Daniel frowned and sniffed his clothes. "Since when do you have such a strong sense of smell? I only had two glasses of wine. How did you even notice?"
Kane kept complaining, ignoring his father's banter. He pinched his nose and made a face. "Daddy stinks! Stay away from Auntie Chantelle. She smells so good! I'll sleep with her tonight."
Chantelle watched her son's playful attempt to annoy Daniel and stayed silent, enjoying the moment.
But when she saw anger growing on Daniel's face, she decided to intervene.
"How about we keep it safe and let Rai spend the night with me?" she said teasingly.
Glancing at Daniel, she picked up Kane and walked to her room.
Daniel was left standing in the hallway, feeling defeated.
It had been a bad day for him. Not only had he lost the argument with his son, but he had also been called a drunk.
Late that night, Chantelle lay in bed, watching her son sleep peacefully. She gently tucked a strand of hair behind Kane's ear.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of a phone ringing.
"Rai is running a fever," Russell said, sounding worried.
"I'm coming over," Chantelle replied, frowning.
She rushed to the basement so quickly that she didn't even hang up the phone. "What happened? Wasn't he fine earlier? Why is he suddenly so sick?"
Her heart throbs when she saw Railer, barely conscious as his face flushed with pain.
When she held his small hands, she was shocked to feel how cold they were.
"The medical report isn't out yet, but it looks like he's experiencing organ failure. He might have hurt his organs when he fell earlier," Russell explained as his eyes focused on the monitor to keep track of Railer's condition.
"Organ failure? Wasn't he recovering well? Why is this happening?"
Chantelle's eyes filled with worry as she feared Railer's condition might get worse.
"Don't worry, Ms. Chantelle. I'll do whatever it takes to help Rai recover," Russell promised.
He was focused on giving Railer medication while trying to comfort Chantelle, as he had never seen her so upset.
"You need to save him, Russell. I haven't..." Chantelle's voice trailed off and her fear grew as she looked at the boy's pale face.
I haven't told Railer that I'm his real mother. I want to take him on a world tour so he can enjoy life. I won't let anyone take him from me!
Russell tried everything, from epinephrine to cardiotonic agents.
Finally, Railer's heart started beating again. He sighed in relief as he saw color return to the boy's face. "Thank goodness, Rai is going to be okay!"
Chantelle slouched in the chair while her eyes fixed on the boy who was asleep. "Thanks for everything. You must be tired. Go rest. I'll stay with Rai."
When Russell saw how exhausted she looked, he didn't want to leave her alone. "It's been a long day for you too, Ms. Chantelle. Let me take care of Rai. Everything will be fine."
But Chantelle refused quickly. She stayed seated with her head lowered. "It's okay. I need to stay here with Rai. Please rest."
Russell left reluctantly, knowing he couldn't change her mind.
"I shouldn't have left you alone. I'm sorry, Rai. This is all Mommy's fault!" Chantelle felt a deep pain as she compared her children.
Kane and Stephanie were full of life, while Railer lay unconscious in bed. If she hadn't left him with Daniel, this might not have happened.
Daniel had let Ruby and Kate treat her child badly, adding to Railer's suffering.
Unlike her other two children, Railer had lost his joy in life.
"Mommy... Mommy..." a faint voice called out.
Chantelle jerked awake and lifted her head. The little boy was holding her fingers, mumbling to himself.
"Mommy's here, Rai! Don't be scared, I'll protect you." Tears streamed down Chantelle's face as she heard Railer's slurred voice.
He frowned slightly and gripped her fingers tighter as her tears fell onto his hand.
As the night went on, fatigue took over, and Chantelle fell asleep.
She woke up at dawn the next day.
"Ms. Chantelle, Rai's condition is stable. You should go back to your room and rest," Russell urged her when he saw how tired and bloodshot her eyes were.
"Okay. Keep me updated on Rai's condition."
Although she wanted to stay with Railer, she knew Daniel was in the house. Her long absence might make him suspicious.
After thinking it over, she stood up and asked Russell to take care of Railer.
She only left when he promised he would.
As Chantelle headed toward the hidden door to the basement, she thought, I wonder if that scumbag is awake. He can't find out about this hidden place...
She quickly strode towards the living room after making sure the corridors were clear. She was relieved to find the room empty.
However just as she was about to climb the stairs to her bedroom, a sluggish voice called out, "Good morning, Ms. Bently!"
Chantelle froze for a moment when she heard Daniel's voice. But she quickly collected herself and turned to face him.
To her surprise, Daniel was wearing a long apron over his white shirt with rolled-up sleeves.
She blinked and rubbed her eyes, thinking she must be imagining things after such a sleepless night.
"Breakfast is ready. Want to have a bite?" Daniel's voice broke her thoughts.
Chantelle walked to the kitchen, still unsure if this was real. She was surprised to find her favorite pancakes and hot chocolate milk on the table.
"I didn't know you could cook, Mr. Wilson," Chantelle said, impressed.
"There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Ms. Bently. You have all the time in the world to find out, so don't worry," Daniel teased her and winked briefly.
Chantelle scoffed to herself, thinking, why is he so full of himself?
Despite her annoyance towards him, she sat at the kitchen table as her stomach rumbled from the exhaustion of the previous night.
In the past, having breakfast with Daniel had been her dream. She used to cook his favorite meals for him, but he always found a way to avoid spending time with her.
Even though they were married, they rarely shared moments together.
Chantelle never expected that, after all these years, the things she once longed for would come so easily.