Chapter 231

Christina got out of the car with her daughter and rang the doorbell. Juan soon came out holding Isaac's hand.

Isaac's face lit up when he saw Harper. "Hey, you're here!"

"Yeah, this is my mom," Harper said, introducing Christina quickly.

Isaac got a bit shy in front of Christina. He stood up straight and greeted her politely, "Hi, Ms. Windsor."

"Hi there," Christina replied. She had never met Juan before and didn't know he was friends with William. She was unaware that William had a hand in organizing today's birthday party.

She only saw Juan as another parent from school and spoke to him kindly, "Thanks for inviting Harper to the party. I have some work to do, so I can't stay. She'll be here on her own, but I'll come back to pick her up as soon as I'm done."

"Don't worry, Ms. Windsor. We'll take good care of her," Juan assured her, though he felt a bit disappointed.

Christina not attending the party meant William wouldn't have a chance to see her and possibly rekindle their relationship. But at least Harper was here, and they could spend some time together.

"Bye, Mommy," Harper waved to Christina before walking into the yard hand in hand with Isaac.

Christina watched them until they entered the house, then left, feeling more at ease. She needed to meet with a client and hoped to finish her work quickly so she could return to Harper.

Inside the house, William sat on the couch, full of anticipation. He was eager to see Christina.

When he heard the door open, he looked up quickly, but only saw Harper. Christina wasn't with her.

William knew how much Christina loved their daughter. In both past and present lives, she had always cared deeply for Harper. She wouldn't just drop Harper off alone.

"You two go play upstairs," Juan told Isaac, then walked over to William and explained what had happened. He sighed, "Christina's had a tough few years. When Isaac was little, his mom and I took turns taking care of him, and it was exhausting for both of us. Christina's been doing it all on her own."

Besides raising Harper, Christina had to cover all their expenses, and she was doing it in a foreign country, starting from scratch. The hardships she faced were unimaginable.

"I know," William said, understanding better than anyone. He felt for Christina and Harper. He wanted to make up for his past mistakes and hoped to reunite with them, to live as a family again. Even if Christina didn't want to accept him, he wanted to do something for them.

"I don't know what happened between you two, but women soften when they have children. Harper is your daughter. If you build a good relationship with her, Christina might accept you," Juan encouraged him.After all, Christina hadn't been with anyone else, and Harper didn't have a stepfather. This meant William still had a chance.

William nodded, "I'll go upstairs and hang out with the kids."

He went upstairs and found Harper and Isaac building with LEGO.

"Let's have a contest to see who can build the tallest and coolest structure. The winner gets a piece of chocolate. How about it?" Isaac suggested excitedly.

Chocolate was a big deal for kids. It wasn't about the cost but because their parents usually limited their sugar intake to prevent cavities.

Harper nodded, "Sure, it's 8:30 now. Let's compete until 9:30."

"Okay, I'll set a timer."

Once everything was ready, the competition began.

William watched them for a moment before approaching Harper. "Harper, can I help you build?"

"No way!" Isaac put down his LEGO and said seriously, "We're competing, and no outside help is allowed, Mr. Cavendish. It wouldn't be fair."

Harper agreed, "Dad Cavendish, we can compete on our own. You can be the judge."

"Alright, I'll keep track of the time," William said, respecting their wishes.

He sat nearby, his eyes on Harper. She was so adorable, with eyes like his and a nose and mouth like Christina's. Her cheeks were chubby, and she was full of energy.

Christina had done a wonderful job raising Harper. She feared he might take Harper away, but he couldn't bear the thought. Just being near his daughter was enough for him.

An hour flew by, and the timer went off. Harper and Isaac put down their LEGO.

"Mr. Cavendish, can you judge our contest? Who do you think built the best one?" Isaac asked.

Their structures were about the same height but different shapes. Isaac had built a castle, while Harper's looked more like a tower.

William looked at both creations. "You both did a great job. It's a tie."

"But there's only one piece of chocolate. Who gets it?" Isaac was suddenly troubled.

The chocolate was a special one he had brought back from a trip abroad with his dad, and he had saved the last piece.

"Since it's a tie, you should share the chocolate," William said, breaking it in half.

Now they both got to enjoy the chocolate.

"It tastes really good, different from any I've had before," Harper said after finishing her piece.

William took note of the chocolate's packaging and sent a picture to his assistant, asking them to buy more. He couldn't give Harper too much at once, but he could treat her occasionally.

The other kids from the class had arrived, and their noise filled the house. William stood up, "Let's go downstairs and join the others."

Harper and Isaac followed him down to join the fun.