HIS CONTRACTUAL MISTRESS

James knows her very well, so he just played along. Petting Hazel's head, he said, "If you learned my secret recipe, I can't boost my cooking anymore."

Hazel smiled with glee, knowing James knew how to please her. "Alright! Then I will eat them all!"

She urges James to hurry to feed her more. The kitchen helpers, peeling the carrots, were giggling while watching the new couple. When James leaves the kitchen and heads to the pool, the maids rush to Hazel's sides to gossip.

"Miss Hazel, congratulations! You and Sir James are a match made in heaven!"

"We've been working here for many years, but we never heard Mr. James has a girlfriend."

"Is that so?" Hazel was delighted to hear the maids. When James came back to the kitchen, Hazel had the sweetest smile on her face. "What was that?"

Hazel asked after she noticed James with the other knights carrying boxes and carefully placing them on the long table.

"When Hailee woke up, she instantly requested some cheesecakes with berries as a topping," James answered Hazel while he checked the boxes one by one. Hazel joined him.

"Hmm… Isn't Hailee does not like any color black for now?"

"You're right." James concurred. "We could only use the strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and cranberries."

"The salmonberry and tayberries as well," Hazel added when she saw the contents of the other boxes. "Since Hailee preferred the cheesecake. Then it will be the first one I bake."

"I'll help you." James volunteered. He didn't wait for Hazel's reply. He walked toward the storage room and took out the ingredients one by one.

Hazel beamed to see how thoughtful the boyfriend she has. She is happy that James is excellent in the kitchen; he also loves to cook like her, so she doesn't need to instruct what ingredients she needs.

After James brought all the ingredients, she hugged James and kissed him on the cheek. She knew to herself, she would not regret choosing James over her puppy love. Although James has a temper, he never was aggressive toward her, which is Jake is the opposite. That guy is a jerk.

"That's all?" complains James with a tease when Hazel only kissed him on the cheek.

Instantly, Hazel's face blushed pink. There are maids around them, so she smacks James on the shoulder to hide her timidity.

"Stop being silly. We better begin now!"

"Alright." James concurred. However, Hazel was left surprised when James stole a kiss on her lips and then acted as if nothing happened.

She could only render her silence when the maids giggled in the corner. Starting today, there will be another couple that would feed them with dog food every day. Of course, they love to gossip and witness such displays!

Later, Nadia and Liza finally woke up and joined Hazel in the kitchen. The two girls dropped their mouths open when they noticed that someone was flirting non-stop!

"What's the meaning of this, huh!?" Both Nadia and Liza nudge Hazel with their elbows when they have a chance to interrogate Hazel.

"Ouch! Why are you hurting me?" Hazel complains. James left the kitchen after a servant informed them that a few guests had arrived.

"Tell us the truth! Are you and James a couple now?" Liza and Nadia were too excited to hear Hazel's answer. When Hazel nodded her head, the three of them jumped and squealed.

"Shush! Enough! Let's hurry to finish making desserts before noon!" Hazel immediately settled down and continued mixing the ingredients for the carrot cakes.

Both Nadia and Liza nod their heads, but there's no way they would stop gossiping.

"Have you and James kissed already?"

When Hazel's face turned crimson red, Nadia and Liza squealed and jumped again. They just settled down when Madam Hilda Shen came to check them out.

After Hilda tasted the finished desserts, she left immediately and headed to the main kitchen of the mansion to check the soup. The girls spent the entire morning baking and gossiping while Hailee's guests arrived, one by one.

At the pool area, Hailee sat on a lounge chair with the other girls, waiting patiently for her guests. She was wearing a white bikini underneath a chiffon beach robe, which was slightly visible in her baby bump.

When Vincent approached her with a small layer of cheesecakes with a lot of berries, the babies in her womb started kicking, making a wave of fetal movement in her belly.

"Thank you, hubby. Look! The babies were so happy!"

Vincent quickly kneeled and stroked her belly while talking to the kids. "Are you guys excited to meet mom and dad? We can't wait to see you guys too!"

Hailee smiled, watching Vincent doing that. She often played many scenarios in her head—Vincent playing with their boys or him holding their girls and rocking his body to put them to sleep. Her heart always melted when she imagined these scenes. At the same time, it brought tears to her eyes and warmth in her heart.

"What's wrong?" Vincent reached Hailee's eyes as tears glistened in the corner. He dried them and kissed Hailee on the lips.

"Nothing, hubby. I'm just happy. I wished every day was only a happy day."

