Crystal’s POV
As soon as I entered the banquet hall, I began to look for the two children, but the place was too crowded. Some Alphas recognized me and even tried to strike up a conversation, but I was too focused on the task at hand, so I ignored them. Soon, I finally found the two kids eating at the long buffet table.
I weaved my way through the crowd and was spotted by the sharp-eyed Beryl. She immediately grabbed Arron’s hand and hid under the table. They quickly ran into the crowd from the other side of the table.
There were so many people here, I couldn’t call out their names in public to avoid attracting unnecessary attention, so I had no choice but to grit my teeth and hurry to catch up with them.
The hall was teeming with people. The two little figures kept disappearing behind various gorgeous skirts. In the blink of an eye, they were nowhere to be seen.
I felt both helpless and anxious. At this moment, someone patted my shoulder. It was Harry, and next to him was Joanna.
“Just now, Joanna said that she thought she saw you. I didn’t believe it at first, but it turned out she was right!” Harry grinned brightly.
“You look anxious. Are you looking for someone?” Joanna was so observant that she realized what I was up to right away.
I nodded. “Arron and Beryl are here. I need to find them and take them back.”
“Oh? I just saw them over there. ” Harry pointed at the two kids in the distance.
I hurried to catch up with them, only to see Arron trying to run away and bumping into someone’s legs. I helped Arron up first, but worried that he’d be scolded, I raised my head to apologize to the person Arron bumped into-and was stunned.
It was none other than Rufus. He was wearing a formal suit, which made him look especially handsome. As our eyes met, I could see my reflection in his dark pupils. Neither of us spoke for a long time. It seemed that neither of us wanted to ruin this strange but intimate moment.
In the end, Beryl was the one who broke the silence.
“Daddy, you look so handsome today!” she greeted cheerfully. Only then did Rufus break eye contact with me. With a smile on his face, Rufus bent over and gently pinched Beryl’s nose.
“Did you have a good time?”
“Yes! I’m so happy, I ate a lot of cake!” Beryl patted her round belly in satisfaction.
I couldn’t help but smile. I habitually reached out to tidy her messy hair, but I was accidentally hit by a passing trolley. I stumbled and lost my balance, but before I hit the ground, I fell into a familiar embrace.
A pair of strong arms held my waist, and the familiar scent of the man I loved enveloped my whole body.
Stunned, my heart began to race.
“Can you stand up on your own?” Rufus asked coldly.
I came to my senses and hurried to stand up. I could feel my cheeks aflame with embarrassment. I couldn’t even look him in the eye. Fortunately, there was a mask on my face, which hid most of my redness.
“Your name is Arron?” All of a sudden, Rufus shifted his attention to the boy beside Beryl.
Arron stared at Rufus wordlessly, his doe-like eyes wide as saucers.
I was so nervous. What if Arron called him ‘Daddy’? I was about to say something to distract Rufus when Beryl spoke up first. She excitedly held Rufus’ hand and announced, “This is Arron. Doesn’t he look like a mummy?”
Rufus nodded. “Why is he still bandaged up? His wounds haven’t healed yet? Maybe you should take him to another doctor. The wounds might leave scars.”
As he spoke, he squatted down and started to reach for Arron’s bandages.
My heart leapt into my chest. I wanted to grab Arron, but suddenly, the lights dimmed, and the ball began.
Crystal’s POV
The guests all grew excited and broke into hushed whispers. More and more people gathered on the dance floor.
Arron ran away as soon as the lights dimmed. I breathed a sigh of relief.
When the spotlights lit up the stage, Laura, dressed in a gorgeous dress, strode onstage gracefully. She looked more elegant and demurer than she had been at a ball I’d attended many years ago. She no longer looked so domineering, but she had a calm air about her after experiencing so much hardship.
While Laura was talking, Rufus suddenly approached me and whispered in a low voice, “Your earring is stuck in your hair.”
His breath tickled my ear, but I willed myself to focus. I quickly touched my hair and found that my earring was really stuck there.
I turned around awkwardly and tried to take off the earring, but I couldn’t get it off.
“Here. Let me help you.” Rufus reached out and gently adjusted the earring for me.
“Er, thanks.” As soon as he was done, I stepped away from him cautiously, not daring to meet his gaze.
Rufus chuckled. “Don’t worry. Your kids are safe here.”
His voice was very low and only I could hear it, but I still felt chills. Although I had already stepped aside, I still felt that he was too close, which made my heart beat uncontrollably.
The people around were listening carefully to Laura, who was onstage. Only Rufus and I were standing in the corner, whispering, which made me feel extremely nervous and even a little excited.
I swallowed my messy emotions and feigned calmness. “Arron was curious about the ball, so he snuck in without telling me.”
“There was no need to sneak in. You should just bring him with you. He’s welcome here,” Rufus replied casually.
I stole a glance at him, but he quickly caught it and we locked eyes for a moment. “Is something the matter?”
“No, it’s nothing. Just a mosquito,” I said quickly. I averted my gaze. For some reason, I felt guilty in front of Rufus.
Rufus snorted and teased, “It’s winter now. Don’t mosquitoes hibernate?”
“Oh, then it must’ve been a fly.” I could never admit defeat in front of this man, even before he had lost his memory.
Rufus smiled and said nothing more.
I clenched and unclenched my fists anxiously. Finally, I decided to continue the previous topic. “I didn’t want to attend the ball, so Arron wasn’t supposed to be here. Arron has always been a good boy. I don’t know why he suddenly decided to come here without telling me.”
After saying that, I looked at Rufus again. But this time, I looked at him without trying to hide it. Rufus fell silent after hearing what I said. He looked down and seemed to be thinking about something.
Although his expression hadn’t changed, we used to be intimate mates. I immediately sensed that he was a little unhappy.
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