Ch. 531..535

Chapter 531 Sylvia smiled as she took their hands, then she brought them to their new home.

Their new home had a wonderful yard covered with a bed of soft grass. Sylvia also made sure to set up a little play area for them, which included slides and swings with an additional mini racing track for remote control toy cars. Isabel ran to the play area as soon as she entered. She snatched up the controller and sent the toy car racing down the tracks She exclaimed excitedly, “Brother, over here!” Liam was quietly surveying the new environment, Isabel yelled for him again when he did not show up, “Brother, come quickly!”

Liam pursed his lips and walked toward her. The two sat on the ground and played together.

Sylvia had nothing else to do, so she sat with them and watched them play. When it got dark, Aunt Tonya called them into the house for dinner.

Sylvia immediately went to the kitchen to help Aunt Tonya set the food on the dining table. Then, she called for the children, “Isabel, Liam, time for dinner.”

Isabel answered at the top of her voice, “Okay, Mommy.”

Shortly after that, she trotted in with Liam. As Sylvia served them dinner, they sat on the chair and ate obediently. Sylvia chatted with them from time to time. “Did you two do anything fun at school today?” Isabel rambled on and on, “Nothing much happened today. Oh, Candice and the other girls from the other class kept glancing at Brother today. Also, one of the girls stuffed two pieces of chocolate into his pocket, but | ate them all.” Sylvia made a look and stole a glance at Liam. The child held a spoon in hand and was slowly, even gracefully scooping mouthfuls of food into his mouth. His movements were precise and deliberate, completely looking like an adult himself.

It was also rather apparent that he was not interested in the girls Isabel mentioned. Sylvia found it very humorous. Aunt Tonya chuckled heartily, listening to Isabel's tales. Meanwhile, there was a black car that had been parked outside the gate for a long time. A man sat by himself alone in the backseat, his obsidian eyes silently observing the scene in the living room through the car window.

It was only a short distance from the entrance of the house to the living room. With the transparent windows surrounding the living room on both sides, it was not difficult to see the residents dining inside.

The children seemed very well behaved, and the two women seemed to be in a jovial mood as Well.

“Master Carter, don’t you want to go in and have a look?” Ben blurted out. “No, let’s go back” Ben stayed silent and did as he was told, revving the car’s engine. The car exited the area shortly after that. As Odell looked at the house in the rearview mirror, the shape of the house slowly shrunk as they drove farther away. “Has everything been arranged?” Ben assured Odell, “Don’t worry. Our tearn is posted around the clock just as you have instructed. If anything happens to Ms. Sylvia or the children, our team will be alerted immediately and they will take swift action to ensure their safety.” “Good.”

After dinner, Sylvia took Liam and Isabel to their room. There were two beds inside the room that had a very cozy setup. However, Isabel was still not used to sleeping alone, so she crawled into Liam’s bed after she took a shower.

Sylvia sat on the edge of the bed with a book and told them bedtime stories until they fell asleep, then she got up and went out. She had a peaceful, dreamless sleep. The next morning, she got up and went to the children’s room again to find that they were still sleeping. Isabel had tangled herself around Liam, one of her legs even resting right on top of his torso.

Chapter 532

Sylvia chuckled at this sight and woke up them gently. “Isabel, Liam, it's time to wake up.” Liam was the first to open his eyes, Isabel woke up right after that and drowsily burrowed herself into Sylvia’s arms.

Sylvia sat down on the edge of the bed and shared an intimate hug with both the kids for a moment.

After they had fully woken up, she helped them get dressed. When they had washed up, they went to the living room. Aunt Tonya had already made breakfast for them. She made Eggs Benedict which was one of both Liam and Isabel's favorite dishes,

After breakfast, Sylvia took them to kindergarten. Their days were simple and carefree, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.

It was soon Friday. Sylvia arrived at the gate of the kindergarten around evening, just in time to pick up Liam and Isabel. Then, she took them home.

While Aunt Tonya was busy with dinner, Sylvia played with the kids in the living room. Isabel was lying across her arms, her attention fixed on the cartoon she was watching. Liam sat next to her and was fiddling with a Rubik's cube.

Everyone was quiet and occupied with their activities.

