Chapter 26 The Swap Plan
Lily had developed a serious fear of Mandy, who frequently scolded and mistreated her.
Seeing Lily's distress, Connor and Mia exchanged a meaningful glance.
After some thought, Mia said, "Alright, if you don't want to go back to your home, I'll go in your place. But you two have to promise to chat with me online tonight, okay?"
Lily nodded eagerly.
"I promise. I'll tell you everything about what happens at the Frost house," she quickly assured.
With their plan set, Connor began looking for an escape route. Scanning the area, he spotted a safety exit at the back of the amusement park. If he wasn't mistaken, that exit led to the staircase going up to the hotel.
He took Lily's hand and led her toward the safety exit. At the same time, he used his smartwatch to call Elena, knowing they needed to distract her so Mia could leave.
When Elena answered, she immediately asked, "Connor, where are you and Mia? I've been looking everywhere for you."
Her voice betrayed her anxiety—she had clearly been searching everywhere outside without finding them and was getting worried.
"Mom, we went upstairs," Connor replied. "Please come back quickly."
"I thought you wanted to play a little longer? Why did you go upstairs so soon?" Elena sounded puzzled.
Connor had to think fast. "Mia was thirsty, so we went back for some water."
Elena couldn't find any flaw in Connor's explanation, so she turned and started walking toward the hotel. As soon as Elena left, Mia, who had been hiding in a corner, let out a long sigh of relief. If Elena had found her hiding there, she would have surely dragged her back to their room.
If Elena had known she had three children, she would have been completely shocked.
With the crisis averted, Mia watched Elena leave. Once she was upstairs, Mia would have the opportunity to find Harrison.
Elena had only taken a few steps when a balding man in his forties, wearing an ill-fitting suit, blocked her path. She didn't recognize him.
"Who are you?" she asked, studying the stranger.
The balding man, with an unsettling smile, hurriedly introduced himself. "You must be Ms. Reed? My name is Rolf Tackett. I run a seafood business in Pinewood City. Your mother arranged for me to meet you today—for a date."
Hearing the word "date," Elena frowned. Her mother? Her mother had been dead for many years. This must be Christine's arrangement.
Rolf's eyes kept roaming over Elena's body with a lecherous gaze that made her skin crawl. She felt visually violated by his predatory stare.
Her excellent upbringing prevented her from outright insulting him. Instead, she asked calmly, "Mr. Tackett, you say my mother arranged this date? May I ask which mother you're referring to?"
"Christine, of course," Rolf replied. "She said she doesn't mind that my wife died several years ago. If I like you, we could get married right away."
"Don't worry, Ms. Reed. You look very nice, and I like you a lot. I'll pay three million dollars to your family as agreed with Mrs. Reed."
Rolf kept leaning closer to Elena, unable to hide the lecherous smile on his face. He had initially assumed that any woman Christine introduced would be unimpressive, but Elena was stunning—curved in all the right places, especially her enticing chest, which he couldn't help but stare at hungrily.
Elena found his behavior extremely offensive. As she considered how to handle the situation, she glanced back and saw Mandy following Harrison. Instantly, she had an idea.
If Christine had introduced her to a widower like Rolf, then she could introduce Rolf to Mandy in return.
With this thought, Elena smiled slightly. "Mr. Tackett, you've mistaken me for someone else," she told Rolf. "The Christine you mentioned is not my mother. My mother passed away several years ago."
After hearing Elena's words, Rolf half-doubtingly took out a photograph and compared it to Elena.
Elena examined the yellowed photo carefully. It was indeed a picture of her from high school years ago.
"No, this is definitely you," Rolf insisted, still confused.
Elena chuckled softly. Fighting her disgust, she gently tugged at Rolf's sleeve and pointed toward Mandy. "Mr. Tackett, do you see that young lady over there? The one in the red dress? She's Christine's daughter."
She added, "Look at her—young, beautiful, and very affectionate. I've heard she's like her mother in bed. A girl like that would be perfect for an excellent gentleman like yourself."
Everyone in their social circle knew Christine had been a mistress before marrying into the family.
"I've heard she's quite popular. Mr. Tackett, don't miss this opportunity."
Under Elena's flattery and persuasion, Rolf lost his judgment. Mandy was indeed attractive, and she had deliberately worn revealing clothes to see Harrison, making her look particularly enticing.
The lecherous Rolf, encouraged by Elena's suggestion, immediately walked toward Mandy.
At that moment, Mandy was following behind Harrison. Harrison, concerned about Lily in the amusement park, was walking quickly. Mandy, in her high heels, couldn't keep up with Harrison's pace, and soon fell behind.
She pouted regretfully and stamped her foot in a coquettish manner.
This gesture caught the eye of the lecherous Rolf, who was instantly attracted by Mandy's flirtatious movement.
He approached Mandy and, without hesitation, grabbed her arm.
Startled, Mandy turned to see a strange man holding her arm. Her face flushed with anger as she tried forcefully to shake off Rolf's grip.
"Who are you? What do you want?" she demanded.