Chapter 213

But there was so much to do at the office.

From five in the morning until four in the afternoon, Christina had been swamped. She tidied up her desk and turned to her colleague, saying, "I'm heading out now."

"Alright, I'll leave once I finish up here," her colleague replied.

Christina went to the basement, got her car, and drove out. Lately, work had been overwhelming, and her mood was low as she drove.

But as she neared the preschool, she forced herself to perk up.

After all, no matter what, she couldn't bring her bad mood to her child.

With that thought, Christina parked by the curb, touched up her lipstick in the mirror, and, feeling a bit more presentable, managed a smile as she got out of the car.

There was still some time before the preschool let out, so Christina stood by the entrance to wait.

When she looked up, she saw a familiar face approaching.

The person was dressed in black, with neatly combed hair, walking in her direction.

Christina felt puzzled but didn't want to interact with this person for various reasons, so she instinctively turned away.

Just then, the preschool bell rang.

Harper, who was in the younger class, was one of the first to come out.

Seeing Harper with her little pigtails walking out, Christina's heart melted.

She didn't think about anything else.

Christina was about to wave when the person in black approached her again.

William seemed to notice Christina for the first time and looked surprised.

"Are you here to pick up a child?"

Though William didn't say it outright, his expression showed his surprise.

Christina didn't want to engage, but with so many people watching, ignoring him seemed inappropriate.

She turned to William with a cold expression.

"What does it matter to you?"

"Mommy, I'm here."

At that moment, Harper's innocent voice called out. Christina crouched down and hugged her child.

After greeting the teacher, she was ready to leave with Harper.

But a little boy ran by so fast that he almost bumped into Christina. She instinctively stepped back.

The boy ran straight into William's arms.

"Dad Cavendish, you finally came to pick me up. I missed you so much."

The boy said, snuggling into William.

"You little rascal, did you listen to your teacher today?" William's usually cold face softened, and his tone became gentle.

"Of course, the teacher said I was very good today and even gave me a flower."

Christina frowned slightly at this but said nothing, holding Harper as they walked towards the car.

"What happened at school today, Harper?"

On the way, Christina tried to distract herself by talking to Harper.

"Can you share with Mommy?"

"Of course, Mommy. The teacher told us many things and taught us how to make crafts."

"I really liked the flower."

Harper's speech wasn't very fluent yet, but her big eyes blinked adorably, and her innocent tone melted Christina's heart.

"That's great, Harper. You're so talented."

Meanwhile, William realized Christina had walked far away.

He sighed helplessly.

The child in Christina's arms left him puzzled.

He wondered if that child could be Harper.

Could she be his and Christina's child, or was Christina just helping someone else pick up their kid, like him?

Lost in thought, he almost tripped over a stone while walking with his friend's child.

"Dad Cavendish, what are you thinking about?"

"Nothing. Do you want to go to my place first, or should I take you home?"

Though the boy was young, he had strong opinions, so William always asked for his input.

"I want to go to your place. My dad never has time for me, and I don't want to stay with him."

William sighed silently.

He ended up taking the boy home.

Coincidentally, William and Christina met again at a red light.

Christina's window was half-open, while William's was fully closed.

He could see out, but she couldn't see in.

William watched Christina's profile, ready to ask the question he hadn't finished earlier.

As he opened his window, the light turned green, and Christina sped off.

He wanted to follow, but she turned at the next intersection.

They went their separate ways, and he had to give up the idea.

Back home, William let the boy play while he called his friend.

"When are you coming to pick up your son? If this keeps up, you might as well give him up."

His friend, seemingly busy, explained helplessly.

"You know how it is here. I'll come as soon as I can. My kid is a handful, sorry for the trouble."

With that, William couldn't say much more, just urging his friend to come quickly.

After hanging up, he stared at his phone.

He wanted to contact Christina. With his resources, he could easily find her.

But after all his efforts, all he got from Christina were cold looks and sarcastic smiles.

It left him feeling helpless.

He knew he had made mistakes, and he deserved this. There was no room for regret.

After much thought, he decided to contact Christina.

Back at home, Christina washed Harper's hands and started cooking.

"Who are you?"

William, excited as the call connected, walked to the balcony, ready to say something.

But he heard a child's voice.

He paused.

Though he hadn't seen clearly at the preschool, he remembered it was a little girl.

"I am..."

He didn't know how to continue.

He didn't know how to define his relationship with Christina. Friends? That didn't seem right.

But any other label would only anger Christina.

"Uncle, wait a moment. Mommy is making something delicious. Should I call her?"

Harper's logic was still developing, but she knew the call was for Christina.

"No need."

William almost panicked and hung up.

"Dad Cavendish, who were you talking to? Why are you so nervous? Do you have a girlfriend?"

Ignoring the child's teasing, William picked him up and placed him on the sofa.

"Don't talk nonsense. Since you have no homework, look at your picture books. Your dad will pick you up later."

He instructed the butler to prepare dinner for the boy and went to his study.

He felt he needed to clear his mind.

Meanwhile, Christina finished cooking and found Harper quietly reading a picture book.