CHANTEL

CHAPTER 12

Chantel immediately picked it up without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello customer! We are glad to give you caller tunes for—"

Stupid network provider!

Hours passed, and he didn't call. Chantel started losing hope.

**Phone rings.**

Chantel hurriedly picked it up.

"Hello, Chantel, bring back my girls!" a dying voice echoed.

"Daddy?" .

Jane and Jade frowned, giving Chantel a sign to place it on speaker.

"Chantel! You guys should come back home... I am dying..."

"Daddy!" Jade shouted in surprise. Jane hissed.

No one expected that old man to call. Jane snatched the phone from Chantel and hung up.

"Give it back!" Jade almost cried.

**Phone rings.**

Jane picked up the call angrily.

"Hello! Don't call—"

"Chantel, what is wrong? What happened to you? Who—" Max interrupted Jane. Jane handed the

phone to Chantel and started crying heavily.

"Hello—" Chantel's voice was shaky. She was about to cry, and when she heard Max's worried voice,

she started crying on the line. Her sobs couldn't subside no matter how hard she tried. They were all

crying—Chantel, Jane, and Jade. Their cries echoed.

**Time passes.**

"Chantel!!!"

The voice was so familiar. It was Max. He wasn't using the doorbell; he was banging on the door.

Jade went to open it forcefully. He ran in with a worried and sorry expression.

"What happened to you?" Max shouted. He hurried towards her, cupped her face with his hands.

Chantel couldn't say anything. She tried to, but the words wouldn't come out. She rested her head

on his shoulder and closed her eyes tightly.

Max was furious and curious. He brushed her hair with his hand and inhaled the fragrance of her

hair. He looked at Jane.

"How could such a tough girl cry to the extent her eyes are swollen?" he thought.

He looked at Jade, who was busy dialing and waiting for someone to pick up.

"What happened"Dad... daddy called," Jade stammered.

Max was well aware of what happened to the family since Jane told him.

"What did he say?" he asked.

"He wants us to come home," Chantel cut in and inhaled deeply. Then silence prevailed. Jane fell

asleep after a few minutes, followed by Chantel, who was still in Max's arms.

"Do you love my sister?" Jade asked Max.

Max was shocked but decided to open up and bury all pride. He had fallen in love with a club

entertainer. Damn! André's father wouldn't let it happen. He wanted Max to marry a rich woman so

that the company would develop. He wanted to take it away from Max after he had built it to a stage

where it could never go down. That would be when he married that English girl, Tiffany Thomson,

daughter of Henrietta Thomson, who hated the idea even more than Max did. Both parents had

planned to make them get married so the company would be extra-stable.

***

"Yes, I love her passionately, and I just realized that," Max answered Jade.

"Why should I believe you?"

"Your sister is unique! She is clean and adorable. I guess that's why I fell for her."

"Is that why I should believe you?"

"I don't have much evidence. But I think my actions will prove it."

"Hmmmm, so are you going to help us?"

"Help you?"

"I know there is no way Chantel will want to go back to Father, but I want the family to be together. I

want you to help me persuade her! Let her go back to Father."

"I don't want to help you because I want to be with Chantel, but I think it is best for all of you."

"Let's take them inside; it's late already," Jade muttered.

Max took Chantel to the room. He carried her in his arms, laid her on the bed, brushed his lips

against hers, and smiled to himself. Damn! She's so sweet! She tastes like berries! He sat and

watched her sleep until he dozed off.

**Hours later**

"Ahhhh!!!" Chantel screamed when she saw Max sleeping beside her.

"Oh my God! What happened? Did we...?" Chantel's head screamed.

"What? We just slept! Nothing happened!" Max mumbled.

"Really?" Chantel said, covering her exposed cleavage.

"Really!"Chantel immediately stood up, went to the living room, and found her sisters chatting. Gosh, the

night had grown old!

Chantel sat with them, and they gave silly signs.

"What! Nothing happened!" she yelled.

"We didn't say something happened!" Jane winked.

"Wait—I had a dream!" Chantel said, touching her lips.

"What dream?" Jade asked.

"He kissed me in my dream!" Chantel smiled shyly.

"It wasn't a dream, babe, it was real! I kissed you!" Max cut in.

"Oops!" Jane and Jade exclaimed.

"Don't say what's not true," Chantel scoffed.

"I don't lie; I kissed you passionately," Max said, giving the twins a high five.

"Yah! How dare you deflower my lips!" Chantel yelled.

"Virgin lips, my foot!" Max mocked.

"As—"

Before she could complete her statement, he plastered a kiss on her lips. Again!

She was disappointed; she wanted a French kiss but had to pretend.

"What was—"

He pulled her to him, held her waist, cupped her cheek for a while, bit his lower lip, and French

kissed her. She gave him vertigo!

"Do you want more?" Max asked, smiling with his cute side lines.

"I—uh—" Chantel stammered. She had never had such a deep and passionate kiss. Max's lips were

the best! Soft and raw!

**PHONE RINGS**

"Hello?" Jane spoke.

"Jane, please tell Chantel to come back home."

It was the old man! Why on earth is he so demanding?

"Why Chantel? Why not Jade?"

"Because... because... she needs to see someone," he stammered.

"Don't call again!" Jane rudely cut the call.

Jade threw signs at Max, asking him to help persuade them to meet their father."Chantel, don't you think your father has suffered enough? Please give him a reason to go in peace.

Forgive him," Max said.

"We're not doing that! He has to suffer!" Jane yelled.

"Jane, please—" Chantel tried to convince Jane, but Jane was really pissed.

"If you want to go, go! I'm not going with you! Safe journey," Jane said, walking out.

"Take your bath, Jade!" Chantel ordered. "We are going to meet Father," she added.

Max watched them for a while and then drove them home. He planned on staying outside. And he

did!

Chantel saw two flashy cars.

"What happened?" Jade asked.

"I think we have visitors," Chantel answered as they entered the house, ready to see the man who

brought them into the world.