"Son, are you ready? Mommy's hungry already..." Ingrid did not hear any response from him. She hurriedly went outside the closet and look for him, but he was not in the room.

"Clark, stop playing. Where are you?" still she haven't heard anything.

She looked for her shoulder bag and put her wallet and phone; and then went outside the bedroom only to find him in Clifford's arms, laughing. Both of them paused and looked at her.

"Oh G.o.d! IS HE..." she gulped and suddenly felt thirsty the moment she stared them. 'NO. IT CAN'T BE. IT SHOULD NEVER BE HIM.'

Her emotion came rus.h.i.+ng and she could not accept her thoughts regarding the possibility. But on the other side, she felt relieved.

'HE IS WAY BETTER THAN ANY ONE ELSE, DON'T YOU THINK, INGRID? BESIDES, LOOK AT HIM? ISN'T HE SUCH A FINE LOOKING GENTLEMAN AND SMOKING HOT, AT THAT!' another thought squeezed in which makes her shudder within.

In a spur of the moment, she remembered all the comments she would often hear from every people she meet and in every time Clifford, Clark and she were together. Her jaw slightly dropped at those.

"Why are you in daze, Ingrid? Are you okay?" Ingrid came back to her senses after hearing Clifford's voice. Both of them stared at her intensely

"Oh.. ahh nothing. Clark, let's go." The child abruptly went to her side.

"Where are you two going?" he asked.

"Uh dinner? You're done eating right?"

"Unfortunately, I was waiting for the two of you to wake up so that we could have dinner together. We need some celebration, don't you think?" he smirked.

"Oh..."

"Come here, Clark." He took the child back, hold him by the hand and head to the door.

"Mommy, don't forget your promise that we should play on the beach okay?"

"Okay sweet." Clark gestured to Cliff to be carried by him.

"You should join us, da–uncle Cliff, okay." The child batted his eyes.

Clifford almost burst out laughing when he heard the child almost called him dad.

"Phew! That was close, Clark, we almost got caught." He whispered to the child. The child only blinks his eyes and gulped.

Upon reaching the hotel's restaurant, it is almost full of people.

"Don't fret. I already made a reservation for us. Can I have one request for tonight?" Ingrid brow rose. "...could you loosen up a bit? I mean, just relax and enjoy this night will you? You did great in that proposal."

Ingrid huffed upon hearing his praise. "I, uh, thank you, I am just doing my job, sir." Ingrid blushed.

"I told you, call me Clifford if we are not at work."

"Ahh, yeah... sorry." Ingrid tried to relax a bit.

"Good evening, Mr. Briggs, this way please." The hotel staff ushered them to their reserved table.

Ingrid looked around and saw that most people looked their way and hushed among themselves.

'Why are they staring at us? Is there something wrong?' Ingrid mull over.

Clifford pulled a chair for her and everyone was in awe in his gestures.

Someone secretly took them a picture of different angles, waiting for some malicious angle, and sent it to his boss.

....

"What? Get married? As soon as possible? Why?" John Howard was horrified when he heard the blunt proposal from his friend.

"Yes, and I am determined to ask for your permission. As for the reason, well, you see our children are meant to be."

"What do you mean by that?" John creased his brows.

"Well, I believe you already have read that article and I know you took that down here in Vierra never allowed anyone to publish it. But that article are making waves in my country and our stocks rise even as of the moment, which never happened in my company ever since."

"Are they aware of these things?" John referred to their children.

"Not yet, they are still on their business trip, they'll be back the day after tomorrow. That is why we need to prepare for their return. Are you with me in this?"