Suddenly, Liam set the Rubik’s cube aside and had an absent look on his face. Sylvia noticed something was wrong and asked him, “Liam, what's wrong?” Liam turned to her, “Mommy, it’s Friday, why isn’t Daddy coming to see us?”

“Yeah, the big baddie hasn't shown up for several days.” Isabel turned away from the screen and echoed the same sentiment, “He didn’t find some other woman, did he?”

Sylvia shot them a look and gently patted the top of Isabel’s head before informing the two of them, “He’s very busy with work. Maybe he just doesn’t have time to come here.” Liam frowned.

Sylvia caressed his forehead and suggested carefully, “Give your Daddy a call if you miss him.”

When Liam looked silently at her, Sylvia smiled softly in return. “Okay,” he answered with a flash of suspiciousness in his eyes. It did not seem like Mommy and Daddy fought, but he could not shake off the feeling that something was going on between the two of thein.

At night, In Llam and Isabel’s room, Sylvia told them bedtime stories as usual. 11 did not take long for Isabel to begin snoring, and Liam had shut his eyes as well.

Seeing that they were almost asleep, Sylvia gently pecked their cheeks with a quick kiss and left their room. Immediately after she went out, Liam snapped his eyes wide open. He sat up with a ruminative look, then he got his phone and deftly dialed Odell’s number. The call was answered rather quickly. Liam heard Odell’s scratchy voice from the other end of the phone, “Liam, why are you Calling me at this hour. Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping?”

“What are you doing?” Liam asked. “Working.” “Are you busy?” “Yeah, what’s wrong?” Liam inquired, “Did you fight with Mommy?” After a few seconds of silence, Odell responded, “No, things are fine with your mother.” “Then, why aren’t you coming to visit us?”

“I've just been busy these days.” After a pause, Odell offered, “It’s Saturday tomorrow. Is there anywhere you want to go to tomorrow?” Liam thought about it for a second and asked, “Are you going to take us somewhere tomorrow?”

“um.”

“Sis is already asleep. Why don’t you ask her tomorrow after you get here?” “Alright, now you go to bed as well.” Liam hung up and lay back under the covers. He closed his eyes and put his arm around his sleeping sister’s shoulders.

The next morning, the sun rose at the same time as usual.

 

Chapter 533

Chapter 533 Sylvia woke up at the same time as usual

Since it was Saturday, she was in no particular hurry to wake Isabel and Liam up. She made breakfast with Aunt Tonya before she went to get the children

To her surprise, Liam was already awake and already dressed. He was playing with the little Rubik's cube that she had handmade for him. Upon noticing Sylvia entering, he greeted her casually, “Good morning, Mommy.” Sylvia smiled at him and returned the same greeting, “Good morning, Liam.”

Then, she woke up Isabel, the lazy little pig.

After Isabel got washed and dressed as well, she took them to the living room for breakfast They wolfed down their breakfast very quickly. Sylvia took her phone and was just wondering where to take them today when Aunt Tonya suddenly marched through the door, appearing a little jumpy

Sylvia immediately inquired, “Aunt Tonya, is something the matter?” Aunt Tonya darted a glance at Isabel and Liam, and lowered her voice to a hushed whisper,” He’s here.”

Something gleamed in Sylvia's eyes, and she proceeded to ask calmly, “Odell is here?” This immediately drew Isabel and Liam’s attention

Aunt Tonya nodded

Sylvia smiled and turned to Isabel and Liam, “Liam, Isabel, your Daddy is here to bring you out. Why don’t you two go to him?” Isabel was rather delighted and climbed off the sofa immediately

Liam asked, “Mom, aren’t you coming?”

Isabel turned to Sylvia with a curious glimmer in her eyes.

Sylvia looked at the two pairs of perfectly round eyes staring at her. She gave them a troubled look and said with a strained smile, “I have other things to deal with today, so | won’t be going with you kids today. Have fun with your Daddy.” Liam did not have anything to say while Isabel only muttered a short “oh” in a slightly dejected tone.

However, the prospect of getting to go somewhere fun filled her with joy again. After Sylvia urged them to go to their father, Isabel dragged Liam behind her and went to find Odell.

