347 Brutal teasing!

Ethan stood in the dark street solemnly with only street lights accompanying, yet time hadn't long passed as he saw Giselle returning already. Her face, complacent and at peace, much better than before when she hastily left.

"Are you alright?" Ethan worriedly inquired upon her nearing.

Giselle nodded. Her features reveal a content beneath its skin. Ethan relaxed, exercising this chance to tease her daringly.

"So- I assume she is the Lillian Grey-" he asked with much regard.

Giselle's face instantly went pale from the embarrassment. She was unable to control the excitement in her temper that even without an answer, Ethan can confirm very well that the person he had met was none other than Lillian Grey herself.

"Seems like you two wore matching colours today?" Ethan added silently, yet it reached the target's ears.

Just like how Shane's comment triggered Lillian to explode, Ethan's remark did the same to Giselle, causing her to vent internally. However, due to her innocent nature and gentle disposition, she didn't express it openly like Lillian, who sought alcohol to suppress. Instead, she roughly coughed to hide away the second-handed embarrassment, appearing like a puppy that had done naughty things in the absence of its family. Her eyes flapping all over the place as she can't help display the faintest smile underneath all that restraint.

"Is that a smile I see now?" Ethan uttered to continue provoking Giselle, and she reacted just as he anticipated.

Upon feeling that his teases are getting more and more violent, Ethan saw Giselle's face redden from both fits of anger and fluster. She kept glaring, wordlessly commanding him to stop teasing anymore.

The more alarmed she reacted, the more words left faltering from her mouth, the more flustered she became. For all the time Ethan knew Giselle, he never saw her wear such expressions boldly. Even when he heard her talk about Lillian, even so, Giselle kept a poised face except leaking a little blush then and there. However, right now, it was entirely different as if the Giselle he knew no longer existed anymore. It made him slightly grieve.

Quietly, Ethan raised the hand he sacrificed to Lillian's frightful greeting and displayed it to Giselle's sight.

"What?" distracted, Giselle looked at the hand, randomly appear in front of her.

"It hurts," Ethan frowned as he said. The hanging hand drooped life-less as if all bones inside received a crushing defeat.

"What happened to your hand?" Giselle said to grasp the slouching fingers and examined it to her best ability, searching for any injuries.

Ethan remained wordless while receiving Giselle's gentle touch. Seeing how silly he behaved himself, Ethan removed his hand deliberately to reassure that whatever deadly pain he endured disappeared.

"D- did you buy cheese?" she asked involuntarily, not knowing how to function anymore.

Ethan lifted the bag he had carried all along with him to show it to Giselle.

Having heard the response, she still stood stiff to stare at him from the back until his figure disappeared to reappear again. His head protruded out from the entrance to signal.

"Come on!" he urged to distract Giselle's watch. She finally exhaled to glance around before entering the building.

***

The two waited outside to hear little footsteps rushing towards the door as it opened to reveal a small figure dotingly waiting for her father's return.

Lia waited for her father and saw him in frolic while her gaze moved beside to find her mother return home as well, she rejoiced, twice in awe.

As the adults entered, Lia went straight to her mother, asking when did she arrive, did they both meet outside- her question went on and on until Giselle requested the little one to rest quietly.

She then answered all of her questions to satisfy. Maybe it because of the company she had before finally departing, but Ethan saw Giselle look tired from work. He proposed Lia to leave her mother alone so than she could get some rest.

"How about you and I cook dinner for your mother?" Ethan invited the chirpy little one.

Lia's attention went from sticking to her mother to now join in her father's quest as they marched to the kitchen. Ethan signaled at Giselle to escape while she can and get refreshed.

Without having a moment to cherish her farewell with Lillian, Giselle stood up to march towards her room. She wanted to get out of this pink dress before giving Ethan another opportunity to tease her brutally.

In the kitchen, both father and daughter danced their ways to fix a simple meal, and soon, the three sat together at the table.

Lia gleefully informed her father about the events he had missed, which highlighted the school festival and her idea to design handmade invitations along with the list of people she thought to invite. She did accidentally spill about her daring move to visit Lillian, which made Ethan drop his fork momentarily. His food was still stuck in the spoon as he glanced at Giselle.

Having learned how the enthusiastic tales end up blowing her cover, Lia went speechless at that moment. Frankly, Giselle hadn't let Ethan know about the child's wild excursion. She didn't want him to worry regarding the safety of his child. However, from the looks on his face that displayed as if meeting a thousand deadly ghosts, Giselle saw Ethan shrivel in panic.

Giselle stepped in right away to resolve, describing how Lia had a good friend to accompany on her trip. Nevertheless, Ethan's face, despite returning to a brooding gloom, turned to meet the little lady's guilt-ridden face. Ethan knew that Lia must have received quite the harsh scolding for her behavior. Still, the father's heart did not rest until he advised Lia never to make such bold decisions without her parent's consent, not until she becomes an adult.

Lia earnestly nodded to his concern and admitted to her wrongdoings. Ethan made sure to follow his comments with real-life stories about kids getting kidnapped. Hearing those few cases sent a jolt of terror to the little lady, eventually making her engrave her father's lecture in her heart. After making sure that the child received his education thoroughly, Ethan wrapped up the subject by praising her kind thoughts on inviting Lillian.

Instantly, he turned towards the mother of the child. His gaze invisibly smirking at Giselle, eyeing at her curiously to know if Lillian agreed to the date or not?

Giselle blankly revealed Lillian agree to come, and throughout the rest of the dinner, it was Ethan who actively encouraged Lia to continue her stories.

Dinner ended eventually, so Giselle offered to help with the dishes. Surprisingly, the utensils used to make the dinner exceeded in numbers, and the counter was a mess already. Naturally, Giselle didn't want the devils any longer lurking in her region, so she kicked them out.

