Chapter 32 Dad Has a Rival in Love
Madison walked in with the two little ones, and Gavin joined Unity in preparing a grand spread of delicious dishes on the table. The village president's family, and the Wilson's family were all there too, warmly welcoming them to join. Madison, along with Quentin and Hannah, greeted everyone. After sitting down, they heard the village president stand up and say, "Nicholas is here."
Turning towards the doorway, they saw an elegant gentleman standing at the courtyard entrance.
Unity hurried over to greet him, "Nicholas, you made it! Come in. When I asked the village president earlier, he mentioned you might not have the time to come today."
"Ah, I managed to wrap up work and come. I brought some wine," he said as he handed the bag to Unity.
"Nicholas, you're always so thoughtful, bringing us something every time you come," Grace Wilson said with a warm smile.
It was only when Nicholas approached that Madison quietly called out, "Nicholas."
The man beside her nodded slightly, as if holding back some emotion, and said, "You’re back."
She turned to let the children greet him. Quentin and Hannah politely said, "Good evening, Nicholas."
"Hi there," Nicholas replied and surprisingly pulled out two small toys from his pocket to give to the kids.
"Thank you, Nicholas," the two little ones said, delighted with their gifts.
The two didn't speak much more. Nicholas took a seat next to Madison. After three rounds of drinks, the men were almost tipsy, and the village president fell asleep, needing the help of his family to return home to rest. Jacob Wilson and Gavin were still competing at the table. Quentin and Hannah had finished eating and were already frolicking in the yard with some other kids. Madison stood to go to the restroom, and upon returning, she saw Nicholas leaning against a pillar. She asked, "Nicholas, are you all right?"
"I'm fine; I've been working for years; I can handle my drink," Nicholas replied, straightening up from the pillar.
"Let's take a walk, shall we?" Madison suggested, looking back to see Quentin and Hannah happily playing with a few friends. They'd eaten plenty, and a stroll would be good.
"Okay," he agreed.
The two people stepped out of the courtyard and followed a path to the lakeside. Perhaps due to the evening chill, there weren't many people around. A few individuals were seated on the benches by the lake, and occasionally, someone jogging at night would rush past them. The pair walked on quietly.
"You haven't returned in years. How have you been?" Nicholas was the first to break the silence.
"I separated from their dad, who doesn't know about the kids. After we split, I moved to Frostpine. I came back on business and decided to visit Grandpa." Madison didn't hide anything from Nicholas and succinctly shared her situation over the past few years.
Nicholas paused briefly, taken aback, but quickly composed himself, "If you need any help, just let me know. Taking care of two kids on your own must be tough."
Madison stopped and faced Nicholas. "It's not. They're the joy of my life, my little angels sent from above." After sharing this, she continued walking.
"When are you heading back to Horizon City? How long will you stay this time?"
"I plan to return tomorrow. I still have some work to catch up on, so I can't say for sure how long I'll need."
"Let me drive you back tomorrow. I have to go back to Horizon City myself. Over the past two years, I've mostly moved my business there, so I spend more time in the city," Nicholas offered.
"Okay," Madison accepted without hesitation, "And when will you find yourself a partner, Nicholas? Everyone says you should settle down once you're successful in business—it's time to think about the big picture."
"You're still a kid yourself. Now you're giving me advice?"
"I'm a mom now, hardly a kid," Madison protested with a pout. Indeed, if she didn't mention her children, someone might mistake her for a recent college graduate.
"Yeah, it's hard to believe you're a mom now. But in my eyes, you'll always be the little tagalong behind me." They chatted and laughed as if they had returned to their playful childhood days in the village.
"We should head back. It’s getting colder, and the kids will be looking for you soon," Nicholas said, stopping. The village area could get quite chilly at night, and he was concerned Madison might catch a cold.
"Sure, Nicholas. Where will you be staying tonight?"
"I'll be at my family's house. I'll come by to pick you up in the morning." Whenever Nicholas returned, he made sure to visit his family.
"All right, be careful, then I'm heading back," Madison said, saying goodbye to Nicholas before turning to walk back. Nicholas watched her until she reached the courtyard gate before he started homeward.
As soon as Madison stepped inside, two little figures rushed toward her. "Mom, you're back!"
Both children were sweaty from play, their hands covered in mud. "Let's go and take a bath. We're heading back to Horizon tomorrow. Nicholas will give us a ride," she said, leading them upstairs.
After the bath, the two kids snuggled into bed together while Madison took her turn to shower. Amidst the sound of running water, Hannah whispered under the covers with Quentin, "Quentin, this is bad. Dad has a rival now. This uncle is different from the ones Grandma Ximena introduced to Mom before. What do we do?"
Quentin frowned. His naive little sister had picked up on it, and it was impossible for him to miss it. Even though their Dad was still under evaluation in his eyes, he still had a soft spot for Matthew.
"We have to tell Dad, let him know what's happening so he feels the pressure," Hannah decided, pulling out her smartwatch. She scrolled to Matthew's contact that Wendy had helped her save before. Hannah sent a friend quest on WhatsApp, which, to her surprise, was accepted quickly. She had not expected it to come in handy so soon.
"Dad, a mister went for a walk with Mom just now. He's quite handsome, not as much as you are, Dad, but he and Mom seem to match well. Plus, he grew up with Mom. If you don't do something, Quentin and I might get a new Dad."
"And the mister is going to drive us tomorrow, another chance for him to impress Mom," Hannah added uneasily.
Quentin watched his fierce little sister's message and felt powerless, but this man was a threat to their Dad, given the childhood bond he shared with their Mom. His Dad couldn't compete with that past. Fortunately, his Dad had one advantage in good looks, plus another with the two kids on his side. With all things considered, Matthew was still the winner. Reassured, Quentin calmed down and hurried his sister to sleep.
Matthew received this unexpected and absurd message from Hannah at the office, working late. His first thought, bafflingly, was, "What does their Mom even look like?"
He thought he must have gone mad from working overtime to start wondering what a woman he had never met—and who also had children—looked like.
Putting down his phone, he buried himself back in work.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
