Chasing After My Wife

0"Winter?" Travis asked in surprise to see his cousin standing in front of the study room. They didn't even know that she's back. "Did you just arrive here?"     1

Winter turned to face Travis with tears falling on the floor. Each drop was akin a to knife, cutting Travis' heart from the guilt he felt for his cousin and for Gabriel.     

"RV, I..h-heard..them. t-tal..talk." her hiccups and sobs were mixed together making her words difficult to understand.     

Not waiting for her to finish the things she wanted to say, Travis opened the door to the study room and brought her inside.     

Jillyanna, Valkyrie and Shein were speechless and wide-eyed. 'How much of our conversation did she hear?!' This was the question that they wanted to ask her but they remained quiet and still.     

"Didn't I tell you take a rest and have a shower?" Jillyanna finally spoke and she was dissing Travis this time. She looked so stern with her raised eyebrow and sharp glare but Travis wasn't affected at all.     

He walked towards his wife and handed her the phone. "I was just about to take a shower when Dad called. He said that he needed to talk to you about something. Give him a call back." He kissed her head once again and left.     

Winter was sitting on the couch in front of Valkyrie and Shein. Her eyes were swollen and she looked visibly tired and exhausted.     

"Do you want to take a rest first? Seeing you right now makes me want to whack your head and make you fell unconscious. You looked like a walking ghost, so pale and thin." Jillyanna saved her work before she closed her laptop and walked towards Winter. "Did you hear us talk about Gab?"     

Winter nodded her head as she wiped her tears with the tissue that Valkyrie gave her. "I heard you say that he might be alive."     

"We aren't ..VERY sure yet. We have our speculations and that is why we wanted to look into it." Jillyanna informed her.     

Actually, they didn't want Winter to know what they have been doing. First, she just experienced the pain of losing someone. Second, they didn't want to give her false hope and shatter it themselves. That would be so heartbreaking.     

Without even waiting for her to respond, Jillyanna's hand moved quickly and she hit Winter at the back of her neck. "Sorry. I'll make sure to explain everything once you wake up."     

Valkyrie carried Winter to the guest room and asked Brown to check on her. They were all worried for the current Winter. They could clearly see how thin she got, her eye bags were so dark and her cheeks were sunken like that of a ghost. She didn't look like the usual fierce and valiant Lieutenant Colonel they knew.     

"She wasn't even like this when her fiancee betrayed her." Valkyrie commented. "Anyway, you just stay here and look after her. We will take care of the search."     

"Sure sure." Brown agreed with a smile. In any case, he's the only man that Winter trusted aside from Gabriel and Travis. 'Am I even a man in her eyes? I think she sees me as a woman? Right?' Brown mocked himself with the thought.     

Jillyanna, together with Shein and Valkyrie, continued to work in the study room. Since they couldn't find any data about the little girl from the military files, Shein decided to hack Major General Calhoun's computer instead. It was their last option.     

"What secrets could this General have? His computer's security was tighter than that of the whole military base." Shein stated while his fingers flew across the keyboard to break the security measures.     

Jillyanna just finished talking to her father-in-law about Travis. He wanted them to visit him during weekends. If it was Travis he talked to, he would definitely say NO. So, when it came to things like this, he would rather talk to Jillyanna instead of his son.     

Travis came back, fresh from the shower and his hair was still dripping wet, droplets of water fell on the towel that hang around his neck.     

"Didn't I tell you to always dry your hair after a bath? Do you want to catch a cold?" Jillyanna scolded and glared at him. She stood up from her swivel chair and walked towards him. She didn't say another sentence, just held on to his hand and drag him back to their bedroom.     

Since she was walking before him, Jillyanna didn't see the wide grin on Travis' face. Only Shein and Valkyrie saw how much he enjoyed being taken cared of by his wife.     

"Man in love would really become foolish." Valkyrie stated before he looked at Shein who was also looking at him.     

"Don't speak ill about yourself." Shein responded before he continued to work. "I didn't even say anything."     

"Right." Valkyrie murmured helplessly. He realized that everyone inside the house were foolishly in love, except for Jackie, that diamond-hearted woman.     

Jenny was out of the question because she was still young and student. "Wait, how old are twins again?" Valkyrie asked Shein beside him.     

"They're 19 years old. Why?"     

"19?! 19?! Are you sure they're 19 years old? How come I think she's very mature. It's not about her appearance but more like the vibe she gave off and the look in her eyes."     

Shein chuckled upon seeing his funny reaction. Many people wouldn't believe that Riley and Jackie were twins because Jackie looked so mature. And yes, she didn't look old but her eyes could tell that she's been through a lot.     

"Before big sister Jillyanna came, Jackie was like a mother to us. She took care of both me and Riley. She protected us and fought with other kids for our sake. She encountered different kinds of people and different kinds of situations. That is why, she looked mature compared to Riley who loves to act."     

"Have you and Riley make up already?" This question made Shein smile helplessly.