"I heard sothing surprising about you."
Xander’s deep voice replied to Calix’s question, carrying along a clear hint of irritation.
Calix was irked but, he didn’t want to make a fuss at the entryway. He unconsciously tightened his grasp on the door handle. Stepping backward, he opened the door wider to let Xander and Violet in.
Leslie quietly watched the male lead and the female lead ca inside the manor. Her breath almost hitched once her eyes collided with Xander’s cold and intrusive gaze.
Xander quietly walked through the door, letting his gaze fall on Leslie. Anyone could see the clear displeasure in his eyes being directed to the lady in the wheelchair.
This freaking male lead... how condescending his behavior was!
Despite being stunned by the weight of his gaze, irritation took over Leslie’s heart. She stared back at Xander, her smile losing its warmth.
"Hello, you must be Mr. Qin... isn’t it?"
Narrowing his gaze, Xander pursed his lips tight. He expected to see so traces of fear flickering in the woman’s eyes but, she arrogantly looked back at him instead.
Calix hurriedly left the door, letting Violet close it. Climbing on the elevated platform that led into the house, he stood right opposite Xander.
Leslie was shielded by Calix’s towering figure. She couldn’t see the male lead’s haughty expression anymore.
"This is my wife, Leslie. Or, her legal na is Charlene Li."
Xander shifted his eyes from Leslie to Calix. His friend’s body language and the slight bite in his voice expressed how protective he was over the woman.
"You’ve just gotten married, Calix. Why did you suddenly have a child already?"
Xander masked his skepticism through the questions. Violet tugged at his arm but, he simply yanked away from her.
Calix sharpened his gaze, further irritated by Xander’s passive-aggressiveness. He held back from thoughtlessly responding to his friend.
Calix sensed loathing in Xander’s voice but, it was not directed to him.
Rather... it was to Leslie.
Calix gripped his hands into fists. He didn’t know why Xander had been showing disdain toward Leslie as of late. He didn’t believe the reason was simply because Aria would return to the country.
Even if there was sothing more, Calix didn’t care. Xander blatantly showed how disrespectful he was to Leslie. The action was enough to anger him.
"Calix... let’s move inside."
Leslie’s voice broke Calix’s eye contact with Xander. Turning around, his gaze t her concerned one.
"...yes, we should."
Barely acknowledging Xander, Calix told Violet, "Get in. We shouldn’t talk here. Follow ."
Violet nodded. She sensed sparking flas of suppressed fury from Calix, sothing that happened rarely.
"Calix, I’m sorry," Violet blurted out in distress, "I have no excuses."
Glancing at Xander, Violet inwardly let out a sigh. She blad herself for his appearance at Calix’s abode right now.
Violet was in the toilet when her manager and assistant talked about eting Calix, Leslie and Calliope. By a stroke of bad luck, Xander appeared right on ti and caught the details in their conversation.
After various failed attempts to divert Xander’s attention from this issue, Violet forced herself to tag along. She believed her boyfriend might lash out at Calix despite the latter didn’t do anything wrong.
"Even if it’s not your fault, I’m still disappointed," Calix let out a sigh. Frowning, he stared from Violet to Xander.
"Don’t bla her," Xander scowled, "I forced her manager and assistant to tell ."
"Well, forcing people, that’s the only thing you always do," replied Calix sinisterly. Turning around, he paid no attention to Xander’s darkened countenance.
"Are you alright?" whispered Calix, worrying about Leslie. He placed a palm on her right shoulder.
"I’m fine..." Leslie smiled, wanting to ease Calix’s worry, "Let’s get them inside..."
"Yes."
Calix said nothing to either Xander and Violet as he pushed Leslie’s wheelchair to one of the drawing rooms. He didn’t want Mrs. Sang to hear their conversation thus, he didn’t lead them to the open lounge.
Calix helped Leslie to sit on the two-seater couch. Once he was done, he saw Xander and Violet sitting on the three-seater opposite them.
"Don’t waste ti. What do you want to know?" asked Calix as he sat next to Leslie.
Xander realized there was not even a hint of friendliness in Calix’s tone and eyes, sothing hard to see coming from his easygoing friend. Annoyed, he blad Leslie in his mind.
"The child. Why did you claim she’s your child? She’s older than your marriage."
Xander’s choice of words vexed Calix. He didn’t know why his friend couldn’t ask him about Calliope with decent questions. Instead, accusation brimd from his voice.
"Calliope is our child," responded Calix quietly. He put one arm behind Leslie, placing his palm on her waist, "She’s our biological child. Of and Leslie’s."
"...how could that be? Don’t lie to , Calix."
Xander stared at Calix in doubt. He couldn’t accept even one word uttered by Calix. Everything sounded like a lie.
Shrugging, Calix started telling Xander and Violet of the made-up story. He cared less whether they believed him or not. He just needed to spell it out to them.
"We were in a short and secret relationship back then. We broke up shortly before I got into the accident. I still can’t forget Leslie so, I was in a hurry to marry her."
Calix also included how he had just learned about Calliope’s existence and the evil things done by the Li family. He didn’t explain everything in detail, just enough superficially.
Xander was quiet throughout the ti. His frown only got deeper.
"We’ll announce our child’s existence soon but, we won’t make it too public."
Calix finished his piece. He swallowed from saying anything untoward to Xander who seed to have a hard ti digesting everything.
"Don’t defend this woman, Calix. That child isn’t truly yours, isn’t she?"
"...what?"
Xander’s sharpened gaze shifted from Calix to Leslie. He begrudgingly said, "I know you gave birth to a child five years ago. You abandoned her yet, you forced Calix to take her, another man’s child, as his. Aren’t you ashad of yourself?"
Leslie was bewildered.
What nonsense this male lead had just spouted?
Reviews
All reviews (0)