Chapter 77: A Jealous Newton

Diana opened her eyes slowly, squinting against the bright sunlight pouring through the light curtains. "Where are we, Mom? she asked, her voice small and groggy. "We are at your father’s villa in the hills," Selen explained gently, sitting on the edge of the plush mattress.

The words had left her mouth before she could try to rearrange them. This was the first time she was referring to Clancy as their father in front of any of the kids. Although he was indeed their father, she was never put in a position to say it to them.

She was avoiding putting any kind of pressure on them when it came to accepting Clancy. But with how Diana went on without acknowledging what she said was like a big deal, she continued to speak. Maybe she needed to be less guarded about Clancy’s relationship with the kids.

"The traffic on the highway was bad last night, so we stayed here. Remember? You had your meds in the dining room before going back to sleep" she said and Diana nodded as she recalled the faint memory of being in the unfamiliar room with her mom.

"But the roads are open now, sweetie. It’s time to take your morning medication and get ready to go home." She said to her. Diana nodded obediently. Selen arranged for food to be brought in and Diana ate a bit before swallowing her pills with a sip of water Selen handed her.

Routine was everything for Diana, and Selen could see the slight anxiety in her daughter’s eyes from waking up in an unfamiliar room. Selen worked quickly, packing their minimal beach gear back into their bags to minimize any further disruption.

By the time they descended the stairs, Clancy’s staff had already moved their bags out of the SUV to another car that was parked beside it. Elena stood by the front door, offering a polite goodbye. Clancy thanked her briefly, handing over a few final instructions regarding the villa’s remaining maintenance before turning his full attention to the family.

His driver had already taken his position at the driver’s seat, Sarah took her spot in the back row next to the boys, while Diana climbed into the middle row.

Selen hesitated joining the boys at the back seat and trading places with Sarah for a fraction of a second before she took her seat beside Diana. She knew avoiding the front row would only make things more awkward.

Clancy opened the door from the other side and took a seat beside Diana. As soon as the doors locked, the driver started the engine, and the heavy security gates swung open, he steered the SUV down the private road, leaving the quiet and peaceful Villa behind.

Within ten minutes, they were merging back onto the main highway. The traffic was moving at normal speeds, the red brake lights from the night before were completely gone, leaving only the sea to their right.

Inside the car, the silence was heavy, ever so often filled only by the quiet murmurs of the boys playing a game in the back. Selen kept her eyes fixed on the road ahead, refusing to glance to her left.

Yet, the memory of Clancy’s fingers brushing her cheek, the warmth of his breath, and the sudden vulnerability in his eyes stayed vivid. He was driving with his usual casual confidence, one hand relaxed on the steering wheel, looking in control.

"Are you doing okay, Diana?" Clancy asked suddenly, breaking the silence as he checked on the little girl that sat beside him. "I’m okay," Diana replied, her voice calm. "The bed was big." She casually added. "It is a pretty nice house," Clancy added softly, his voice dropping slightly.

Selen felt a shift in the air, she turned her head slightly to look at him. His profile was sharp against the morning light, his expression entirely focused on the highway.

"Thank you for last night, Clancy," Selen said quietly, her voice low enough that the kids would not notice the change in tone.

Clancy did not turn his head, but a small, familiar smile touched the corner of his lips. "You do not need to thank me, Selen. I told you that I take care of what’s important. And you are all important" he responded.

His words hung in the space between them, a quiet confirmation that despite the daylight and the return to reality, the boundary between them had shifted and the dynamic would never be exactly the same again.

****

Newton glanced at his phone for what seemed to be the hundredth time. And to the rest of the people in the room with him, it was.

He had an early morning meeting that day and to him, it was some kind of way to taunt him even more. He read the last text message he had received from Selen the evening of the previous day.

"There was a rock slide and the roads were totally blocked. Thankfully Clancy has a villa around and we are currently getting settled in for the night" she had texted. He had sent her two more messages since then but she had not responded yet.

Clancy was already there to the rescue. He did not get the chance to tell her that he could find her a room in some hotels in the area because he knew the owners. But that was fine, as long as Selen was okay.

He deliberated sending a third but he feared that a third message would be too clingy of him. But how else was he supposed to act? The woman he cared for was spending the night with her ex husband. Their kids were there too. It sounded like they were being one big happy family and he was the intruder.

"Matters of the heart," he thought to himself internally as he shook his head. "Do you not like the idea, sir?" one of his project managers asked him, causing him to come to reality while he was still in a meeting.

"N- no, go on, please." he said, hating how distracted he was that day. The meeting continued for about an hour more before everyone was dismissed to resume work at their independent offices.

As he walked out of the conference room, a call came in, it was Selen. Finally! "Hello? Selen?" He said immediately he answered the call.