Chapter 279 Same Old Unity
The child beside them was Unity's son.
The very same boy who had been passed off as Gabriel's son when he was born!
"Russell!" Unity ran straight toward the child, her excitement palpable. She enveloped him in a hug. "Russell, oh, thank goodness, Mommy has finally found you."
Teresa watched Unity clutch the child, tears of relief sparkling in her eyes. She was inexplicably moved.
She hadn't anticipated Unity's profound love for the child despite being banished from the Garcia family because of him. That was truly unexpected.
It seemed she had misunderstood Unity in the past.
Despite Unity's greed for wealth and status, resorting to lies and deceit to become a part of the Garcia family, what woman could resist a man like Gabriel or the allure of being part of such a luxurious family as the Garcias?
Thus, she considered the mistakes Unity made in the past toward them as human nature, not the gravest of sins, unworthy of forgiveness.
After being cast out by the Garcias, her unwavering affection for a child labeled as a "bastard" by others, her cherishing, and fulfillment of a mother's duties commanded respect.
Watching their embrace brought Teresa back to her past.
Gabriel's brows knit together suddenly at the sight of Unity appearing out of the blue, his dark eyes under his shades starting to brim with a cold fury.
His thoughts were completely at odds with Teresa's.
Had it not been for the Lewis family and Unity, he wouldn't have missed three years with Teresa, who had to endure the pains and challenges of pregnancy and motherhood alone in a foreign country.
"Russ, you can't just run off like that. You scared me to death!" After holding her son for a while, Unity finally let him go, examining his face, "Russ, tell me, are you okay? Did you run into any trouble, any bad guys, any injuries?"
Russ shook his head at Unity, then pointed to the table filled with food and said, "Mom, look at all the yummy food. Do you want some?"
Russ offered a chicken wing to Unity.
"No, Mommy's not hungry, you..." Unity shook her head, her gaze shifting to the table's offerings as if noticing Teresa for the first time, momentarily stunned.
Teresa, behind her sunglasses, watched Unity. Their eyes met through the tinted lenses, Teresa's expression unchanging.
"Teresa, what are you doing here? What a coincidence?" After a few seconds of astonishment, Unity regained her composure, her face full of surprise.
"Yeah, quite the coincidence. Your son seems fine. You can take him now." Teresa responded casually, curving her lips slightly, her voice betraying none of the shift in her feelings toward Unity.
"Heh..." Unity chuckled, sensing the icy aura from Gabriel on the other side. She didn't look at Gabriel, instead focusing on Teresa and then glancing at a nearby Croissant before smiling and saying, "Teresa, is this your son? He's adorable."
"Unity, just take your son and leave," came a deep and chilling voice from the other side before Teresa could reply.
A shiver ran down Unity's spine, but she didn't obey. Instead, she turned to Gabriel with a smile and continued, "Gabriel, what a surprise. I didn't expect you and Teresa to help..."
"Will you leave on your own, or shall I have someone assist you?" Gabriel, also wearing sunglasses, did not mask the chilling aura emanating from his dark eyes, "If you don't leave, I can have someone escort you out."
"Daddy, you're being mean!" Croissant observed Gabriel, then turned to Unity, "You shouldn't be mean to the lady. It's not nice."
"Sweetie, it's important to keep our distance from those who've hurt us." Gabriel reached out, scooping up Croissant into his arms, instantly adopting the gentle demeanor of a loving father as he instructed his child.
"Mommy, I'm hungry," whispered little Russell with innocent eyes, glancing fearfully at Gabriel and then back to Unity.
"Honey looks like the little one has had enough to eat, and I'm full too. Maybe it's time we head out?" Teresa noticed that little Russell was indeed famished, having been eagerly eating earlier, and she felt a twinge of compassion. But it was impossible to eat with Unity, so the only option was for them to leave.
"All right, let's go." Teresa made the decision, and Gabriel, without hesitation, rose to his feet, carrying Croissant.
"We're heading out, bye!" Knowing they were leaving, Croissant cheerfully waved a little hand to Russell.
"Teresa, are you still mad at me about the past?" Unity hurriedly grabbed Teresa's arm as they were about to leave, her face a mix of remorse and sincerity, "I'm sorry, I really am. Please forgive me. Can we go back to..."
"Unity, you overestimate yourself. It's not like I can stay angry at you forever, but we'll never be friends again." Before Unity could finish, Teresa pulled her hand away with a light smile, "Take good care of your son. We're leaving!"
With those words, Teresa lifted her gaze to Gabriel.
Gabriel, with Croissant in one arm, reached out and took Teresa's hand with the other, and together, the family of three departed.
"Bye-bye!" Unaware of the complexities around him, Croissant perched on Gabriel's shoulder, happily waving at Unity and her son as they said their farewells.
As Unity watched the pleasant scene of the family leaving together, her expression of remorse and sincerity slowly gave way to a deep-seated hatred and rage.
Repeatedly, she had lowered herself, showering Teresa with attention and even involving her child. She invested months in building a relationship with her child, all to exploit that bond and regain Teresa’s favor and confidence.
Yet, she hadn't anticipated that after becoming the head of the Garcia family, Teresa would transform into someone so haughty and imperious.
"Mommy, eat!" Little Russell looked up at Unity, tugging on her hand, "Eat with me, Mommy."
"You're always eating. Come with me," Unity snapped without a speck of patience, grabbing Russell's arm and roughly pulling him off the booster seat as venom laced her words.
The child's crying erupted instantly from the abrupt motion, drawing the attention of other diners.
Unity, aware of the eyes on them, quickly reined in her frustration and scooped up Russell, cooing with a forced smile, "No tears, sweetie. We're going home right now."
With the child in her arms, she left swiftly.
