Chapter 294

Michael laughed heartily, and Katherine joined in with genuine amusement.

"By the way, I might need to go to Valdoria for a while," he said suddenly, his mood plummeting. "You'll probably have to reconsider the childcare arrangements."

When Katherine first met Michael years ago, his family had seemed the very definition of picture-perfect—polished smiles, effortless affection, the kind of harmony that belonged in glossy magazines. But that illusion quickly unraveled. Happiness, she realized, could be fragile; when love vanished, there was little sense in clinging to the pieces.

Michael never tried to stop his parents from drifting apart. He watched, quietly detached, as they divorced and moved on to new lives, new partners. As long as his own needs were met—his allowance steady, his comforts undisturbed—he simply didn't care what became of the rest.

"Is something wrong with your father or mother?" Katherine asked with concern.

Michael shook his head. "Nothing's wrong with either of them. It's just that my stepmother recently gave me a little brother, so I need to attend his sip and see party. It's only proper to bring a gift." He spoke casually, as if discussing someone else's story entirely.

But Katherine knew him well enough to recognize his discomfort beneath the nonchalant facade. Even if he showed his pain, it wouldn't solve anything—he could only face it with a smile.

"The most important thing for you right now is to settle down and start your own family," Katherine reminded him gently. "Once your family life is stable, your father will naturally feel comfortable entrusting family matters to you. Even if your stepmother has given him a son, the age gap is so significant it shouldn't pose any real threat."

Michael stared at Katherine for several seconds before quickly looking away and waving dismissively. "I'm not thinking about such complicated matters right now. I'm not interested in their family fortune anyway. Get in the car—I'll drive you back to the mall."

He opened the passenger door for her before settling into the driver's seat.

Michael hadn't mentioned when he'd return, and this departure left everything uncertain.

Katherine found herself feeling unexpectedly reluctant to see him go. After all these years, she'd grown accustomed to having Michael around to help care for the children and assist with daily challenges.

Studying his profile, she could tell he didn't want to continue discussing the topic. With a soft sigh, she said, "Edward and Flora will miss you terribly. But don't worry—even without you here, I'll take good care of myself and the children."

Michael's smile turned bitter. She'd mentioned the children but not herself. After all these years of devotion, he still hadn't managed to capture Katherine's heart.

"You'd better keep that promise," Michael said through gritted teeth, affecting a fierce expression. "If I find out something's happened to you or the kids, I'll settle accounts with Howard first, then give you a piece of my mind."

This was his way of accepting Howard's presence in Katherine's life. Katherine nodded, watching the scenery blur past the window as her nose began to sting with unshed tears. The moisture gathered in her eyes but refused to fall.

When she got out of the car, Michael noticed her reddened eyes and assumed she was worried about Edward and Flora.

"Howard's a major shareholder at the school," he said reassuringly. "Now that he's stepped forward to support the children, even if the other families have power and influence, they'll have to face consequences for their actions. Stop worrying and focus on work—reclaim the Wilson Corporation as soon as possible!"

He reached into the center console and pulled out a set of keys, tossing them to Katherine. "You don't have a car, right? I can't take the domestic one with me anyway. Here are the house keys too—your previous apartment isn't safe anymore, so stay at my place for now."

Watching Michael press item after item into her hands, Katherine's tears finally spilled over.

"I don't want these things," she said, her voice breaking. "If you're giving me everything, does that mean you're not planning to come back?"

Seeing her crystalline tears, Michael froze, unsure how to respond. After all, this was the first time in their entire acquaintance that Katherine had cried for him.

He forced a smile and spoke with studied lightness, "What are you thinking? I'm just going to be away for an extended period, and I'm worried about you and the children having nowhere to stay. Consider the house and car a rental—they'd just sit empty otherwise. You can pay me rent regularly."

"Mercenary," Katherine whispered through her tears.

After this simple farewell, Michael departed. When Katherine entered the shop with red-rimmed eyes, Monica was still busy distributing discount coupons to the queue of customers.

Seeing Katherine's distressed state, Monica rushed over with concern. "Katherine, what happened? Did those thugs hurt Edward and Flora? This is absolutely outrageous! Don't cry—I'll call Michael and we'll go back together to teach those brats a lesson!"

"Michael's leaving for Valdoria and doesn't know when he'll return," Katherine said, dabbing at her tears with a tissue. "I'm just feeling a bit sentimental, that's all."

Monica's reaction was surprisingly intense. "What? He just promised to teach me techniques and now he wants to run off? That's completely dishonest! Utterly unethical!" Her eyes lit up with sudden inspiration. "Is the workshop operating internationally too? Perfect—I happen to have business in Valdoria as well! I'm going to find him right now!"

With that declaration, Monica hurried away, leaving Katherine bewildered. What possible business could Monica have in Valdoria? She'd never mentioned having relatives there.

With everyone suddenly gone, who would look after Edward and Flora? The customers in the shop had been well-attended to, giving Katherine a rare moment of respite. She scrolled through domestic service listings on her phone, but none of the candidates seemed quite right.

When closing time arrived, she headed home to find Howard's car parked outside the villa, the entire house shrouded in darkness.

As soon as Katherine appeared, Edward and Flora tumbled out of the car. "Mommy, where did Uncle Michael go?" Edward called out. "Flora and I knocked and knocked, but no one answered, so Mr. Martinez waited here with us."

Katherine turned to Howard gratefully. "Thank you so much. Michael had urgent business in Valdoria, and I was so busy searching for domestic help that I completely lost track of time."

"You're looking for household staff? You could simply use the Martinez family's servants," Howard suggested. "Grandmother had several excellent attendants, but now that Elijah and his mother have taken over her care, most of them have been left idle."

Katherine hesitated. "Mrs. Martinez hasn't regained consciousness yet—surely this is when she needs the most attention? Are you comfortable letting Elijah and his mother hire outside help for her care?"

"When Grandmother was conscious, she constantly faced various schemes and plots," Howard explained patiently. "Despite her sharp mind, her age made it difficult to avoid every trap. Now that they're responsible for her care, they have every incentive to ensure her recovery—it's the only way they can maintain their current position."

During their conversation, Howard noticed the telltale redness around Katherine's eyes. Without thinking, he reached up to gently brush away a trace of moisture from her cheek. He said nothing, yet somehow conveyed everything.

Katherine didn't pull away. "All right then, I'd appreciate your help. I simply can't manage everything alone."