Chapter 325

Chapter 325

Emily remained silent.

Alexander really had been harsh, even insulting himself.

But was it necessary for Alexander to be this ruthless toward himself?

She touched her nose awkwardly, vaguely declining his offer. "That's not necessary. It's all in the past now. Besides, he's still their father."

He gave a soft, bitter laugh, his eyes reflecting self-mockery. "If we hadn't lost our baby, would you still hate me this much?"

Then he shook his head before she could answer. "No, that's not right. You hated me so intensely back then. Even if we hadn't lost the child through all those unfortunate events, you wouldn't have kept it, would you?"

The bitterness spread through the air between them.

He regretted it now—Emily could feel that.

For a few seconds, she almost wanted to tell him the truth, to tell him that Maurice and Jasmine were his children.

But she held back.

She had returned not just for her research, but for revenge—not to create new complications.

Having children together would make it impossible to truly separate.

There had been too many entanglements in their past. She didn't want them to be forever bound to each other.

"Alexander, everything had happened," she said quietly.

She lowered her gaze, avoiding his eyes. "We've always lacked trust—both of us. We never believed in each other, which allowed others to take advantage of us. But are all these mistakes really others' fault? If only..."

Emily forced a smile, her lips twisting with the effort. "We've reached this point because of our own personalities and life experiences. We can't blame others."

With that, she turned and left without trying to stop him further.

Standing in the master bedroom, Alexander looked down at the clothes in his hands, but his mind was filled with memories of his time with Emily.

From the beginning of their marriage, his attitude toward her had been cold because of rumors. Yet she had always been the perfect wife.

She had respected his parents, taken care of him, and shown nothing but kindness to Victoria despite her constant provocations.

But back then, blinded by gossip, he had always thought she was just acting.

Even after their first night together, he had cruelly mocked her, accusing her of having her hymen surgically restored.

Each memory was like a knife twisting in his gut. Alexander had never realized he could be so cruel, repeatedly stabbing her heart while believing himself innocent.

In the end, he had been the one who hurt her most deeply, hadn't he?

When Maurice and Jasmine returned, they naturally gathered around Emily, excitedly telling her about their day at kindergarten.

"Where's Alexander?" Jasmine asked, looking around.

Since moving in, Alexander had typically canceled his evening appointments to have dinner with them and play games afterward.

Emily recalled the image of Alexander with the children. He was a good father, wasn't he?

Had she cruelly deprived him of his rights?

No, she hadn't.

Even without Maurice and Jasmine, he would have had other children someday.

Time was the greatest weapon in the world. Even the deepest feelings would eventually fade, especially when there had never been much sentiment between them to begin with.

Though she tried to convince herself, her heart remained unsettled.

"He has his own business to attend to. We can't expect him to be with us every day," she said gently.

"Is he in a meeting?" Jasmine pouted, looking disappointed. "But he promised to tell me the Snow White story tonight."

Then she brightened. "He probably won't be long, right? He'll be back for dinner?"

"Definitely," Maurice answered before Emily could. "Alexander and Mom are together now. Where else would he go? He must be delayed by something, but he'll be back soon."

The two children settled the matter between themselves.

Sitting on the couch, Emily's expression froze.

Had they really taken her casual remark at the Hawkin Villa to heart?

What would happen when they discovered Alexander wasn't coming back tonight—or any night?

Would she have to explain that their relationship had fallen apart and they were no longer together?

She silently lowered her head, hoping the children's interest would be short-lived and they would soon forget.

That evening, after bathing the children and tucking them into bed, Emily noticed Jasmine still wide awake, her eyes fixed on the doorway.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Emily asked softly.

"Why isn't Alexander back yet? Did he really forget to tell me my story? Or is he telling stories to other children?"

Emily felt a sharp pang in her chest.

In a flash, she remembered countless nights waiting for Alexander to come home.

Back then, his late returns had always involved Sophie.

Now...

She gently stroked Jasmine's cheek. "Would you like me to tell you a story instead? We could read about the Three Little Pigs..."

"No, I want Alexander to tell me a story," Jasmine insisted, then seemed to regret her words as she glanced anxiously at Emily.

Before Emily could respond, Jasmine crawled into her arms. "Mommy, I still love you the most. I just really wanted Alexander to tell me a story today. And didn't you say people should keep their promises? Why isn't he back yet?"

Her big eyes filled with tears, looking utterly pitiful.

Beside them, Maurice wasn't crying, but his mood had clearly sunk too.

Clutching his small blanket, he also stared at the door hopefully. "Mom, why isn't Alexander back yet? Can we call him? I really miss him."

Just a few days, and they already missed him this much?

Emily didn't know whether to be amazed by the power of blood ties or to call them little traitors.

Had Alexander won them over so easily?

Before she could process this, Maurice had already dialed Alexander's number on his watch.

Emily's heart jumped into her throat.

She dreaded both the call being answered and going unanswered.

The phone rang for a long time with no response.

Just as her heart began to settle, Alexander's voice came through the watch.

"Maurice, what's wrong?" His voice was slightly hoarse, tinged with fatigue.

"Why aren't you home yet?" Maurice had barely spoken when Jasmine scrambled over from her bed to join him.

"You promised to tell me a story! Why aren't you back? Did you go tell stories to other children?" Her voice trembled with tears, sounding utterly heartbroken.

"How could you tell stories to other children? Don't you want us anymore?"

At that moment, Alexander, who had just hurried out of a bar and was standing on the street taking the call, felt a bittersweet ache in his chest, along with the surreal feeling of living in a dream.

If he hadn't made such terrible mistakes, his own child with Emily wouldn't be much younger than these two, would they?

Would that child have waited for him to come home with the same eagerness?

But their child was gone.

The pain in his chest intensified, yet he forced himself to keep his voice gentle. "Of course not. I had work today..."

"Alexander!"