Love Contract
Chapter 189 Agreement ( Part Two)

"Nothing," Barry said. He smiled down at her. "I'll take you to another room. The kids are taking up the whole bed. There's no space for you." Barry jerked his head in the direction of the children. "A-another room?" Mary blinked awake, startled at his reply. She became aware of his arms around her. "You can put me down, I can walk on my own..."

"No, it's okay. I want to hold you. I'll put you down when we get to the room next door."

'Another room? The room next door? What?1

Mary's thoughts repeated themselves. When the implication finally dawned on her, she was bright red.

"You—you rascal! What are you thinking?" Barry grinned at her, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"What do you mean? What are you thinking?" Mary's face burned. "I... I'm not thinking about anything! Don't don't get me wrong!" she said quickly.

"Actually, Mary," Barry said. He stopped and looked at her. "I was actually thinking..." "Hmm?" Mary gazed back at him and blinked. "You... What are you trying to say?"

"Mary, you know what I mean, don't you?" Barry 's voice had dropped several octaves, laced with desire.

He lowered his head suddenly and kissed her.

Mary's mind went blank. Dazed, she gently pushed Barry away with her hand.

"Mary..." Barry pulled away, dragging his lips against her neck and earlobe. "I want you. Is that delusional of me?"

Another searing kiss swallowed the rest of her reply. Barry's mouth was moving insistently against hers, and she found it hard to break away. "Let go... Barry, don't..." she mumbled on his lips. Barry's arms stayed wrapped around her frame, despite her weak protests.

"Click."

He shut the bedroom door behind him and moved to bring Mary out of the suite. By the entrance, however, there was a faint sound of someone trying the knob.

"Bang!" The suite's door swung open and slammed against the wall. Two people from the inside stared at the other two people from the outside, all sharing the same stunned expression. Caged in Barry's embrace, red lips shiny and swollen, Mary looked at the men standing on the other side of the door. She felt her throat dry up. "William..." she croaked. "William? Lucas? What are you doing here?"

Barry had stopped abruptly and raised his head, facing the others. His eyes were still dark with lust.

Mary felt like a married woman caught having an affair. She scrambled out of Barry's arms in a panic.

William's tall figure almost blocked the entire door. He sensed Mary's discomfort, as well as Barry's hunger. Blue veins bulged from the back of his clenched fist.

"Barry Gu, you piece of shit!"

William strode over and quickly closed the gap between them, landing a punch to Barry's stomach. Barry stumbled back, caught off guard by the assault.

"What's going on here? Mr. Lan, you told me you were just looking for someone!" Lucas had tricked the hotel manager into leading them to Barry's room. He wasn't expecting this to be the outcome. "Gentlemen, please! Stop fighting! Stop it!" William couldn't hear the manager over the anger pounding in his head. He continued to march over to Barry, looking like he was ready to swallow the other man alive.

Barry regained his senses quickly. When William was close enough, Barry swung his arm and socked him in the jaw.

His night's plans had been ruined by the man opposite him, so what better way was there to vent his anger? It felt so good to land a punch!

"William Lan! I wanted to beat you up a long time ago," Barry said coldly.

"You think I didn't want to do the same to you?" spat William. "What were you doing to Mary just now? How dare you!"

"Isn't that obvious?" Barry smirked, "It's exactly what you think it is!"

"Bastard!" William roared. The two men lunged at each other, becoming a blur of flying fists.

"Oh, my God! Stop it!" Mary watched them in horror. "Please, stop fighting! Are you crazy? This is too much already, stop it!"

Lucas had been frozen by the doorway. He only came back to his senses when he heard Mary's cries. "Damn it! That's enough, cool it already!"

He stepped toward them to intervene but was instantly sent flying to the ground with a thud. The two men paid him no mind and continued brawling. "Lucas! Are you okay? Come here." Mary hurried to help him up.

"Ah, it hurts!" "Why are you just standing there?" Lucas yelled at the manager. "Do something! Drag them away from each other! We'll each take one, come on!"

"Yes, sir!" the manager replied panic-stricken. He and Lucas walked up to the fight, each struggling to hold back a man.

"Lucas, let go of me!" William howled. "I'm going to beat this bastard up!"

"There isn't a clear winner of this fight just yet!" Barry blustered. "William Lan, if anyone here is a bastard, it'd be you!"

They both tried to escape the other men's grasps, inching forward as they trash-talked one another.

"Shut up! What are you two doing? Can't you talk to each other calmly?" Mary stood between the two parties. She rubbed her temples, trying to get rid of her splitting headache. "Can you please be quiet for a minute? Calm down!"

