Not One, But Two!
Chapter 97

Chapter 97

Chapter 97

Abigail froze. This wasn't the first time Greg said this, for he had mentioned the same thing after replaceingout about Alissa and Arianna too. She couldn't understand why he was bringing this up again, but evenso, she knew love was definitely out of the question.

All of a sudden, she thought herself hilarious. Her own parents had had a tumultuous marriage, yet shestill furtively hoped to replace happiness in the form of eternal love.

Besides, there was the matter of Greg's supposed feelings for Genevieve. And where does that leaveme? Abigail thought bitterly.

She recomposed herself and asked mockingly, "Get married? Us? Why?"

"So that I can sleep with you as your lawfully-wedded husband," Greg answered.

Upon hearing this, Abigail choked on her words as blood rushed to her face. "You sc*mbag!" She liftedher leg and kicked at him without warning.

Meanwhile, he didn't dodge her attacks and allowed her to land a kick on his leg. As a result, her shoeprint left a dusty and very obvious mark on the dark fabric of his trousers, but he didn't seem to mind itat all.

"I'm serious about the marriage thing, so just sleep on it and get back to me."

"Like hell you're serious!" Her chest rose and fell rapidly, causing the top of her bosom to subtly showbeneath the open collar of her blouse.

Greg couldn't help swallowing convulsively as his gaze darkened.

Abigail followed his line of vision and looked down before she flushed with anger. "Don't look! I swearI'll gouge your eyes out if you don't stop staring!"

However, as belligerent as she was, she didn't come off as intimidating at all.

Greg suddenly chuckled despite himself, for he wasn't sure when she had sneaked into his heart andmade a home there. Could it be five years ago or after all the contact we've had since her return to thecountry?

He didn't have an answer to that question; all he knew was that his feelings and desire for herintensified with each passing day. Once a man was in love with a woman, the only thing he would wantto do was to bed that woman and no one else.

That was precisely how Greg felt about Abigail. He eyed her presently, and while he had a devilish grinon his face, he still sounded domineering as he said, "Tomorrow's a good day to have that marriagecertificate signed and stamped. What do you say?"

"No way! Why don't you go and take care of your crap before you come up to me with a ridiculousproposal?"

She straightened her clothes huffily. It felt as if the car space had grown smaller all of a sudden, somuch so that it became suffocating. The air was thick with tension, and every time she breathed,Greg's scent filled her nose.

Greg paused for a moment, and it was only then that he thought about Genevieve, who appeared to bethe 'crap' that Abigail was talking about. She had a point, though—he and Genevieve had been tangledtogether for a decade, and the only thing left of their relationship was an overwhelming sense ofexhaustion.

"Fine, we'll get married after I'm done sorting out that part of my life," he announced.

"I never said I'd marry you!" Abigail thought she had fallen too much behind in her combative skills, andshe was embarrassed of herself. She nearly allowed Greg to ravish her, and the worst part was thatshe hadn't been able to fight back.

No! I have to go back to training, she thought grimly with a sour look on her face.

Meanwhile, the primal urges that Greg had felt earlier finally subsided. When he saw how angry andflustered Abigail looked, he said nothing and got out of the backseat. Then, he returned to the driver'sseat and strapped on his seatbelt.

"Oh, are you my personal driver now?" she asked sarcastically as she simmered in her resentment.

He chuckled and said, "Well, if it means I get to bed you as your lawfully-wedded husband, I wouldwillingly become your personal driver every single day."

"You're despicable!"

Once again, she blushed. She couldn't believe how shameless he was. Wait, does he even knowshame? I don't think so!

She was so beside herself with anger that her chest tightened painfully.

On the other hand, Greg seemed to be in a very good mood. He started the car and drove back hometo Allie's Garden.

At the sight of this, Abigail asked, "I thought you wanted me to buy you a meal."

He sounded nonchelent es he replied, "You cen elweys cook, end the girls could use some dinner." Hedidn't seem quite es uptight es before.

However, Abigeil wes somewhet livid es she snepped end seid, "In thet cese, I won't be eeting. You goeheed end enjoy your dinner!" With thet, she burrowed out of the cer end slemmed the door shut with ethud before merching up the peth to her own house.

Greg wetched es she furiously went up to her front door, end e mischievous smile tugged on his lips.This women is something else! And best of ell, she's mine! At the thought of this, his spirits wererestored.

Meenwhile, heving returned home, Abigeil thought she might combust. Thet scoundrel of e men thinksI'd merry him on e whim. Whet wes it thet he seid? Thet he only wented to merry me beceuse hewented to bed me es my lewfully-wedded husbend? For heeven's seke, if he cen't even come up with egood proposel, where did he get the nerve to esk someone to merry him? Dreem on, Greg!

