Chapter 246:

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After the call ended, I felt a quiet sense of satisfaction. True competence was naturally recognized by those who understood substance, while artificial posturing always exposed itself sooner or later.

Later that afternoon, Mrs. Hayes called from the Carlisle estate to coordinate Lily’s evening routine. As we spoke, I could hear Lily’s small voice in the background, talking on her tablet.

I paused. “Mrs. Hayes, is Lily on a video call?”

“Yes, Ms. Sargent,” Mrs. Hayes replied quietly. “Miss Dayna called her tablet from Carlisle Media’s offices to show her an animated video.”

A sharp, cold focus settled over my mind. Dayna Nixon was using video calls to win over my five-year-old daughter and project an artificial intimacy for the sake of social media optics.

“Thank you for letting me know, Mrs. Hayes,” I said calmly. “Please make sure Lily ends her call and focuses on her dinner.”

I hung up, my resolve rock-solid. Dayna’s subtle attempts to insert herself into Lily’s life only confirmed how necessary our custody petition truly was. Arthur Vance was finalizing our evidence filings, and I was fully prepared to secure exclusive residential custody in court.

Corinne POV

On Tuesday afternoon, I picked Lily up from her primary school in Manhattan for our scheduled midweek dinner. We spent two wonderful hours at a quiet tea shop near Central Park, enjoying pastries and looking through her school art projects.

𝗧h𝖾 𝗯𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗿𝗲a𝖽i𝘯𝗴 𝖾𝘅𝘱𝖾𝗿𝘪eոс𝖾 𝗈𝗇 𝗴𝗮𝘭𝘯𝗼𝘃е𝗹𝘴.𝖼𝗈𝗆

While Lily was coloring in her drawing book, the tablet on the table chimed with an incoming video call. The screen displayed Dayna Nixon’s name.

Lily looked up at me, her eyes wide with a flash of nervous hesitation. She opened her mouth, and the name slipped out on instinct. “Day…”

She caught herself mid-syllable when she saw my calm, steady gaze resting on her. Her small pupils contracted in sudden panic, and she clumsily corrected herself. “…Aunt Dayna.”

I kept my posture perfectly serene and offered her a soft, reassuring smile. “You can answer if you’d like, sweet girl.”

Lily tapped the screen nervously. Dayna’s perfectly made-up face appeared on the display, wearing an exaggerated, saccharine smile.

“Hello, Princess Lily!” Dayna cooed. “Are you enjoying your afternoon?”

“Yes, Aunt Dayna,” Lily replied, her tone strained and formal. “I’m having tea with my mommy.”

Through the video feed, I saw Dayna’s artificial smile falter for a split second as she realized I was sitting right across from Lily.

“Oh… hello, Ms. Sargent,” Dayna said, her voice dropping into a stiff, polite register.

I looked directly into the camera and offered a smooth, razor-sharp smile that carried absolute authority. “Good afternoon, Miss Nixon. Lily and I are enjoying some private family time.”

The quiet, unshakable command in my voice disarmed her completely. Dayna offered a brief, awkward remark and hurriedly ended the call.

Lily set the tablet down and looked up at my calm, reassuring expression. “Mommy… Aunt Dayna calls my tablet sometimes.”

I reached across the table and took her small hand in mine with deep, unconditional warmth. “You never have to feel nervous around Mommy, sweet girl. You’re my highest priority, and I’ll always protect you.”

Lily smiled softly and leaned against my arm with complete trust.

“Mommy, can we go see the ancient exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum this weekend?” she asked happily as she finished her berry tea.

I kissed her forehead gently, still holding her hand. “We certainly can, sweet girl. We’ll spend the whole weekend exploring the exhibits together.”

Seeing her happy, relaxed face confirmed that my quiet strength was her true sanctuary.

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