Chapter 56 Misunderstanding
Charles personally drove Ethan and Emma back to Starlight Manor, watching the two children skip happily into the villa before slowly driving away. But he didn't go far; instead, he parked his car in a concealed spot outside the residential area, quietly waiting.
He held a glimmer of hope in his heart, hoping to catch sight of Emily.
Although Emily had never verbally admitted she was Ethan and Emma's mother, and the last time he drove her home was to the apartment, not to Starlight Manor.
But what if she was lying?
That woman was intelligent enough; perhaps she was deliberately concealing it from him.
He wasn't leaving today. He would wait for Emily to get off work. He wanted to see if Emily could leave the children unattended and not come home all night.
At the second-floor window of the villa, Jasper stood quietly behind the curtains, watching Charles's car parked outside.
A flash of understanding passed in his calm eyes that seemed too mature for his age.
Charles was waiting for Emily, and he couldn't let them meet.
Jasper turned and went downstairs, where Ethan and Emma were reading in the living room.
He walked over to them. "Mom will be late today. Let's have dinner first."
Although Ethan and Emma hadn't heard Jasper's call with Emily, they nodded obediently.
Time passed minute by minute. The sunset gradually faded, and night quietly fell. Lights began to twinkle throughout the residential area. Charles watched Emily's villa, which remained quiet, and his heart sank bit by bit.
Could it be that she wasn't coming home here tonight?
He checked the time—it was already past office hours. Normally, Emily should have been home by now.
Could it be... Had he really guessed wrong, and Emily wasn't the children's mother at all?
As this thought emerged, an indescribable sense of loss welled up in Charles's heart.
Just as he was about to give up waiting, his phone suddenly received a message from someone he had stationed near Emily's apartment: [Mr. Windsor, Ms. Johnson went to the small apartment, and a strange man just entered her apartment alone.]
Charles saw the message, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
The small apartment? Did she go to the apartment again today? Could it be that she really lived at the apartment long-term?
And a strange man? Could it be the boyfriend Emily had mentioned before?
Then Charles received a photo of a burly man knocking on the door.
This was the apartment he had driven Emily to last time.
A strong wave of jealousy instantly surged through him, burning like fire through his entire being.
He imagined Emily and that man in intimate scenes in the apartment, imagined her showing that man a gentle smile, and his heart felt like it was being cut by knives.
He wouldn't allow it!
He didn't want Emily to smile at others, didn't want her to be with other men!
For a moment, a strong possessiveness toward Emily surged within him. This feeling surprised even himself, yet he couldn't control it.
Charles gripped the steering wheel tightly and gave a self-mocking laugh.
So it had all been his wishful thinking.
Emily had her own life, her own person she cared about. Perhaps the children's situation really had nothing to do with her.
Feeling disappointed, he started the car and slowly drove away from the residential area. The lights outside the car window blurred together in his vision, just like his chaotic emotions at that moment.
And all of this was within Jasper's expectations.
Half an hour earlier, Jasper had called Emily, "Mom, I think I lost the sheet music my teacher gave me. Could it have been left at the small apartment? There's a piece in there that I haven't mastered yet."
Emily paused for a moment—before returning to the country, many items had indeed been shipped to the small apartment. She thought about it and said, "It's possible. I'll go look for it after work."
"Thank you for the trouble, Mom."
After work, Emily went straight to the small apartment. But she had barely started searching when the doorbell rang. When she opened the door, it was the bodyguard.
"Ms. Johnson, I'm here to report on today's situation," the bodyguard said respectfully.
Emily was somewhat puzzled—normally, the bodyguard reported by phone every evening. Why had he made a special trip today? She asked casually, "Why did you come in person today?"
This was exactly what Jasper had arranged.
He wanted the bodyguard to go to the small apartment to report to Emily, to delay Emily's time there as much as possible, preventing her from returning early and encountering Charles.
Before departing, Jasper had specifically instructed the bodyguard on how to respond.
The bodyguard followed Jasper's instructions and answered seriously. "Ms. Johnson, the children were taken by Mr. Windsor to the Windsor Manor. The situation was rather special, so I came to report in person."
Emily nodded, her doubts dispelled, "Come in and tell me about it."
The bodyguard detailed how the children had been taken by Charles to the Windsor Manor today, adding, "The Windsor Manor's security is too tight. We could only see scenes in the garden—we're not clear on what specifically happened inside."
After listening, Emily frowned slightly. Charles's actions made her increasingly uneasy.
A bold hypothesis surfaced in her mind.
It seemed she needed to take action as well.
While thinking about specific plans, she continued searching the bookshelf for Jasper's book.
The bodyguard immediately said, "Ms. Johnson, what are you looking for? Let me help you search."
This was also part of Jasper's plan, deliberately delaying time.
"That would be helpful, thank you." Emily didn't think much of it.
The bodyguard agreed and began "helping" search for the book in the apartment. He appeared to be searching earnestly, but actually hid the book, clearly sabotaging the search.
Emily was focused on finding the book quickly and didn't notice the bodyguard's strange behavior.
Time passed minute by minute. She searched every possible place books could be kept in the apartment, but still couldn't find it. She couldn't help feeling anxious.
That sheet music was a rare edition, impossible to buy in stores.
Just then, the bodyguard's phone vibrated. He glanced at it quietly—it was a message from Jasper.
[time to head back.]
The bodyguard immediately stopped what he was doing and pulled out the sheet music he had just hidden in the suitcase compartment.
"Ms. Johnson, is this the one you're looking for?"
Emily took the book with delight. "Yes, yes, that's it! Thank you so much for searching for so long."
"You're welcome, Ms. Johnson. I'll head back now." After speaking, the bodyguard turned and left the apartment.
Seeing it was getting late, Emily quickly locked the apartment door and hurried toward Starlight Manor.
When she returned to the villa, Jasper was sitting at the piano, Emma was accompanying on the cello, while Ethan looked so bored that he was about to fall asleep.
She explained somewhat helplessly. "Were you waiting anxiously? I didn't expect it to be tucked in the suitcase compartment—that's why I searched a bit longer."
"Thank you, Mom."
Emma tugged at her sleeve. "Mom, Blair made fruit cake tonight. It's so delicious! I saved some for you."
"Thank you, sweetheart!" Emily smiled and walked toward the dining room to taste the fruit cake.
Meanwhile, Charles had returned home. His expression was terrifyingly dark as he dialed Nathan's number. "Nathan, investigate someone immediately. I want to know who the man who entered Emily's small apartment today is. I want his complete file, the more detailed the better."