After they left, Sylvia recollected hersell. She sat on the sofa and stayed there while Aunt Tonya followed the kids outside

After a stretch, she came back into the living room, probably because Isabel and Liam had left with Odell. She asked in a slightly puzzled manner, “Sylvia, the kids kept looking back at the house as they got in the car. Why didn’t you go out to send them off?”

Sylvia stated, “They'll see me again when they come back tonight, so there was no need to send them off.”

It was not so much that she did not want to do so; she just wanted to avoid seeing Odell again. After all, it was important to set a clear boundary after their divorce. Unless it was to settle matters directly concerning their children, there was no need for them to meet. Aunt Tonya had a hint of what was on Sylvia’s mind, so she just sighed and decided against giving an opinion.

Meanwhile, the car was coasting down the lane. Odell was seated in the backseat with Isabel and Liam. He glanced at the rearview mirror.

Through the rearview mirror, he caught the reflection of Sylvia’s house. He still could not spot Sylvia emerging from the house.

Aunt Tonya must have gone inside already, and it seemed like Sylvia had no intention of sending the children off. “Hey, baddie, where are you taking us today?” Isabel suddenly crawled up to him. Odell wiped away the worrisome look in his eyes and took Isabel into his arms. Isabel responded very well to this gesture. She leaned her weight against his arm, and wrapped her short arms around him, then fixed a curious stare at him.

He flashed a subtle smile and answered, “I’m taking you two somewhere fun.” “What kind of fun place?” “You'll know when you get there.” Isabel’s eyes shone with excitement as she turned to look out the car window. What Odell said had piqued her interest, so she became restless and could not sit still on his lap anymore. After a while, she crawled to the other window to peer out.

Odell would grab at her shirt from time to time to prevent her from losing balance and falling off the seat. Meanwhile, Liam had not uttered a word since he got into the car. He was very stoic and sat motionlessly.

 

Chapter 534

It was evening, and the sky was gradually darkening. Sylvia was painting in the studio when Isabel’s cheerful voice tore through the quaint space of the house.

“Mommy, we’re back!”

Sylvia got up and went to the window to see Isabel running in from outside. She was holding two trinkets that looked like toys in her hands, and she waved them around as she ran.

The toy would catch and reflect light occasionally.

Meanwhile, Liam had also stepped out of the car. His demeanor was a sharp contrast to Isabel's. He tucked his hands into his pockets and walked calmly and silently.

The driver then closed the door. The man in the car did not get out.

Sylvia glanced at the car before turning and walking out of her room. When she arrived at the living room, Isabel had already run in. “Mommy, look! | won these balls from some skinny guy today!” She showed off the two colored balls in her hands to Sylvia.

Sylvia smiled and praised her, “Great job, Isabel.”

“Look, they can even sing,” Isabel said as she flicked a switch. The two trinkets immediately began playing a familiar and cheerful nursery rhyme. Sylvia smiled, then looked at Liam who had just walked into the living room. He was very quiet as usual. There was not a hint of expression on his face.

Sylvia asked, “Liam, did you have a good time with your sister and Daddy today?” Liam muttered, “Yeah.” Sylvia walked up to him, looked at his face up close, and asked again, “Are you sure you’re happy?” Liam fixed his thoughtful eyes on her and said, “| would be happier if Mommy had been there as well.”

Sylvia felt her heart drop. Then, she stated, “Well, | am free tomorrow, so I'll take you two somewhere.” Liam pursed his lips. “Okay.”

Isabel did not get up until almost noon the next day. She seemed to be all worn out from spending time with Odell yesterday. Liam, on the other hand, seemed rather drained. Sylvia took them out after lunch. They went to a nearby heritage street where they gorged on delicious food and returned home only when it was getting dark The day passed in the blink of an eye.

The following day, Sylvia took them to kindergarten as usual After watching them enter through the gate while holding hands, she turned around and left, and went straight to the art academy

Today was her first day working at the art academy

Upon arrival, she was received by a teacher tasked to attend to her. Christopher showed up as well and led her to her new office. It was a very pleasant office that almost seemed homely, She was given a complete set of painting tools along with cominon office supplies.

After Christopher showed her the office, he turned to her with a welcoming smile, “Sylvia, if there’s anything you need at all, just let me know.”

Sylvia returned a smile and thanked him, “Sure, thank you.”

“Haha, no need to be so formal with me. It is an honor to have you teach at our academy.”

