Chapter 167: You still won’t know what hit you, Papa
"Is that so?" Roland’s tone sounded like he didn’t believe her, and she pouted her lips, her cheeks puffed in full defiance.
"You can test me if you want," she said, lifting the cage slightly like a trophy. "Ven and I are partners now. We have an understanding."
Ven, unaware of the dramatic claim, was busy stuffing his cheeks with a seed, looking like the least vengeful creature on the planet.
Michael sighed, adjusting the pet supply bag on his shoulder.
"This understanding of yours better not involve any more schemes against me though. If not, I’m ready to bring my A game."
Olivia threw her face away and claimed,
"I make no promises."
They laughed and Alyssa chuckled.
"You’re in for it, Michael." she said.
Michael covered his face, the tip of his fingers on his forehead as he shook his head in disbelief.
He could not believe she was so unyielding. Was it because she had her daddy here to back her up?
"Gosh, where does she get all this from?" Michael muttered.
"She gets it from you," Noah teased, brushing his fingers against Michael’s hand and Michael gave him a side-eye.
"Don’t drag me into this."
"Why not?" He grinned. "If anything, the sass is from your side." he leaned in behind Olivia, as if planning to kiss Michael but Michael covered his face and said,
"Come on, I’m charming, not sassy."
"Yeah, whatever floats your boat, darling." Noah added, and then licked Michael’s hand which forced Michael to take his hand back as he shuddered.
His face flushed lightly.
Gosh, he shouldn’t do such things when the kid was still in the car.
"Whatever." He said softly.
Olivia tilted her head, thinking and then she glanced at them both.
"Hm, I think you’re sassy, Papa." She said, sending a low blow towards Michael. "And I haven’t been with Daddy long enough so I’m not too sure if he’s not sassy or if he just hides it better."
Everyone burst into laughter, except Michael, who had blood dripping down his lips from the low blow his daughter gave him.
"Ah, now I’ve seen it all." He said as he wiped the blood and then cleared his throat.
Olivia leaned forward, peering into the cage with a calculating look.
"Don’t worry, Ven," she whispered, stroking the side with one finger. "We’ll make Papa pay. Slowly and stwategically," she said with her baby tongue.
It looked like this was his daughter’s way of getting her revenge.
Michael glanced at her, one eyebrow raised as he said,
"I can hear you, you know. I’m sitting right next to you."
"That was the point," she said, smiling sweetly. "But that won’t change anything. Even if you hear my entire plan," her smile grew wider into a grin. "You still won’t know what hit you, Papa."
Noah suddenly snorted and Michael shot a glance at him.
Was he seriously laughing at a time like this?
Noah looked away, towards the window, and then glanced back at Michael, who was feeling a bit out of it.
"Like I said, your daughter." He said and Michael scowled at him.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. But she’s as much as your daughter as she is mine so it’s no wonder why I get this disturbed when she begins her schemes. Your genes are so evidently there, gosh."
They began to bicker but Olivia didn’t even pay attention. She watched the cute fluffball movie around in its cage and then smiled.
From now on, the atmosphere in the house would be twice as lively now that her daddy was back and she now had a pet.
Everything just seemed perfect.
And she would go to Disneyland during the weekend so she couldn’t stop her excitement and kept giggling.
They saw this and smiled. She was such a little schemer.
After they got back to the house, Michael went down to the flower shop for a bit, and Olivia watched the little hamster’s cage in the position that had been deemed fit for him.
Alyssa and Roland began moving around to start preparing dinner.
While Noah... He sat in the living room, watching Olivia and then his phone rang.
He looked at the caller ID and his lips crinkled a bit.
It was Sebastian.
It had been two to three days since he disappeared and Sebastian was calling him only now.
Was this a good sign or a bad one?
Whatever it was, he wouldn’t be swayed and leave his family.
He answered the call.
"How are you enjoying your vacation, sir?" Sebastian asked and Noah grinned.
"It just started so I haven’t even started to enjoy it to its fullest." He said, swinging his crossed leg.
"Oh, I understand." Sebastian said. "I just called to remind you that you can’t spend a year away from your position. So, it would be nice to start wrapping up the procedures to bring them back to the country."
"I already know that I can’t leave my position vacant for too long," Noah said and uncrossed his legs, pushing his body forward a bit as he dropped his hand on his knee. "And as for the moving process, we’ll push it back for a month." He said and glanced at Olivia. "Olivia needs to finish her current class at least. So, once that’s done, we’ll come back."
Olivia turned as soon as she heard her head and saw her Daddy on a call. His eyes met hers and he smiled at her, waving his hand.
She waved back and then got up, scurrying back to her room.
"A month shouldn’t be a problem," Sebastian said, looking over the files on the desk. "I’ll be able to calm things on this side. Besides, no one is making any moves, so I don’t have a lot of work to do."
"What about the Alpha of the Red Moon pack? Steven." He asked and Sebastian paused. He had confirmed the information but he didn’t know how to present it so he said this,
"He’s currently not in the country," Sebastian said. "So, I believe it’ll be very quiet over here for a while."
Noah did not find anything suspicious in Sebastian’s report. He didn’t even try to think of what Steven might be up to or where he went during such a sensitive time. He simply closed his eyes, exhaled, and thought of his family that wouldn’t have to worry from now on.
So long as Steven was silent, the situation was as good as settled.
Until he returns to the country, talks of the two packs’ unification can stay on hold.
As soon as he thought of that, he recalled how Steven suggested an arranged marriage.
His eyebrows furrowed and he suddenly began to boil with rage.
How dare he try to drag his daughter into pack matters?
He should know his place.
Noah valued his daughter’s happiness above all else, and he would go with her opinion if it wasn’t harmful, but he couldn’t take her word now. She was still young so she might just choose to do what she feels would be convenient for her parents. He came to understand her character during the few days they stayed together.
But he was confident she would definitely come to hate this decision later on. She would not choose to marry someone she had never met before once she grew up and was mature enough to think of her own future.
Whatever it was...
"Sebastian, I’ll need a private jet to fly to California early on Saturday," Noah said.
"What’s the occasion?" Sebastian asked.
"I’m taking my daughter out." Noah simply said, his voice filled with pride.
He was such a proud father.
Sebastian didn’t even need to ask for any more details and nodded his head.
"Will do." He wrote it down on his urgent schedule so he would do it as soon as the call ended. "Anything else, sir?"
"No, nothing more. Just keep me posted if anything comes up or if there are any movements I should be aware of." Noah said.
’Is this a sign I should let him know of Steven’s movements?’ he wondered but he was hesitant.
Whatever was he reluctant for? He was probably the will of the goddess so he would just let it be and let whatever the goddess had willed come to pass.
"Then, I will check up on you later, sir." Sebastian said and then cut the call.
Noah looked at the phone and then saw Olivia running towards him.
Noah spread his arms and caught her as she jumped into his embrace.
"What’s this?" He asked and she giggled.
"I wanted to show you my drawing." She said and showed the caricature she had drawn with her crayon after running to her room.
It was a caricature of Noah sitting on the chair and making his call, and while it looked so simple, it was surprisingly detailed, like how he had a smile on his lips, how he crossed his leg, or how the color of the crayons aligned well.
It was a kid’s drawing, but she still did a good job.