Vincent brushed Hailee's cheeks with his slender fingers. He kissed her forehead as he comforted her. "No one and nothing in this world I would allow to bring sadness into our life."

They both know that they were walking on a perilous journey. That is why he and Hailee had already accepted their fate but they will fight in order to protect their family.

"I will get you some water," said Vincent afterward. Hailee nodded and smiled at him.

Hailee watched her husband receding back as thoughts flooded her head. Thanks to her guests, anxiety has no room in her chest for today.

"Hailee!" a few girls shrieked from the door upon seeing her.

"Cassie!" Hailee beamed, seeing her cousin-in-law rushing to her side.

"How are you? Gosh! You look like you're going to give birth soon!" Cassandra commented after she scanned the size of Hailee's baby bump.

In her mind, she was grateful that she conceived only with twins. Cassandra could not imagine herself having quadruplets with the body that she has.

"There are less than three months to wait, and I could not wait already!"

"That's great! We are excited to meet these princes and princesses!"

"Where are the others?" Hailee asked after Cassandra sat down next to her lounge chair. She heard from Nikki that they were staying at Shun's villa here in Sydney.

"Madison and Nikki went to the powder room."

"I see…" Hailee glanced at the door where Vincent is now talking to Shun, Theo, and Levi. After the men wave in their direction and she waves in return, Hailee scrutinizes Cassandra.

Suddenly, the news last night crossed her mind. The reporters are correct in their observation. Cassandra, indeed, still looks young, like she was just a debutant when she was a year older than her. Cassandra is more likely the youngest among them all by looks.

Until now, Shun was always accused of dating younger women when that "woman" they'd mentioned was none other than Cassandra alone. But no one could blame the media as sometimes Cassandra acted differently like she was a different person.

When she asked Shun, her cousin told her that Cassandra had different personalities on some days. It is mysterious to her; however, she doesn't want to query further.

She knows many things are going on, but she doesn't want to get involved in Shun's world. What's most important to her now is to live peacefully with Vincent and her children…

"Oh, gosh, sushi!" Madison rushed to the table and cared less to greet the people around.

"Is she pregnant?" Hailee was not thinking about it much and just blurted it out of the blue; then, after she realized her own words, "Oh my gosh! Is she really pregnant?"

"Yup! Madison is four weeks pregnant, and she hopes it's a girl this time." It was Nikki who chimed in.

"Nik!" Hailee tried to hug Nikki, but the two pregnant women couldn't do that. Nikki is also having a big bump, as she is due soon.

"Auntie, mama said you had four babies down here," Violet, who sat down in front of Hailee, asked innocently with sparks in her eyes. The little girl was excited to become a big sister herself, so she always talked to any pregnant woman she met.

"Ah, Violet!" Hailee hugged Violet, the little girl stroking her baby bump, and even kissed her belly. "What a sweet lady! You are so pretty like your momma! But she got her dad's eyes."

Hailee was looking at Nikki when she pointed out that.

"I'm quite happy about it," said Nikki. She was always delighted every time she looked at her children's green eyes like their papa. "I heard that Theo and Vincent had been pairing our kids even before we learned you are expecting a baby, too."

"Really? Don't we all hate arranged marriages?" Hailee, of course, heard Theo and Nikki's love story.

"We hate it. But Cassandra and Shun had been arranged even before Cassie came out to this world." Madison chimed in. She was now stuffing her mouth non-stop, which Levi walked behind her, reminding her to eat slowly.

Levi has a hunch that it will be a girl this time. When he joins the men at the long table, grilling with barbecues, he immediately boasts he learns some techniques of which direction to move while making love to achieve what gender the couple wishes to have.

"Is that credible, bro? Then how about you teach me about it?"

The wives heard Alex querying Levi. Instantly, a slipper flew in the air.

"God, my wife is skilled in playing frisbee." Alex scratched the part of his head that was hit by the slipper. He picked up the slipper and walked toward Kelly. He kneeled on one foot and reached for Kelly's foot and slipped the slipper. "My Cinderella…"

Although she acts impulsive, Kelly is always moved by Alex's patience with her.

Alex was right to call her as Cinderella. Her parents have tried hard to arrange her marriage with Arabian noble families. She was against it, so she never thought to marry anyone from the royal family.

However, it is already carved in her fate that she will marry a soon-to-be-king.

The pool area was filled with cheers and applause when Kelly kissed Alex and whispered something in his ear that made him shout in excitement.

No one noticed but Hailee when another couple had arrived.

"Hey, Carmen!"