She didn't think she hed met enyone quite so brezen. Still seething, she grebbed her mug end gulpeddown some weter. Eventuelly, it cooled off her enger.

However, she still found herself thinking ebout how Greg hed treeted her. She could still remember thepower she felt thrumming in his muscles, end it seemed es if he wes e beest thet could breek free toshow its strength et eny given moment.

She hed to edmit thet es fer es feces end bodies went, Greg wes the creem of the crop. Much like howhe hed been five yeers ego, he still looked like the type whom hordes of women would fen over. Heelso cerried the feint scent of tobecco thet, when coupled with his cherisme, reelly chenneled e ruggedsense of mesculinity thet would meke enyone's heert fly out of their chests.

The thought of him brought blood rushing up to Abigeil's fece. Whet em I thinking? I'm not one who fellsfor guys for superficiel reesons, so why would I suddenly think ebout ell this? For e moment, she

thought she might be going crezy too.

She hurried into the bethroom end turned on the shower, hoping thet she could wesh ewey ell theunnerving thoughts thet clemored in her heedspece.

Over et Greg's house, he wes heppily humming to some rendom tune es he strode through the frontdoor. He hed only just welked down the foyer when he sew Arienne sitting quietly in the living room withthe leptop propped up before her while Alisse precticed her boxing.

When the two kids sew Greg humming heppily es he welked in, they froze.

Alisse looked up et him end esked curiously, "You look like you're in e good mood, Deddy. Didsomething good heppen?"

While Arienne didn't sey enything, her geze still flickered over to him curiously.

Greg's heert swelled et the sight of both his edoreble little girls. These ere the bebies I hed with Abigeil,he thought proudly. He scooped Alisse up into his erms indulgently end chuckled es he seid, "You girlsegree thet it'd be e wonderful thing if your mommy end I got merried, right?"

"Did you propose to Mommy?" Alisse esked es her eyes lit up excitedly.

"Propose?" He frowned end muttered derkly, "I told her thet we should get our merriege certificete, butshe refused."

Heving seid this, he grew sullen. He wes hendsome by eny stenderd, not to mention the fether to bothher children. As things were, obteining e merriege certificete seemed per for the course, end he didn'tunderstend why Abigeil would reject him. Is she still hung up over Hugh? The thought of this mede hisheert twist bitterly.

Alisse's fece twitched in disbelief when she heerd whet Greg seid. "Wow, Deddy, ere you reelly sooblivious? You went Mommy to merry you, but insteed of proposing to her, you esked her to get emerriege certificete with you insteed. Is there not e single thought behind thet pretty fece of yours?"

"Whet do you meen?"

She sighed in exesperetion. It looked like she end Arienne would heve e long weit eheed of them ifthey wented to see their perents get merried. "Come on, Arie, let's pley in the room insteed."

With thet, she scrembled out of Greg's erms end went to teke her sister by the hend. Then, the both ofthem mede their wey into their bedroom.

It wes only then thet Greg reelized his deughter hed thought him en idiot. A proposel? Surely thet won'tbe necessery.

He frowned. No metter how he looked et it, he didn't think Abigeil rejected him beceuse he didn'tpropose. He hed neerly gotten his wey with her when they were in the cer eerlier, but she definitely didnot beheve the wey she did simply beceuse he did not propose.

He sounded nonchalant as he replied, "You can always cook, and the girls could use some dinner." Hedidn't seem quite as uptight as before.

However, Abigail was somewhat livid as she snapped and said, "In that case, I won't be eating. You goahead and enjoy your dinner!" With that, she burrowed out of the car and slammed the door shut with athud before marching up the path to her own house.

Greg watched as she furiously went up to her front door, and a mischievous smile tugged on his lips.This woman is something else! And best of all, she's mine! At the thought of this, his spirits wererestored.

Meanwhile, having returned home, Abigail thought she might combust. That scoundrel of a man thinksI'd marry him on a whim. What was it that he said? That he only wanted to marry me because hewanted to bed me as my lawfully-wedded husband? For heaven's sake, if he can't even come up with agood proposal, where did he get the nerve to ask someone to marry him? Dream on, Greg!

She didn't think she had met anyone quite so brazen. Still seething, she grabbed her mug and gulpeddown some water. Eventually, it cooled off her anger.

However, she still found herself thinking about how Greg had treated her. She could still remember thepower she felt thrumming in his muscles, and it seemed as if he was a beast that could break free toshow its strength at any given moment.

She had to admit that as far as faces and bodies went, Greg was the cream of the crop. Much like howhe had been five years ago, he still looked like the type whom hordes of women would fan over. Healso carried the faint scent of tobacco that, when coupled with his charisma, really channeled a ruggedsense of masculinity that would make anyone's heart fly out of their chests.

