Chapter 4
Nathan’s icy stare lingered on Felicia as he demanded, “How do you expect us to simply forget this? Please, enlighten me.”
Felicia was too intimidated to utter a word. She looked at Carlson, who was huddled behind her, and suddenly slapped him across the face. “Apologize to Jayden right now!”
Carlson, petrified, gazed back with tears streaming down his cheeks. “Mommy…”
“Hurry up! Apologize to Jayden!” Felicia roared.
Jayden sneered, “I don’t need that. He turned to Paisley and said. “Ile should say sorry to Paisley instead.” After a brief pause. he looked back at Felicia. “And you should apologize too!”
With urgency, Felicia nodded. “Absolutely. I’ll apologize to Paisley’s mom right away.” She pulled a sobbing Carlson toward Cassidy. “Ms. Saunders, I am truly sorry. This is entirely Carlson’s fault. I have clearly fallen short in some aspects of his upbringing. I genuinely hope you can understand and forgive us for our mistakes.”
Cassidy, standing protectively in front of Paisley, remained unmoved.
“Ms. Saunders?” Felicia called again.
However, Cassidy merely scooped Paisley up, her voice hurried. “Taccept your apology. Let’s leave it at that. We’ll be taking our leave.” With that, she clutched Paisley close and walked away swiftly.
This voice…. Nathan’s sharp gaze locked onto Cassidy as he called out, “Hold on.”
Cassidy quickened her steps, Nathan, driven by a sudden realization, chased after her.
Anxious and fearful, Felicia spoke up. “Mr. Howell-
“Piss off!” Nathan suddenly turned furious, and with an unstoppable aura, he charged in the direction Cassidy had vanished.
At the kindergarten gate, Cassidy quickly unlocked her car and carefully strapped Paisley into the backseat. Sensing her unease, Paisley asked, “Mommy, what’s wrong? Are you scared of that man too?
Cassidy managed a strained smile. “Yeah.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not scared. I’ll protect you, Mommy!” Paisley reassured her.
“Good girl. Sit tight. We’re heading home now,” Cassidy responded.
“Okay.” Paisley obediently settled into her seat.
Cassidy hopped into the driver’s seat, and as she started the engine, she noticed Nathan appearing at the gate. She pressed her foot firmly on the accelerator and drove off rapidly in her Mercedes–Benz. Nathan stood there, watching the car vanish into the distance, his expression hardening as he memorized the license plate, Broburgh A802UQ
Back at the CEO’s office of Cypress Corporation, Jayden was engrossed in constructing a Lego set on the floor. Since their return, Nathan had been glued to his computer, his expression grim and unyielding. Kowing Nathan was in a foul mood, Jayden wisely chose not to interrupt him. Silently, the young boy continued with his Lego constructions, displaying a level of maturity uncommon for a five–year–old.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Nathan’s personal assistant, Logan Quimby, hurried into the room. “Mr. Howell, we’ve located her. I’ve sent the details to your email.”
Nathan opened the email to find a passport document. The woman he believed buried in the Howell family cemetery had resurfaced under a different identity–Cassidy Jensen Saunders.
The document presented a familiar face–the one he had dreamt about for the past five years. Her natural beauty shone through, her brown hair cascading gracefully over her shoulders, complemented by a radiant tan.
“Ms. Jensen has altered her surname to Saunders and has relocated to Astoria. She has a daughter. Paisley Saunders,” Logan reported under Nathan’s icy gaze.
The email attached a picture of Paisley’s kindergarten debut. This four–year–old girl was as charming as her mother, with eyes
12:18 PM C
Chapter 4
that sparkled like a starry night.
Logan hesitated but continued, “There are rumors that this girl is the daughter of Ms. Saunders and the eldest son from the Saunders family.”
“Josiah Saunders?” Nathan inquired.
“Yes,” Logan confirmed.
Nathan’s fists clenched tightly. “Her address?”
“She’s living in Unit 1801, Block I, Wailace Residence. She acquired this property a year ago for 6 million dollars. It appears that Wailace Residence is just one of several properties she owns,” Logan detailed.
“Wallace Residence… Nathan reclined in his chair with a shadow crossing his features.
Logan added cautiously, “In the medical sector of Clusia, aside from Howell Group, Saunders Group holds the majority. Following Ms. Jensen’s car accident, she was taken to a private hospital owned by the Saunders family. I suspect the body found five years ago might not have been hers…
Nathan’s expression grew even darker as he thought, Very well You’ve been deceiving me all these years, Cassidy Jensen Saunders, huh?‘ He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they glimmered with a faint crimson hue.
At the Wailace Residence, Cassidy tucked Paisley into bed and started sharing a bedtime tale. “And so, the little mermaid planted one last kiss on the prince’s forehead, trembling as she cast the knife into the sea. Then, she plunged into the depths herself. By daybreak, no trace of her remained. All that lingered was the frothy white waves near the ship,” Cassidy read.
Paisley’s eyes grew wide with wonder, “Did the little mermaid turn into foam and just vanish?”
“Yeah, Cassidy answered softly,
Paisley’s expression turned slightly somber. “It’s so sad for the little mermaid! The prince and the princess lived happily, but she turned into foam. I don’t like this story”
“Next time, I’ll read you a different one, okay?” Cassidy proposed gently.
Paisley nodded, her eyelids drooping as she yawned. “Mommy, I’m sleepy”
“Good night, sweetheart. I’ll come to keep you company after I freshen up, Cassidy said.
“Okay,” Paisley murmured and quickly fell asleep. Cassidy planted a loving kiss on her daughter’s cheek, her gaze brimming
with affection.
*****
Cassidy lay in the bathtub, the warm water soothing her weary muscles. She cupped the water in her hands, letting it cascade over her skin, casting a soft glow on the telling scar gracing her shoulder. Beneath the scar rested a tattoo of an electrocardiogram line with a date–a symbolic reminder of her rebirth following a tragic event.
As Cassidy traced the outline of the scar, her expression turned stern. This mark stood as the only lasting testamment on her body. The physical wound may have healed, but the emotional scar ran deep.
She had miraculously survived a car accident, after which Josiah had taken charge, securing all her identity papers and arranging their travel abroad for her recovery, claiming she carried triplets–two sons and a daughter.
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