Chapter 642 Tools
Michael tilted his head back and downed the entire glass of whiskey. The burning sensation in his throat was nothing compared to the emptiness in his heart.
Meanwhile, Emma stood by the window, gazing at the blooming roses in the garden. Michael's reaction had confirmed her suspicions—he did have special feelings for Celeste.
Maybe...
Emma had a thought. Could it be that the child Celeste once carried was Michael's?
The idea made her feel sick. Michael claimed to love her, yet he was sleeping with another woman. How could he even use the word "love"?
He disrespected not only her but also Celeste!
"Celeste," Emma whispered the name, almost like a sigh. Did the men of the Russell family always enjoy tormenting the women who loved them the most?
George was like that before, and now Michael was too.
Emma stood in front of the full-length mirror in the walk-in closet, her fingers lightly brushing over rows of expensive dresses. Her gaze finally settled on a light blue linen dress, a replica she had specially ordered based on her memories of Celeste.
She slowly put on the dress and tied her long hair into a ponytail with a simple hair tie. In the mirror, she instantly took on some of Celeste's lively charm.
"How ridiculous," she muttered to herself with a self-deprecating smile. "I have to imitate another woman to save my own daughter."
Emma picked up Seraphine's favorite bunny plush from the vanity, gently stroking the soft fur on its ears. This was Seraphine's bedtime companion, now turned into a prop to get close to Michael. Taking a deep breath, Emma gathered a few of Seraphine's toys and walked towards the garden.
The afternoon sunlight filtered through the rose bushes, casting dappled shadows on the white wicker chair. Emma deliberately chose a spot directly in front of Michael's study window and began organizing her daughter's toys. Her movements were gentle, and she occasionally smiled tenderly at the bunny plush.
As expected, it wasn't long before she heard familiar footsteps behind her.
"What are you doing here?" Michael's voice was lower than usual, with a hint of something unspoken.
Emma didn't turn around, continuing to stroke the plush. "Seraphine loves this bunny," she said softly, as if afraid to disturb something. "I wonder if she's sleeping well."
Michael walked up to her, his gaze lingering on her Celeste-like outfit for a few seconds, his eyes darkening.
Emma looked up, her eyes glistening with just the right amount of tears. "I just want to see her."
Michael stared at her face for a long time before suddenly pulling out his phone and dialing a video call.
The screen lit up, and Seraphine's rosy face immediately filled the frame. She was wearing a pink princess dress, her hair styled into two cute pigtails adorned with sparkling star clips. Seeing Emma on the screen, Seraphine jumped up excitedly, waving a colorful drawing.
"Mommy! Mommy!" Seraphine called out in her sweet, childlike voice, her face almost pressed against the screen. "Look, I drew our whole family! This is pretty, Mommy, this is handsome, Daddy, and this is Lucas!" She proudly pointed to the four wobbly figures on the paper, adding, "I also drew the teddy bear Daddy bought me!"
Emma's tears flowed uncontrollably. She quickly covered her mouth, afraid her sobs would scare Seraphine. Through her blurred vision, she greedily took in the sight of her daughter. Seraphine seemed to have grown taller, her cheeks rounder, her eyes still sparkling, with a bit of jam on the corner of her mouth. She looked well taken care of.
"Your drawing is wonderful, sweetheart," Emma said, choking back her sobs, her voice gentle. "Mommy misses you so much."
"Seraphine misses Mommy too!" Seraphine pouted, then lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Daddy took me to the amusement park yesterday! We rode the carousel, and he bought me a huge cotton candy!" She spread her arms wide to show the size. "It was this big!"
Emma's heart ached, but she kept her smile gentle. "Really? Did you save some for Lucas?"
Seraphine's face scrunched up in regret. "I forgot!" But she quickly brightened up. "But when I go back to Lakeside Haven, I can build the new blocks with Lucas!"
At that moment, Michael stepped beside Emma, smiling warmly at the screen. "Seraphine, it's time for your piano lesson."
The nanny on the other end immediately understood and gently reminded, "Seraphine, your teacher is waiting in the music room."
Seraphine reluctantly pouted at the screen. "Mommy, come get me soon! Daddy said once you're done with work, we can all go to Disney together!" She suddenly remembered something and added quickly, "Lucas too!"
Seraphine blew a big kiss at the screen. "Bye, Mommy! Bye, Daddy! Come soon!"
As the screen went dark, Emma could no longer hold back her tears. They felt like a string of broken pearls. She clutched the bunny plush tightly, Seraphine's favorite toy now her only solace.
Michael put away his phone, looking down at her. "Satisfied?" His voice was back to its usual coldness. "I promised to take good care of her."
Emma wiped her tears, forcing herself to stay calm. "Thank you for taking such good care of her."
"She calls me Daddy," Michael said suddenly, his eyes complicated. "She's been my daughter since she was born."
The words cut into Emma like a knife. She knew Michael was reminding her that Seraphine had accepted him as her father, making it even harder for her to take Seraphine away.
"She's a very trusting child," Emma said softly. "As long as you're good to her, she'll trust you completely."
Emma's nails dug into her palms. She knew that in this carefully woven web of lies, the most innocent one was the sweet, trusting Seraphine. She genuinely loved her "Mommy and Daddy," unaware of the cruel game the adults were playing.
"Just wait a little longer, sweetheart," Emma whispered to the now dark screen. "Mommy will bring you home."
Emma wiped her tears and forced herself to stay calm. She looked at Michael. "What do you want?"
Michael suddenly leaned down, one hand on the armrest of the wicker chair, trapping her in his arms. "Tonight, in my room," he whispered, his breath warm against her ear. "Be my woman, and I'll let you see Seraphine."
Emma's body went rigid, but thinking of Seraphine's hopeful eyes, she slowly nodded. "Okay."
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