Sweetheart, Do You Still Love Me

After Slevin had sent Elspeth home, he sent Damian back as promised.

Elspeth felt a sense of relief as she looked at her son, who was standing in front of her with an excited expression. She pulled him into her arms and asked, "Where did Uncle Slevin take you today, Damian?"

Then, the boy animatedly recounted every detail of his day's adventures. "Uncle Slevin asked someone to take me to many fun places. We went to the zoo and ate fried chicken, which you usually won't allow me to eat. Frankly, I have no problem with him being my daddy."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Elspeth knocked his head and added, "He can't be your daddy."

After hearing this, Damian glanced up and noticed an unusual expression on his mother's face. He was worried when he saw the redness in the corner of her eyes, so he asked, "What's wrong, Mommy? Did Uncle Slevin hurt you? If he did that, tell me, and I swear I will never let him get away with it!" The changes in his tone signaled a sudden transformation from his previously warm and welcoming demeanor toward Slevin.

"I'm fine. Nonetheless, you should always remember that Callum is, and always will be, your daddy, alright?"

Although the boy was shocked by her words, he still nodded. "Don't worry, Mommy. I'll listen to whatever you say."

Elspeth sighed in relief at Damian's obedience and said, "Now, Damian, there is something crucial I want you to remember. I will pick you up for the next few days, so don't follow anyone except me, okay?"

Yet, the implication behind his mother's words eluded him, leaving him no choice but to inquire, "Did you get into a fight with Uncle Slevin, Mommy? I have this intuition that you don't like him and want me to keep my distance."

Nonetheless, she felt helpless in the face of her son's overly sensitive nature and had no choice but to find an excuse. Thus, she ruffled his hair and pretended to be mad. "Don't overthink it. It's just that I want to spend more time with you because we aren't spending much time together recently. What's wrong with that? Don't you want to spend time with me?"

"Of course not. I want to be with you," Damian replied without hesitation. Then, he snuggled himself into Elspeth's embrace and asked, "When will you be with Daddy, Mommy?" Mommy just said that my daddy is Callum. Does that mean she has accepted him? he thought excitedly.

"We'll talk about this later. Isn't it time for you to go to bed?"

"I'll wash up and go to sleep now. Goodnight, Mommy!" While saying this, he nodded his head.

"Goodnight, darling."

After sending Damian back to his room, Elspeth sat on the couch, relaxed, and stared at the ceiling. The day's events remained vivid in her memory, and Callum's words reverberated within her thoughts. However, a profound sense of remorse washed over her as she couldn't shake the feeling that her words had deeply hurt him.

Now that she was immersed in her thoughts, she was abruptly brought back to the present by the sound of knocking resonating through the door. Despite the audibility of the knocking, she could discern a sense of restraint in it.

Whom could it be at this late hour? Then, she stood up and, out of self-preservation, peered through the peephole, revealing a towering visage that filled her field of vision. The sight of it startled her, so she retreated a few steps. In the meantime, the figure outside knocked again, driven by a growing unease due to the absence of a response.

When Elspeth realized it was Callum, she quickly opened the door, and he leaned forward as soon as the door was open. The sudden and tremendous force nearly sent her sprawling backward, but she regained her balance with the wall behind her, and with a look of annoyance on her face, she pushed him upright. "What is the meaning of this, Callum? Why are you drunk late at night?" She frowned at the stench of alcohol and glared at him, urging, "Hey, say something!"

"I… I miss you."

In contrast to his earlier demeanor, the man leaned heavily against her, his face flushed from the effects of heavy intoxication. In a peculiar manner reminiscent of a cat, he rubbed himself against her, which triggered a sense of familiarity within her.

"Get up. I can't breathe when you are so heavy." While saying this, Elspeth pushed him away in disgust. It wasn't that she harbored hatred toward him, but rather a strong distaste for those who indulged in excessive drinking. At this moment, Callum, in his current state, was pushing his luck.

"You have to trust me, Elspeth. Slevin isn't a good person. He is trying to drift us apart to have you by himself. Yet, rather than loving you, he is just using you. I am the only one who truly loves you—"

Meanwhile, his words stirred something within her for some inexplicable reason, and she couldn't resist playfully poking his cheek. As his eyebrows knitted together, a reaction to her playful gesture, a surge of awe flooded her heart, leaving her utterly captivated by his enigmatic charm. Then, she said softly, "I know, Callum. I know everything."

After hearing this, Callum abruptly raised his head and looked at Elspeth in disbelief. "Really? Do you know everything?"

"Of course. Having memory loss does not make me stupid. How can I not distinguish this?" She rolled her eyes but then patted his face when she realized he couldn't see her reaction.