Chapter 18 A Swing, and Six Years Have Passed
Alice dialed William's work number.
At that moment, his phone was connected to his computer, and everyone was intensely focused on the presentation documents.
When Alice's call came through, the presenter got startled, their hand trembled, and the call was accidentally answered.
Sophia's voice blared from the speakers, right at the part where she mentioned their first kiss, first night, first marriage, and first time as parents...
Every word that followed was heard loud and clear.
Tony and the other employees kept their heads down, not daring to look at William's face, which had darkened to an extreme.
The pen in William's hand snapped in half.
Tony quickly hung up the call!
The sound system in the Peace Group conference room was so good that every pause and breath in Sophia's speech was crystal clear.
William's face was as dark as ink, his cold eyes scanned the room, and his voice, chilling as if it crawled up from the depths of hell, commanded, "Continue the meeting!"
Koi Paradise Resort.
After sending away the fuming Alice, Sophia returned to the restaurant, had dinner with the three kids, and then went back to the room with them.
Inside, the three children were having a pillow fight.
Lyra only returned to the room after Sophia had finished her shower.
Sophia played with them for a while before urging them to sleep.
After a full day of activities, the kids were exhausted.
They fell asleep before Sophia could finish a bedtime story.
Sophia quietly closed the door and went to the living room to check her messages.
Monkey had been efficient, sending over several lawyers' information within the afternoon.
Sophia carefully reviewed each profile and chose the most experienced lawyer, asking Monkey to arrange contact.
As sleepiness crept in, Sophia was about to head to her bedroom when there was a knock at the door.
She glanced at the clock; it was 11 PM.
It definitely wasn't Lyra.
For some reason, a certain someone's face popped into her mind.
She thought it couldn't be.
Peeking through the peephole, she saw a tall, imposing figure, with a high nose, thin lips, and perfectly chiseled features, standing in the dim hallway light.
It was William.
As soon as she opened the door, the smell of alcohol hit her.
She instinctively frowned, disliking the scent, her eyes showing the same disdain as always.
William's hawk-like eyes stared at her, his cold, abstinent gaze slightly lowered, his eyes emotionless as he looked at her silently.
His showing up late at night without saying anything confused her.
Sophia spoke softly, "Mr. Smith..."
William let out a cold laugh, the chill reaching his eyes.
His face, dark as ink, showed a clear emotional shift at the mention of that name.
He walked straight into the room.
His black suit exuded a cold aura, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs. He was the best-looking man in a suit Sophia had ever seen.
William picked up the two kids from the bedroom and took them to the suite next door.
Sophia, not wanting to wake the children, didn't stop him.
She blinked in confusion, staring at the closed door across the hall, not understanding William's sudden mood.
Did Alice say something again?
Sophia thought about their hidden marriage days and shook her head. Staying away from William would make her happier.
She turned to go back to her room.
But...
With the kids with their father, she shouldn't have worried, but Sophia couldn't forget the strong smell of alcohol on William.
William placed the kids on the bed, gently covering them with a blanket.
They groggily opened their eyes, "Daddy..."
William responded softly, "Daddy's here."
Seeing it was him, they fell back asleep, reassured.
After he took a cold shower and came out of the bathroom, the doorbell rang.
The hotel robot delivered a hangover soup. The oppressive emotions stirred silently within him.
He closed the door without expression.
Seeing this, Sophia across the hall sighed in relief.
Although William didn't take the hangover soup, his sober look reassured her that he could take care of the kids.
Holding the sweet-smelling Emily, she slept through the night.
The next morning.
Sophia took Emily to find James and Michael, knocking on the door, but no one answered.
After asking the front desk, she found out William had left early with them, in a hurry, seemingly for something urgent.
Soon, she discovered what the urgency was.
The top trending topic was a photo.
In a hospital room, a pale Alice lay on the bed, teary-eyed, smiling as she gazed at the man and children beside her.
The internet was moved by the romantic reunion of a business tycoon and a gentle beauty from the entertainment world.
Sophia sat on the couch with Emily, while Lyra hesitated to speak.
Sophia turned and smiled, "I'm fine."
She had gone through this two years ago; now, it was just a replay.
Time heals all wounds. Now, William was just the father of her children.
Emily held her face, kissing her cheek, her clear eyes full of love.
"Mommy, Emily loves you forever."
Lyra's eyes welled up, "This child... so sweet."
Sophia wholeheartedly agreed with her friend, kissing Emily's forehead. Emily was a gift from heaven.
From the moment she conceived her, she never felt discomfort. After birth, she was quiet and well-behaved.
"Sweetie, Mommy loves you too."
"Forever and always."
The day Alice was discharged, she left in the Smith family's car.
Though a newcomer in the entertainment industry, with the Smith family's backing, she had no shortage of good opportunities.
The day after returning from Koi Paradise Resort, Lyra went to start filming, and Sophia took Emily home.
She hired a nanny to care for Emily and arranged security around the villa, allowing no one in without her permission.
These days, Sophia focused on the custody battle. She had contacted the lawyer and was preparing the necessary documents.
She knew it would be a tough fight.
Losing could mean never seeing James again, and as for Michael... she was hesitant.
He clearly preferred William and Alice, leaving Sophia unsure of her chances.
"Mr. Smith, a lawyer, is here to see you."
Learning that Sophia had indeed hired a lawyer for custody, William's face darkened.
Coldness enveloped his clear eyes, deep as a pool, scrutinizing.
His long, slender fingers formed a loose fist, tapping the desk, breaking the office's silence.
He looked at Tony, "Do I need to teach you how to handle this? And get that trending topic removed. What nonsense! Never let it happen again!"
Tony's heart skipped a beat, "I'll handle it right away!"
William leaned back in his chair, his gaze falling on a family photo on the desk, taken the year James and Michael were born.
It had been there for six years.
His eyes were dark and unreadable.
Sophia returned from meeting the lawyer, wearing a simple, elegant white silk dress, paired with silver heels, her hair slightly curled, every smile and gesture captivating.
As soon as she got out of the car, she saw a familiar black Maybach parked at her door, with no driver in sight.
The rear partition was up.
She couldn't see if anyone was in the back seat.