CHAPTER 14: THE CONTRACT MARRIAGE

Logan smiled relievedly, seeing how his kids were so capable of seeing where they went wrong without him pointing it out.

They were indeed raised well. When a family has too much money, the kids most of the time grow too pompous and become tyrants and vagrants. His kids definitely won't grow up like that. He was certain of it.

"Um, you did mess up, but it wasn't your fault. You were caught unprepared and reacting that way is pretty normal!" he replied to her with a smile.

He understood how the sudden outburst might have happened. So, he didn't put the whole blame on his kids and neither would he put it on Briar as well.

"But she is angry at me!" Lyra tearily said as she recalled how their nanny had refused to open the door when she tried to go and speak to her after Grandpa Marcus talked to them early.

Logan shook his head as he recalled something about Briar. Briar was short-tempered. That was something that he noticed, or rather his deceased wife when she was still young.

Briar had a special way of managing her anger, and it was usual to keep quiet or stay away. She was the kind of person who would sort out her issues on her own and come back on her feet as if nothing had happened.

Since she was able to walk away without saying much, it means that by now, she should have calmed down.

"Don't worry about that. She doesn't get angry for long!" he assured his daughter about that.

When Lyra heard that, something in her mind clicked, and her eyes shined. "I guess I will just wait for her until she is ready to apologize for my harsh words!"

"Um, she will be happy about that. Anyway, I haven't finished what I wanted to talk about!" Logan once again returned to the story.

He wasn't done explaining the whole matter to the kids, so he needed to finish it.

The kids also realized that it was indeed the case, and this time, when they listed, they were so engaged. Now curious as to the reason why their father would marry the nanny.

With their thoughts renewed on how good their nanny was. It was now evident that the culprit was their father. So, before they shift their anger towards him, let him explain himself.

"You know that I have been getting pressured by your grandmother, right?"

The kids nodded as they shuddered, recalling how their paternal grandmother was so adamant about letting their father marry.

And when they picture those vultures who want to take the family name, goosebumps appear on their skin.

It was simply too much.

"I didn't want to be forced to marry someone that I couldn't stand or you. I didn't want to be schemed against and marry against my conscience and let you suffer because of it. As a result, I thought of finding someone that we are all used to. Someone who loves this family like her own. Someone who would never …."

The reason why Briar was the perfect candidate for this marriage was her love for the Meyer family. She was selfless when it came to them. She loved his children like her own.

Everything that the kids knew regarding character, manners and responsibility was all her hard work.

He loved his deceased wife so much, but she wasn't a good mother. She didn't spend too much time with them. They were literally raised by the nannies and by far, Briar was the best of them. She managed to remain in the family for ten years.

In those ten years, she made them forget that she was a nanny but had somewhat become more of a second mother to the kids.

The second mother joke was something that Selena started. She used to joke that the way Briar treats the children; she is like their mother. Ever since then, even the two families just saw her like that.

"Briar is not a greedy wolf like those other women and I believed that with her as your mother, she would continue to treat you well. On top of that, she won't force you to replace your mother!" Logan explained to his kids as he exhaled a deep sigh.

With all of this laid out, if the kids still can't understand, then he wouldn't even know how to let them understand at all.

Lyra and Cade, being more mature and having a high IQ, understood perfectly what their father spoke. It also made them realize that everything was all for their sake.

Surely having their nanny as their second mother for real or stepmother was a good move for them. She was one of the lesser devils, a devil which they knew and was better than the women that they didn't know out there.

They didn't need to walk on eggshells with her as their mother. They all knew each other, so it was more of continuing what they were doing, except that they could now call her mother in a legal sense. They would no longer be kids without a mother.

The first to react and speak out was Tiana. In her head, despite having a good figure of IQ, understood one thing; Briar, her second mother, had legally become their mother. From now on, she could talk about her mother and brag to her friends, who were always talking about theirs nonstop making her seem as if she was taken out from a stone.

How could she not be happy now?

"Dad, does this mean that I can call her second mother and she won't force me to call her nanny?" Tiana asked excitedly as she looked at her father.

The two older siblings, hearing that, nearly face-palmed. How did they forget that there was Tiana, the child that their nanny raised from day one?

Logan felt sorry for this last-born child of his. He didn't even know if she still remembers Selena. Of course, there were pictures, but knowing someone from pictures was different from the memories you gain from experiencing it.

When Selena passed, Tiana was two years old. Still young and at that time, Selena had been in and out of the hospital, so she didn't have time to raise Tiana at all. Tiana knew Briar. It was expected that she would react strongly and positively like that.

"Um. You can call her all that as much as you want and she won't chide you this time!" Logan answered her with certainty.

Tiana, upon hearing that, cheered happily as she jumped from her couch. And before they could say a word, the girl was already climbing the staircase, leaving the three looking towards her way dumbfoundedly.

They weren't expecting Tiana to act suddenly like that. However, that was also good. At least it went well for her and at the same time, the three of them remaining in the living room could discuss something on a deep level.

Something that wouldn't sit well with Tiana, with how close and intimate she was with Briar.

"Dad, so you entered a contract marriage with her?" with Tiana gone, Lyra asked directly without evasion.

She was sixteen years old and Cade was thirteen years old already. They were at an age where they knew a lot. Even Cade, during holidays, would go to the company to intern. So, what didn't he know?

Logan, when facing these two, they weren't like children, especially when discussing serious issues. So, he didn't beat around the bush and replied, truthfully, "Um. It's a three-year contract. She would be legally your mother for that period!"

"Will you be sleeping with her?" Cade asked directly as soon as the answer was given.

'What kind of movies are these kids watching?' Logan couldn't help but curse after getting such a question as his lips twitched.

"Yes. What do you expect me to do? Live in separate rooms?" his lips curled upward as he looked provocatively at his son.

How dare he ask such a question?