A flicker of malice flashed through Emma’s eyes, but her tear-filled gaze concealed it perfectly. Justin frowned. Had Haley called him while he was still in the private room? “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” His voice was cold and harsh. Without waiting for Emma’s response, he stormed toward his car, leaving her behind, and quickly checked his phone. “Did she call because something urgent happened? Haley wouldn’t reach out to me unless it was important. Did she have a fight with Wilfred?” he wondered. His thoughts were racing as his thumb hovered over the screen. But just before he unlocked his phone, he paused. “Sam, do you think she’ll be angry and ignore me because I didn’t answer her call right away?” “Mr. Yates,” William reminded him calmly, “Sam isn’t here.” That’s right—Sam wasn’t around. It hit Justin again, the absence of his trusted assistant. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had to wait until he got to the restaurant tonight to find out that Emma had been
In the shared room, Chase and Alex were lying side by side under the covers, wearing matching pajamas in different colors. Chase didn’t really care what he wore, but Alex insisted on matching with his brother. Left with no choice, Chase agreed to wear pajamas with Ultraman prints. Thankfully, it was just pajamas. There was no way he would have worn something like that outside.Alex, unable to fall asleep, turned toward Chase and began sharing a little secret. “Chase, I think the car following us tonight was Uncle Justin’s. He probably recognized that I was in the car, which is why he followed us,” he said, smug and self-assured. Chase stared at him. “Really?” Though he hadn’t met this “Uncle Justin” Alex kept talking about, Chase’s gut told him that tonight’s incident had nothing to do with his little brother. “How do you know it was his car?” Chase asked. “Because of the license plate!” Alex said confidently. “I’ve ridden in that car with him before.“Every time Un
Chase glanced at the smartwatch, memorized the face in the photo, and handed it back to Alex. “What if he’s just pretending to be nice, and over time, he ends up being bad to us and Mom?” Chase asked. “That’s why we need to check him out first and make sure he’s good enough for Mom!” Alex replied confidently. Neither of the brothers stopped to think about whether their mom might even like Justin—or whether Justin might even like her. If Mom didn’t like him, that was easy. They would find her someone else. But their mom was beautiful and amazing—who wouldn’t like her? Alex then told Chase everything he had done with Justin recently and how they had met in Merika State. Chase nodded, making a mental note of it all. The brothers turned off the lights and went to bed. Alex drifted off, dreaming happily about the possibility of finally having a dad. *The next morning, after breakfast, Helen was busy replying to messages on her phone as she walked upstairs to her room.
Alex had a bit of a vanity streak. Before going out, he always fussed over his hair, styling it like Wilfred’s. Chase pinched his nose and mimicked Alex’s tone perfectly, “If I’m not quick, you will leave me behind!” Since they both had the same childlike voices as twins, the subtle difference in tone wasn’t noticeable. Helen didn’t catch on and simply lifted her chin, walking ahead confidently. “Keep up, then.” Outside in the garden, Haley was watering her flowers. These were the same ones she had admired in the Gibson family’s garden. Wilfred had bought some for their home in Mistletoe Villa and even had more shipped to Merika State. “Hey, Sis! I’m taking Alex out. We’ll be back later tonight!” Helen called, pulling ‘Alex’ along. Chase, now playing the role of his brother, hesitated before adding a cheerful touch. He raised his hand, waving dramatically. “Bye, Mom! I’ll miss you while I’m out!” Haley smiled, clearly pleased by his sweet behavior. “Be good and don
“Sit on the couch and work on this for a bit. Once I finish with these urgent tasks, I’ll come play with you,” Justin said smoothly, his movements practiced and natural. ‘Alex’ took the papers, standing still as he looked up at the towering Justin. “So, this is the Uncle Justin my brother keeps talking about?” he muttered to himself. Chase didn’t feel much. After all, Wilfred, Richard, and even the bodyguards at home were all just as tall. Surveying the office, Chase glanced at the papers in his hands. Alex had proudly mentioned last night that Uncle Justin praised his learning skills during their time together. Chase placed the papers on the coffee table and crouched down, ready to start writing. Since he had just reviewed the physics textbook Justin gave Alex earlier that morning, he decided to write out some physics formulas. Then he paused. “Wait, this isn’t my role right now.” He deliberately scribbled a few errors, remembering he was playing Alex, not Chase. J
Since it was past lunchtime and ‘Alex’ was still a child, Justin didn’t want him going hungry. He took ‘Alex’ to a nearby restaurant on the ground floor for a meal. Afterward, Justin carried ‘Alex’ back to the car. Apart from sitting in the car seat, Justin didn’t let ‘Alex’ walk even a single step all day. At first, Chase felt a little awkward being carried, but he gradually got used to it. Resting one hand on Justin’s shoulder, he turned his head and caught a glimpse of the license plate from the car that had followed them last night. It was the number ‘Alex’ had mentioned.*Thinking that ‘Alex’ was active and full of energy, Justin decided the Bay Amusement Park was the best place to take him. Since it wasn’t a weekend, the park was relatively quiet. And being the CEO of a major corporation, Justin received VIP treatment. The manager handed him an all-access pass that allowed them to skip all the lines.Justin brought ‘Alex’ to the kids' climbing wall, recalling that ‘Alex’