"Mary, this man wants to do something bad to you!" William pointed an accusing finger at Barry. "If I don't beat him up—"

"Quiet!" Mary glared at him. "You're the one barging in uninvited in the middle of the night. You're the one who wants to do something bad to us!"

"I..." William gaped at her, unable to defend himself.

"Mary, look-"

Barry began to talk but was cut off by another outburst from Mary.

"You need to shut up, too, Barry!" Barry pursed his lips and looked down at his feet.

"Oh my God, Daddy Lan!"

The commotion had woken the twins up, and they stood by the bedroom door, just catching the tail end of the argument.

Elissa scanned the crowd that had gathered in the suite before her eyes settled on William. She ran and threw herself into his arms.

"Elissa!" William's spirits lifted swiftly upon seeing her. He squatted down and picked up the little girl. His smile soon turned into a grimace as a dull pain throbbed in his arm.

"Daddy Lan, are you hurt? Why is your face bleeding?"

"No, I'm alright, honey," William said. He smiled at her dotingly, trying to mask the toll the fight had taken on him. "Daddy Barry! You're also injured!" Alick peered up at him and stole a glance at the open door o the suite.

"Daddy's okay, don't worry," Barry also shook his head. His lips couldn't help but turn up at the boy's concern.

Mary groaned into her hands. The situation was so absurd. She could barely wrap her head around it, let alone form a coherent thought.

"Right. Well, then..." The hotel manager squirmed at the suffocating tension that hung over the room. "Mr. Lan, I'll fetch some medicinal wine."

He scampered out of the room.

"Mommy, Daddy Lan is bleeding. What should we do? I'm scared!" Elissa had never seen William like this. She shook like a leaf in his arms, and her eyes welled up with tears.

"Daddy Barry is also injured!" Alick looked at Barry with concern. "Mommy, you have to help Daddy Barry treat his wound!"

"Mary, I'm wounded too!" Lucas called out weakly. He was not to be outdone.

Three sets of puppy dog eyes fixated on Mary, each one vying for her attention. She gawked at their sorry state.

Gosh! Since when was she surrounded by so many exasperating men? They drove her up the wall!

"You deserved it! All three of you deserve it!" She pointed at the door and raised her voice. "Get out! Get out of my face! Come on, Alick and Elissa. Let's go to bed!"

"No! I want to be with Daddy Lan!"

"No! I want to be with Daddy Barry!"

The twins spoke in unison.

"Fine! If you don't want to sleep, suit yourselves!" Glaring daggers at the lot of them, Mary huffed, "I'm off to sleep. If anyone dares to disturb me, I'm leaving! And none of you could replace me!"

With that, she turned on her heel and stormed toward the bedroom. The door slammed shut, leaving the three men and the twins staring after her from the other side.

"Mommy's got a horrible temper!" Elissa said. She watched the door, eyes wide with shock.

"Yeah, we're doomed," Alick mumbled.

"This is all your fault!" Lucas complained, "Now she's mad at all of us! How old are you two? How can you fight like that with each other? You were like a pair of teenagers!" He threw his hands up in annoyance.

"It's all his fault!" William glowered at Barry. "If I had come a moment later-" "You would have done me a favor!" Barry interjected. He continued icily, "You're the crazy ones! It's already late. Why did you come all the way here from A City?"

"That's none of your business, You bastard!" William narrowed his eyes.

Lucas sensed another fight might break out and ushered them to the sofa. "Come on, we can't keep arguing like this," said Lucas. "Let's sit down and have a talk."

"Talk about what exactly?" William asked.

"About how we're going to woo Mary," Lucas answered.

"Alright then," Barry replied, albeit hesitantly.

The trio squished themselves onto the sofa, looking almost comical with their bruised faces and disheveled clothing.

"I say we make a gentlemen's agreement!" Lucas glanced at both of them. "We'll all start on the same running line and pursue her aboveboard."

"I agree!"

The men nodded at the idea.

"Also, if anyone initiates anything intimate with Mary," continued Lucas, "as long as she consents, no one else can object." William and Barry exchanged skeptical glances with each other.

"Alright, think about it. How can we not try to hold and kiss the woman we love?" The doctor reasoned, "If we all got into fights for kissing Mary, we'd all be beaten up beyond repair before anyone could actually win her heart."

"If Mary consents, it means that the other two will not have a chance with her anymore!"

Barry thought it over. "I agree. No objection," he said.

"What about you?" Lucas looked at William.

"I agree, too." William nodded. This would have to do for now. It was the best solution the three could come up with.

"Well! Then, from now on, we are formal and friendly rivals in love! Everyone should show their skills and try their best to see who will win Mary's heart! And don't act shamelessly!"

"Deal!"

"Deal!"

Candy GSmgB