CHAPTER 424: CHAPTER 424: HOLD ON TO ME

Daniel looked at Russell with a complicated expression. Like Calvin, Russell had been by Chantelle’s side for the past six years. He was completely loyal to her, so why would he agree to let the Nelsen brothers join the experiment at such a critical moment?

No matter how hard Daniel thought about it, he could only come up with one answer that Russell didn’t trust him. The Nelsen brothers were there to protect Chantelle.

The thought made Daniel feel irritated.

Obviously, Russell didn’t bother hiding his intentions. Since there was only one medical device before, Daniel had to share a room with Chantelle while taking the drug. But now that they had two devices, sharing a room was no longer necessary.

Russell happily assigned Chantelle and Daniel to rooms far apart from each other.

Chantelle’s ward was also heavily guarded.

Since she entered the room, Daniel hadn’t seen her once. He could only get updates about her condition and the Nelsen brothers’ constant attention from Philip.

****

A month later, Kane, dressed in stylish kids’ clothes, skipped ahead of the group at Easthan Airport. Chantelle held Stephanie’s hand and Railer’s with the other as she followed behind him. "Walk straight, Kane," she said.

"Mommy, we’re finally back in Easthan! I missed the city so much!" Kane spun around excitedly.

Chantelle found it odd. Kane and Stephanie were born in Carcosa and had lived there for six years. Yet, they had no trouble adjusting to life in Easthan. They never even asked to go back to Carcosa.

During their stay there this time, the two often talked about how much they missed Easthan.

Now that they were back, Chantelle felt much lighter.

"Here, Chantie!" Thea called out from the exit, holding a big bouquet of flowers.

Chantelle glanced at the roses, then at Thea. Seeing Thea’s eyes darting past her, Chantelle teased, "Are those flowers really for me?"

When Thea didn’t see the person she was looking for, she cheerfully shoved the bouquet into Chantelle’s arms. "Of course! My darling Chantie, I missed you so much! Did you miss me, babies?"

"Auntie Thea, I missed you!" Kane said sweetly, running straight into her arms.

Thea hugged him tight and showered him with kisses, making the boy squirm and pull away. "Ah! Auntie Thea, don’t get your saliva on my face!"

"What did you say, you little punk?" Thea glared at him.

Kane quickly changed his tone. "Your kisses are the best! I won’t wash my face for a month!"

While Thea was playing with Kane, her eyes kept wandering behind him.

Chantelle stood in front of her and said, "Stop looking around. Philip didn’t come back. He stayed in Carcosa."

Thea looked puzzled. "Why didn’t he come back? Isn’t Mr. Wilson better now?"

Just thinking about it soured Chantelle’s mood. Daniel had recovered quickly, much faster than she did. But the moment he was back on his feet, he rushed to visit those two women in the hospital.

That wasn’t all. After that, he left and never came back. He didn’t even show up when Chantelle left with the children. He had even made a sarcastic remark, saying there was nothing to worry about since the Nelsen brothers were there to protect her.

Since she boarded the plane, Chantelle hadn’t gotten a single message from him. She could accept it if he didn’t want to keep in touch with her, but these were his children. She couldn’t believe he could be so heartless as to turn his back on them.

"He has some things to take care of in Carcosa and asked Philip to stay there with him," Chantelle said, not wanting to speak badly about Daniel in front of the kids.

She had been furious at first, but the flight had helped her to slightly calm down.

Thea could tell that Chantelle must’ve had another fight with Daniel, so she quickly dropped their conversation.

"Stephanie? You must be Stephanie! Oh my god, you’re even cuter in person than on TV. Can I take a picture with you?"

"Is that Stephanie? I’m a fan!"

Someone in the crowd recognized her, shouting excitedly, and soon, fans began to gather around them.

Chantelle handed Kane and Railer over to Thea so she could take the kids away from the crowd, while Chantelle stayed behind to look after Stephanie.

Stephanie took off her sunglasses and happily posed for photos with her fans. She even signed autographs for those who asked. The fans were polite and calm, without any loud screaming.

Chantelle felt proud watching Stephanie handle everything with such grace and confidence.

Just as the interaction was wrapping up, a sudden commotion broke out in the crowd.

"Ah! It’s Clint! Clint is here!"

"I love you, Clint! I want to have your babies!"

A group of girls suddenly rushed toward the back, and Chantelle’s first instinct was to grab Stephanie and get her out of the crowd.

Being taller than most of the women there, she could see over their heads. Her eyes fell on a young man in a hat and mask, and she immediately thought he must be Clint.

His appearance sent the fans into a frenzy.

At this rate, a stampede could break out any second.

"Stephanie, hold on to me!" Chantelle shouted as she pushed through the crowd with her elbows, trying to get them out.

Still, that was easier said than done. Chantelle and Stephanie were trapped in the middle of the crowd from the very start.

"Mommy, mommy..." Stephanie wrapped her arms around Chantelle’s neck, trembling with fear.

She had encountered crazy fans before in Carcosa, but nothing like this. The crowd looked wild, as if they were ready to devour their idol.

"Don’t be scared. It’s okay," Chantelle said, trying to comfort her while being pushed closer and closer toward the young idol.

Then, Chantelle tripped over someone’s foot and fell. Just before hitting the ground, she lifted Stephanie and passed her to someone nearby.

"Mommy! Don’t step on my mommy! Don’t step on my mommy!" Stephanie cried, tears streaming down her face.

Just as Chantelle was about to fall, a pair of hands grabbed her by the waist and pulled her up.

At the same time, airport security rushed in to break up the crowd, creating a clear path through the chaos.

The hand around her waist shifted to her wrist, dragging her forward as they ran.