Chapter 143: Love Is In The Air~
The dirt storm only stopped when Atlas calmly picked up his children by the back of their collars. In the end, the four culprits had to work diligently or risk getting whooped by Father Sir. And they had to do it while covered in soil.
Time passed quickly after that, and before anyone realized, it was already time for dinner. To be fair, no one noticed the hours slipping by until a food truck pulled up in the driveway. That way, everyone — including the workers — could enjoy a proper meal after a long, exhausting day.
Folding chairs and tables were set up around the area, and at one table sat Lola, Atlas, Slater, and the twins.
"Uncle Best, you are the best!" the twins chimed as they were served steaming hot plates.
Slater smirked, lifting his nose. "Of course! If I’m not the best, then there’s no point in calling me Uncle Best!"
"Everyone is happy~!" Second grinned, looking around at the workers eating. "My Uncle Best said he will keep providing free meals if you help out Mommy~!"
"Free meals! Free meals~!" Chacha echoed, her tiny voice carrying across the tables.
Everyone who heard their adorable chants chuckled or smiled with nods of approval. Even Lola was smiling — everyone except Slater himself.
Slater’s face contorted. "I didn’t say that."
"Thank you, Uncle Best," Second said seriously, facing him. "Everyone said they will work hard and make our mommy happy!"
And when did you even get a response from them?
Chacha nodded vigorously, grinning. "You are the best, Uncle~!"
"Haha. Eat first," Lola said, helping them with their food. "It’s best while it’s warm."
"Okay~!"
As the twins dug in — stealing bites from their father’s plate — Slater shot Lola a look.
"Sis, you should eat plenty too," he said. "This food truck service is from the company I always hire for long projects."
Lola raised her brows, glancing at the truck. The logo on the side was familiar. After all, in the entertainment industry, food trucks were often hired at the start or end of filming. Outside of that, she rarely saw them.
"Thank you," she said softly. "I’ll eat plenty, okay? You should too. Forget about dieting."
"I’m not on a diet," he smirked, resuming his meal.
She then turned back to her plate, only to furrow her brows.
"Hmm?" She counted the slices of meat. She remembered having just one earlier, but now there were... four.
When she looked up, all she saw were the twins grinning with their spoons still between their teeth.
"Stop talking and eat," came Atlas’s cool voice as he nudged her plate toward her. "Everybody else is eating except you."
"Oh." She forced a smile. "Yep, thanks."
It was true — she had been so busy helping the twins she hadn’t touched her own food. But just as she started eating, her chewing paused when another piece of meat landed on her plate. Slowly, she traced the fork back to the hand holding it... and then to his face.
Atlas gave her a casual side-eye but didn’t stop, serving her slice after slice. Now he was the one not eating.
Lola was about to tell him to quit when the twins chimed in, "Ayieee~!"
"Yie hie~!" Slater joined, cupping his face and swaying dramatically. "What is this? A romance drama where the male lead feeds the female lead? Feelings are blooming~!"
"Yieee~!" the twins giggled, copying Slater and singing, "Mommy, Daddy, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"
"Chacha! Second!" Lola gasped in horror, shoving Atlas’s shoulder away. "It’s not like that, okay?!"
"Yet your cheeks and ears are as red as hotdogs~!" Slater teased, earning a death glare from her. He ignored it, humming sweetly while wiggling in his seat with his cheeks cupped. The twins copied him, giggling mischievously.
Flustered, Lola opened her mouth to scold them, only for Atlas to slip another piece of meat between her lips.
"Keep eating so you won’t lose too much weight," he said flatly. "You’ve already lost a lot. Just ignore them."
"..." Lola blinked at him, catching the brief smirk flashing in his eyes. Narrowing her own, she shot the three audience members a look before leaning closer to him and muttering, "You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?"
Atlas arched a brow and abruptly leaned closer as well. She flinched, eyes widening as the corners of his eyes squinted faintly.
"Of course, I am," he said with a half smirk. "Don’t you?"
NO!
Before she could retort, the trio chimed in again: "Ayieee~! Love is in the air~! It’s spring, it’s spring~! Mommy, Daddy, sitting in a tree..."
Lola puffed her cheeks, holding her breath in mortification as her face turned beet red. The teasing wouldn’t stop, and the worst part was the devil beside her — Atlas himself — riding along with it. He didn’t know that his effect on her wasn’t just embarrassment like the others.
He was making her heart flutter and her stomach fill with butterflies.
And yet, all he kept saying was:
"Keep eating."
I might get indigestion at this rate!
*****
After dinner, the workers bid them goodbye with a promise to return in the morning. The family left as well since it was getting late. Back at the penthouse, Lola helped the twins wash up before finally showering off the dirt clinging to her own skin.
By the time she stepped out of the bathroom, the twins were already fast asleep.
"Haha." She laughed softly, pausing as she dried her hair and sat beside their bed. "They really did a lot today."
She pulled the blanket snug over them, her eyes softening. Even though they had teased her mercilessly about their father, she couldn’t help but chuckle at how enthusiastic they’d been in the garden.
Bending down, she kissed their foreheads. "Good night, Chacha. Good night, Second." Smiling, she rose and headed to the walk-in closet to finish drying her hair.
Sitting at the vanity mirror, she toweled her hair, still chuckling quietly.
"That was not what I expected," she admitted to herself. "Renovating that place turned out so much better than I thought. That was fun..."
Bzt... bzt...
Her thoughts halted when her phone vibrated on the vanity. Her brows lifted at the name flashing on the screen.
Amala.
Without hesitation, she answered with a smile. "Hey, Amala—" But she didn’t finish her greeting before Amala’s stern voice cut in.
The smile on Lola’s face faded as she listened. "Are you... are you sure?"
"Yes," Amala replied firmly. Her voice was mature and steady like usual. "I found the person who could be the one who got you pregnant."