Filed to story: A Second Chance with My Billionaire Love
“I completely agree,” Halston murmured, unable to take his eyes off her flawless form.
“Then… let’s go to bed!”
“Okay. Turn off the lights, and let’s sleep.”
He turned off the lights, and the room became dark. Their night was about to begin…
Halston’s back had healed and was stronger than before a week later. His bond with Flossie has strengthened rapidly as well. She didn’t mind spending more time with him, and they were kissing and touching each other like any other husband and wife.
Halston was happy with their current status and treasured his time with her. The thrill of regaining what he had lost was the greatest gift God could have given him!
One morning, the sun was bright outside the window, and the birds were chirping as a breeze swept through the beige-colored drapes.
Flossie lay in Halston’s warm arms, refusing to move.
“It’s time for you to wake up, sleepy head.” His strong arms wrapped around her, and he tapped her nose softly as he murmured, “Today is a special day. I want to take you and the kids to celebrate.”
“Shh. It’s so warm here. I want to sleep.” She held him tightly, nuzzling his chest like a contented cat. She loved lying in his arms like this because it made her feel safe. She refused to leave this warm and comforting sanctuary after being alone for so long.
“Okay, you can continue sleeping then.” Halston was coaxing her as if she was a baby, softly patting her back and looking at her with loving eyes.
She slept till noon.
It was peaceful upstairs but busy below in the hallway.
Timothy invited the Guajardo family’s friends and relatives to a feast at the Guajardo Residence to celebrate Flossie and Halston’s reconciliation. All who had been invited had arrived early in the morning with presents to congratulate the couple.
Timothy, Alexander, and the rest of the Guajardo family’s men sat together while Francine and the other ladies conversed joyfully.
“It’s noon, Francine, but where are Halston and Flossie? Are they still working at the company?” Halston’s aunt asked.
“No. They’re still asleep upstairs!” Francine drank her coffee and responded cheerfully.
Hearing this, the ladies were taken aback and frowned disapprovingly.
“What? I didn’t think your daughter-in-law was a slacker.”
“Exactly. Is she unaware of who she is? How could she not know such things as the mistress of the Guajardo family?”
“I recall she used to stick to the rules. She would get up early to entertain guests whenever there was a family gathering. Now she’s keeping us waiting while she sleeps?”
“Exactly! Francine, show her your might so she will listen to you!”
Francine frowned as she heard the ladies chastising Flossie. “Please stop talking so much – you’ll wake my son and daughter-in-law.”
The ladies were stunned when they heard this.
“That’s not right, Francine! Shouldn’t you be angry with your daughter-in-law for being so lazy?”
“I don’t see any reason to get angry,” said Francine in a considerate tone as she took a sip of her tea. “If the young couple wants to sleep, then let them. It’s perfectly natural that they’re especially affectionate with each other. I don’t see any problem in letting them roll around in bed for a while anyway.”
“But that’s nonsense!” one of Halston’s aunts argued indignantly. “She’s a member of a respectable family now, and she should learn to act like it! All of us who married into the Guajardo family know this! We make sure that we’re elegant, dignified, graceful, and courteous at all times—the basic qualities that the wife of an affluent man should…”
“My daughter-in-law doesn’t need any of these qualities,” Francine interrupted. “All she needs to do is to spend the rest of her life happily with my son.”
“You may be able to accept this, Francine, but what about Halston? Can he endure having such a wife? The Halston that I remember is an austere and disciplined man. Never once in his whole life has he ever overslept! It seems that this woman is a bad influence on him!”
“Well,” Francine shrugged helplessly, “what can I do? Halston finally and painstakingly managed to pull his precious wife back to him, so it’s only natural he pampers and indulges her. In fact, I’m sure he’d even oblige if she wanted to sleep till dusk, let alone sleep a little longer than usual!”
Francine had just discovered that her son was an obliging husband who lived completely under his wife’s thumb. He would do anything his wife wanted, getting it for her no matter what it was. If his wife had wanted the moon, she was sure Halston would leap into a spaceship immediately so he could bring the moon down to her.
In that case, what could a mother like her do but put her hands up and concede?
“Tsk tsk! I can’t believe that Halston can be such a passionate lover! He simply spoils his wife rotten— what a lucky woman!”
The women who had just been grumbling bitterly were now full of envy for Flossie. How could they not be when each of them, whether they were born or married into affluent families, had to live under strict rules? They had to restrain and control themselves to make sure that they appeared dignified at all times. The kind of suffering they endured was something that only those who had lived through it themselves would understand.
How they wished that they could live like Flossie—doing whatever she wanted while her husband doted on her and indulged her unconditionally! What a blissful life that would be…
In fact, the women were not the only ones who sighed in envy—even the men listened in disbelief at what had become of Halston.
