Contract Marriage: The Replacement Groom

"She’s dea–" Valen’s eyes widened in shock before a smile found its way to the corner of her lips. "Dad!" The excited Valen pulled on his father’s black suit.

Maverick lowered his eyes at his excited son. Although Valen wasn’t beaming, his eyes were enough to tell Maverick that his son was happy.

Just how deep has Jeslyn’s root dug into Valen’s heart? He just told him that Mulan was dead and Valen didn’t show much concern but with Jeslyn he...

Maverick let out a soft sigh. It seems that what he married Jeslyn for would soon be accomplished.

Maverick brushed his son’s black hair with his fingers. His hair looked beautiful. He wondered if it was done by a servant with Jeslyn’s conviction.

Alas, the man wasn’t aware that Jeslyn was the talented barber.

"Ah," Valen exclaimed softly and hurried out of bed. He approached the telephone and made a call to the kitchen.

"Get me my cake," he ordered and didn’t wait for the recipient to respond before he ended the call.

Maverick stared at his son without saying anything. Valen doesn’t eat cakes, so what was that about?

The father and son stayed silently in the room until a knock sounded on the door.

Valen rushed over to open the door. He allowed the maid in. After she dropped the cake on the table, she bowed and left, making sure to avoid eye contact with Maverick.

Valen got the cake out of the box and stared at the ’apology’ written on it.

’Valen child, I’m not sorry. I’ll repeat it in the future’

Maverick couldn’t help but curl his lips in a faint smile. ’An epic apology’, he thought.

"You annoying woman," Valen murmured before picking up the knife to cut the cake.

"I thought she’s disgusting?" Maverick asked with his hands folded on his chest.

"Not her cake," Valen answered without raising his head. He took a bite of the cake and smiled faintly after savoring the taste.

"It must be delicious," Maverick probed.

"Hmm," Valen answered without paying attention to his father.

Maverick sat on the couch and crossed his legs, watching his son as he ate the purple cake with joy.

"Dad, when is she coming?"

"Not sure,"

Valen finally raised his head to look at his father’s stoic face.

"Why?" He asked.

"You want her?" Maverick questioned.

Valen rolled his eyes, "She’s not that important."

"Hmm..." Maverick responded. Just then, his phone beeped. He checked and saw it was a message from Rex.

"Dad,"

"Hmm," Maverick answered while reading the message.

"Can I go to Rose city too?"

"No,"

Valen stared at his father for a long time without saying anything else.

"Your health–" Maverick paused and sighed. Valen was still staring at him even though it was almost five minutes.

"We leave in two days," Maverick conceded.

Valen raised a brow and Maverick flattened his lips into a straight line.

"You are leaving in two days because you have some business there in two days. Dad, I want to see that woman, she owes me a proper apology. Call back uncle Rex to take me there, or... Yellow can do that too."

"You can’t leave for two days. Matt is coming over tomorrow."

Valen rolled his eyes and continued eating his cake in silence.

After a long time, he asked without looking up, "Mulan–"

"I spared her family for your sake unless they court death."

"Hmm... So who is my new nanny?"

"You’ll choose a nanny yourself if–."

"Forget it, I already chose one."

Maverick raised a brow, "Jeslyn?"

Valen didn’t respond; he narrowed his eyes at space while eating the cake, thinking of what to do to Jeslyn in return for what she made him go through.

...

Rose city...

Jeslyn got to her glass house and keyed in the password to open the doors.

Taking her first step into the house, Jeslyn couldn’t help the memories that rushed into her mind.

One evening, Grandpa Lee, Jeslyn, and Christine were eating at the dining table. Jeslyn suddenly broke the silence.

"Grandpa, my birthday is a few days from now, what will you get me?"

Christine raised her head from her food to look from Jeslyn to grandpa Lee.

"Hai, you have become too spoiled, Jeslyn. Your birthday is a month from now."

"Hehehe... yeah, but there are a few days in a month."

"Thirty-one days in a month isn’t a few. Who is teaching you that? Your company?"

"Hahaha... Grandpa, when you look at it from 365 days, then 31 days becomes a few days," She beamed.

Christine chuckled and shook her head while saying, "naughty."

"I’m not naughty, I’m only telling the truth," Jeslyn rebutted before taking a bite of her food.

"Fine, fine, you won. However, I’m not telling you anything. It won’t be a surprise anymore if I let you know what I’m gifting you." Grandpa Lee interjected.

"But grandpa, I need a glass house, I don’t want... ehm..."

"Ahem... Ahem..." Christine choked on her drink.

"What’s wrong?" Jeslyn hurriedly put down her cutlery and started patting Christine’s back.

"I’m... I’m fine. The drink ran through the wrong–"

"Careful next time. Drink some water... Jeslyn child, I already told you I’m not getting you a glass house, so forget about owning one." Grandpa Lee said before he continued eating.

While Jeslyn was pouting, Christine picked up a glass of juice and hid her smile behind it.

However, on the night of Jeslyn’s birthday, Old man Lee took Jeslyn out, only for him to stop at a glass house in the busiest part of the city.

Jeslyn blinked away the tears threatening to fall and entered the house. She looked around the sitting room that had the pictures of her old man, her mother, Ray, and Christine.

She walked to the pictures on the shelf and picked up her old man’s picture. "Grandpa... your granddaughter is home." Jeslyn slowly trailed her finger on the old man’s handsome face.

He had a head of white hair and a long white beard. The old man had a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. His black eyes held warmth as he stared at the camera.