“Uncle Justin, you can call Uncle Zac. He’s definitely with my aunt,” ‘Alex’ suggested with a hint of cleverness. Justin considered this for a moment. That made sense. Zac had dropped off ‘Alex’ earlier in the day. The call connected quickly. Justin’s voice was calm as he spoke. “‘Alex’ wants to have dinner with me. You can pick him up afterward.” “No problem. Just give me a call when you’re done,” Zac agreed easily. However, faint arguing could be heard in the background, a woman’s voice growing louder. “Zac! It’s getting dark! Go get ‘Alex’ back now!” Helen’s angry yell came through loud and clear. Zac hastily ended the call, exhaling as he uncovered Helen’s mouth. “It’s still early, no rush. The kid’s not going anywhere. Come on, let’s go set off some fireworks!” *Justin took ‘Alex’ to a seafood restaurant nearby. He skipped the waitstaff and personally put on disposable gloves to peel shrimp for ‘Alex.’ With the boy sitting beside him, Justin didn’t see it as
“Oh my gosh!” The sudden appearance of William startled Zac late at night."Can you not sneak around like that? You nearly gave me a heart attack," Zac said, patting his chest dramatically. Without a word, William handed over the large stuffed toy, practically shoving it into Zac's arms. Zac sighed as he accepted it. “Like boss, like employee,” he thought. “Both of them are so annoyingly silent. Would it kill them to say a few more words?”As Zac’s car pulled away, Justin remained standing in place, watching until it disappeared into the distance. His usual composed and aloof demeanor seemed to waver, leaving behind a faint air of loneliness. He couldn’t help but think about the child he and Emily had never had the chance to meet. Meanwhile, Chase, sitting in the backseat of Zac’s car, felt a pang of sadness. He glanced out the rear window repeatedly, his gaze lingering as if trying to hold onto the last traces of Justin’s figure. Helen, noticing his demeanor, finally
As Mrs. White spoke, her face lit up with the unmistakable grin of someone deeply invested in her son’s love life. Mr. White took the phone from her, sat down beside her, and grinned just as widely. “That little rascal finally figured out how to chase a woman.” As a father, he was proud. But after the initial excitement, a hint of worry crept in. “Wait, no. I need to call him. I need to find out exactly what’s going on.” What if Zac didn’t know how to handle things properly? As a father, it was his duty to guide his son through this! But before he could dial, Mrs. White swiftly pressed down on his hand, stopping him. “They’re getting along just fine. Why would you call and ruin the moment? Do you want to be a third wheel?” “So… we’re not asking?” Mrs. White thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up. “We’ll text instead!” “Good idea.” *Meanwhile, Zac was completely focused on enjoying grilled skewers with his wife and nephews. He had no idea his cousi
For the past few days, Chase had been completely wrapped up in tracking down the person who had tried to harm his mom. He had hardly slept, let alone had any fun. Now that they had identified the real culprit, there was no way he was just going to head straight home. “I’m not eating. Let’s just go home.” “No way. After that much ‘exercise,’ you’re not hungry?”Helen’s face immediately flushed red. She shot a glare at Zac. What nonsense was he spouting in front of the kids?! Luckily, Alex didn’t pick up on the double meaning. He was just excited. “Yay! That means we don’t have to go home! Uncle Zac, you’re the best! I like you the most!” One sentence was all it took for Zac to start grinning from ear to ear.Smugly, he glanced at Helen and raised a brow, as if to say, “See? Even Alex is on my side.” Helen’s glare instantly shifted to the backseat. This little brat—whose side was he really on?! In the end, she had no choice but to give in. She called Evelyn a
“Child support,” Justin repeated under his breath, as if still processing the words.He had children now. He was a father. And like any father, he had a responsibility to provide for them. Just like the chairman of B&J Corporation, who had his own family, Justin had a family now too. But… Chase and Alex were already five. Did that mean they no longer needed vaccinations? He had missed five whole years of their lives. Five years. There were countless milestones he could have been part of, yet he had missed them all. That couldn’t happen again. From now on, he wouldn't allow himself to be absent from any part of their lives. He had to be there. Of course, what Justin meant by "seeing the kids occasionally" and what Haley understood were two very different things. Haley thought "occasionally" meant once or twice a year. Justin meant "occasionally" as in every single day. As in—he would see them multiple times a day. Haley, still lying on the bed,
Justin’s grandfather left the shares specifically for his great-grandsons. That could only mean one thing—he had met the boys. Justin's eyes grew misty again. Haley remained still, her back still turned to him, her voice laced with cold indifference. “You don’t need to thank me. The kids have nothing to do with you.” Yes, he was their biological father, but he had contributed nothing beyond his DNA. He hadn't been there, hadn't raised them, hadn't even known about them. So as far as she was concerned, they weren’t his. “Haley, I… I’m not trying to take them from you. I—I don’t want custody… No, that’s not what I mean, I do want them—” Justin, usually sharp and articulate in business, was completely tongue-tied in front of her. He sounded like a clueless, stammering kid, struggling to get the words out right. His desperation was obvious, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. Haley suddenly sat up, her voice sharp and unwavering. “Chase and Alex are my children.
