Chapter 53 Making a Move
After the four men regrouped, they discussed their options and decided to wait for another opportunity.
But in the following hours, no matter how they changed their approach, they couldn't get close to the children. The moment they made any suspicious move, the bodyguards would spot them and intervene.
Eventually, they had no choice but to give up and report back to Nathan, "Nathan, we failed. Their security detail is too professional; we couldn't get anywhere near the kids."
Nathan listened to the report, his brow furrowed. He knew that these people were quite capable, and it seemed that getting the child's hair secretly would indeed be extremely difficult.
Jasper had observed all of these shadowy confrontations, further confirming his suspicion that someone was secretly protecting them.
Without showing any sign of awareness, he walked over to Ethan and Emma and whispered, "Something's up today. We should head home early."
Ethan and Emma caught the note of danger in Jasper's voice and obediently followed him home.
When Clara learned that her hired men had failed, she flew into a rage, smashing everything in her office.
"Useless! Absolutely useless! They can't even handle two children! I'm not paying them a single cent!"
Celeste stood nearby in silence. She knew Clara had been consumed by fury, and anything she said now would be pointless.
Meanwhile, Charles was in his office listening to Nathan's report.
"Mr. Windsor, their security is too vigilant. We couldn't get anywhere near the children."
Charles frowned. It seemed obtaining the children's hair samples covertly would indeed be challenging.
After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Looks like I'll have to handle this personally."
Nathan looked concerned. "Mr. Windsor, wouldn't it be too risky for you to go yourself? If you're discovered..."
"It's fine. I'll find an appropriate reason to meet with them."
That evening, after work, Emily received a report from the bodyguards about the day's incidents. She felt both worried and relieved—relieved that she had arranged for secret protection.
Two different groups had tried to approach the children in a single day. She really shouldn't have agreed to let Ethan and Emma enter the entertainment industry.
At that moment, the off-duty bodyguards were full of questions.
"What do you think is the deal with these kids? Why are so many people trying to get close to them?" a young bodyguard couldn't help asking.
The lead bodyguard shook his head. "No idea, but our job is to protect them. No matter who tries to harm them, we can't let them succeed."
"But they're just child actors, right? Why would they be in such danger?" another bodyguard asked, feeling equally puzzled.
The lead bodyguard was silent for a moment before saying, "Whatever their background, we're being paid by Ms. Johnson, so we need to do our job. Everyone stay sharp from now on; we can't afford any lapses."
The other bodyguards nodded in agreement.
As night fell, soft light filled the bedroom.
Emily sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the three children snuggled together, her eyes full of tenderness and concern. The day's events had left her shaken, and she needed to have a serious talk with the children.
"Jasper, Ethan, Emma, I need to talk to you."
The three children immediately sat up straight, looking at Emily.
Jasper's gaze was calm, Ethan blinked his bright eyes, and Emma hugged a small teddy bear.
"There's been a lot of talk about you lately, and some people with bad intentions have started targeting you. So I want you to promise me that you'll never go anywhere with strangers or talk to people you don't know, okay?" Emily looked at the children seriously.
All three children nodded.
"Also, from now on, you need to stay in school and come straight home after class. You can't walk home by yourselves like before. I'll have the driver pick you up."
Ethan frowned and was about to speak when Jasper stopped him with a look.
Emily took a deep breath and said what she'd been wanting to say most. "And about Skyline Entertainment—you don't need to go there anymore. I don't need you to earn money; your safety is what matters most."
"But why, Mommy? We love going to Skyline Entertainment, and we get to see Wesley there," Emma was the first to protest, her little face full of confusion.
Ethan chimed in. "Yeah, Mommy, we love filming commercials, and..." He paused, seeming hesitant, "If we quit now, won't we have to pay a penalty fee? Elodie said it would be thirty million dollars—that's way too expensive."
Emily was surprised that the children knew about the penalty clause. She paused, then said, "I'll figure out the money situation. You don't need to worry about that."
"But Mommy, we can't break our contract. We signed an agreement with Skyline Entertainment, and if we breach it unilaterally, not only would we have to pay the penalty, but it would also damage our reputation. Plus, we have lots of friends there, and we really enjoy the work," Ethan finally spoke up.
Emily looked at Ethan, feeling somewhat helpless. This child was too smart; he understood everything.
Jasper continued, "And we still need to attend our classes. Those courses are really helpful for Ethan and Emma, and they enjoy them. If we stop going, not only would the tuition be wasted, but our teachers would be disappointed, too. Plus, I still need to prepare for the international piano competition; you haven't forgotten about that, have you?"
Emily found herself speechless in the face of Jasper's logic. She knew everything he said was right, but she was just so worried about the children's safety.
"But..." Emily tried to say something more.
"Mommy, we know you're worried about our safety. We promise you we'll be careful, won't talk to strangers, and won't wander away from our teachers and classmates. We'll be very cautious. If there's any emergency, I'll ask people around us for help," Jasper looked at her with eyes that held a maturity and understanding beyond his years.
Ethan and Emma nodded eagerly. "We'll be careful, Mommy."
Emily paused, then realized that Jasper had discovered the bodyguards.
Looking at the three children's serious expressions, especially Jasper's seemingly all-knowing eyes, Emily's resolve began to waver. She knew it would be difficult to convince her clever son.
In the end, Emily compromised.
"Alright. But you must promise me to be careful about everything. If anything seems wrong, tell your teacher or the driver immediately, okay?"
"Yes, Mommy!"
Ethan and Emma were somewhat surprised that their mother had given in so easily. They exchanged glances, both seeing confusion in the other's eyes.
After Emily left the room, Emma whispered to Jasper, "Jasper, why did Mommy agree so quickly today?"
Ethan also leaned in, looking at Jasper curiously.
Jasper smiled and lowered his voice. "Because Mommy has already arranged bodyguards to protect us."
"Bodyguards?" Both Ethan's and Emma's eyes widened in surprise.
Jasper nodded. "I noticed a while ago that some people have been secretly following us around, protecting us. This afternoon after school, someone tried to do something bad to us, but the bodyguards took care of it. And at the dessert café this evening, someone else tried to approach us but was stopped by the bodyguards."