Take My Breath Away

Because she was completely blown away, Erica didn't hear all of what Gifford said. She asked, "You two know each other?"

Chantel thought for a while and asked Erica in surprise, "Isn't your surname Lin?" 'Could she be the Erica I've heard so much about?' she wondered.

Erica was confused by her question. "No. Remember? It's Li!"

"What? So you're Rika!" Chantel said with certainty. So at last, she had met the infamous Erica.

"Yeah. So how do you know my brother?" Erica shifted her gaze between Gifford and Chantel in suspicion.

'Why is my brother here looking for Chantel? Did she break the law?'

Ignoring the confusion and astonishment of the two girls, Gifford looked at Chantel and asked, "Why did you turn your phone off?"

"I lost it. It was stolen on the bus. I wanted to send a message to Uncle Wesley with Rika's phone, but her battery was dead," she replied honestly to Gifford.

The man was speechless. He patted his forehead helplessly. "So why are you two staying at this hotel?"

Chantel shot Erica a meaningful glance, and Erica replied instead, "We met outside the gate of the villa, went to dinner, and started talking. We became fast friends, and it was late, so we got a room so we could get some sleep."

'Met outside the gate? Became fast friends?' Gifford didn't believe her at all. He stared at his sister with a fake smile and said, "That's a strange coincidence."

Erica chuckled and nodded, "Yes, that's all it is—coincidence. So, again, how do you know each other? Is she your girlfriend?"

"Not exactly. Remember that girl I brought home? She's Chantel Ye."

Erica was shocked. She had heard from Blair that Gifford had rescued a girl and brought her back home. "What? You're that Chantel? I never knew! Nice to meet you, finally!" She ran to Chantel and looked her up and down.

Chantel chuckled. "So you weren't running away from another man. You were running away from home." 'I knew it! She's not a mistress at all.'

So Chantel wasn't lost. She had found Matthew's villa, and Erica lived there.

When she heard this, Erica smiled sheepishly. "I didn't mean to lie to you. I was afraid of being found out!"

"Oh, I see..." Actually, she didn't see. She had way more questio

r and have a baby. Can you help me?"

Erica was shocked by what she was asking. She admired her courage a lot. "But...are you even old enough?"

"What kind of question is that? I'm in college, remember?"

'Oh, that makes sense. But giving birth to a baby for my brother...' Erica hesitated.

Chantel understood her hesitation. This should not be taken lightly. She continued, "Since Ethan left, Auntie Blair's been sad all the time. I want to give her a grandkid to make her and Uncle Wesley happy. I swear I'm healthy. I've even been to the hospital for a physical. There's nothing wrong with me and I have the papers to prove it. And, if I can do this, the kid won't miss his grandpa and grandma. And they won't miss him. They'll have him all the time, if they want..."

And that was where Erica came in. She was integral to Chantel's plan.

She knew the Li family loved their two daughters the most. She couldn't go to Yvette; she'd never agree to a plan like that. But Erica, on the other hand...

Erica was different. As far as Chantel knew, Erica had always been fearless and was up for anything. Even if Gifford found out Erica had taken part in her plan, the brother wouldn't really do anything to his youngest sister.

That was why Chantel came to find Erica. She could discuss it with her. If Erica didn't agree, she would have to give up.

After hearing her explanation, Erica thought, 'She's got a point. Gifford's over 30, and it's high time he got a girlfriend.'