Chapter 310

If it weren't for the fact that Harper needed a father figure right now, and William's current behavior was temporarily satisfactory to her, Christina wouldn't have even considered living under the same roof with him, let alone allowing Harper to spend more time with him.

But no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't explain the events of the past life to Harper. Harper was still so young; how could she understand such complicated matters?

Even though she was reluctant, Christina was willing to do anything to make Harper happy. She sighed silently at the thought.

The most pressing issue now was Harper. Because of Thora, Harper's psychological state had changed significantly. Christina needed to figure out what was going on to address it properly.

Thinking about Harper's previously lively and happy demeanor, and comparing it to her current cautiousness, afraid that Christina and William might abandon her, Christina felt a pang of heartache, mixed with regret and guilt.

If she had discovered Thora's true nature earlier and realized that Thora was only using Harper to get close to William, she would have taken Harper away from William and Thora much sooner. Now, Harper's personality had already been affected, and Christina could only try to mitigate the damage.

With these thoughts in mind, Christina let out a long breath, losing the motivation to work. But she forced herself to stay calm and focused until she finished her day's work. Only then did she stand up under William's expectant gaze.

"Christina, are you done?" William asked cautiously as he saw her stand up.

Christina nodded, grabbing her bag from the desk without even looking at him. "Yeah, let's go."

Though it was just a few simple words, it was enough to make William happy. "Great, I'll go get the car!" He smiled excitedly and hurried to the underground garage.

By the time Christina stood at the front door, William had already pulled up in front of her. As soon as she got in the car, William instinctively reached over to fasten her seatbelt, but Christina pulled away.

"No need, I can do it myself."

William's instinctive gesture made Christina pause for a moment, and she couldn't help but scoff internally. In their past life, William's heart had been entirely with Jennifer. He had done countless outrageous things for her. This instinctive gesture was probably a leftover habit from his time with Jennifer. If such a small act could move her, it would be too cheap a sentiment.

"No, I can do it myself." Christina avoided William's hand, fastened her seatbelt on her own, and glanced at him. "Let's go."

William's smile faltered, feeling hurt and regretting his overstepping. He could only offer an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

As he spoke, William quickly turned his attention back to driving, missing the surprised expression on Christina's face. In this new life, William had changed in many ways. Things she never thought she'd see in him before were now evident. But remembering the past, she could only smirk cynically. Only after losing something do people learn to cherish it. But what was the point of such a loss? If you never lose it, you'll never learn to cherish it.

With these thoughts, the car soon arrived at the preschool. They both got out at the same time, joining the throng of parents picking up their children. It was rare to see a father accompanying his wife to pick up their child, and their striking looks made them the center of attention.

When Harper emerged from the preschool, she immediately spotted her parents waiting for her and jumped up in excitement. Her face lit up with joy. These days, it had always been her dad picking her up, and she only saw her mom during breakfast because of her busy work schedule. Seeing her mom today was a delightful surprise for Harper.

"That's my mom and dad!" Harper proudly introduced her parents to her friends, waving her little hand at them. "Mommy, Daddy, I'm here!"

Hearing Harper's proud voice, Christina couldn't help but chuckle. They both looked up instinctively, seeing Harper happily skipping towards them after saying goodbye to her teacher. Seeing Harper so happy, Christina's face softened into a gentle smile. She crouched down slightly, and Harper, under the envious gazes of her friends, ran into her arms.

"Harper," Christina said softly, stroking Harper's hair. "Did you listen to your teacher today? Were you a good girl?"

Harper nodded vigorously, her smile sweet. "Don't worry, Mommy. I listened to the teacher and was a good girl. I didn't argue with my friends!"

Seeing Harper's proud expression, Christina couldn't help but laugh, taking her hand and standing up. "Thank you, Ms. Zhang, for taking care of Harper these past few days. I've been so busy that I haven't had time to look after her."

Ms. Zhang smiled. "Ms. Windsor, you're too kind. Your husband has been very diligent, picking Harper up every day and bringing treats for the kids. Harper's classmates are all envious of her. Your husband must treat you very well too. You two are such a loving couple, even after all these years. We all admire you."

Christina felt a bit awkward hearing the teacher's words. She glanced at William instinctively. William stepped forward gracefully, gently taking Christina's hand. "Thank you, Ms. Zhang. It's my duty."

William's smile was polite and his tone respectful. Christina felt his warm, dry hand gently holding hers. She suppressed the urge to pull away, letting him hold her hand, feeling extremely uncomfortable but enduring it.