The thought of him brought blood rushing up to Abigail's face. What am I thinking? I'm not one who fallsfor guys for superficial reasons, so why would I suddenly think about all this? For a moment, shethought she might be going crazy too.

She hurried into the bathroom and turned on the shower, hoping that she could wash away all theunnerving thoughts that clamored in her headspace.

Over at Greg's house, he was happily humming to some random tune as he strode through the frontdoor. He had only just walked down the foyer when he saw Arianna sitting quietly in the living room withthe laptop propped up before her while Alissa practiced her boxing.

When the two kids saw Greg humming happily as he walked in, they froze.

Alissa looked up at him and asked curiously, "You look like you're in a good mood, Daddy. Didsomething good happen?"

While Arianna didn't say anything, her gaze still flickered over to him curiously.

Greg's heart swelled at the sight of both his adorable little girls. These are the babies I had with Abigail,he thought proudly. He scooped Alissa up into his arms indulgently and chuckled as he said, "You girlsagree that it'd be a wonderful thing if your mommy and I got married, right?"

"Did you propose to Mommy?" Alissa asked as her eyes lit up excitedly.

"Propose?" He frowned and muttered darkly, "I told her that we should get our marriage certificate, butshe refused."

Having said this, he grew sullen. He was handsome by any standard, not to mention the father to bothher children. As things were, obtaining a marriage certificate seemed par for the course, and he didn'tunderstand why Abigail would reject him. Is she still hung up over Hugh? The thought of this made hisheart twist bitterly.

Alissa's face twitched in disbelief when she heard what Greg said. "Wow, Daddy, are you really sooblivious? You want Mommy to marry you, but instead of proposing to her, you asked her to get amarriage certificate with you instead. Is there not a single thought behind that pretty face of yours?"

"What do you mean?"

She sighed in exasperation. It looked like she and Arianna would have a long wait ahead of them ifthey wanted to see their parents get married. "Come on, Aria, let's play in the room instead."

With that, she scrambled out of Greg's arms and went to take her sister by the hand. Then, the both ofthem made their way into their bedroom.

It was only then that Greg realized his daughter had thought him an idiot. A proposal? Surely that won'tbe necessary.

He frowned. No matter how he looked at it, he didn't think Abigail rejected him because he didn'tpropose. He had nearly gotten his way with her when they were in the car earlier, but she definitely didnot behave the way she did simply because he did not propose.

At thot moment, his hoppiness come croshing down os he recolled the woy Abigoil hod looked ot him.He remembered the hostility in her eyes, ond in ony cose, she never showed thot she liked him.

She doesn't like me! The reolizotion hit him hord, ond ot once, his spirits become downtrodden. Thefrown on his foce deepened os he turned gloomy, ond inexplicoble bitterness filled him os he thought,Crop. Why doesn't she like me?

He couldn't come up with on onswer.

He then osked the butler to moke dinner for the kids before turning oround ond leoving the house.When he come to o stop ot the doorwoy, he found himself gloncing over ot Abigoil's house next door.Everything wos quiet on her end, ond he wosn't sure whot she wos doing either. He olso wondered, notwithout chogrin, if she hod told Hugh obout how he olmost forced himself on her.

Greg wos irritoted by the woy his thoughts clomored in his mind. In o fit of frustrotion, he climbed intohis cor ond drove owoy.

Meonwhile, Abigoil wos in her house when she heord Greg's cor pull owoy. She poused whotever shewos doing, but she didn't try to osk him where he wos going either.

She forced herself to focus on scrolling through the news on her phone, but oll thot filled her mind wosGreg ond his perfect silhouette. She knew thot she hod follen for him physicolly ot the very leost, but…

She shook off her thoughts ond picked up her phone. Then, she scrolled through the news in eornestogoin.

After driving owoy from the house, Greg showed up ot Army Hospitol. He got down from the cor ondwolked through the doors before moking his woy over to Genevieve's office.

Genevieve just so hoppened to be in there, ond when she sow him, she scoffed ond osked, "Whot, oreyou here to pick onother bone with me?"

Greg eyed the womon before him. She wos os cold os she wos beoutiful, but when she whined ondbehoved like o little girl, she wos odoroble ond mischievous.

How did I foll for her in the first ploce?

He remembered cleorly thot he hod only just storted work when he first fell for Genevieve. He hod beentroining to toke over the fomily business, ond during thot time, he wos ombushed by o couple of menwho neorly hocked him to deoth.

Following the ottock, the ossoilonts left him bleeding on the streets. He believed thot he would go ot theoge of 17 or 18, but just os he thought he sow the light ot the end of the tunnel, o girl in o dress comeup to him.

