The Billionaire's Runaway Wife

Chapter 17

Chapter 17 

Iris Parker

I could feel my heart hammering against my chest as I stood next to Liam and on my other side was Jacob. Probably because my in-laws were here, but most probably because Liam had kissed me. 

My eyes widened in shock as I realized that Liam's lips were on mine. The feeling was all too familiar, it was pure bliss. It sent sparks in me that I haven't felt in a very long time and now that I felt it again, I hadn't realized how badly I was missing it. 

His kiss was playful, he was teasing me by nibbling at my lower lip and I let out an unintentional moan. I could feel him smirk and with that, I quickly pushed him away. My face was probably as red as a tomato by now, but he smiled teasingly. 

"Acting all innocent, are we?" he taunts and I couldn't help but hit him on the arm. 

"L-Liam!" I screamed, flustered. 

The car stopped at the driveway and because the windows were tinted, I couldn't very well see the people that were inside. But as the doors quickly opened, I watched as Wendy got down first and immediately found my gaze. However, her gaze didn't linger too long because the playful kids that were beside us were fidgeting a lot. 

Alfred also got down and smiled at me from afar, but like Wendy, his gaze made its way downwards towards the triplets. 

Wendy momentarily looked to her husband who just as stunned as she was and started walking towards us. 

"Here comes." Liam whispered beside me, shocking me. His voice made my heart even more restless. 

"Daddy, who are they?" Jamie asked. 

Wendy and Alfred were already in front of us. They seemed unsure of what to do, but as they observed the three, they must've been able to put two and two together because Wendy gasped, bringing her hand to cup her mouth. Alfred put a hand at her lower back, trying to calm her down, but he too was shocked. 

Wendy kneeled down in front of the three. "Oh my, who are these wonderful dashing kids in front of me?" she asked, her voice was trying not to break. It was only now that I noticed the tears that rimmed her eyes. 

Instead of introducing themselves, the three hid beside both Liam and I. Wendy seemed to be hurt by that and looked up to me with those pained, questioning eyes. 

It shot daggers at my heart. My decisions were once again haunting me. 

"C'mon, you three. Let me introduce you to someone." I tried to say and pushed Jacob to the front. I looked at Liam and he did the same to Jace and Jamie. 

"Mommy, who are they?" Jace asked, clinging onto Liam's leg for dear life. 

I smiled at him and kneeled. I took his hands onto mine and planted a kiss. "They are you grandma and grandpa. Would you all please say him to them?" I asked, almost pleadingly as I exchanged looks from Jace to Jamie and to Jacob. 

Jamie sighed tiredly and nodded. He looked at his other siblings who seemed to be unsure of what to do also, but Liam pushed them lightly forward. "C'mon, kiddos. There's nothing to be afraid of." he assured them. This did the trick because immediately, they seemed to have lighten up. 

As usual, Jace went up first. 

"Hello, grandma and grandpa. I'm Jace." he said.

"I'm Jamie." 

"And I'm Jacob."

At that, Wendy started tearing up and grabbed all three of them into an embrace. Alfred took his glasses off and wiped the tears that had formed. That surprised me. Alfred Parker didn't seem like a man that would cry, but here he was. 

I glanced up to Liam who was just as stunned as I was and shrugged. 

Suddenly, Liam put his hand at the lower part of my back, instantly making me jump. I wasn't used to his touch simply because wherever he touched me, it set off a fire that took a while to die down. 

I eyed him glaringly, but he just smirked at me obnoxiously. 

Finally, Wendy and Alfred let go of the three and stood up, meeting my eyes. She looked at me with longing eyes, but I could see the curiousness that shew. "Come here, honey." she said. Hesitantly, I walked up to her and instantly, she hugged me tightly. 

Her sweet vanilla scent had reminded me of the wonderful woman that was in front of me. "Mama, I missed you." I said, sadness welled over me and I hugged her back just as tight. 

When she let go, she fixed the stray strands of my hair behind my ear and smiled sadly at me. "I'm so sorry for what you had to go through. I didn't know." she whispered. Alfred then went beside his wife. I smiled at him and gave him a short but tight hug. 

"Iris, you're as stunning as ever." he said and let go of me. 

"Same as you, papa." I threw back and chuckled. 

After we finished the greetings, the Parkers looked behind me and looked at Liam. Alfred's look hardened as he put his hands inside his pockets. Wendy went up to him and hugged him while Liam kissed her on the cheek. 

"Son." Wendy acknowledged. 

I didn't fail to notice the tension that hang in the air, but that was broken by Jamie. 

"Mommy, are they really our grandma and grandpa?" he asked, looking up to me. I smiled and messed his hair up. 

"Yes, of course." I reassured him as he looked back the aging couple. 

After that, nanay Grace came and led us to the dining. The triplets fired away their round of questions. 

'Where have you guys been?' 

'Why didn't you come see us?' 

'Did you know we're triplets?' 

I almost pitied the old couple who was having a hard time answering their questions. When we were at the table, the food was served and we said our graces and soon, we were munching the food away. 

Alfred and Wendy were caught up at the questions of the three and sometimes I had to do some crowd control tricks over them. Liam talked little, only when one of the three threw him a question or when someone asks him to pass something to him. 

The unspoken tension was there, it was so thick I could get a knife and cut it up. But no one said a thing. We acted like things were perfectly normal and I couldn't wait for this dinner to be over with. 

And probably an hour has passed when we all decide to get up. 

"Iris, dear. Would you be a dear and walk with me through the gardens? I do miss the carnations." she says sweetly and smiled. I looked over to the triplets who were giving Alfred a hard time by asking him to carry them all up at once. 

Liam slid next to me and bends lowly. "I got them." he says and I nod. Wendy smiles at him before shifting her green eyes on me, the ones that were like Liam's. 

We start walking away and before we exited the room fully, I look behind me and see Alfred is walking away with the triplets and Liam. I caught him breathe out uncomfortably and he probably notices me looking. Instantly, he tries to smile but it only comes out as a tired and nervous one. 

Good to know I wasn't the only one who was dying of nervousness right now.