"I don't need your guarantee. One more word, and you will train a month with them!" Wesley ordered.
Erica didn't say anything at first, but after a while, she replied, "Okay. As long as it makes you happy, Dad, I'll go."
"Don't try to fool me. You'll go tomorrow!"
"Okay!" Erica nodded helplessly.
For nearly an hour, she knelt on the living room floor. When Remus and Yvette came over, they found her still on her knees. Both tried to put in a good word for Erica, but Wesley didn't buy it.
After two hours, Wesley still wouldn't let Erica stand up. Feeling sorry for her sister, Yvette secretly sent a message to Matthew on WeChat. "Matthew, Dad ordered Erica to stay on her knees on the floor, but she's been there for hours now."
It took two minutes after that for Wesley's phone to ring.
When he looked at the caller ID, he didn't pick up the phone immediately. Instead, he looked around the living room. Erica and Tessie didn't have their cellphones, so it couldn't have been them who informed Matthew. As for Remus, he had been answering a call beside him the whole time he was there, and Blair had been playing games with Hugo upstairs.
However, he had no idea where Yvette was.
"Yvette!" he shouted.
"Just a minute, Dad!" Yvette's voice came from the bathroom. After she washed her hands, Yvette showed up in the living room. "Dad, your phone has been ringing. Why aren't you answering it?" she asked.
Wesley squinted at her. "You called Matthew?"
Erica's eyes lit up once she realized Matthew was the one calling. Now she knew she was going to be saved.
She couldn't help but remember that a long time ago when Blair had wanted to beat her, it was Matthew who came to her rescue. Now it shouldn't be any different.
"I didn't," Yvette answered. It wasn't a lie since she didn't really call him.
"Did you send him a message?"
Wesley asked again. 'Oh, Dad is so clever!' Looking into her father's stern eyes, Yvette reluctantly nodded.
Wesley glared at her before he walked away from the room to answer Matthew's call. This way, he wouldn't be able to hear anything Erica might say from this side of the line.
"Matthew, what's wrong?" Wesley asked.
"Dad, are you busy now?"
"No. I'm playing with Hugo. Aren't you busy?" Both father-in-law and son-in-law were beating around the bush.
But Matthew soon realized they wouldn't get anywhere like this. So, he decided to go straight to the point. "Dad, I don't blame Rika."
And he wanted to say that Wesley shouldn't either.
"I'm not doing this because I blame her for anything. I just want her to understand that she can't leave her family worrying about her without facing the consequences. If we don't teach her a lesson now, she will never learn it."
"I don't plan on giving her another chance to run away from home," Matthew stated. From that day forward, he would follow her wherever she decided to go.
Wesley had already expected that Matthew would say that. So, pinching the spot between his eyebrows, he said, "Matthew, don't worry. I know what I'm doing. I'm not going to hurt her."
"Dad, I know. But she has been through a lot in the past few years. I don't want her to suffer anymore." Since she had come back, Matthew couldn't let her go through any painful situation again.
Wesley sighed. "I see. Now, go back to your work. I'll send her to Y City myself in a few weeks."
"Okay." Matthew assumed that Wesley wanted Erica to stay with them for a while. After all, they hadn't seen each other for over three years. Yet, what he didn't know was that Wesley planned to send Erica to train with Gifford's men for a couple of weeks.
When Wesley got back to the living room, he found Erica looking at him expectantly before he said, "Get up!"
"Alright!" 'Matthew is really my dream man. He is awesome! I love him so much!
When I come back to Y City, I'll hug him and shower him with kisses, ' she thought.
Meanwhile, after a ruthless training on the camp, dozens of men in military uniforms dispersed and rested on the spot.
Among several men lying on the ground and looking at the blue sky, one on the far left gasped and said, "My goddess, Chantel Ye, is the only reason I'm holding on." At that moment, he started to imagine the face of his goddess in his mind.
The man next to him answered with his eyes closed, "Hey, it seems that nowadays, Chantel is the only one among the most popular female stars who is actually a good actress. Not to mention that her face and figure are also much better looking than the others!"
"Yes, I like her a lot. Her figure aside, she seems so sweet that I can't help but want to kiss her."
The talk about Chantel soon began to attract some other men, who had been listening nearby. Several more people gathered to gossip and talk about the actress nonstop.
It didn't take much time for the subject to reach the ears of a man sitting not so far away. His clothes, however, obviously distinguished him from the others in the training camp.
Looking up at the clear sky, he thought for a while, 'How long has it been since I last met Chantel?'
The last time he saw her was on TV yesterday.
But the two of them hadn't seen each other for three or four years.
He had a feeling that if he never met Chantel again and reminded her that she had a husband, she would probably announce a relationship with another man at some point.
'Rika has come back home today. Matthew said that Chantel had always known where she was. Perhaps, Chantel will also come back home tonight, ' he thought.
He was dying to meet Chantel and confront her about why she never told their family where Erica was.
'Yes, it's decided!'
He suddenly stood up and shouted to the men who were resting, "Attention!"
His loud voice made everyone get on their feet and line up in the shortest time possible.
Then he looked at those who were particularly gossiping about Chantel and ordered, "Harry, Gage, you'll clean up the bathroom for a month. The others may leave now!"
The ones who had just been dismissed laughed under their breaths while the rest stood there in confusion.
As soon as Gifford left, Harry Zhang rushed to catch up with him. "Sir, didn't we pass the training just now?"
Gifford nodded, "Yes, you passed the training."
Harry Zhang was even more confused after hearing that. "Then why are we being punished into cleaning the bathroom?"
Gifford looked back at him and asked, "Do you really want to know why?"
Harry Zhang nodded.
"I'll tell you after you clean the bathroom for a month. Oh! And don't forget you also have to clean the offices on the third floor!" Gifford patted him on the shoulder before he turned around and left.
Harry Zhang stood there, dumbfounded.
Later, at dinner, all the Li family members gathered around the table except for Gifford and Chantel.
It felt like ages since Erica had such a nourishing meal. She was so excited that she ended up eating two bowls of rice.
After everyone finished their meal, Tessie helped the maid clean the table. Erica was playing with Hugo when someone opened the villa's door from the outside.
A woman came in, wearing a black bucket hat and a long light blue coat over a white lace dress. Her black high-heeled shoes clicked on the floor as she waltzed in.
From her simple yet fashionable clothes, it became evident that she had undergone a tremendous change from the girl who had come to the Li family a few years ago to the woman she was now.
With her designer handbag in one hand, she held many gift bags in the other.
As soon as she took off her sunglasses, Hugo ran to her excitedly. "Mommy, Mommy!"
"Chantel is back!" Walking up to her with a big smile on her face, Blair seemed even happier to see Chantel now than she was when she saw Erica.
