Chapter 420 Taken Away
Flora was easily drawn into Arthur's embrace, her body tensing fiercely.
"Ah!" Flora's expression turned sour, but she tried to appear calm. "Arthur, are you resorting to bullying now?"
"What do you mean by bullying? I've done far more intimate things to you in the past." Arthur's eyes gleamed with a mischievous light. Calm and gentlemanly - that's how others saw Arthur. But Flora knew the darkness that lurked beneath his surface.
Two conflicting temperaments seamlessly merged within him.
Calm, gentle, gentlemanly - these flattering words were often used by others to describe Arthur, but only Flora knew how dark and cunning his heart could be.
These words had nothing to do with her they were mere deceit. It was only after getting close that she realized just how despicable and yet captivating this man was!
"You know very well that was in the past," Flora retorted.
"And I can make it our present again," Arthur thought to himself.
He grasped Flora's chin, and instead of saying what he intended to say, he uttered, "We have a daughter together. Doesn't that make us close?"
"You... how did you know?" Flora's face went pale. She clutched at Arthur's clothes and asked anxiously, "What have you done to Tina?"
"What do you mean by what I've done to her? She is my daughter. What could I possibly do to her?" Arthur's expression soured at the accusation.
Flora, seemingly mustering strength from nowhere, broke free from Arthur's grip and immediately dialed a number. "Mrs. White, where's Tina?"
"Tina is at the neighbor's kid's house. Why?" Mrs. White responded.
Flora's fingers tightened around her phone. Her knuckles turned white as she clenched her teeth and glared at Arthur.
After hanging up, Flora opened the map app on her phone and discovered that her daughter's GPS signal was nowhere near their apartment!
Mrs. White had been specially hired to look after Tina when Flora went abroad. Initially, Flora was hesitant about hiring a nanny, but after Mrs. White was recommended by an acquaintance and after observing her competent and gentle demeanor for a while, Flora felt reassured enough to entrust Tina to Mrs. White.
And now, it was another case of appearances being deceiving!
"Arthur, where is my daughter?!" Flora grabbed Arthur by his tie threateningly.
Flora was not particularly short or tall, but she seemed less so in front of Arthur. By pulling on his tie, she compelled him to lean down. For an instant, their faces were mere inches apart, their breaths intertwining.
Arthur blinked but perceived no trace of intimacy in the air. Because all he could see in Flora's eyes was wrath and panic.
"She's our daughter, Flora." Arthur maintained his leaning posture, his voice calm. "Tina is fine."
"Give her back to me!" Upon hearing that her daughter was unharmed, Flora calmed slightly.
"No." Taking advantage of his bent position, Arthur pulled Flora forcefully into his embrace and held her tight, unmoved by her struggles.
And indeed, Flora couldn't free herself.
"Flora, come back to me. Let's take care of Tina together, okay?"
"In your dreams!" Flora, without any misgivings, lifted her foot and slammed her high heel down onto Arthur's leather shoe with all her might.
Pain elicited a reflexive release from Arthur.
Flora quickly stepped back. "So do you mean to say you won't give her back to me?"
"Flora, I am Tina's father. I have the right to keep her with me."
"Okay, let's see who wins this!" Flora didn't waste any more words; she turned to leave and made a phone call as she walked. "Can you do me a favor?"
Arthur's gaze darkened instantly. He vaguely heard her mention "Tina" and observed she was seeking help from another man. Which man could have earned such trust from her?
"Aren't we waiting for Daddy?" Tina hugged Natalie and inquired.
After the competition, Tina was taken away by Oliver and Natalie.
"Daddy has gone to find mommy. He'll be back soon," Natalie explained patiently to the little girl.
Arthur and Flora hadn't seen each other for a long time, and they had parted ways on the terms of a cold war. Natalie felt this conversation might end in disaster. The situation was not suitable for children to witness.
Oliver was sitting on the other side of the car's backseat, silently watching Natalie and Tina converse.
When Arthur suggested that they take the child and leave first, Oliver thought Natalie wouldn't agree. But he finally understood that Natalie was simply too kind. Or maybe she believed Arthur to be kinder than he truly was.
Arthur's insistence on sending the child away wasn't to spare her the bad impression of her parents quarreling or to avoid casting a shadow on her childhood. It was to use Tina as leverage against Flora.
A woman who had cheated death, a single mother who had rapidly risen independently in just three years - had once been timid, she was no longer easy to speak to.
No one knew the temperament and decisions of such a woman. She had too many options and resources, but her beloved daughter was in their hands.
Tina obediently followed Natalie and Oliver back to the Rosewood Estate. Then she suddenly remembered something and said, "Natalie, I need to call Mommy."
"Why do you want to call her?" Oliver asked.
"To tell Mommy I'm not at home," Tina said obediently. "She will worry."
Earlier, since Flora was at the competition, it wasn't necessary to tell her. But now that it was over, she had to inform her.
"Do you remember Mommy's phone number?" Natalie took out her phone and handed it to her.
The little one nodded vigorously and tapped out a string of numbers on the screen with her tiny finger.
No answer.
The anticipation and joy on Tina's face collapsed, and she looked at Natalie with an expression of hurt and helplessness. "No one answered."
"Mommy might be busy, or maybe her phone is away from her. Don't worry, Tina." Natalie thought that it was normal for her mom to miss calls after the competition due to other things.
"Okay." Tina drank another glass of milk and slowly fell asleep, curled up in a corner of the sofa.
The little one stubbornly refused to go to her room and insisted on waiting for Mommy to come pick her up.
Arthur arrived, looking exhausted. "I'm here to take Tina."
Oliver glanced at him and said nothing. Arthur felt a momentary dishevelment, sensing that his brother saw right through him.
Natalie was surprised. "Where are you taking her?"
"To my place."
"Did you... clear things up with Flora?" Natalie eyed him suspiciously.
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