Upon hearing Lionel's words and seeing the relaxed expression on his face, Lance couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. It was clear that Lionel had let go of his obsession.
"I certainly won't let Deanna down," Lance said, looking tenderly at Deanna in his arms. Deanna looked up at him at the same time, and their eyes met, a sweet aura emanating from them.
Lionel watched from the side, feeling a bit down but ultimately more at peace than before. He turned to the two little ones nearby and said softly, "Gregory, Chloe, I'll take you to the top of the mountain so your daddy and mommy can walk slowly."
The two little ones looked at him with curiosity but didn't refuse. After all, sending this uncle away would give their daddy and mommy more time alone to nurture their relationship.
Lionel, unaware of their thoughts, was pleased to see them willing to go with him. He took each child's hand and started up the mountain.
On the way, Gregory frequently glanced at Lionel. Lionel noticed his looks and caught him in the act, smiling, "You've been eyeing me all the way. Do you have something to say?"
Gregory blinked and asked in his childish voice, "Uncle, do you have any children?"
Lionel was taken aback and looked at him in confusion. "Why do you ask?"
"Because you look about the same age as my daddy, so I thought you might have a happy family," Gregory said, emphasizing the words "happy family."
Unfortunately, Lionel didn't catch the emphasis. He chuckled, "Although I'm about the same age as your daddy, I haven't settled down yet because I'm always busy with experiments. I don't even have a girlfriend."
"Ah, no girlfriend? Then you're like Uncle Xavier, a poor bachelor," Chloe said in mock surprise.
Lionel couldn't help but laugh. "Who taught you that term? It's not polite to call me that."
The two little ones stuck out their tongues sheepishly and then apologized obediently. "Sorry, Uncle. We were just joking, no harm intended."
"It's okay, I was just saying," Lionel said, touched by their sincere apology. He could see that the two children were well-mannered and quick to correct their mistakes without any spoiled behavior.
Half an hour later, they reached the top of the mountain. Perhaps because Lionel had let go of his feelings, they all had a great time for the rest of the day.
In contrast to their relaxed and warm atmosphere, some people were not having a good time. Today was also the day Emily was released from the detention center.
As she walked out, she saw her mother standing not far away and couldn't help but tear up. She had truly experienced the hardships of being in a detention center over the past month.
"Mom-" she called out hoarsely as she ran toward Mia.
Mia looked at her haggard daughter, noticing even the fading bruises on her face, and felt a deep pang of sorrow. It was clear that Emily had suffered greatly in the detention center.
"You've suffered," Mia said, her voice choked with emotion as she hugged Emily.
Hearing this, Emily cried even harder. After a long while, she managed to calm down and stepped back from Mia's embrace. Only then did she notice that Mia was alone and her eyes darkened. "Mom, where's Dad? And Raphael?"
"They..." Mia hesitated, not knowing how to explain. She finally changed the subject while leading Emily to the car. "A lot has happened this past month. I'll tell you everything when we get home."
Emily's heart sank further. During her time in the detention center, her biggest fear was that Raphael would divorce her. But she hadn't received any divorce papers from him during that month. Was he waiting for her now?
Filled with unease, Emily got into the car with Mia. On the way home, Mia began to explain what had happened over the past month without waiting for Emily to ask.
"After you went in, the Howard family wanted Raphael to divorce you, but he insisted on staying married," Mia said with a sigh. "Raphael must have feelings for you. You should cherish him."
"If he cares so much, why didn't he come to see me or help me get out sooner?" Emily said bitterly. Though her words were harsh, her resentment lessened somewhat.
As her mother said, Raphael must have feelings for her if he resisted his parents' pressure to divorce. Perhaps her repeated antics had angered him so much that he didn't visit her as a form of punishment.
Mia understood that Emily was speaking out of frustration but still defended Raphael. "You think your actions ended with your detention? Lance is not to be trifled with. Over this past month, both the Howard family's company and your father's company have been struggling."