They exchanged a bit of small talk before Christopher eventually left

Sylvia looked at the timetable. She had two classes scheduled in the afternoon and no assigned classes in the morning.

Although she had come to the academy to conduct talks with the students several times in the past, this would be her first time Officially giving lectures. She wanted to make sure that she was well-prepared, so she sat down and focused on preparing her lectures, The morning went by in the blink of an eye. By the time she took her eyes off her tasks, it was already lunchtime. She got up and walked outside. As soon as she stepped out of her office, she heard some commotion coming from a certain direction. She noticed a group of female teachers crowding around someone and merrily chanting, “Mr. Carter, let's have lunch together later!” “Mr. Carter, you must be bored by yourself. Let’s go watch a movie together at night.” Meanwhile, Mr. Carter, who was the center of their attention, seemed to be moving toward Sylvia

 

 

Chapter 535

The teachers trailed after him.

Before Sylvia could even realize what was happening, one of the teachers accidentally backed into her and sent her tumbling to the floor. It was a harder shove than it seemed. Sylvia stumbled twice and fell to the floor. Her knees scraped against the hard ground. She frowned, then picked herself up off the floor.

It was at this point that a large, and delicate hand suddenly extended in front of her.

The restless group of teachers instantly stopped their ceaseless fawning and became silent.

Sylvia was rather taken aback by this. She looked up and saw a very familiar and handsome face.

Underneath the man's fringe was a pair of cool and beautiful eyes staring back at her. Sylvia opened her eyes wide and mouth agape, "Thomas? Why are you here?"

Thomas curled his lip into a smile. "I work here."

With that, he grabbed her by her wrist and lifted her from the ground.

Sylvia was still reeling back from the shock. "When did you start working here?"

"A month ago." After a pause, he asked, "Why are you here?"

"I'm working here too. I only just started today."

"Have you had lunch yet?"

"No."

"Let's have lunch together."

Sylvia felt countless needles prickling every part of her body. She looked behind her. It was the loathsome glare of the group of teachers penetrating through her.

She chuckled dryly and changed her mind. "You know what? Maybe I shouldn't."

Thomas turned to look at his worshippers with a piercing gaze in his eyes that were devoid of warmth. They felt a chilling pang of cold seeping through their skin when they felt his gaze on them.

Thomas stated politely, "It's getting late, teachers. You girls should quickly get something to eat."

They took the hint. Some of them grunted a word or two in response while the others immediately turned and left, looking defeated.

In time, they all walked away and branched off into several groups.

Sylvia and Thomas went to a small restaurant near the school.

After sitting down, Sylvia had many questions on her mind. "Thomas, what are you teaching here?"

From what she could remember, he was very withdrawn and was not fond of talking. Back when Odell and their stepmother were still fighting for ownership of the family business, their stepmother had wanted him to work in the company in a managerial position. He had

expressed very little interest in the arrangement, and in time, their stepmother gave up on the idea entirely.

After the whole debacle was wrapped up, their stepmother left the family business and was completely disgraced. After that, she had taken Thomas with her and left Westchester. Till now, Sylvia did not know what line of work Thomas took interest in.

It was rather surprising that he had come to the academy to work as a teacher.

Thomas answered her obligingly, "I teach piano."

Sylvia's eyes glowed. She remembered that he liked playing the pian, and that he was very good at it.

When she still lived with the Carters, she would always hear him playing the piano. Though they did not live in the same block, she could still hear the music as clear as day. From time to time, she would also notice him playing piano through the window. Whenever he played the piano, she would feel waves of inspiration. During that period, she frequently painted whenever he played piano.

"What about you? What are you teaching here?" he asked suddenly.

She replied, "I teach art."

He nodded and seemed like he had nothing to add.

The waiter brought the menu.

She asked, "What would you like to eat?"

"Anything works."

"Very well."

Knowing that he was not a very talkative man, she stopped pestering him. She ordered her favorites and ordered something normal for her, then she handed the menu back to the waiter.

They ate their lunch in silence.

After the meal, she went to ask for the bill before he could, only to find out that the bill had already been paid. She turned around with an astonished look.

Thomas just happened to be approaching her, his tall figure impossible to miss.

Noticing the look on Sylvia's face, he brandished his phone. "Online payment."