Chapter 159 Someone Else Will Take Care of the Children
He set the phone down and immediately took out his own to call Stella.
The moment the call connected, the soft chime of an elevator arriving echoed from down the hallway.
Instinctively, his gaze shifted in that direction.
A tear-streaked Stella appeared, her face fraught with panic, rushing out of the elevator, sprinting towards him, "What's wrong with Bennett and Lauren? Do they need to go to the hospital for a checkup?"
As Jasper looked at the tears and worried on Stella's face, a wave of disgust welled up inside him.
Earlier, when he had gone home to pick up Bennett and Lauren, he had specifically asked Alice whether Stella knew about the children's discomfort from last night.
"After you left last night, the lady never left her room again.
"She just went downstairs for breakfast and left the house this morning."
Alice's voice echoed in Jasper's ears, "She hasn't been back to the children's room since she gave Lauren and Bennett their milk last night."
Jasper watched Stella approach, tears streaming down her face, and a wave of sorrow washed over him.
She was the love of his life; he had waited for her return for six long years.
But now that she was finally back, he realized she was no longer the Adeline of his memories—she had changed too much.
He couldn't even tell if her tears were genuine or just for show.
Stella insisted she was the biological mother of Lauren and Bennett, claiming that the agony of losing them nearly took her life these past six years.
Yet, after only a week of truly being with the children, all Jasper could see was her indifference and impatience.
Such behavior did not fit a mother who should have been sick with longing for her children.
"Jasper."
Stella had hurried over to him, closing the distance in quick steps. "Jasper, what's wrong with the kids?
"I just got home, and Alice told me you and Ryan took Bennett and Lauren to the hospital."
As she spoke, she wiped away her tears with a quivering voice. "As soon as Alice told me, I rushed over here.
"What happened?"
"We're fine. Daddy was just worried we had too much milk and got sick, so we came for a checkup."
Before Jasper could reply, Lauren cast a dismissive glance at Stella from the bench.
Hearing Lauren's words, the concern and tension on Stella's face eased slightly.
As long as it wasn't a DNA test, she felt relieved.
The real reason Stella had hurried over was not concern for the children's health—it was fear that Jasper might get suspicious.
Bennett and Lauren had promised not to push Jasper for a DNA test, but Jasper would still come up with the idea.
With this in mind, Stella took a breath of relief and gave Lauren a reproachful look. "I've told you before to cut down on snacks and extra meals.
"Look at you two, skipping meals for milk, and now you're almost hurting yourselves.
"From now on, be good, eat your meals on time, and cut down on the snacks and extra meals, got it?"
After finishing, she looked proudly at Jasper, seeking his approval. "Jasper, see, when you asked me to let them have snacks and extra meals, they ended up causing this mess yesterday.
"So, maybe you should stop managing them and let me..."
"Continue mistreating them?"
Jasper's icy interjection cut Stella off mid-sentence.
His eyes, bottomless pits of coldness, fixed on Stella's face. "Stella, for the past six years, has Adeline been the one taking care of the kids? Do you find parenting bothersome?"
The man let out a scornful laugh. "If that were the case, it may be best if Adeline continues to look after them.”
"Sure!"
Lauren, excitedly clapping her hands on the side, cheered. "Lauren gets to stay with Mommy again!"
Stella's complexion turned deathly pale.
She grabbed Jasper's hand in desperation. "Jasper, what are you trying to say..."
"What do I mean?"
Unable to contain the anger swelling in his chest any longer, Jasper confronted her. "Stella."
"What did you say when you first came back?
"You declared your love for the kids, promising that even if they didn't like you, you would win them over with your sincerity.
"You vowed to give it your all, to take care of them so well that they'd forget Adeline's nurturing.
"And now? What's the outcome?"
He pulled out the medical reports for Lauren and Bennett.
"The doctors said if they hadn't taken their medication on time, they'd have been hospitalized last night!
"Adeline told me you forced the kids to eat, ruining their appetite for dinner.
"I didn't want to believe her at first!
"I thought, after all, you're their biological mother. You wouldn't do that!
"But now, here are the test results. Are you expecting me to continue deceiving myself?"
His words drained Stella's face of color until she was as white as a sheet.
Clutching the medical report, she bit down on the corner of her lip.
Yesterday, she had someone remove all the electronic devices from the kids' rooms and forced them to drink ten bottles of milk as punishment.
It was supposed to be a lesson; they had been disobedient.
In Stella's mind, milk wasn't lethal; at worst, they'd be so full they couldn't move.
Without any recording, she could claim they were biased against her, slandering her in collusion.
What she hadn't anticipated was how fragile a six-year-old's digestive system could be, to the point where too much milk would leave physical evidence!
She held the report in silence for a long time.
Finally, she looked up at Jasper with tears streaming down her face.
"Jasper, let me explain."
The woman sobbed, wiping her tears, her voice intermittent. "I admit I've not been the mother I should have been, but there's a reason."
Stella reached out, clutching Jasper's sleeve. "I thought, once I came back, everything would be as I imagined.
"You and I in love, the kids joyful and harmonious with us.
"But since my return, everything's changed."
With her eyes brimming with tears, she looked at Jasper. "You've never slept beside me."
"Not even a kiss," she added.
"You're always saying how busy you are, off to work overtime.
"But every night I can't sleep, I go looking for you at the office, and every time, you're never there.
"I watched you from afar that night. You spent hours waiting outside Adeline's friend's place.
"And last night…”
She sniffled, feeling aggrieved, "Do you really think I don't know where you were?"
Jasper's expression softened as he gazed at her.
Everything she said was true.
He had indeed been avoiding certain things.
"My mind's been so hazy; I don't understand why our relationship, once so good, has come to this.
"Because of my state, I've been afraid to visit the kids, to care for them.
"I was worried I'd affect them adversely."
As she spoke, her gaze fell, "But it seems I already have."
Turning away, her eyes wet with tears, she looked at Lauren sitting nearby. "Lauren, Mommy's made mistakes. Can you forgive me?"
"The way I've treated you and your brother, it's because mommy cares too much for your daddy.”
Jasper stood frozen, looking at her tear-stained face, his heart aching.
He had been too harsh lately.
Her distraught behavior towards the children was understandable.
It was all his fault.
He let out a deep breath, raised his hand, and gently wiped away her tears. "I apologize. For now, you focus on getting yourself together.
"I'll arrange for someone to take care of the children; you needn't involve yourself with their matters anymore."
Stella, wiping away her tears, muttered, "Alright."
Her face betrayed sadness, but inside, she was overjoyed.
Did she really want to deal with those little brats?
Better she didn't have to.
Her recent concern for the kids stemmed from the fear that if anything happened to them, Jasper would trace it back to her.
Now that they were someone else's responsibility, any mishaps couldn't be pinned on her!
"Lauren."
Jasper turned, gently ruffling the little girl's hair, "Why don't you and your brother discuss what kind of nanny you'd like to take care of you next?"
Alice alone couldn't possibly manage both children.
Lauren looked up with a radiant smile at his words. "No need for a chat; brother will definitely agree on one person!"
Stella quickly adopted a concerned tone, "And who might that be? As long as you kids are happy, mommy will surely convince your daddy."
"Obviously, it's our mommy Adeline!"
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