Chapter 292: The Mysterious Water Stains on the Ground

Charles paused for a moment, then said, "There are a lot of reasons..."

But really, there was only one: he had hurt Grace too deeply.

He couldn't even forgive himself, which was why he agreed to the divorce.

Jasper stared at him, then asked seriously, "Did you do a lot of bad stuff to make Mom unhappy?"

Charles nodded. "Yeah."

Jasper didn't say anything this time. He just turned his head to look out the car window.

Charles reached out and gently patted his head, speaking softly, "This is an issue between adults. You and Bianca are still young, so don't worry about it, okay?"

Jasper continued to look out the window, remaining silent.

"Jasper, did you hear what I said?" Charles asked.

Jasper had no choice but to respond, "Yeah, I heard you." His voice carried a hint of reluctance.

Seeing his low spirits, Charles gently reassured him, "Even though your mom and I are separated, if you and Bianca want to stay with me, I'll bring you over for a few days."

He thought Jasper was upset because he would miss him. After all, Jasper had lived with him since he was little, so it made sense he would feel attached.

But as soon as he finished speaking, Jasper bluntly replied, "No, I want to stay with Mom and Bianca!"

Charles forced a smile, feeling quite helpless.

The atmosphere in the car returned to its previous cold silence.

The SUV drove for a while longer before finally stopping in front of Grace's house.

The driver got out to open the back door. Charles carried Bianca out, with Jasper following closely behind.

Bianca was still asleep, and Charles didn't want to wake her, so he carried her as he walked behind Jasper, planning to take her inside.

At that moment, Mia came out from the living room, jogging over to Charles. "Mr. Montague, let me take Bianca."

Charles frowned slightly, looking at Mia's outstretched hands, but he had no choice but to hand Bianca over to her.

Mia took Bianca and immediately turned to walk inside, with Jasper hurrying to follow.

Charles instinctively glanced into the living room, but saw nothing, so he turned and left.

Grace had been hiding behind the living room curtains. Only after seeing the SUV drive away did she come out.

She asked Mia to lay Bianca on the couch and cover her with a small blanket.

Then, she held Jasper in her arms and gently asked, "Where did you and Dad go today?"

Jasper lazily leaned against her, answering truthfully, "We went to the amusement park that Bianca likes."

Grace nodded, "Really? Was it fun?"

"It was fun. Bianca had a great time."

Though he said it was fun, his little face didn't show any happiness.

Grace stroked his head and changed the subject, "Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? I'll make it for you."

Jasper looked up and saw her smiling face, then replied with a smile, "I want noodles."

Grace nodded, lovingly pinching his cheek, "Okay, wait here. I'll make it for you."

She stood up and walked to the kitchen.

Jasper sat on the couch, his big eyes following Grace's busy figure in the kitchen.

Time flew by, and the weekend passed quickly.

On Monday, after dropping the kids off at preschool, Grace headed to the art academy.

The temperature had dropped, and a thin layer of ice had formed on the roads, causing some traffic. She arrived at the academy later than usual.

After parking her car, she hurried towards the office building.

There was a puddle of water at the stairway, left by someone.

Just as Grace reached the stairs, she slipped and lost her balance.

In that moment, a pair of strong hands caught her by the waist, preventing her from falling.

Startled, she heard a man's calm and concerned voice in her ear, "Careful there. You okay?"

Grace regained her composure and slowly looked up, meeting Milo's clear eyes. "I'm fine, thanks."

She quickly pulled away from his embrace, taking a few steps back.

Seeing her reaction, Milo pressed his lips together and gently reminded her, "It's slippery here. Watch your step."

Grace nodded and cautiously moved forward.

To protect her, Milo stayed close, even extending a hand to steady her.

Grace frowned, feeling his actions were a bit over the top, but with the slippery ground, she had no choice but to tolerate it for now.

Once they reached the top of the stairs, she quickened her pace to put some distance between them.

At the office door, she turned and smiled, "Thanks again."

Milo smiled back, "No problem."

Grace entered her office, while Milo stood at the door, glancing meaningfully at the stairway.

Inside, Grace took off her coat and sat at her desk, replaying the earlier scene in her mind, shaking her head.

She was being too sensitive. The floor was slippery, and Milo was just trying to prevent her from falling.

Unbeknownst to her, the janitor at the stairway noticed the water and muttered in confusion, "What's going on? I just cleaned this. Where did the water come from?"

Before she knew it, it was noon, and Grace lost track of time while preparing her lesson.

Her phone buzzed with a message from Asher, asking if she could attend a conference on Saturday.

Since the school had some spots available and other teachers were going, Asher wanted to know if she was interested.

Knowing that Charles would take the kids on Saturday, and she'd be free, she agreed.

Shortly after confirming with Asher, Milo texted her.

He asked if she was going to the conference on Saturday, and Grace told him she was.

Milo replied: [Great, see you on Saturday.]

Saturday arrived quickly, and early in the morning, Charles's car was parked outside the house.

The temperature had dropped, and it was snowing.

Grace dressed the kids warmly, with hats and gloves.

As she was about to send them out, Bianca suddenly asked, "Mom, are you coming with us today?"

Jasper stood quietly beside her, watching.

Grace explained, "I have something to do today. I have to attend a conference, so I can't go with you."

Bianca pouted, unhappy. "Mom, why don't you ever join our family activities?"

Grace chuckled at her pouty face, pinching her cheek. "I really have something to do. Go have fun with Dad and let him treat you to a big meal."

Hearing about a "big meal," Bianca's eyes lit up, but she still pretended to be upset. "Mom, I hope you can join us for family activities next Saturday."

Grace felt a bit helpless, unsure how to respond. Jasper suddenly spoke up, "Bianca, if you keep dawdling, the snow will get heavier, and we won't be able to play."

Bianca was startled and quickly grabbed his hand. "Let's go then."

Grace smiled helplessly.

Jasper didn't forget to wave at her. "Mom, we're leaving. We'll be back soon."

Grace waved back. "Goodbye, have fun."

Bianca pulled Jasper towards the door, and Grace watched them get into the car before turning away.

She changed clothes and drove to the conference venue.

Charles's SUV drove steadily on the road, the atmosphere inside quiet.

Jasper sat silently as usual, while Bianca was in Charles's lap.

She occasionally looked out the window at the falling snowflakes, then back at Charles.

Noticing her unusual behavior, Charles asked softly, "What's wrong?"

Bianca pouted and bluntly asked, "Did you bully my mom again?"

Charles frowned slightly. "No, at least not recently."