“Alexander,” said Alan Guajardo, Alexander’s cousin, “we’ve always thought that your son is a lot more rational and level-headed than you are, but it appears he’s just as much of a hopeless romantic as you are! I bet he inherited the gene from you! No one in Beach City spoils their wife as badly as you do!”
Once Alan started teasing Alexander like that, the other men began to join in as well.
“Although it’s a good thing that he’s so fond of his wife, men should focus more on their careers, and if Halston wants to do great things, he should spend less time on his wife and family. You should pull him aside and advise him not to neglect his work just because of a woman!”
“Yeah, don’t they know what time it is? How are they still asleep? I hope he won’t be like emperors of the past, causing the fall of a dynasty due to a disregard for proper governance and spending all their time frolicking with their concubines.”
The men who spoke up were the more prominent members of the Guajardo family, who also held a significant percentage of shares in H Group. They were concerned that Halston might get so lovesick that his performance as the CEO of H Group might be jeopardized, thus affecting H Group’s operations.
“I heard that Halston hasn’t been to the company for a whole week now. I certainly hope he’s not so bewitched by his wife that he’s cooped up with her every day, completely forgetting his work.”
Alan Guajardo looked in the direction of the staircase and said, “He might’ve been able to eliminate the opposition from the company last time by faking his death, but my brother and his people are all still alive and kicking. Who knows what they’ll come up with next…”
“Enough!” Old Mr. Guajardo interrupted. “Have all of you forgotten that I’m still here? Better stay quiet if you have nothing nice to say!”
He turned pointedly to Alan Guajardo and, in a quietly powerful and intimidating voice, told him, “Isn’t it a good thing when a man loves his wife? This proves he is made of flesh and blood and that he has feelings and empathy. Why should you be worried if such a man is leading the company?”
Alan lowered his head and meekly replied, “Don’t be angry, Uncle Timothy. It’s not that we don’t trust Halston’s capabilities. It’s just that… My brother and his family are incredibly crafty and cruel. Don’t you remember how that rascal Jovan almost succeeded in seizing power in the company?”
The brother that Alan Guajardo was referring to was Arthur Guajardo, his older brother, and father of Jovan Guajardo. Although they were siblings, there was no love lost between him and Arthur, owing to the fact that both Arthur and his son Jovan were ruthless and treacherous. Instead, Alan had a much closer relationship with his cousin Alexander Guajardo.
Just as Alan was still talking about his brother, Arthur’s recognizable boisterous laughter was heard approaching from the entrance.
“Ah, Alexander! Francine! Congratulations! Congratulations!”
The atmosphere in the great hall tensed up immediately. There was even a sense that blades would be drawn at any second.
Ever since Halston faked his death and Jovan colluded with his cronies in an attempt to seize power in H Group, the Guajardo family was divided into two warring factions. The first took Alexander Guajardo’s side, while the second took Arthur Guajardo’s side—and from then on, the two cousins then became adversaries.
Alexander had a forthright personality, so when he saw Arthur approaching from a distance, he immediately glowered and blurted, “Hmph! I can’t believe you have the gall to step into this house! If I’m not mistaken, I don’t think my father ever invited you and your wife here today!”
“Come on, Alexander! Why are you treating me like I’m a stranger?”
Arthur, cunning as an old fox, wore a wide phony grin on his face as he walked up to Alexander and put his hand on his cousin’s shoulder in a fake brotherly gesture.
“How could I not be here when it’s such a happy occasion for the Guajardo family?” he asked. “I’m your cousin, after all! Anyway, the more, the merrier, right? I must raise a toast to you today!”
His wife, Sheila Guajardo, followed behind him, clad in a luxurious wine-red coat and carrying a limited- edition designer handbag. As soon as she stepped through the door, she jeered, “Say, you two are indeed lucky, Alexander and Francine! You managed to get a daughter-in-law, a grandson, and a granddaughter in one fell swoop! I do envy you! Arthur and I can never hope to be as lucky as you!”
Sheila might possess enormous wealth and a great style, but she still paled in every aspect when compared to Francine. Before she married Arthur, she always regarded Francine as her imaginary rival. Then, after marrying into the Guajardo family, she always compared herself to Francine at every opportunity she got.
Unfortunately for her, no matter which way she made a comparison, whether it was herself against Francine, her husband against Francine’s husband, or her son against Francine’s son, she always came up short. She finally won, albeit barely, when she compared their daughters-in-law, yet now… Not only did Halston get himself a wife, but he even had a son and a daughter, which meant that she had, once again, completely lost to Francine!”
