Chapter 48 Chasing Wife at the Airport
Madison, not seeing Hannah coming out, worried if she was managing all right, called out, "Hannah, how are you doing? Are you okay? Do you need Mom to come in and help?"
"I'm okay, Mom. I'll be right out," Hannah, hearing her mom calling her, quickly hung up the phone, put her smartwatch in its place, and stepped out, beaming at her mom and brother.
"Let's go." The three of them returned to their seats to continue waiting for boarding.
Hannah took out her little backpack, preparing to find the snacks she had packed when she saw a black card. She just remembered that an uncle had given it to her at home to give to Mom she had kept it safe in her backpack. Afterward, she and her brother sneaked out to find Dad and play, and she had forgotten about it. It probably wasn't anything important since Mom seemed unaware of it, and the uncle hadn't appeared again. Finding it now seemed like the right moment to give it to her mother.
What Hannah didn't realize was that this card, which seemed insignificant to her, was the bank card Matthew had asked Carl to deliver to Madison. It was the card Madison had left behind during their divorce, and it contained more money than she could spend on snacks in a lifetime.
"Mom, this is for you," Hannah casually handed the card to Madison.
Turning her head, Madison saw the familiar bank card in Hannah's hand, frozen in place, "where did you get this?"
Hannah noticed her mom's excitement, "An uncle gave it to me a while ago to pass on to you. If you don't believe me, ask Quentin. I forgot I had put it in my backpack."
"What uncle, what does he look like?" Madison panicked when she heard that an uncle had brought something. Could it be Matthew? Had he already seen the two kids?
"Well... he wasn't tall, that's for sure," said little Hannah, who couldn't quite remember. She just knew he wasn't as tall or as handsome as Dad.
Madison turned urgently to Quentin, "Quentin, what did that mister look like, the one who delivered the card? Did he say anything else?"
"No, Mom, he wore glasses and just handed us the card and left. He didn't ask anything."
Madison sighed in relief after hearing their descriptions, clutching the card with slightly sweaty palms.
It wasn't Matthew. Thankfully, it must have been Carl, the executive assistant. Too close for comfort, she reassured herself, relieved that they had left quickly and were now safe.
Meanwhile, Matthew rushed out with his phone, calling Carl, "Find Madison's flight number right now. Send people to block all the airport exits. Her plane is not taking off until I get there."
After ending the call, he sped off toward the airport in his black Rolls-Royce, running red lights and rushing to the airport. Carl saw his boss arriving and quickly approached him, "Matthew, the plane has been stopped. We've confirmed Madam's location. I'll take you there."
Madison glanced at the time. Boarding time should be upon them shortly.
Suddenly, the airport's PA system broadcast a gentle, pleasant voice, “Dear passengers, we regret to inform you that Flight XXXX is delayed due to air traffic control issues. The exact departure time is still undetermined. Please wait for further notice." Groans of dismay rose from the crowd around her.
The flight was delayed, and a sudden, foreboding sense of dread struck Madison.
"Mom, can't we board the plane yet?" Hannah looked up and asked.
"Um. The plane's been delayed. Looks like we'll have to wait a bit longer." Concerned the kids might become restless waiting, Madison decided to take them to browse the local specialty shop nearby.
The three of them had barely risen from their seats when a group of men in black rushed in, heading straight toward them. Madison held the kids' hands tightly while Quentin and Hannah clung to their mother and shrank back, hiding behind her.
The men in black split to either side, clearing a path through which Matthew appeared at the end, his shirt unbuttoned at the top, giving him a somewhat disheveled look.
Upon seeing Matthew, there was only one thought in Madison's mind, "It's over!"
There he stood, elegant and upright, basked in the sunlight streaming through the expansive windows of the airport, his face illuminated and bright. His deep eyes seemed to be tinged with red, his lips slightly pursed in a restrained expression.
Matthew's gaze fell on the trio standing before him. The young woman bit her lip in a persevering and stubborn manner, her hands protectively wrapped around two children who sought shelter behind her.
For some reason, despite their close proximity, Matthew found himself unable to step forward.
He stared at the two kids, the sweet little girl who'd run into his office calling him "Dad" and the smart, gentlemanly little boy who always looked after his younger sister. He couldn't believe that he had indeed shared meals with them, taken them to the zoo, and remembered the little girl's soft voice calling him "Dad."
How foolish he had been. His own daughter and son had come looking for him, and he had mistaken them for someone else's children in search of a stepfather, completely unaware that his own children had come to find him.
Suppressing the urge to rush forward, he took slow, measured steps, approaching with a grace that made his sleeves flutter in the air. Covering the short distance seemed to take an eternity until he stood quietly before the three, remaining silent though his heart pounded nervously and his mind swirled with a flurry of thoughts.
Madison watched the man before her anxiously. His eyes were rimmed in crimson. She could even see a layer of sweat beading at the tip of his nose.
From behind her mother, Hannah peered out timidly, and to her surprise, she saw Matthew. She bolted from behind and flung herself at him, crying out, "Daddy!"
Matthew, seeing Hannah rushing toward him, quickly crouched down to catch the little bundle.
"Hannah, my dear."
He looked up to Madison's son, who was also watching him. The boy hadn't shown the same enthusiasm as his sister, and Matthew didn't recall him ever calling him "Dad." He reached out his hand, and Quentin slowly placed his own hand in his father's.
Standing up while cradling Hannah in one arm and holding Quentin's hand with the other, Matthew turned to face Madison.
Upon hearing Hannah's call of "Daddy," Madison was rooted to the spot. Why would Hannah call Matthew "Dad"? Although he was indeed their father, and Quentin seemed to recognize him, she wondered when they had met. When had they become so familiar that Hannah already called him "Daddy"?
Hannah turned to ask Matthew.
"Dad, what are you doing here?" she asked with a hint of surprise.
Matthew looked at Madison. Madison, feeling a bit guilty, lowered her head and then addressed her little one warmly.
"Dad's come to take you home."
"Home? Is Dad going with us to Frostpine?" asked Hannah innocently.
"Not to Frostpine. Today, we're going back to our home in Horizon City."
Hearing Matthew's words, Madison's heart flipped with nervousness. She nervously tugged at her sleeve, eyeing Matthew with wariness as he held Hannah and led Quentin by the hand.
So, he had known all along about Quentin and Hannah. Was he planning to take them from her?!
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