Chapter 19
Gabriel’s private jet landed at Seattle airport that same day.
The sun blazed harshly, making him squint as he watched his bodyguards carrying the children down.
“Daddy, will we really see Mommy?” Emma looked up, her eyes shimmering with both hope and anxiety.
“Absolutely,” Gabriel straightened his clothes, his voice steady and confident.
“Mommy will be very happy to see you.”
His assistant hurried over, presenting a document: “Mr. Westbrook, we’ve confirmed Madam’s location. She’s currently at a pottery studio in the east end of the city, with… those two people.”
The file contained a surreptitiously taken photograph-
Cassidy crouched before a little girl, tenderly wiping clay from her face.
Beside her stood a tall man with glasses, smiling as he watched them.
Sunlight streamed through the glass windows, bathing the three in a warm glow, creating a scene of intimacy that was painful to see.
Gabriel’s fingers unconsciously tightened, crumpling the photo’s edge.
The way that man looked at Cassidy was all too familiar–it was the tenderness he had never given her.
“Get the car,” he said coldly. “We’re going now.”
Throughout the drive, Ethan and Emma were unusually quiet.
They pressed their faces against the car windows, watching the unfamiliar city landscape, their small hands nervously clutching their clothes.
Gabriel noticed both children had deliberately worn outfits Cassidy had bought them last year–though they had grown slightly too small.
“Daddy,” Ethan suddenly asked quietly, his young face extremely anxious.
“Do you think Mommy will forgive us?”
Gabriel didn’t immediately answer.
He recalled the surveillance video showing Cassidy’s pained expression when pushed down the stairs, and her
resolute back as she left.
Chapter 19
“She will,” he finally said, unsure whether he was lying to them or himself.
“Mommy loves you most. How could she not want you?”
Soon, the car stopped in front of a studio called “Clay Joy.”
Through the floor–to–ceiling windows, Gabriel immediately spotted Cassidy.
She wore a simple white T–shirt and jeans, her hair casually tied back, focused on molding a piece of clay.
Sunlight cast a golden edge along her profile, making her appear soft and radiant.
The girl called Lily suddenly grabbed a handful of clay, playfully smearing it on Cassidy’s face.
To Gabriel’s surprise, Cassidy didn’t get angry but laughed, attempting to smear it back.
She laughed so freely, looking completely carefree–a smile Gabriel hadn’t seen in ages.
“Mommy!” Emma suddenly broke free from the bodyguard’s hand and rushed toward the studio.
Gabriel couldn’t stop her and quickly followed.
As the door opened, wind chimes rang out, and Cassidy looked up, her smile freezing on her face.
“Emma?” Her voice trembled slightly, her gaze moving past the child to land on Gabriel.
But her expression wasn’t joy–rather, rejection and coldness.
‘How… how did you find me? What are you doing here?”
Lily curiously observed the sudden intruders, instinctively hiding behind Cassidy.
Wesley stood up, subtly positioning himself in front of both of them.
‘Mommy!” Ethan also ran in, grabbing Cassidy’s leg, his eyes filled with tears.
‘We’ve missed you so much! Mommy, is this where you’ve been all this time? With these people?”
He stared at Lily with undisguised hostility, frightening the little girl into clutching Cassidy’s shirt tighter.
Cassidy stood frozen, her hands hovering in midair, uncertain whether to embrace her children.
But seeing Ethan’s hostile glare, she suddenly came to her senses, her gaze growing distant.
Without returning the embrace, she actually took a small step backward instead.
Her eyes moved between the children and Wesley before finally settling on Gabriel.
Chapter 19
“Why are you here?” Her voice was soft but sharp as a knife.
Gabriel stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over Wesley before fixing on Cassidy.
“Cassidy we’ve come to take you home.”
“Stop this charade. Your punishment has been enough. The children have learned their lesson… Come back with us.”
The pottery studio suddenly became deathly quiet.
Other customers and staff paused their activities, curiously watching the scene.
“Home?” Cassidy laughed coldly. “Which home?”
“Mommy, come back with us!” Emma tugged at Cassidy’s hand, her eyes no longer showing the selfishness of before, but filled with longing and pleading
“We won’t make you angry anymore!”
“Yes, Mommy,” Ethan quickly added. “We sent Auntie Natalie away! Daddy said from now on, you’re our only mother!”
Cassidy’s expression flickered. She crouched down to be eye–level with the children:
“I won’t go back with you, because not everything can be fixed with an apology.”
“Why not?” Emma’s tears spilled over. “Doesn’t Mommy love us anymore?”
This question was like a dull knife stabbing into Cassidy’s heart.
