Chapter 169 Risk
Jake drove a Mercedes worth over eight hundred thousand, which seemed slightly less prestigious compared to the multimillion-dollar Bentley that Gabriel used for his daily commutes. He followed behind Sophia at a leisurely pace, protecting her rear like a knight safeguarding his charge.
It was only at the downtown intersection, at the appropriate moment, that Jake turned right, parting ways with Sophia completely. He had been following her, and Sophia must have noticed; she glanced at the rearview mirror, her lips curving into a slight smile. Normally, tailing someone like this would seem rather creepy and dangerous, but when he did it, it felt so natural that she didn't find it off-putting at all. She couldn't quite explain why.
Perhaps it was because Jake seemed so candid; the type of person with no ulterior motives?
Sophia went straight to pick up the children. They hadn't finished class yet, so she decided to wait outside the classroom, taking the opportunity to see how the two kids were doing. She chose to check on the boxing class first. A teacher was instructing about a dozen children, all beginners. Ethan was practicing his horse stance, while the other children, panting after squatting for a while, wanted to give up. One child stood up after just half a minute, only to be glared at by the teacher and, with a frightened look, squatted down again.
Sophia found this scene quite amusing; the children were too cute. Ethan held the stance the longest without showing any signs of fatigue, easily fulfilling the time set by the teacher. The teacher was very fond of Ethan, as the little guy was smart and could grasp any move after being shown just once, and then mastering it after a few tries. The teacher thought Ethan was ready for more challenging classes.
While the other students continued practicing the horse stance, Ethan was allowed to sit and rest. He spotted his mommy peering through the window and, after telling the teacher, ran out of the classroom.
"Mommy," Ethan called out.
Sophia smiled proudly; the teacher seemed to really like her son. "Mommy finished her work and came to wait for you to get out of class," she said, taking out a tissue to wipe the sweat from Ethan's face. The little guy was drenched in sweat. His vest was soaked through, but thankfully the indoor temperature was warm enough to prevent a chill.
"Mommy, let's go see Emma," Ethan suggested.
They quietly arrived at Emma's classroom, where Emma was being called up by the teacher to perform. The little one, usually mischievous, was playing the violin seriously.
Emma was already able to play some slightly more complex pieces, and Sophia thought that once she was good enough, she could follow in Caroline's footsteps. Caroline would give guidance when Emma practiced at home, which was why she had improved so much, even to the teacher's astonishment.
After Emma finished her piece, the teacher led the applause. "Our student Emma has made rapid progress compared to last week. You must have practiced a lot at home, right?" the teacher said, full of pride.
Emma nodded in agreement.
"The rest of you should also learn from Emma. Practice more at home," the teacher encouraged.
"Yes," the other children chorused in response.
Unaware of her mother and brother peeking in from outside, Emma returned to her seat and listened attentively to the rest of the teacher’s lesson.
"Mommy, I'm going to the toilet," Ethan said and ran off. Sophia figured that if he took too long, the teacher might worry, so she left Emma's classroom to go back to the boxing class to let the teacher know.
"Sophia, what are you doing here?"
Sophia's heart skipped a few beats once she heard his voice, and her complexion paled slightly. She saw Gabriel emerging from the classroom, and her palms began to sweat.
"Why are you here?" She countered, not answering his question directly, trying to suppress the panic within her, praying Ethan wouldn't come back too soon and that Gabriel would leave quickly.
But Gabriel didn't leave. Instead, he approached her.
It was necessary for Sophia, as Sam's mother, to know that Sam wanted to learn boxing.
"Sam wants to learn boxing, so I came to check it out," Gabriel said.
Sam... boxing?
Sophia immediately thought that Sam must want to be with Ethan. That was good; learning boxing might not ensure self-defense in the future, but at the very least, it could strengthen the body and give Sam a healthy physique.
But would this increase the risk of Gabriel discovering Ethan?
Now that all three children were in the same kindergarten and with Caroline looking after them, Caroline would definitely prevent Gabriel from seeing the two kids at a critical moment. But here...
Gabriel saw her spacing out and couldn't understand what she meant. Could it be that she was thinking of opposing the idea?
Even if she opposed it, it would be futile. It was Sam's wish, and he would ensure Sam's safety while providing him with the best education.
Alex was already in contact with the best boxing teacher in City B, who would start next weekend. That teacher could only instruct two students, one of whom was Sam. The other could be a friend Sam enjoyed playing with.
Otherwise, one teacher instructing too many students could affect the quality of Sam's learning.
It had to be said, Gabriel's arrangement was just what Sam wanted, and Sam didn't even know yet that his daddy had arranged it this way.
"No matter what your opinion is, Sam was the one who initiated this, and we shouldn't discourage the child's interests and hobbies." Colin had always said that parents should try to accommodate their children's preferences and also actively guide them to discover their own interests.
Sophia rolled her eyes, "Who said I had any objections? This is a good thing."
Had he misunderstood her again? Gabriel felt a bit uneasy inside, his expression habitually cold.
The two of them stood in the corridor, with teachers and students passing by. After seeing them, many couldn't help but take a second glance; the combination of a handsome man and a beautiful woman was indeed very pleasing to the eye.
Whose parents were they? With such good genes, the kid must be good-looking too.
Sophia had also taken good care of herself over the years. Even while approaching thirty, her face was still free of fine lines, and her figure was well-maintained.
And Gabriel, well, no words in the English language did justice to his good looks.
Sophia didn't want to linger with Gabriel; she was afraid Ethan might suddenly come back and be seen by Gabriel, so she hurriedly left a message, "I still have someone to find, Mr. Lancaster, please excuse me."
Then she turned and walked towards the direction of the toilets, forgetting about her intention to find the teacher.
Gabriel frowned, feeling that something was off with Sophia.
She had just fled as if in a panic. But why?
Usually, she was quite capable, always managing to leave him speechless before she would stop.
At that moment, a teacher came out looking for Ethan.
He stopped a janitor and asked, "Have you seen Ethan, a kid from my class?"
Ethan was a good-looking child, and he always greeted the teachers and janitors when he came for class, so the teachers and janitors here had a good impression of him and Emma.
"I haven't seen him," said the janitor, who had just come to clean.
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