Chapter 907:

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It wasn’t that she failed to recognize his care for her. She saw it all too clearly. But the longer she stayed with him, the more suffocated she felt. His care felt like invisible restraints to her. That was why even Sanford’s casual mention of marriage sparked such strong resistance in her. She couldn’t bring herself to agree to a marriage that felt more like a cage than a partnership.

“Carlee!”

Just then, the bedroom door flew open, and three small figures came charging in. At once, the heaviness in Carlee’s chest lifted.

Three plump little figures came barreling toward Carlee, their matching rosy cheeks wobbling as they threw themselves into her waiting embrace.

The moment their tiny voices chirped her name, something bright and tender blossomed across Carlee’s face. She scooped them close, beaming with unrestrained affection. “Come here and let me drown you in kisses.”

𝖱е𝗮𝗱 wi𝗍𝘩𝗼𝗎𝗍 in𝘁𝘦𝗋𝘳𝗎𝗽𝗍i𝗈n𝘴 𝘰n 𝗴𝖺𝗹𝗇𝗼𝘃𝗲l𝗌.𝗰o𝗺

Amelia, however, felt none of Carlee’s delight. Her tone cut through the joyful scene like a cool blade. “If my memory serves me right, you three should be in kindergarten at this hour. Why are you here instead?”

The giggling trio stiffened instantly. As soon as their mother spoke, they wriggled free from Carlee’s arms with unease.

“Well…”

They glanced at one another in panic, and in perfect synchronization, they quickly bolted for the doorway.

“Daddy, help us!” they cried together, their small voices bouncing against the walls as they scrambled down the stairs.

By the time Amelia and Carlee reached the lower floor, the three had already tucked themselves behind Wyatt. Scenes like this unfolded so frequently inside Hillside Villa that it felt almost routine.

Amelia lifted a brow while studying Wyatt’s composed expression. “What mistake did they make this time?”

Her question made Wyatt lower his gaze toward Adelina. The little girl stared up at him, her eyes shimmering with a desperate plea for help.

“It was nothing major. Just a minor spat with a few classmates during recess.”

“Is that truly all?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright. I will call Ms. Hobbes right now and get the full story.”

The moment Amelia reached for her phone, dread washed over the three children. Together, they clutched at Wyatt’s clothes with frantic urgency.

Feeling their insistent tugging, Wyatt rushed to stop Amelia, curling his fingers around her hand. “It has been resolved. There is no reason to—”

“Wyatt, you know that letting this slide only encourages worse behavior.”

Amelia’s sharper tone made Wyatt straighten immediately. The man who had been shielding the children only seconds earlier abandoned his post and stepped to Amelia’s side as if switching teams.

Facing the trio’s stares, he spoke with newfound sternness. “You three should speak up honestly now.”

“Mommy, it really was not my fault this time. Errol grabbed my toy car first. And the doctor already said his tooth was loose. I did not knock it out…”

Adelina’s voice trailed off as Amelia’s expression hardened further. She pressed her lips together and fell silent for a moment.

After a pause, she said, “Mommy, I know what I did was wrong. Please do not be angry. I will behave next time.”

“You said those exact words the last time.”

Hearing that, Carlee let out a soft laugh. Watching the five of them like this, she felt an unexpected warmth blooming in her chest, a thought whispering that maybe marriage was not as frightening as she had always assumed.

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