Chapter 136 You'd Better Give Up
Riley watched as Catherine settled onto the sofa, her demeanor exuding an imposing presence. Riley turned to close the door and then took a seat in a nearby chair, maintaining a composed stance. "Mrs. Wilder, what brings you here so early in the morning?"
Catherine got straight to the point. "I came here today specifically to tell you to stay away from Donovan. And don't even think about getting close to Finley. She has nothing to do with you. Since you chose to divorce and left without a word, you have no right to come back."
Riley couldn't help but find Catherine's bluntness somewhat amusing and responded calmly, "Rest assured, when I chose to leave back then, I never intended to come back."
"Is that so?" Catherine sneered. "Then how do you explain meeting with Donovan? And why is Finley here with you?"
Her eyes bore into Riley with disdain, convinced of her duplicity.
Riley's frown deepened, her demeanor becoming equally resolute. "You might be misunderstanding the situation. My encounters with Donovan were purely coincidental. It so happened that when I was treating Mr. Benedict Senior, Donovan came to visit him. As for Finley, she attends the same kindergarten as my children, and they get along well, so she often comes over to play."
Riley chose not to mention Finley's reliance on her due to her illness. With Catherine's current hostile attitude, she feared that sharing this information would only be seen as a ploy for sympathy.
Despite Riley's clarification and her efforts to distance herself from Donovan and Finley, Catherine persisted in her accusations.
"Is it really such a coincidence? With your current status, it shouldn't be difficult to investigate the background of a kindergarten. How did you end up choosing the one invested in by the Wilder family?" Catherine pressed, her tone growing more aggressive.
For a moment, Riley was at a loss for words. The kindergarten had been recommended to her by Harper, and she hadn't thought much about it, let alone investigated its affiliations. Had Riley investigated the kindergarten at the outset, she likely would have chosen a different school for her children.
Noticing Riley's silence, Catherine assumed it was a sign of guilt and snorted derisively. "Whatever scheme you're concocting, I won't let you reenter our family. You'd better abandon that thought!"
Riley nodded, her voice steady. "Rest assured, I never intended to come back."
"You'd better remember what you said!" Catherine warned coldly.
At that moment, the three little ones finished their breakfast and came out. Landon and Winston, sensing the tension in the room, rushed to their mommy's side, their short legs moving quickly, their faces mirroring their protective instincts.
Finley, on the other hand, recognized Catherine and ran to her side, looking at her with wide, puzzled eyes.
Catherine saw her granddaughter and gently patted her head. "Finley, be a good girl and come home with Grandma, okay?"
Finley shook her head vehemently, then turned and tried to go back to Riley.
Seeing this, Catherine immediately grabbed Finley's arm, her grip firm. Finley struggled, her little face turning crimson with anxiety as she tried to break free in vain.
"Be a good girl and come home with Grandma!" Catherine's tone grew harsher, her grip unconsciously tightening.
Finley, in pain and determined not to leave Riley, stood her ground, silent tears streaming down her cheeks.
Realizing she had gone too far, Catherine frowned and released her hold. But it was too late; Finley continued to cry uncontrollably, her small body shaking with each sob.