Ethan and Lia shifted to play games together at first. Soon, they got exhausted from the exertion and switched to watching cartoons when Lia finally got tired and fell asleep, close to her father's embrace.

"Here I thought that she would finish this episode with me,"

"She's tired from all the rehearsals."

With one scoop, Ethan gently picked up his little angel, and walked to her room, tucked her in warm with warm blankets, and kissed her sweet dreams. He petted the head softly until Lia fell deep into sleep.

Ethan left the room, came out to meet Giselle, and saw her finally resting as she flipped through the channels randomly. He slowly moved over to the couch, collecting Lia's toys and puzzles scattered on the carpet to arrange them neatly.

The sound of the channels changing to different programs filled the silence.

"A lot- has happened!" Ethan remarked, grabbing the pieces of the unsolved puzzle. He made sure to put away the picture carefully as it hangs midway.

Giselle admitted to his hearing.

"You forgot that I was coming today!" Ethan then accused pitifully.

Giselle's cheeks flared from the recall and remembered how unexpectedly she encountered him while idling gracefully with Lillian. Seeing here turn red from the embarrassment, Ethan softly chuckled to let go it.

"That's fine."

Only after learning that he was, indeed alright, did Giselle relaxed as well.

"How was your trip?" she asked politely.

"Good."

"How was your work?"

"Hmm, good as well," Ethan was busy trying to put all the unsolved puzzle pieces into its box. Giselle currently paused to notice the ongoing advertisement. Only after a while did her focus return to Ethan,

"How are you feeling?" she asked him soberly.

Ethan paused, then quick to load all the toys orderly before responding.

"Don't worry. I'm fine."

His voice gentle, calm, and reassured Giselle not to suffer. He recognized why she asked such a question already.

"I did not expect you two to meet in such circumstances!" exhaling, Giselle whispered audibly to exclaim.

"Trust me, I left the house for cheese and never expected to stumble upon my ex-wife's first love!"

Hearing Ethan respond nonchalant, Giselle fell silent.

"I assume things are going well with you two!"

It was Ethan's turn this time to talk. He knew Giselle was playing with the remote and not sincerely focused on it. He thought to seize the chance as well to investigate.

Giselle slowly sighed.

"I don't know, but I-" she found herself faltering to reply confidently.

"Following your heart?"

When Ethan helped finish for her, the two shortly exchanged glances.

After a while, Giselle admitted, "Maybe-" quickly changing to another channel as the noise level grew steady with the news telecast.

"How does it feel?" Ethan asked, now completely done with arranging Lia's toys and was finally free from anything to keep him sidetracked.

Giselle admits to feeling nice so far. She thought to follow her heart for once and had faith to see where it would take her in this venture.

Somehow, it resulted in having her pent-up emotions and long-locked feeling explode recently. Giselle was now basking in her own love deeply rooted for Lillian Grey, refusing to disappear all these years, yet remaining faithful.

"Did you meet him?"

Giselle was living in bliss and appeared unsure when heard Ethan suddenly switch the conversation.

"That guy- what was his name? Diego!" Ethan described.

Giselle's eye flinched at hearing the name. The gingerly collected memories- all seem to obliterate from her mind in an instant when she heard Ethan mention that cruel person.

"Hmm."

Giselle only responded after recollecting herself from feeling stung in her heart again and again over the dark memory. Sure enough, Ethan studied Giselle's face grew solemn.

"I guess it's still the same?" he assumed.

Giselle's face grew serious as well.

"Apparently, yes! Lillian doesn't know his feeling yet!" she disclosed the news casually to his ears that Ethan almost yelled out in shock the next second.

"Yes," Giselle said it twice to confirm.

"All these years, I lived fearing that guy- thought he was the right one to care for Lillian- not me, but he still hasn't confessed to her."

Giselle releases a heavy sigh.

"That's absolute madness! How can he still go on threatening you? You must reconsider showing Lillian his true colors," Ethan roared for a fit.

'I don't think so,' Giselle thought to herself instinctively.

"He is the one stopping you, Giselle."

Seeing her remain quiet, Ethan tried to translate it to her.

"I'm aware of that," she said.

Because Giselle considers Diego's love for Lillian as well, did she came to a firm decision that it shouldn't be her place to report. After all, she exactly knew how it feels when someone exposes your lifelong held secret. It was simply wrong.

"One day she is going to find out what happened, and will come at you-" Ethan warned.

"I will take care of it then," Giselle answered confidently.

Seeing how she refused stubbornly to expose Diego, Ethan couldn't help but get worried for her sake. Just as he stood there to watch her, she spoke again.

"You can sleep on the bed tonight. I like to stay here late," Giselle announced to get up to grab her pillows and blanket.

"Why?"

"I have some work. Plus, I want to watch this movie, and it starts pretty late-" Giselle explained.

"You sure?"

"Hmm. You must be tired from the journey. Go get some rest."

"Alright!" Ethan replied after compromising himself with the topic.

Giselle planted the pillows on one end and slid into the soft cushion to bury herself under the thick blanket while grabbing the remote to switch channels to spend time before the movie starts.

"Goodnight!" she uttered as Ethan began to leave. Not a single step had passed as Giselle stopped him abruptly.

"Ethan," she called out.

"Thanks-" she added randomly.

"Thanks for being there for me," she glanced at him with a grateful smile. The two looked at each other. The long history behind them, yet they understood to move on their own accord, yet caring like genuine friends and looking out for the child they brought into this world. Ethan naturally smiled at last.

"What else can I do?" he muttered as he resumed his pace to her room and shut the door.

Giselle turned back to get cozy on the couch and watched the television.