Helen turned to Haley, slightly stunned, her expression silently asking if this was real. Haley shrugged and spread her hands. “Same as earlier today—Chase was defending Alex back then too.” Helen let out a breath, half exasperated, half amused. But she wasn’t about to let the brothers off just because of Chase’s plea. With a swift motion, she smacked each of them on the backside twice. Their cries echoed through the room, making Justin, still hiding in the side bedroom, frown deeply. Was Helen being too rough? The boys were actually crying out in pain. Outside, Alex clutched his behind, giving it a quick rub. As soon as the sting faded, he was back to his usual energetic self. Helen never actually hit him hard—just enough to make a point. Compared to punching a sandbag, this was nothing. Chase, on the other hand, wasn’t used to this at all. He furrowed his brows slightly, feeling an unfamiliar discomfort.After all, this was the first time in his life he had e
When Helen finished changing and glanced out the window, she finally realized that the sky had already turned dark. Her eyes darted to the clock on the wall. “Eight o’clock?!” Her voice shot up several octaves, practically loud enough to shake the ceiling. “Zac White, look what you’ve done!” “My bad, my bad. We’ll go pick up the kids right now.” At this moment, Zac wasn’t complaining about his chest pain anymore. He quickly admitted his mistake, so much so that Helen couldn’t even find a reason to keep scolding him. Grabbing their bags and car keys, the two of them rushed toward Haley’s hospital room. At the door, Helen reached out to push it open, but Zac beat her to it. Instead of barging in, he knocked loudly—so loudly it was as if he was afraid no one inside would hear him. Helen shot him a suspicious look. “Why are you knocking so hard? It’s not like my sister goes to bed this early. Wait, is Justin in there?” Only now did she remember that Justin existed.
Helen’s face started turning red, and she gave him a light slap. “Be serious, we’re in the hallway.” “Oww!” The moment she touched him, Zac doubled over, groaning dramatically as if he were on the verge of tears. Helen didn’t buy it. “Oh, come on. It wasn’t that bad.” She had barely tapped him! “It really hurts! If you don’t believe me, take a look.” As he spoke, he shamelessly started unbuttoning his white coat right there in the hallway, determined to show her his "injury." Helen panicked and quickly reached out to stop him, pressing his coat closed. The two of them wrestled—one trying to undo buttons, the other trying to fasten them back. “We’re in public! If you really want me to check, wait until we’re home tonight.” She was in a rush to pick up the kids and had no time to argue with him here. “Nope. You have to look now. It’s probably bruised, and you need to help me apply medicine.” “Medicine? You’re a grown man! Can you stop acting so fragile?”
“Are Chase and Alex with you?” Evelyn asked.Haley glanced down at the two children in her arms and replied calmly, “Yes, they’re here with me.” “Is Justin at the hospital? Did he see them?” Evelyn asked. Haley hesitated for a moment, her eyes drifting toward Justin, who was standing not far from her. Then, she lied to her mother. “No, he’s not here. I heard he went to meet with a business partner this afternoon.” “Good. I’ll have Helen go pick up the kids.” “Okay.” After hanging up, Haley tossed her phone onto the bed without sparing Justin a second glance. She didn’t explain her plans for the children to him, nor did she feel the need to. Justin wanted to ask, but with Chase and Alex present, he held back. Haley lifted Alex from her lap, wiping away the tears on his cheeks before continuing her lecture. “Do you know who just called?” Alex sniffled. “Grandma…” “That’s right! You two snuck out without telling anyone. Do you know how worried she was?” She
This was the first time Alex had ever seen Mommy this angry. She had never been like this before. He was so scared! “I don’t want Uncle Justin anymore… Mommy~~ hic… hic.”Alex cried so hard that he started hiccupping uncontrollably. No matter how angry Haley was, seeing her little son in such distress broke her heart. She pulled him into her arms, gently patting his back to help him catch his breath. At the same time, she scolded sternly, “I’m calling home right now. Someone will come and take you both back!” Justin had more bodyguards stationed at the hospital than she did. She didn’t trust him. The only way she could feel at ease was by keeping the children safe at home, surrounded by family. Justin and Chase both wanted to speak, but Chase beat him to it. “Mommy, sneaking to the hospital was my idea. This has nothing to do with Alex. If you want to discipline someone, discipline me.” Justin wanted to step closer but hesitated. He watched as the three of them