Chapter Fifteen

Ariel soon recovered from his illness. In only two days, he was alive and well again. He had no sign of sickness at all. "Mrs. Chu, shall we have cola chicken wings today?" Ariel was drooling over the chicken wings cooked by Mrs. Pei. They didn't taste like those cooked by his mommy, but they tasted better.

"Well, if you want to eat, I will cook them for you." Mrs. Pei was very fond of this little guy. he was not as spoiled as other children and he was so clever and thoughtful. Although he had always pissed Stephen off, she still liked him very much. Anyway, she was not the one to be tricked.

"Yeah! Mrs. Pei, I always know that you are best for me." Ariel was really good at pleasing people. "Ariel, Mrs. Pei the only one who is good to you?" Another servant Amelia said in a testing way.

"Well! I know that Amelia is good to me too, but you don't know how to cook cola chicken wings, do you? So Mrs. Pei is the best." 'Well, this little guy is a foodie, and whoever cooks something delicious for him is the best one.' Amelia thought sourly.

"Amelia, take Ariel upstairs to play. I'll call you when the meal is ready." Although the kitchen was big, she was still worried that Ariel might be bumped.

"Let's go! Ariel, if you keep saying those sweet words, the cola chicken wings will not taste of cola." Amelia smirked.

"Amelia, why would they not taste like cola?" If he didn't understand, he had to ask. Every child knew this rule.

"Because they would only taste of sweets! Don't you know how sweet your words are?"

"Ah! Amelia, how could you make fun of me? I'm not playing with you anymore." Uttering these words, he ran upstairs. He was a little embarrassed. Mrs. Pei and Amelia burst into laughter. Ariel was such an interesting boy.

When he ran into his bedroom, his cell phone was ringing. He ran over happily to pick it up, Amelia's teasing totally forgotten. "Hello! Mommy, when will you be back! I want to taste your cooking." The reason why he asked Mrs. Pei to cook cola chicken wings was that he missed his mother's culinary style.

"OK! You are such a foodie. If nothing happens, I'll be back tomorrow. I'll cook delicious food for you." Brielle stared at the latest position report in front of her. Although she knew the result, she was still a little disappointed. That was why she was eager to seek the comfort of her son.

"Mommy, are you unhappy? Are you crying?" Ariel could tell that Brielle's voice as usual. "No, Mommy just misses you so much." Brielle stopped talking, choked with sobs. Actually, she had an overwhelming urge to cry. The physical exhaustion and mental pressure pushed her further into the depths of depression. But she knew that she couldn't cry and she could only endure with the dogged will.

"Mommy, I miss you so much too. Don't be sad. OK? I'll make everything better." Ariel's eyes got red. He knew that his mom must be unhappy. He couldn't cry because he was the only one his mom could rely on. If he cried first, what should his mom do?

"OK. Mommy doesn't feel sad. I have my Ariel with me." Brielle's tears finally cascaded down her face. Her heart was fragile now. She just let the tears silently cover her delicate face.

"Yes! Ariel is always the guardian angel of mommy. So, mommy, you have to be brave and you can see me tomorrow." Ariel bit his delicate pink lips, so as not to let Brielle hear the tremble in his voice.

'Well, Ariel, I'll see you tomorrow." She hung up the phone quickly and her tears ran faster over her face. She didn't know what was wrong with her and why she became so emotional all of a sudden. This was not like her at all. Was it because she failed in the promotion?

'No. That's just covering it up. I've bottled everything up so much that it finally poured out of me.'

Ariel slowly set the phone down. He could not help nursing into tears. He wished he could be with mom no, so he could support her. He knew exactly how weary his mom had been for all these years, so he tried his best to obey. He never asked his mom to find his dad, nor did he mention him in front of her. Sometimes, when he saw other children playing with their dads, he envied them. He just had to endure.

When Stephen opened the door, he saw Ariel was sitting on the ground with the phone in his hand, sobbing silently. His unusual behavior frightened him. He strode to him and scooped Ariel into his arms quickly, holding him tight.

"Ariel, what's wrong with you? Who upset you? Tell daddy." He picked up a tissue and tenderly wiped the tears from his face. "Daddy, what should I do? Mommy cried. She had never cried before. She must be very sad now." Stephen stopped for a moment. his heart skipped a beat. "Did your mommy really cry?"

'What happened to that aloof woman? Why should she be so emotional in front of his son?' Stephen thought.

"Yes! I heart it, daddy. Do you think mommy will be all right? I'm not with her. What should she do all by herself?" Thinking of this, Ariel cried, even more, sobs racking his body.

"Please don't cry. I think your mom will be all right. Maybe she just missed you so much that she couldn't help crying." Stephen knew the reason was far-fetched, but he couldn't find a better reason to comfort his son, because his heart was in turmoil.

"Daddy, really?" Ariel looked at his dad in anticipation with tears in his eyes. He was uncertain. "Yes! I promise. Let's wash your face and get some dinner." Stephen took Ariel to the bathroom and wetted a washcloth. He frowned and his dark eyes became darker. 'Isn't she in the army?' he thought. 'Was she hurt, so she became so emotional?' Distracted by this, Stephen dabbed too hard at Ariel's face. "Ouch!" Ariel cried out and he looked at his father, his eyes asking "why?"

