Chapter 5

James's voice hit the room like a blast of cold air, instantly killing the vibe of the matchmaking event. The whole place went quiet, tension slicing through like a knife. The hotel manager rushed over, instantly breaking into a nervous sweat when he realized who had shown up. He didn't even get a word out before James' blue eyes flashed with something sharp. "Clear the room," James ordered, his voice cold as ice. "Y-Yes, right away…" The manager didn’t dare meet his eyes, let alone question the order. He quickly signaled the staff to start clearing people out. Maria was standing nearby, stunned. Whispers started buzzing around her. "Who’s that guy? He came in like he owns the place." "He does. That’s the hotel owner." "What? Why’s he kicking everyone out? Isn’t this bad for business?" "Who knows…" Maria paused for a second, watching James more carefully now. Unfortunately, their gazes locked—his eyes were frosty cold. Just that one look made Maria feel like she’d plunged into freezing water. But James’ harsh expression softened a little when he spotted her. Still feeling on edge, Maria quickly looked away. Knowing now that this restaurant was his property, Maria didn’t plan to stick around. She already wanted to leave, and his arrival made it the perfect excuse. James took a step toward her, but Maria happened to turn and walk away that very moment. To him, it looked like she was clearly trying to dodge him. A flicker of darkness passed through his eyes as he followed her. Before he could catch up, a little girl popped out of nowhere—cute as a button, standing right in front of him with her tiny feet firmly planted. "Stop right there! This matchmaking was all for my mommy, and you totally ruined it!" Right after that fierce declaration, Ella froze. Whoa… this man is so handsome. Her big, sparkly eyes locked onto James. She pursed her lips shyly, her stern little face softening as a blush crept in. Maria saw her daughter’s lovestruck reaction and instantly got alert. James looked stunned too. Wait… did the little girl just call her "Mommy"? He glanced at Maria, clearly thrown off. Maria had already turned back and rushed over. She grabbed Ella’s hand and tried to leave. "Wait," James stepped in, his expression all kinds of complicated. His tone was sharp. "Maria, you have a kid?" Maria didn’t want to get into it with him and snapped, "Yeah, so what? What's it to you?" Her voice wasn’t friendly, and James' face darkened like someone had just thrown a bucket of cold soup in his face. Seeing his reaction weirdly made Maria feel smug. But of course, Ella had to ruin that. Protected by her mom, Ella leaned forward with her head poking out. "Mommy didn’t marry anyone." Her big eyes stared right at James, voice soft and curious: "Are you my daddy?" Maria immediately snapped, "Ella! He’s not your daddy!" James frowned and stared intently at Ella. Maria immediately reached out to cover Ella’s head, nervous as hell. He’s starting to get suspicious. James wasn’t blind — her attempt to play it cool only made things more obvious. His eyes narrowed. “Is she my kid?” Maria shot him a cold look. “Nope. I’ve already divorced her dad.” Ella blinked her big round eyes and looked at Maria like she’d just dropped a bomb. “Mommy, when did you ever—” Maria quickly bent down and clamped a hand over Ella’s mouth. “Mmmmph!” Ella could only make muffled noises. Still covering Ella’s mouth, Maria scooped Ella up and turned to make a quick exit. Watching her bolt like that, James became even more convinced — there was no way that little face wasn’t a mix of the two of them. Once they made it out of the hall, Maria let Ella go and pulled her phone out of her bag. The moment her mouth was freed, Ella started chattering like a little bird. “Mommy, why didn’t you let me finish? I don't even have a daddy!” Maria let out a long sigh and fished out a pack of Skittles. “Sweetheart, have some candy first.” “Oh, okay!” Ella nodded happily and instantly forgot what she was saying. Seeing her distracted, Maria quickly tapped out a message to Isabella. [Get Ethan out of here. Fast.] Ethan looked way too much like James — just like he did when he was a kid. If James saw him, game over. There’d be no way she could talk her way out of that one. A ping. Message received. [I’m in the middle of a game with Ethan. Can it wait a minute?] Maria practically frowned her eyebrows off. [Isabella, this is serious. You two can play later, alright?] [Okay, okay, I got it.] Even after seeing Isabella agree, Maria still wasn’t at ease. She added another note: make sure Ethan wore sunglasses and a mask. “Maria—” Out of nowhere, James’s voice came from behind. Maria made a “shush” gesture at Ella. Ella obediently nodded, her big clear eyes looking curiously at James. James had barely stayed in the lobby for a minute when it suddenly hit him— he still didn’t have Maria’s WhatsApp. So he’d made a beeline after her. He caught up in just a few steps. Maria didn’t slow down, holding Ella tightly, her shoulders tense. Her tone was frosty. “What is it now?” James stared at her, voice low and firm. “Add me on WhatsApp.” Maria raised an eyebrow, forced a smile. “And why would I do that? I don’t see the point.” Seriously? After all these years, now he remembered he didn't have her contact? There was a flash of sharpness in James’s eyes. “Maria, swear to me this kid has nothing to do with me.” Maria barely had time to react when — A man suddenly stepped between them. “Excuse me, sir. You’re way out of line.” He was tall, handsome, with a kind and gentle presence — the kind of guy that instantly puts people at ease. Maria instantly recognized him — her old high school classmate. An idea lit up in her mind. She put on a look of surprise and delight. “David, you’re here!” David barely had time to respond before— Maria ducked behind him, chin high, and stared James down. “This man is her father.”