Chapter 236
His usual spirited and collected look was replaced with an unfamiliar stubble framing his lips.
They were merely business partners. Nevertheless, he had stayed with her throughout the night.
Lost in thought, Haley didn't notice Ivan stride out of the room with his long legs.
She pulled out her phone and dialed Todd.
"Mommy, you're awake?" Todd's gentle and stable voice came through the phone, showing no sign of distress.
"I'll be discharged soon, honey. Just give me half an hour, and I'll take you to preschool," Haley replied with a tender curve of her lips.
"Mommy, you should rest a bit longer at the hospital. I'll take Angela to preschool. We'll catch the Route 13 bus; it's just five stops and a ten-minute ride. Don't worry about us," Todd said obediently.
Haley sighed internally. Todd had grown up so fast to compensate for her busy life and her failure as a mother. Her two children had been raised in a single-parent household, and she was always preoccupied with work. Todd and Angela's childhoods were indeed less fortunate compared to other kids...
Suddenly, Haley's thoughts shifted to the middle-aged man she encountered on the cruise ship the previous night.
That man, who could recount the events of that one fateful night five years ago, the one who had shattered her life. The beast. The devil.
Even five years later, he dared to attempt the same evil deed.
Haley closed her eyes and spoke slowly, "Be careful with your sister, Todd. I'll come pick you up in the evening."
Ending the call, her expression turned ice cold.
She resolved to find out who that man was. She wanted to know the man who had ruined her life.
Todd, hand in hand with Angela, boarded the Route 13 bus. The two kids stepped onto the bus, one a boy with the noble bearing of a prince from a fairy tale, the other a girl exuding the air of a little princess from a storybook.
As soon as they were aboard, they drew countless stares from other passengers.
An older man approached with candy in hand. “Hey there, kids, just the two of you? Where are your mom and dad?”
Todd gripped his sister's hand tighter, replying with a chilly indifference, “What do you want?”
“It’s dangerous for children to take the bus alone," the man persisted. “Where are you headed? Maybe I could help get you there.”
He extended the candy toward them, then reached out toward Angela’s fair cheek.
With a swift tug, Todd pulled Angela away. His eyes flashed dangerously. “Don't you dare touch my sister!”
The man flinched under the intensity of Todd’s glacial stare.
“I’m just worried about you two getting tricked, that’s all. No good deed goes unpunished, eh?” he grumbled as he slumped back into his seat, muttering under his breath.
Todd’s gaze remained icy. His sister's beauty was always attracting the wrong kind of attention...
Luckily, Angela seemed oblivious to the dangers, her large, glassy eyes staring out the window vacantly.
Five stops later, they arrived at the preschool.
Still clutching Angela’s hand, Todd led her off the bus and into the preschool.
“Todd, Angela, did you come by yourselves today? How impressive!” Heidi greeted them with pride and concern as she escorted them inside. “But remember, if your mom can’t drop you off, just give me a call next time, and I'll come get you, okay?”
Heidi adored these two little darlings. She would chauffeur them daily if needed, and not think twice about it.
As they vanished through the preschool’s front door, a sports car suddenly stopped, and Emily emerged.
She made a beeline for the principal’s office.
The principal managed all the paperwork for Owen's admissions and subsequent departures. Hence, he was well aware of her close connection to the Winston family and hastened to receive her with all due respect.
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