Chapter 173
The next morning, at the break of dawn, Emily got up quietly.
She moved cautiously, careful not to wake William beside her.
Remembering last night's promise and thinking about the three children, especially Aiden, Emily wanted to make them breakfast, hoping to make up for even a little of her years of absence.
When she went downstairs, the servants had already begun preparing breakfast. Seeing Emily come down, they all froze in place.
"Ms. Johnson, why are you up?" the butler hurried over and asked respectfully.
"Please sit down and rest. We'll make breakfast. We can't let you do it yourself," the servants chimed in one after another.
Everyone knew that Ms. Johnson was Mr. Brown's most cherished person!
She was the future Mrs. Brown—there was no way they could let her cook breakfast herself.
Emily shook her head with a gentle smile.
"It's okay. I couldn't sleep, so I wanted to make breakfast for the kids. It's just simple home cooking—nothing special."
Since she insisted and the servants' attempts to stop her failed, they couldn't say much more and could only assist her from the side.
In the kitchen, Emily deftly chopped vegetables, washed them, fried eggs, and cooked noodles.
Although it was all simple home cooking, her skills were impressive. Soon, the villa was filled with the aroma of freshly cooked food.
When the three children woke up and came downstairs, they immediately smelled the food and ran to the kitchen door.
Three pairs of eyes looked at her brightly.
"Mommy, you're making breakfast!" Nina called out, bouncing with excitement.
Aiden stood at the door, watching Emily's back, his little face lit with happiness—anyone could tell he was in a great mood.
Emily turned around and saw the children, immediately breaking into a smile and waving.
"Almost ready—just wait a little longer."
Soon, a table full of delicious breakfast dishes was set out.
Golden crispy fried eggs, sweet milk and oatmeal, and delicate pastries—everything carefully prepared to suit the Brown family's tastes.
The children ate happily, praising Emily's cooking repeatedly.
William watched Emily bustling about, his eyes full of affection, warmth filling his chest.
After breakfast, the driver arrived to take Aiden to school.
Emily crouched down, helped him organize his backpack, and kissed him on the cheek.
"Aiden, be good at school. When you're done, I'll come pick you up."
Aiden nodded, reached out to hug Emily, and said softly, "Mommy, I'll wait for you to pick me up. You can't trick me."
Meeting Aiden's trusting eyes, Emily smiled and nodded gently.
Watching Aiden get in the car and leave, Emily felt reluctant to let him go.
They had just been reunited, so naturally she wanted to spend more time with him.
However, Aiden's education was also important—they couldn't delay it just to spend more time together.
William stood nearby, watching Oscar and Nina chatter with Emily, a calculating look flashing in his eyes.
These two kids were always clinging to Emily, constantly interfering with his alone time with her.
At the thought, a gleam appeared in William's eyes.
He cleared his throat and spoke in a serious tone.
"Emily, Aiden's already in school, and Oscar and Nina are old enough for kindergarten too. Why don't we send them as well?"
Emily was startled and instinctively asked, "So soon?"
William nodded, making it sound entirely reasonable.
"Kindergarten will teach them new things, and they can make friends, which is good for their development. I know the kids are smart, but they should interact more with children their own age—their future won't depend on knowledge alone."
That's what he said aloud, but where no one could notice, William silently added to himself:
Most importantly, once they were gone, he and Emily could finally have some quality time alone.
God knew how long he'd been waiting for this day.