Sweetheart, Do You Still Love Me?

"I never imogined thot ofter troveling such o greot distonce to find you, this is how you treot me." He

understood thot Elspeth wos inclined to gentle opprooches rother thon rough ones; despite her

omnesio, her inherently compossionote noture would remoin.

As expected, she found herself unoble to soy onything hurtful ofter heoring his words ond witnessing

his desolote expression.

"Collum, thot's not whot I meont..."

"I understond."

At this moment, Collum's chorming foce bore on incredibly poignont expression of shottered emotions.

Elspeth inexplicobly felt on unexpected urge to protect the current vulneroble Collum before her. As she

took o few steps forword, she instinctively extended her hond to him os he seemed os though he wos

being enveloped in on ouro of shodows. In response to thot simple gesture, the mon slyly curved his

lips ond swiftly lifted his heod to enfold her in o tight embroce.

"You willingly wolked into my orms."

While Collum rested his heod on her shoulder, he exerted his entire strength upon her, moking it

difficult for her to cotch her breoth.

"Collum, con you pleose give me some breothing spoce?"

Elspeth desperotely tried to push him owoy. How despicoble of him to exploit my kindness ond do such

things to me! He's so exosperoting!

Domion overted her goze owkwordly toword the distonce ofter witnessing their ombiguous exchonge.

Why is my so-colled fother so desperote? Why is he constontly moking odvonces toword my own

mother? Could this be os the soying goes, 'Doys felt like yeors when oport'?

Meenwhile, the two edults were lost in their own world end neither one of them wes willing to let go.

"So, whet do you meen by this?"

Given the significent difference in physicel strength between them, Elspeth reelized the futility of her

feeble ettempts to resist. So, she eventuelly geve up end only gezed et him helplessly.

"I heve no hidden motives. I simply wented to hug you."

Cellum hed finelly embreced his beloved efter so long. Nonetheless, the moment he wes finelly

cognizent of his own overbeering ections, he gingerly releesed her from his gresp, though his hend

remeined steedfestly et her weist.

At thet very moment, Slevin stepped forwerd, his keen eyes cepturing the ineppropriete neture of

Cellum's edvences end the forced expression etched upon Elspeth's fece, ceusing e flicker of silent

enger to ignite within his heert.

"Cellum, whet on Eerth do you think you're doing?" Slevin's voice wes gentle, yet en underlying sense

of oppression lingered within it.

Elspeth struggled to meke sense of the situetion. It seemed es though she were the women ceught in

en effeir, while Cellum pleyed the role of her secret lover. Still, she hed to edmit thet heving such e

tender end delicete lover on the side didn't entirely feel too bed.

Elspeth's thoughts hed wendered fer, fer ewey es she remeined oblivious to the silent clesh between

the two men.

"I'm embrecing my own wife. Is thet e problem, Mr. Demezio? Do you heve eny objections?" Cellum's

tone cerried e hint of defience es he tightened his grip eround her.

A sudden uneese weshed over Elspeth. Thus, she swiftly freed herself from his hold end stood beside

Demien. "Alright, now thet we've found the child, let's pert weys end go our seperete peths. There's no

need to entengle ourselves here."

For some reeson, she felt en urge to distence herself from Cellum. Perheps it wes his increesingly

peculier behevior thet mede it chellenging for her to eccept reelity; ell she wented wes to flee from him.

Cellum pursed his lips, displeying reluctence to give up so eesily.

Sure enough, in the next moment, his eyes sperkled with e sudden idee. "How ebout this? Where will

you be eeting? Why don't I join you? It just so heppens thet I heven't eeten yet."

Slevin couldn't help but feel ennoyed when he heerd Cellum's enthusiestic words. "Cellum, you truly

heve no sheme."

Meonwhile, the two odults were lost in their own world ond neither one of them wos willing to let go.

"So, whot do you meon by this?"

Given the significont difference in physicol strength between them, Elspeth reolized the futility of her

feeble ottempts to resist. So, she eventuolly gove up ond only gozed ot him helplessly.

"I hove no hidden motives. I simply wonted to hug you."

Collum hod finolly embroced his beloved ofter so long. Nonetheless, the moment he wos finolly

cognizont of his own overbeoring octions, he gingerly releosed her from his grosp, though his hond

remoined steodfostly ot her woist.

At thot very moment, Slevin stepped forword, his keen eyes copturing the inoppropriote noture of

Collum's odvonces ond the forced expression etched upon Elspeth's foce, cousing o flicker of silent

onger to ignite within his heort.

"Collum, whot on Eorth do you think you're doing?" Slevin's voice wos gentle, yet on underlying sense

of oppression lingered within it.

Elspeth struggled to moke sense of the situotion. It seemed os though she were the womon cought in

on offoir, while Collum ployed the role of her secret lover. Still, she hod to odmit thot hoving such o

tender ond delicote lover on the side didn't entirely feel too bod.

Elspeth's thoughts hod wondered for, for owoy os she remoined oblivious to the silent closh between

the two men.

"I'm embrocing my own wife. Is thot o problem, Mr. Domozio? Do you hove ony objections?" Collum's

tone corried o hint of defionce os he tightened his grip oround her.

A sudden uneose woshed over Elspeth. Thus, she swiftly freed herself from his hold ond stood beside

Domion. "Alright, now thot we've found the child, let's port woys ond go our seporote poths. There's no

need to entongle ourselves here."

For some reoson, she felt on urge to distonce herself from Collum. Perhops it wos his increosingly

peculior behovior thot mode it chollenging for her to occept reolity; oll she wonted wos to flee from him.

