"I am deeply sorry, Cliff, but I was carried away by my emotion upon seeing this… this… this man!" she pointed Lance.

Clifford resigned in dealing with the woman and puffed some air to calm himself.

"What are you doing here, by the way? I believe we have no business to discuss since I am still in this condition. I've already delegated temporarily my work to my sister." His voice is cold and forceful.

"I… I… I just wanted to visit you and to check your condition. If there's anything you need in a.s.sistance, I can do it, since…" she looks at Ingrid, "she cannot do it because of her current state." Clifford's wife frowns.

Lance saw Ingrid's glare that gave him the idea that this woman is up to no good to the couple's blossoming relations.h.i.+p. He saw a shadow of jealousy and envy in her eyes. So he acted at once to block whatever this woman is about to do.

"Are you nuts, your highness? The man is married don't be so adamant with your whims." Vanessa was confused what Lance meant.

"And what are you insinuating?" she angrily squinted at the man but she had to compose herself not wanting to shame herself.

"Do I need to expose what you're doing now, your highness?" Lance is way too p.i.s.sed off with the woman's att.i.tude that he could not understand himself why he's exerting a pull on this woman.

"Ha! Come on! Enlighten me." she hissed.

"Well, don't blame me if you'll be hurt by what am I about to say." He paused then continued. "I just want to tell you that let the man pursue you and not the other way around."

Vanessa is stunned again which causes her to be speechless. The words uttered by the man hits her like a lightning and it stings deeply that she wanted to wail at that moment. She couldn't move but just stood there bewildered as she tried stopping her tears to fall. How she wanted to get even with the man but she couldn't do it.

Even Lance weighs up the words he just uttered and was guilty for saying it to the woman.

"Sorry for that, Ingrid, Clifford. I don't know what has gotten into me and to you Miss, I – I.. am deeply sorry…" Lance said apologetically.

Vanessa did not respond and she just subtly rolled her eyes.

Clifford and Ingrid decided to ignore the two, and Clifford focuses his attention only to Ingrid. Ingrid wanted to hug him tightly but she could not because of her condition. She couldn't move on her own because of the splint on her right arm.

"What do you need, love?" Clifford asks his wife when he observed that she wanted to do something. But his wife hesitated to speak so he descended from his bed, went to her side and placed his left ear near to her. Then he received a gentle kiss on his cheek but he responded by a deep kiss on her lips but in a way that won't hurt her.

Clifford's loving gesture towards Ingrid that caught Vanessa's eyes and the endearment she heard that really moved her close to tears.

'It should have been me you're staring and kissing like that.' She depressingly thought.

Lance looked to one side as he evades the romantic scene unfolding before his eyes. He also noticed that Vanessa lowered her head. In a spur of the moment, he took Vanessa out from the couple's sight and drags her to the living room.

"Hey! Stop! Ouch! You're hurting me!" she said with gritting teeth.

Lance wanted to scold her for being so petty but the door opens and the Briggs and the Howards emerged. It was Helen who first noticed their presence and then she warmly greeted them.

"Oh Lance you're already here. And who is this lady beautiful lady beside you? Is she your girlfriend?" Helen asks innocently but the woman seems familiar to her, she may have met her somewhere.

"Oh no, she isn't Mrs. Helen, we barely just met and we haven't been formally introduced to each other." Lance absolutely answered.

Vanessa faced Helen and answered politely. "I am Clifford's business partner, ma'am, Vanessa Reiley…"

♥…♥…♥

"Cliff, I miss our son. How is he? Did he know what happened to us?" Ingrid asks after Lance and Vanessa left.

"They haven't told him anything yet." He heaved a long sigh, "how I desired to spend time with you and Clark the soonest. We only got married and we haven't even enjoyed our honeymoon…"

"What a naughty man.." she grinned while Clifford laughs.

"I am not, it's just that we should start working on our baby sister project…" he teased.