Chapter 114
Rodolfo hadn't left. He had just finished making breakfast and was bringing the dishes out from the kitchen one by one.
Oscar and Nina sat properly at the dining table, waiting for the meal.
This harmonious scene left Emily stunned.
What surprised her wasn't that Rodolfo had stayed, but that during her long absence, Oscar and Nina hadn't cried or made a fuss. Rodolfo had taken care of them really well.
When Rodolfo came out of the kitchen with another dish and casually turned his head, he saw Emily and Amelia standing at the door. He paused for a moment, then his face lit up with joy.
"Emily, you're finally back!"
Rodolfo quickly put down what he was holding, wiped his hands on his apron, and hurried over.
Oscar and Nina heard the commotion and looked up at the same time. Seeing Emily, their eyes lit up simultaneously.
"Mommy!"
The two brothers jumped down from their chairs in unison and ran to Emily, hugging her from both sides.
"Mommy, you're finally back! Oscar and I missed you so much!"
Nina's voice was soft and sweet, making Emily's heart melt and her nose tingle.
Although she had only been gone for one night, so much had happened during that time that it felt as long as a year.
Seeing Oscar and Nina again, Emily felt like they were reuniting after a long separation.
She quickly crouched down and pulled both children into her arms, her eyes red.
"I'm back, and I never want to be separated from you again. From now on, our family will be together, never apart."
Emily's voice was firm as she made a silent vow to herself that nothing like this could ever happen again.
The last time Nina was kidnapped, it had scared her half to death. This time, when something happened to Amelia, Emily had been terrified out of her mind.
Fortunately, both times ended safely, and the two people she cared about most were both back by her side. Otherwise, Emily couldn't imagine how much she would have fallen apart.
Oscar and Nina greeted Amelia, too, happily gathering around her and pulling her to sit at the dining table.
Emily stood up and looked at Rodolfo gratefully, about to speak.
Rodolfo raised his hand to stop her. "Emily, if you're going to apologize to me, forget it. Even if you hadn't said anything that day, I would have helped you take care of the kids."
He glanced back and smiled slightly. "These two kids are very lovable. Taking care of them wasn't tiring at all."
"You were gone for a whole night, and they didn't cry or fuss, which actually put my mind at ease."
"Rodolfo, I still have to thank you."
Emily looked moved.
"With these two children here, I can't leave for even a moment."
She looked at Amelia and lowered her voice. "My mother just came back a few days ago. I thought since she'd been pretty normal lately and hardly had any episodes, I could feel safe letting her help me watch the kids."
"But I never expected something so serious would almost happen. It really scared me. Thankfully, everything's cleared up now, and I'll be extremely careful from now on."
Rodolfo sighed, his expression serious.
Emily had left in such a hurry that day that she hadn't told him exactly what had happened.
But Rodolfo had been following the news these past few days. He knew about the online criticism of Brian, and combined with Amelia's disappearance, how could he not figure it out?
"Let's eat."
Rodolfo called out. "I figured you'd come back today. I didn't know what time, so I made a bit extra for breakfast. Perfect timing for everyone to eat together. Let me go get two more sets of utensils."
"I'll get them."
"No need, I'll do it."
Rodolfo gave Emily a calm, reassuring smile. "Looking at those dark circles under your eyes, I can tell you didn't get much rest last night."
"After breakfast, get some sleep. Everything else can wait until you wake up."
With that, Rodolfo turned and went into the kitchen.
Emily watched his aging figure, her heart warming.
She wasn't alone. Although Amelia occasionally had mental breakdowns and had been tormented by Brian like that, at least she had kept her life.
She had a pair of adorable sons, she had Rodolfo, who loved and cared for her, and she had William...
At the thought of William, Emily's eyes sharpened. She forcibly suppressed that strange flutter in her heart and shook her head gently.
At a time like this, what was the point of thinking about him?
William had indeed been very good to her before, but this time when she needed him most, she had called him so many times and no one answered. That was enough to show his attitude.
Clearly, during their last phone call that day, William had said he would rush over right away. Why did he disappear? What would he gain from lying to her?
At first, Emily's mind had raced with worry that something might have happened to William.
She had frantically called him, partly because she needed his help, and partly because she wanted to confirm whether something had really happened to him.
But she had made so many calls without getting any response, and she hadn't seen any news online. Things at the Brown family seemed calm too.
And there was Aiden. When he left that day, he was going back to the Brown Mansion. If something had really happened to William, Aiden would definitely know.
Since nothing had happened to him, why didn't he come see her later?
He clearly knew that was when she needed William most, yet he avoided her.
Emily really couldn't figure out what could keep William away for several days straight—not just one or two days, but several days.
Even if he really had something going on, couldn't he spare a moment to return her call?
Forget it, she wouldn't think about this anymore.
Emily took a deep breath, holding back her tears. Along with the tears, she also forced herself to suppress her feelings for William.
She couldn't deny that with the way William had taken such good care of her before—handsome, wealthy, thoughtful, and considerate in every way—it would have been impossible for Emily not to be attracted to him.
She admitted she had feelings for William. She didn't know if it counted as love, but she definitely had feelings for him.
But now, those vague feelings had been killed in their cradle.
The food was all served, and everyone ate.
Rodolfo didn't stay long. After eating, he prepared to leave.
"Rodolfo, I'm sorry."
Emily stood before him guiltily, her voice barely above a whisper. "When I left without saying goodbye, I had my reasons."
"You don't need to say all that. I understand everything."
Rodolfo interrupted her, his eyes full of sympathy. "Emily, you're a good person. Your own life is a mess, full of danger everywhere, yet you still worry about me. Having a student like you is my honor."
"Please don't say that."
Emily quickly shook her head. "The disaster that came to you was clearly brought by me. I never imagined Sophia would be so cruel. When she couldn't get to me, she went after the people around me."