Chapter 6

James’s face darkened as he watched the two looking so cozy together. David Spencer was taken aback for a second, but quickly caught on. He turned around, scooped up Ella in his arms, met James’s gaze directly, and gave him a small, confident smile. “Yeah, I’m her dad.” His calm and self-assured smile only made James’s expression turn even more sour. A burning anger lit up inside James. He narrowed his eyes and gave Maria a cold glance before saying in a low, threatening tone, “If I’m not mistaken, most of your company’s projects are still tied to Bennett Corp. Are you really ready to risk it all just to piss me off?” Anyone could hear the warning behind his words. David’s smile froze, and his face went blank without responding. Seeing his reaction, James looked pleased. He turned and left, his retreating figure exuding a chill. Maria’s feelings were all over the place, but there wasn’t time to dwell on them. Once James’s car was out of sight, she quickly took Ella from David’s arms and set her down. Looking at David, she blinked, clearly both grateful and worried. “Thanks for stepping in, but your company…” David waved it off with a warm smile. “Yeah, Spencer Corp does work with them, but it’s not nearly as bad as he made it sound. Everything’s in writing. If he pulls out now, they take the bigger hit. He’s not that reckless.” James might have money to burn, but no smart businessman would just throw it away. If he really breached the contract, it’d mess with Bennett Corp’s image and cost them a fortune. David sounded casual about it, and Maria could only pretend to relax. “How come you were here, though?” “I was having dinner with a client nearby. Thought I saw someone familiar and—turns out it really was you.” There was surprise and happiness in David’s eyes. He’d wanted to reach out when he heard about her divorce five years ago—but then she went abroad, and it was like she vanished completely. When he spotted her today, he almost didn’t recognize her. “When did you get back?” “Yesterday.” David nodded slightly, thoughtful. Then he noticed Ella next to him, crouched down with a smile. “What’s your name, sweetheart?” “I'm Ella!” Her face lit up as she opened her arms to hug him. David’s brows lifted with amusement. He picked her up, gently tapped her nose, and couldn’t help but smile. “Ella’s adorable! She got all your best genes.” Maria gave a light laugh. “Not even curious who her biological dad is, huh?” “Does it matter?” David blurted without thinking. “You’re her mom. That’s enough.” Of course, deep down, he’d already guessed. Ella’s eyes mirrored Maria’s, but the nose and mouth were all James. Anyone with eyes could see it—not surprising James had suspicions. Maria felt something warm rise inside her and looked at David. She seemed lost in thought for a second, then suddenly let out a dry laugh and lowered her head. “Are you planning to leave again this time?” David asked quietly. "Not sure, but I’m not leaving for now." "In that case, I’ll reach out to our old classmates. You've been gone for so long—you gotta catch up with them," David said casually, like he wasn’t giving up any time soon. "Sure, go ahead and set it up." Maria agreed without hesitation. Right then, her phone buzzed—it was Isabella. She said she had already taken Ethan out. Maria couldn't help but roll her eyes. They took forever to come out, seriously. But the good news? Ethan didn’t bump into James. Crisis averted. Since she was clearly busy, David nodded and left considerately. As David walked away, Ella tugged at Maria's dress. "Mom, who was that man?" "An old classmate from high school," Maria replied, following her daughter’s gaze, watching David’s back slowly fade away into the distance, overlapping with the image of a teenage boy in her memories. All these years, and he still had that gentle vibe. The lines on his face from time did something to him—added a depth, a kind of charm he didn't have back then. "Yo, what are you staring at like that? Zoned out much? Did James already leave? When?" Isabella suddenly appeared out of nowhere, making Maria jump a little. Maria grabbed Ethan’s hand and brushed it off. "Nothing really. Let’s just go home—I’m beat." Back in the car, Maria buckled both kids into their booster seats and took the passenger side while Isabella drove. The gossip in Isabella instantly kicked into overdrive. "So, who were you watching like that, hmm?" Maria shot her a look, sighed, and said, "It was David." "No way—THE guy you crushed on in high school? When did you guys reconnect?" Maria wanted to slap her. "Can you not? The kids are right here." Isabella shrank back a little. "Oops, sorry." "We just ran into each other, that's all. He helped me out when things got awkward earlier." "Well, guess he's still a nice guy. No wonder you liked him back then." Maria rolled down the window and stared outside. Her voice was light, swept away by the breeze. "It’s all in the past." Their conversation didn’t go unheard. The two little ones in the back shared a wide-eyed glance, like they'd just uncovered some big secret. Maria was totally drained. As soon as they got home, she went straight to bed. Isabella stayed to keep an eye on the kids—though honestly, it wasn’t much work. She just microwaved the leftovers, and the two of them ate quietly, even cleaned up after themselves. Before leaving, Isabella warmed up some milk, gave the kids a little pep talk, kissed each of them goodnight, and was out the door. Those two were something else. Before their plates were even empty, Ella dragged Ethan into the bedroom. Eyes sparkling with curiosity, she waved her arms as she whispered, "Bro, that guy kinda looks like you. I think he might be our dad."