Chapter 285 Collapsed Without a Push?
Emma couldn't go to school yet, and Ethan and Sam also skipped school to keep their sister company.
Gabriel went to the office, and Alex came in with a letter from a law firm.
"This is from White's Law Firm," Alex announced.
Gabriel set down his pen and took the letter.
As he unfolded it and saw the words "custody rights," he understood everything.
Sophia had been planning to fight for custody.
She had previously wanted to fight over Sam, but now she was determined to take care of all three children.
Afterward, Alex prepared to present the findings of his investigation.
"Here is an update on the person you asked me to investigate," Alex said.
Gabriel raised his eyebrow and listened quietly.
Alex continued, "We've discovered that Vincent travels to the States twice a year. Also, the time five years ago when Miss Kelly faked her death with two children and outwitted everyone, it was his handiwork."
It wasn't an easy case to crack, and Alex had to work tirelessly to follow the scant clues.
Back then, Vincent was merely a junior doctor, and it wasn't easy to fake the deaths of Sophia and her two children, let alone give Sophia a new identity to leave the country.
Yet, this junior doctor succeeded in fooling everyone.
Now Gabriel knew everything.
Why was Sam left behind?
If he hadn't focused all his efforts on Sam at that time, he might have detected something was off and tracked down Sophia much earlier.
"Great, just great," Gabriel muttered as he crumpled the letter in his hand.
Alex shrank a little, hardly daring to breathe.
The boss was furious, and the outcome was sure to be serious!
"Find me the best top lawyer. I'm going to win this battle!" Gabriel demanded.
Sophia, I won't give you another chance to take my children away!
...
The letter from the law firm had been sent, and the lawsuit was filed. The lawyers from both sides met for the first time, following procedures for a private settlement.
Sophia arrived at the law firm early to discuss her case with her attorney, Lawyer Twist.
Her stance was straightforward; she wanted custody of her three children. As for whether Gabriel could see the kids, she wouldn't stand in his way.
Half an hour later, Gabriel's attorney showed up.
Sophia's expression darkened. "Where's Gabriel?" she inquired.
With a strictly professional tone, Gabriel's attorney replied, "My client doesn't have the time and has entrusted me with full authority to negotiate on his behalf."
Sophia had hoped for a proper conversation with Gabriel yet he didn't even show his face.
Sophia left all the talking to her lawyer.
As expected, the meeting ended on a sour note.
As Gabriel's lawyer left, Lawyer Twist furrowed his brows. "I didn't expect it to be Philip," he said.
"What about him?" Sophia asked.
"Philip is top-notch in the legal field with a ninety-eight percent success rate. They call him 'Iron Teeth, Bronze Jaw,'" Lawyer Twist remarked.
A sense of dread settled in Sophia's heart.
Yet Twist's excitement was infectious. "Going head-to-head with Philip is something I look forward to. I wonder if I can take a bite out of his win rate," he stated enthusiastically.
Twist's words somewhat lifted Sophia's heavy heart.
Leaving the law firm, she unexpectedly ran into Jake Hughes.
"What are you doing here?" Sophia asked, surprised.
"My company is dealing with some legal issues, came to sort them out. How about you?" he asked.
Jake didn't find running into Sophia surprising, but he feigned amazement, nonetheless. Legal issues? They were nonexistent. He had shown up on purpose.
"I..." Sophia hesitated.
"Has Kelly sister started to treat me like a stranger?" Jake's wounded puppy dog eyes blinked innocently at her.
This 'little brother' had a knack for feigning vulnerability, and it was more than Sophia could resist.
She explained, "I'm fighting Gabriel for the children's custody. Today was our first informal negotiation."
"How did it go?" Jake asked.
"The negotiations fell through,” she replied.
"I can offer you help," Jake said earnestly.
Sophia chuckled lightly and said, "Thank you, but I can handle it."
Did Kelly sister not trust him?
Jake felt a pang of dissatisfaction. He was quite capable, after all.
Sophia, needing to visit the old family house to see the children, hastily bid Jake goodbye.
Emma, seeing her mommy, was overwhelmed with emotion.
"I can't even sleep holding mommy anymore," the little one's eyes brimmed with tears.
Sophia apologized, "I'm sorry, it's mommy's fault."
"Mommy, please take us home," the children implored.
"I'll get you home as soon as I can," she reassured them.
The three kids hugged Sophia tightly as Mrs. Lancaster watched helplessly, sighing inwardly at the situation.
How had things come to this? She couldn't seem to persuade either side.
Madam was insistent on Sophia staying for dinner.
Before dinner, Madam pulled Sam aside for a little chat.
"Do you want your mommy to stay?" she whispered.
Recently, Ethan and Emma had been at home, and Sam was thrilled. The only downside was that Mommy wasn't staying with them. Sam wished his mommy could live with them all the time.
When Great Grandma asked him, he nodded without hesitation.
"Listen to Great Grandma, and tonight your mommy will stay," she promised.
Sam's eyes sparkled with hope as he listened to her every word.
Emma was struggling with the idea of separating from their mom, even growing to dislike their "mean daddy." If acknowledging this man as their father meant being apart from Mommy, then she didn't want any part of him.
Would refusing their father bring them back to their mother's side?
As Sophia reluctantly prepared to leave, a servant hurriedly approached.
"Madam, young master Sam seems unwell," the servant informed.
"What's wrong with Sam?" Sophia asked anxiously.
"Please come up and see," the servant urged.
Sophia rushed upstairs to Sam's room.
Sam lay in bed, looking quite uncomfortable.
"Sam, where does it hurt?" she asked, concerned.
Sam shook his head.
"Is it your stomach?"
Another shake of the head.
"A headache?"
Again, Sam shook his head. He seemed lethargic but claimed no pain.
"We should take you to the hospital," Sophia suggested.
Sam clutched her clothes, shaking his head, gesturing, "I don't want to go to the hospital."
"But..." Sophia hesitated.
"I want Mommy to stay with me while I sleep," Sam requested.
Sophia's heart melted and without hesitation, she nodded. "Okay, mommy will stay."
Sam made room for her to climb into bed beside him.
"Me too," chimed Emma.
Ethan joined them, and soon all three kids were snuggled up to Sophia.
Sophia thought she'd wait for them to fall asleep before she left. But as the three children drifted off, so did she.
Gabriel had been on strike for several days, and upon returning to work, he was immediately swamped, his evenings filled with obligations.
A sultry woman approached him to pour him a drink.
"Oh my, I'm so sorry, CEO Lancaster, that wasn't on purpose," she exclaimed as the drink spilled onto Gabriel's leg, dampening his pants.
In a fluster, the woman pulled out some napkins to blot the spill on his trousers.
Gabriel felt the familiar surge of restlessness rising within him uncontrollably as the woman approached him. Just before she could touch him, he pushed her away with a swift movement.
The woman tumbled to the ground, her fall looking rather severe.
"CEO Lancaster, I didn't mean to," she pleaded, scrambling back to her feet, attempting to reach out to Gabriel again. "Let me just clean that up for you."
Gabriel quickly stepped back, knocking a chair over in his haste. He called out, "Alex!"
Alex had been outside taking a call but rushed back in at the sound of his boss's voice.
Seeing a woman seemingly attacking his "vulnerable and helpless" boss, he quickly moved to intercept her, his hand brushing against the woman who let out a pitiful cry.
Alex was puzzled.
Did she fall over without even being pushed?
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