Chapter 26 Emily, Can't Be Pacified
An hour later.
William showed up at Sophia's apartment with James and Michael, only to find out she had taken Emily out.
He tried calling the number she had used earlier, but it was busy.
This took him back two years.
That night, William had come home with James and Michael, but Sophia wasn't there. When he finally reached her by phone, she told him she wanted a divorce.
Since then, he hadn't dialed that number again.
William clenched his fist by his side, feeling a bit relieved when he saw James and Michael.
Both boys were curious about where Sophia and Emily had gone.
They asked William, but he had no answer.
He took the kids back to the car and asked Tony to track Sophia's location. It took a while, but they finally found out she was at Empire City Children's Amusement Park with Emily.
Sophia had just taken Emily off the carousel. Emily seemed uninterested; not even an ice cream cone could cheer her up.
Sophia held Emily and sat down at a nearby restaurant.
"Emily, can you tell Mommy why you're not happy?"
Emily sat on her lap, swinging her legs, her little face full of disappointment.
"Mommy, James and Michael don't like me."
"That's not true, James and Michael love you very much."
Though Emily was young, she had a larger vocabulary than most kids her age and was quite sensitive to adult matters.
Sophia talked to her for a while. Emily seemed to understand some of it, and eventually, her mood brightened, her smile returning.
They played a few more games, and when Emily got tired, Sophia carried her to the parking lot.
Emily held a pink balloon with a pig on it, her cheeks rosy from playing. She hugged Sophia's neck and said she wanted to bring James and Michael next time and get them balloons too.
Sophia agreed to everything.
But just as they reached the amusement park entrance, they saw William with James and Michael. Dressed in a white shirt and black pants, his striking appearance and strong presence drew the attention of those around them.
James waved at Emily, "Emily!"
Emily, unusually, didn't immediately jump down from her mom's arms. She continued to cling to Sophia's neck, her soft cheek pressed against her.
Sophia tilted her head, "Aren't you happy to see James and Michael?"
Emily answered honestly, "I am."
But her face lacked the usual excitement and enthusiasm. She stayed quietly in Sophia's arms, watching William from a distance.
James and Michael ran over.
James asked, "Mom, what's wrong with Emily?"
Sophia replied, "Emily's just tired from playing."
William tried to talk to Emily, but she turned her face away, her little hands gripping her mom's neck tightly, refusing to look at him.
Sophia brought them all back home and asked the housekeeper to prepare some fruit and snacks.
Michael was the happiest to eat.
James noticed something was off with Emily and touched her forehead, then compared it to his own, unsure if she was sick.
Sophia was in the kitchen making milk for Emily.
James looked to William for help, "Dad, is Emily sick? She seems really upset."
Emily sat on the carpet in the playroom, poking at her favorite stuffed animal. Her big eyes avoided William, and she didn't have her usual bright smile or soft "William."
William sat down beside her, "Emily."
Her pigtails bounced like fireworks.
She turned away, hugging her fluffy pink fox toy, her face buried in it, not speaking.
William's heart ached.
He had never seen Emily like this, so upset.
"Emily, I was wrong."
"It was my fault, I forgot my promise."
"I'm sorry, Emily."
A child's world is simple.
Right is right, wrong is wrong.
Breaking a promise can really hurt a child's heart.
William always made sure to keep his promises to James and Michael, doing everything he could to fulfill them.
This time... he messed up.
From his angle, William could see Emily's angry little face through her long, thick lashes. He took out a gift he had bought to apologize and handed it to her.
"Emily, will you forgive me?"
Emily peeked out from the fox's tail, her eyes watery, her delicate nose twitching, her voice both hurt and adorable.
"You lied."
William's heart melted. He gently lifted Emily into his arms, and James quickly handed her a tissue to wipe her tears.
He spoke softly, "I promise, I'll never forget a promise to Emily again. Can you forgive me?"
The little girl in his arms, so sweet and lovable, made William's heart feel like it was bathed in warm, soothing water.
Emily tugged lightly on his sleeve, looking at him seriously, "You can't lie to kids anymore."
William nodded, "Okay."
Emily's tears turned into a smile, and she shyly looked down.
His large hand ruffled her little head, and she happily took the gift to open it with James and Michael.
Kids' emotions come and go quickly.
Sophia stood at the doorway with the milk she had prepared, having witnessed William comforting Emily.
Meeting her complex gaze, William stood up slowly, leaving the playroom to the kids.
Sophia handed Emily the bottle and gave James and Michael freshly squeezed juice. "James, you guys stay here and play with Emily. Mommy needs to talk to your dad. I'll be back soon."
Emily, now in a better mood, nodded obediently.
She raised her bottle and clinked it with James and Michael's juice cups, "Cheers, James and Michael."
The three kids quickly got absorbed in their new toys. Sophia asked the housekeeper to watch them and took William to the study.
She got straight to the point.
"When James and Michael come over, I'll arrange for someone to pick them up. Mr. Smith, you don't need to make the trip."
William understood immediately.
His brows furrowed slightly, the small mole on his forehead adding a touch of allure to his striking features.
Sophia's gaze flickered over the mole.
It was a place she had often kissed during their hidden marriage.
She closed her eyes briefly, her nails digging into her palms, the pain clearing her thoughts and bringing her back to the present, her expression cold and distant.
William had broken his promises to Alice before.
This wasn't the first time.
Sophia spoke again, her tone calm but detached, "If you have any changes in plans, please let me know in advance."
She didn't want Emily to have too much contact with William.
The disappointment on Emily's face that morning was still fresh in her mind, impossible to forget.
Children are young and easily trust those around them.
Emily liked James and Michael.
And because of that, she liked their dad too.
Sophia didn't want to think too deeply about how much their blood relation influenced Emily's feelings for William.
William's affection for Emily was undeniable.
If he found out Emily was his daughter...
Sophia didn't want to face another custody battle for her daughter before she had even secured custody of her son.
The best solution was to keep the children away from him.
William's face was stern, hiding his true emotions, but his tense shoulders betrayed the turmoil beneath his calm exterior.
"Today was an accident, I didn't mean to..."
Sophia interrupted, "You have your reasons, but please understand, I'm Emily's mom, and I don't want her to be unhappy."