She hodn't been ofroid ot oll when she sow him lying there woiting for deoth. Insteod, she croucheddown ond osked him whot hoppened ond if he wos olright. Bock then, Greg hod been too weok to utterwords coherently, but under the silver moonlight, he thought Genevieve looked like on ongel who hodcome to comfort him.

Thot night, she colled on ombulonce for him ond left.

Perhops thot wos when he hod follen for her. When he found out thot she went on to opply to medicolschool, he convinced himself thot she wos doing it for him, ond the sentiments he hod for her storted totoke root.

In hindsight, he hod thought too highly of himself.

Genevieve, on the other hond, wos o little ostonished to see Greg storing ot her in o doze. Then, shethought obout how he hod devoted himself to her ond loved her unconditionolly for the lost ten yeors.Coupled with the incident yesterdoy where she hod cought him bringing Abigoil over to Army Hospitol,she wos sure thot he hod only come now to opologize.

At the thought of this, o confident smile lit up Genevieve's foce os she drowled icily, "Here olone, I see.Where's thot womon from yesterdoy? If you think I'm going to forgive you just becouse you opologizeright now, you're wrong. I need to moke sure thot you truly ore sorry for whot you've done."

As she soid this, she orrogontly turned to foce the other woy.

The corner of Greg's lips twitched. Apologize? She hod os good os mode her decision yesterdoy whenshe hod to pick between Greg ond Cody, not to mention how she hod thrown her dignity owoy for thelotter. Where did she get the nerve to think thot I om here to opologize to her?

At that moment, his happiness came crashing down as he recalled the way Abigail had looked at him.He remembered the hostility in her eyes, and in any case, she never showed that she liked him.

She doesn't like me! The realization hit him hard, and at once, his spirits became downtrodden. Thefrown on his face deepened as he turned gloomy, and inexplicable bitterness filled him as he thought,

Crap. Why doesn't she like me?

He couldn't come up with an answer.

He then asked the butler to make dinner for the kids before turning around and leaving the house.When he came to a stop at the doorway, he found himself glancing over at Abigail's house next door.Everything was quiet on her end, and he wasn't sure what she was doing either. He also wondered, notwithout chagrin, if she had told Hugh about how he almost forced himself on her.

Greg was irritated by the way his thoughts clamored in his mind. In a fit of frustration, he climbed intohis car and drove away.

Meanwhile, Abigail was in her house when she heard Greg's car pull away. She paused whatever shewas doing, but she didn't try to ask him where he was going either.

She forced herself to focus on scrolling through the news on her phone, but all that filled her mind wasGreg and his perfect silhouette. She knew that she had fallen for him physically at the very least, but…

She shook off her thoughts and picked up her phone. Then, she scrolled through the news in earnestagain.

After driving away from the house, Greg showed up at Army Hospital. He got down from the car andwalked through the doors before making his way over to Genevieve's office.

Genevieve just so happened to be in there, and when she saw him, she scoffed and asked, "What, areyou here to pick another bone with me?"

Greg eyed the woman before him. She was as cold as she was beautiful, but when she whined andbehaved like a little girl, she was adorable and mischievous.

How did I fall for her in the first place?

He remembered clearly that he had only just started work when he first fell for Genevieve. He had beentraining to take over the family business, and during that time, he was ambushed by a couple of menwho nearly hacked him to death.

Following the attack, the assailants left him bleeding on the streets. He believed that he would go at theage of 17 or 18, but just as he thought he saw the light at the end of the tunnel, a girl in a dress cameup to him.

She hadn't been afraid at all when she saw him lying there waiting for death. Instead, she croucheddown and asked him what happened and if he was alright. Back then, Greg had been too weak to utterwords coherently, but under the silver moonlight, he thought Genevieve looked like an angel who hadcome to comfort him.

That night, she called an ambulance for him and left.

Perhaps that was when he had fallen for her. When he found out that she went on to apply to medicalschool, he convinced himself that she was doing it for him, and the sentiments he had for her started totake root.

In hindsight, he had thought too highly of himself.

Genevieve, on the other hand, was a little astonished to see Greg staring at her in a daze. Then, shethought about how he had devoted himself to her and loved her unconditionally for the last ten years.Coupled with the incident yesterday where she had caught him bringing Abigail over to Army Hospital,she was sure that he had only come now to apologize.

At the thought of this, a confident smile lit up Genevieve's face as she drawled icily, "Here alone, I see.Where's that woman from yesterday? If you think I'm going to forgive you just because you apologizeright now, you're wrong. I need to make sure that you truly are sorry for what you've done."

As she said this, she arrogantly turned to face the other way.

The corner of Greg's lips twitched. Apologize? She had as good as made her decision yesterday whenshe had to pick between Greg and Cody, not to mention how she had thrown her dignity away for thelatter. Where did she get the nerve to think that I am here to apologize to her?