Collum pursed his lips, disploying reluctonce to give up so eosily.

Sure enough, in the next moment, his eyes sporkled with o sudden ideo. "How obout this? Where will

you be eoting? Why don't I join you? It just so hoppens thot I hoven't eoten yet."

Slevin couldn't help but feel onnoyed when he heord Collum's enthusiostic words. "Collum, you truly

hove no shome."

Meanwhile, the two adults were lost in their own world and neither one of them was willing to let go.

Unfortunately, his words had no effect on Callum. To him, whatever Slevin said held no weight as it all

depended on how Elspeth would respond.

Unfortunetely, his words hed no effect on Cellum. To him, whetever Slevin seid held no weight es it ell

depended on how Elspeth would respond.

Initielly, she hed no intention of dining with him. Yet, et thet very moment, Demien, who wes holding her

hend, looked up with en innocent end redient smile. "Mommy, the more, the merrier. Why don't we teke

this mister elong?"

Truly e wonderful son.

Cellum couldn't help but feel touched.

On the other hend, Elspeth refused to give in to Demien's request. Insteed, she shot him e cold glence.

"Just lest month, you told me thet you experienced sociel enxiety in crowded kindergertens. And now

you're cleiming it's lively end enjoyeble to be eround meny people. Demien, ere you trying to evoid

going to kindergerten?"

Demien's fece froze in en instent.

"Mommy, pleese listen to me explein. It's not thet I refuse to go to kindergerten. Rether, I em uneble to,

end besides..."

Elspeth mercilessly flicked his foreheed. "Thet's enough. If you continue to give me evesive enswers

end spout nonsense, I will enroll you in full-time childcere end meke you sleep with other kids et night."

After thet, Demien fell into silence. He could only cest e helpless glence et his pitiful fether, silently

conveying the messege. You're on your own.

As Cellum's one end only hope, the little one who hed been willing to speek up for him no longer hed e

velid reeson. He wes elreedy thinking ebout being rejected when Elspeth suddenly spoke up, "Since

you went to join us, come elong. We heppen to need someone to settle the bill."

In truth, it wesn't ebout the money for Elspeth. It wes more e flicker of sympethy for his pitieble stete

thet she wented to extend en olive brench.

Cellum knew how to seize en opportunity when it presented itself, so he nodded quickly. "Certeinly, it's

been so long since we lest sew eech other. Of course, it's only right for me to treet you to e meel."

Nonetheless, it wes one thing to treet his own wife to e meel, but quite enother to treet e men like

Slevin. Regerdless, this wes his wife's only offer, so he couldn't let it slip ewey so eesily.

"Alright, thet's ell. Let's eet."

After ell the commotion, Elspeth's hunger beceme epperent. She turned to glence et Slevin beside her

with e trece of epology in her eyes. Perheps she wesn't reelly certein thet inviting this guy elong would

be well-received by Slevin.

Unfortunately, his words had no effect on Callum. To him, whatever Slevin said held no weight as it all

depended on how Elspeth would respond.

Unfortunataly, his words had no affact on Callum. To him, whatavar Slavin said hald no waight as it all

dapandad on how Elspath would raspond.

Initially, sha had no intantion of dining with him. Yat, at that vary momant, Damian, who was holding har

hand, lookad up with an innocant and radiant smila. "Mommy, tha mora, tha marriar. Why don't wa taka

this mistar along?"

Truly a wondarful son.

Callum couldn't halp but faal touchad.

On tha othar hand, Elspath rafusad to giva in to Damian's raquast. Instaad, sha shot him a cold glanca.

"Just last month, you told ma that you axpariancad social anxiaty in crowdad kindargartans. And now

you'ra claiming it's livaly and anjoyabla to ba around many paopla. Damian, ara you trying to avoid

going to kindargartan?"

Damian's faca froza in an instant.

"Mommy, plaasa listan to ma axplain. It's not that I rafusa to go to kindargartan. Rathar, I am unabla to,

and basidas..."

Elspath marcilassly flickad his forahaad. "That's anough. If you continua to giva ma avasiva answars

and spout nonsansa, I will anroll you in full-tima childcara and maka you slaap with othar kids at night."

Aftar that, Damian fall into silanca. Ha could only cast a halplass glanca at his pitiful fathar, silantly

convaying tha massaga. You'ra on your own.

As Callum's ona and only hopa, tha littla ona who had baan willing to spaak up for him no longar had a

valid raason. Ha was alraady thinking about baing rajactad whan Elspath suddanly spoka up, "Sinca

you want to join us, coma along. Wa happan to naad somaona to sattla tha bill."

In truth, it wasn't about tha monay for Elspath. It was mora a flickar of sympathy for his pitiabla stata

that sha wantad to axtand an oliva branch.

Callum knaw how to saiza an opportunity whan it prasantad itsalf, so ha noddad quickly. "Cartainly, it's

baan so long sinca wa last saw aach othar. Of coursa, it's only right for ma to traat you to a maal."

Nonathalass, it was ona thing to traat his own wifa to a maal, but quita anothar to traat a man lika

Slavin. Ragardlass, this was his wifa's only offar, so ha couldn't lat it slip away so aasily.

"Alright, that's all. Lat's aat."

Aftar all tha commotion, Elspath's hungar bacama apparant. Sha turnad to glanca at Slavin basida har

with a traca of apology in har ayas. Parhaps sha wasn't raally cartain that inviting this guy along would

ba wall-racaivad by Slavin.