"Oh! I'm sorry. Dad is distracted." Stephen was out of sorts. 'What was happening to me? Why do I lose it where that woman is concerned?'

Adam Thomson stood quietly, looking at the woman who was crying her heart out in the corner. He thought she was strong, but he was so wrong. She definitely had times where she broke down, crying hard, giving in to the feeling of loneliness and helplessness.

His heart felt tight in his chest. How he wished he could just let go, hold her in his arms, feel her heartache, and never let her go. But he was not the one she wanted. he never envied anyone before, but now he longed to be the one she cried for. Becasue that would prove how important he was to her. His love withered before it had bloomed.

Stephen kept flipping the phone in his hand, hesitant to press the green key. He didn't know what he was going to say when he finally got through. 'Will she answer?' He got her number from Ariel after the meal because he worried about her. However, he was not brave enough to call her.

Brielle did not know how long she had been crying, but she knew that her eyes must be red and swollen. How embarrassing! How could she go out in public tomorrow? They would definitely think that she cried because she did not get the promotion. What a shame! She gently patted her face and tried to reduce the embarrassment.

Suddenly the phone rang in this quiet room, shattering the silence. She picked up the phone and saw an unfamiliar number. Who would call at this hour? She frowned. She pressed the answer key unconsciously and slowly moved the phone close to her ear.

"Hello? Brielle speaking." She resumed her cold voice. "It's me, Stephen." Regardless of how he felt, she was still his wife. The reason was that simple. he wanted to know why she had cried.

Brielle's jaw dropped. She went stiff and her hands started shaking. This was the first time he had called for so many years following a good cry. She dared not think of it before. for the moment she was speechless.

"Hello? Are you okay? Talk to me, please." The coldness had left his voice, now possessing a magnetism that tickled her eardrum and sent that tingle right through her heart.

'Yes. I'm all right. Anything happens to Ariel?" Why had he called her so late? Her son was the only reason she could think of.

"Ariel is fine. I heard that you were crying. What happened?" Stephen's words hit a nerve either. Her eyes were filled with tears again. Did she dare think that he cared for her? Could it be?

"Is that why you'd called?" Though she knew it was impossible, she could not resist asking. "Ariel said you were sad. He was afraid something bad happened." He wanted to tell her so badly that he was also worried about her.

"No, really. I'm okay. I'm just missing Ariel. Really." Brielle laughed at herself. She still took herself too seriously. If it wasn't for Ariel, he would never call.

"Okay then. I'm glad to hear you're alright. Get some sleep, okay? Good night." Without waiting for her response, he hurriedly hung up the phone and threw himself into the big soft bed, robbing his hair with annoyance. It was not his original intent, but why did it change when he heard her voice? Was it because of her indifference and alienation? So he didn't want to show that he was concerned for her.

Brielle was still a state of shock, too confused to know whether she had a call. Shaking her head, she sighed. She was too proud to be vulnerable in front of him.

She walked, deliberately keeping away from the crowds. She didn't want people to find her in this state, preferring to be alone. But someone did not let her do so.

"Colonel, you're here. I've been looking for you for a while." Oliver to see her red eyes, and deliberately shielded her gaze with her military cap. "There's a campfire tonight on the training grounds. ANd we're gonna leave tomorrow. Mr. Thompson wanted you to join them." Oliver was excited. He was looking forward to the party.

"I'm not going. I still have a lot of things to do. And it's not appropriate, as I am the only woman here." All Brielle wished for at the moment was to take a shower, and then slip into a coma. She felt like she could sleep for a week.

"Colonel, let's go together. You said yourself that there's no distinction between men and women in the army, only the difference between the weak and the strong." Oliver secretly glanced at Brielle's red eyes and grew worried.

"Oliver, just go. Have fun. I'm not in a partying mood." All she wanted at that moment was to be alone. "But Mr. Thompson said you have to go." Oliver murmured.

Brielle put a hand to her forehead helplessly, and she paled. Why would Adam command her to go? "Alright, give me a minute. Let me wash up first. Then we can go and have a look."

"Yes, Colonel. I'll wait here for you." Oliver knew that she needed to change. They could hear bursts of laughter before they reached the training ground. The pleasant atmosphere relaxed Brielle somewhat. It was a truism that soldiers in the warmly were enthusiastic.

"Brielle! You're finally here!" Adam approached Brielle as soon as he saw her. "Soldiers cannot disobey their orders!" she said stiffly. "You have commanded that I attend this party, and I dare not disobey you." Sometimes Brielle would be naughty to tease Adam. She adopted an exaggerated pose, standing at attention.

"There is no other way. I know you won't come if I don't give an order. I had to pull rank." He knew Brielle was teasing him. He was glad to indulge her as long as she was happy. "Aren't you afraid to go to the Grand Council due to the abuse of your power?" She always felt at ease in front of Adam, though she didn't know why. being with him was like having a big brother next door. She never felt she had to keep him at arm's length. She could drop the act and just be herself.