Chapter 6

The next afternoon, Eloise packed all her belongings, planning to stay the night at the Windsor residence. She would proceed to collect her divorce certificate the next day. Suddenly, Sebastian barged in with Iris. He appeared panicked—an expression she had never seen on his face before. "The teacher said that you had picked Benjamin and Elijah up from school this afternoon!" he exclaimed. "What? No, I didn't," Eloise replied, frozen in shock. Sebastian grabbed her wrist, his eyes sharp. "The teacher said that you had called the school this afternoon and had them sent home. They haven't been back since!" Iris suddenly stepped forward, tears already falling. "Ms. Windsor, I know you were unhappy after finding out that Sebastian and I were planning to attend their parent-teacher meeting this morning. Did you hide them somewhere because of that?" Sebastian tightened his grip on Eloise's wrist, causing her to feel a sharp pain. "Eloise, although the kids like Iris and are much closer to her, they won't affect your status!" he roared. Why stoop to such dirty tricks? Where did you hide them?" Eloise frowned. She began to panic as she said anxiously, "I didn't. I never called the school, and I didn't pick them up. Did something happen to them?" Sebastian stared at her. Once he saw the genuine worry in her eyes, he let go of her hand. "We need to find them! I'll go and report this to the police." With that, he pulled Iris with him, and they ran down the stairs. He had parked his car at the entrance of the house, so they quickly got in the car and drove off. Eloise also ran out of the house anxiously, her heart pounding. She felt her limbs go numb, and she could barely stand. Biting her lip, she forced herself to stay calm. She then asked a few neighbors to help with her search. She got on her bicycle and began searching through the places Benjamin and Elijah would visit frequently. She went to each place and called their names again and again. At that moment, she felt like everything around her had turned gray, and the world had turned silent. Only the images of her twin sons flashed across her mind. She remembered how they looked when they were first born. She remembered them babbling as they learned to speak, their first baby steps, and how they had once promised to protect her. Even though her kids neither liked nor respected her, and even if she had decided to stop loving them, she was still their mother. Although she wanted to cut ties with Benjamin and Elijah, she still hoped that they'd live out the rest of their lives safe and happy. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and her whole body trembled. However, she forced herself to continue pedaling to look for her kids. After searching the usual spots, she went to the forest at the outskirts of the city. She followed the riverbank and continued looking for them for a long time. It wasn't until the sky had turned dark and she was drenched in sweat and completely exhausted did she finally stop and return home. She had to return home to check again. When she stopped her bicycle at the entrance, Benjamin and Elijah's laughter could be heard from inside the brightly lit home. Relief washed over her, and she immediately calmed down. Moving her cold and numb limbs, she opened the door. The moment she stepped inside, the air went cold. A ceramic cup shattered at her feet. "Eloise, how dare you come back!" Sebastian roared. Benjamin and Elijah immediately hid behind Iris. "Ms. Jones, you have to protect us. Mom had locked us up, saying that she'd never allow us to see you again." "What?" Their words hit her like a bolt from the blue, leaving Eloise's head spinning. Her ears were ringing as she stared at them in confusion. "What did you say?" Benjamin pointed at her and yelled, "It was you! You picked us up from school this afternoon and locked us in a warehouse in the western suburbs. You said you won't let us out until we admit that we were wrong!" Elijah placed his hands on his hips and added, "You said you won't allow us to be with Ms. Jones ever again. You also said that Dad can only be yours!"