A Love Trap

Chapter 892 The Family Reunion

The rumors going around didn't matter to Belinda. After all, there was usually very little truth in them. As long as her daughter said that Andrew was a good man, she would continue to believe it.

There was seldom a dearth of 'topics' when it came to conversations amongst women. They could talk about anything under the sun, unlike men who often found themselves lost for words.

Ashley and Belinda strolled from one end of the garden to the other, immersed in their conversation.

Ashley glanced at her watch, breaking herself away from their discussion for a moment. It was a force of habit for Ashley. She always knew instinctively when it was time for her children to get back from school. She slowly led Belinda and herself into the living room to welcome her children who would be arriving shortly.

Her three children were at the door in a matter of seconds just as she had expected. Dany was leading the trio with Fabio and Richard trailing tiredly behind him.

The first thing Fabio always did when he got back home was to look for his mother.

Earlier it had been only Fabio and Richard in the house. But now, they could spend more time with their mom.

The moment Fabio and Dany saw Ashley sitting on the sofa, they dashed towards her cheerfully, with their arms outstretched for a hug. "Mommy!" they squealed excitedly.

"I am so happy that you two are back home! I've missed you, my darlings!"

She held the two kids in a tight bear hug and placed a gentle kiss on their foreheads.

Looking at the three children running excitedly into the living room, Belinda and Martin were stunned.

Were they all Ashley's children?

All three of them were adorable and Ashley's parents got the feeling that they'd all grow up to be beautiful someday.

Jeremy had met Fabio before, so he knew that Fabio was a carbon copy of Andrew. The similarity in their features was almost uncanny.

"Hi, Uncle Jeremy!"

said Fabio in a sweet voice when he saw Jeremy.

"Jeremy is my brother. So that makes him your uncle, do you understand?"

Ashley rubbed Fabio's head and then turned to her other children with kind eyes.

"Ok! We got it, mom!"

Fabio, Richard and Dany spoke in unison.

"Good kids!"

Jeremy felt a mixture of pride and joy brimming in his heart as he looked at his nephews and niece.

It suddenly occurred to him that he hadn't brought any gifts for them yet.

'I will get something for the kids the next time I visit, ' he thought to himself.

Ashley then turned towards Belinda and Martin, who were seated on the couch. Then she said to her children, "These are my parents. Or in other words, your grandpa and your grandma."

Fabio and Richard looked at Belinda and Martin, and then they turned to Ashley. They arched their eyebrows in confusion.

The strange couple on the couch were their grandparents?

This seemed to be impossible to their young minds.

They had grown up believing that Cynthia and Zen were their only grandparents. During the four years they spent in N country, they had not known another truth. So it was natural that they couldn't wrap their head around the idea that these strangers were also their grandparents.

Ashley stopped Fabio before he could voice his confusion out loud. She shushed them with a simple look- one that she'd learnt as a mother.

"Go on now. Greet your grandparents," she said enthusiastically.

"Hello, grandpa and grandma."

Although they had their doubts, Fabio and Richard did as their mother had told them. They slowly stepped up to the couch and extended their hands for a handshake.

"Is... Is this Fabio?" The moment she laid her eyes on Fabio, Belinda felt elated.

"Yes. My name is Fabio, grandma. This is my brother Richard and that is my sister Dany."

He suddenly spoke with the authority of a leader introducing the rest of his crew.

"You're such a darling young boy!

Can I hug you?" asked Belinda anxiously. She wanted to hold her grandchild in her arms more than anything in the world.

Fabio looked at Ashley subconsciously. He always did that when he wasn't sure what to do.

Ashley nodded reassuringly.

"Yes, grandma. You can hug me!"

Fabio stretched out his little arms and bounced on to Belinda's lap. She quickly wrapped him in her arms.

She smelt the faint fragrance of milk coming from his body. It was the scent of childhood. His body felt tiny and warm in her arms. She felt a rising wave of love within her.

Chant watched them from afar but didn't say a word.

He knew all about Ashley's past.

After all, Ashley was Andrew's wife. So it was essential that he knew her past.

Ashley had now reunited with her family members. Chant felt delighted for her from the bottom of his heart.

The villa, which had begun to grow rather sullen, was brimming with a newfound energy. The light seemed warmer in the afterglow of this reunion.

Ashley beamed as she looked at the scene that was unfolding before her eyes.

That moment was all she'd ever wanted.

Jeremy, Belinda and Martin spent the whole day with Ashley and her children.

When Andrew returned home, he was surprised at what he saw.

Everyone was sitting on the couch in the living room, basking in each other's company. It seemed to him like the set of a sitcom he liked to watch. It seemed almost unreal to him.

Andrew was about to step in, but he stopped when noticing Jeremy's presence.

He looked at Jeremy coldly. He couldn't believe it.

'Why is he still here?' he wondered, barely managing to keep this thought from showing on his face.

Jeremy sensed that something was off. He could feel a cold stare upon him and turned around to see Andrew at the doorway.

Jeremy wasn't the kind to hold a grudge against anyone.

He countered Andrew's stare with a gentle smile.

"You're here!"

Ashley turned around when she heard her husband's voice. She smiled heartily as Andrew took careful steps into the living room.

Ashley skipped to Andrew's side and said, "Honey! You're back."

"Yeah, baby!

Andrew held Ashley tightly in his arms.

He released her quickly as he realized that he was crushing her pregnant belly.

Ashley whispered in Andrew's ear, "Andy, Jeremy came with my parents."

"Well, how long have they been here?"Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

"Almost the whole day."

Andrew was momentarily dumbstruck.

Before he had time to process this information, Linda casually walked into the living room. "It's time for dinner now!" she announced.

It was only then that Martin and Belinda realized that they had been there for so long.

They felt guilty for overstaying.

But Chant stopped them and said, "It's time for dinner. Where do you think you guys are going? You are Ashley's parents. If you leave now, people who don't know the situation might think that we treated you badly."

"It's just... We feel we have been here for way too long, so..."

"It doesn't matter. You are Ashley's parents. You have every reason to visit her. Alright, that's enough. Let's stop talking about it and have dinner!"

Chant said and motioned everyone to the table.

Ashley looked at Chant gratefully. She had just found her parents, but she thought she had easily gotten along with them.

However, she still felt a little uncomfortable to call her, mother.

Moreover, Ashley had called Cynthia, mother, for the last five years in N Country. Although Cynthia was not her biological mother, in her heart, she felt that she was.

Because there were many people at the dinner table, the atmosphere was very lively.

It would seem wrong if members of the same family didn't talk to each other while eating.

The dining room was filled with lively chatter and the clinking of wine glasses.

After dinner, Ashley's parents said their goodbyes and were escorted by Ashley to their car.

Just as she held the handle of the car, Belinda looked at Ashley. All of a sudden, she was unwilling to leave her daughter behind.

Although she had stayed here for one day, it was still not enough.