Go back to your room."
The twins frowned. "But you slept in last night. That’s why Mommy was kidnapped," they reasoned. "So we’re doing it."
"..." Atlas studied the determination in their eyes, then shifted his sharp gaze to Lola.
Lola opened and closed her mouth to explain her side. But she couldn’t—if she did, the children would realize she had told a white lie.
Biting her tongue, she winced secretly. I swear, this isn’t my plan!
After all, Atlas was looking at her like she had meticulously concocted this scheme to avoid him.
"Mommy, you can sleep now." The twins turned to her suddenly, making her flinch.
Chacha spoke again. "You don’t have to worry about anything else."
They pushed Lola down by her shoulders, tucked her in, patted her head, and then Second reached for the bedside lamp before lying on either side of her. Throughout it all, Atlas remained standing next to the bed.
Atlas touched the back of his head, eyes shut, stretching his neck. Without a word, he walked out of the bedroom. As he strode off, Lola, Chacha, and Second slowly sat up and stared at the door, tilting their heads in innocent confusion.
Then, the three exchanged quiet looks before staring at the ajar door.
*****
A few minutes later, the trio watched quietly as Atlas stood aside while Baby dragged a bed from another room to theirs. Baby carried it effortlessly. The only difficulty was fitting it through the door, but once that was solved, he had no trouble setting it up next to theirs.
Atlas nodded in satisfaction, pointing at the bed with his eyes on his children.
"Your bed," he said flatly. "Guard her from here."
"No!" they protested.
Lola’s face twitched in disbelief, sensing his libido talking, not that she minded. But although she was no longer paralyzed in bed, her legs and her lady still felt sore. She didn’t think she could handle another round too soon.
"Heh..." She let out a shallow laugh, hugging the children. "Atlas, why don’t you sleep there tonight, hmm?"
She turned to the twins quickly, avoiding his gaze. "Let’s sleep now. Come on, kids."
Atlas narrowed his eyes as she lay with the twins, letting them sandwich her. He arched a brow and crossed his arms under his chest.
Did she really think this was enough to stop him?
And in a few hours, Lola would realize just how wrong she was. There were plenty of ways, and Atlas telling his children to move was just him being civil.