Dominic noticed that the two children had specifically worn the clothes Elara had bought them last year-though they were now a little too small.
“Daddy,” Leo suddenly asked softly, his young face extremely uneasy.
3:52 pm
<
“Do you think Mommy will forgive us?”
Dominic didn’t answer immediately.
He remembered Elara’s pained expression in the security video as she was pushed down the stairs, and her resolute back as she left.
“She will,” he finally said, unsure if he was convincing himself or them.
“Mommy loves you the most. How could she not want you?”
The car stopped in front of a pottery studio called “The Clay Canvas.”
Through the large window, Dominic spotted Elara immediately.
She wore a simple white T-shirt and jeans, her hair casually tied back, engrossed in shaping a piece of clay.
Sunlight cast a golden edge on her profile, making her appear soft and bright.
The little girl named Lily suddenly grabbed a handful of mud and mischievously smeared it on Elara’s face.
To Dominic’s surprise, Elara didn’t get angry. Instead, she laughed and tried to smear it back.
She was laughing so happily, radiating such joy-it was a smile Dominic hadn’t seen in a long time.
“Mommy!” Mia, who had been watching, suddenly broke free from the bodyguard and rushed
towards the pottery studio.
Dominic couldn’t stop her in time and had to follow quickly.
The moment the door opened, the wind chimes jingled crisply. Elara looked up at the sound, her smile freezing on her face.
“Mia?” Her voice trembled slightly. Her gaze went past the children, landing on Dominic.
But her expression wasn’t happiness. It was resistance and coldness.
“You… How are you here? How did you find me?”
3:52 pm
<
Lily looked curiously at the sudden intruders, instinctively hiding behind Elara.
Julian stood up, subtly positioning himself in front of the two.
“Mommy!” Leo also ran in, hugging Elara’s leg, his eyes brimming with tears.
“We missed you so much! Mommy, have you been with these two all this time? Was it for these
two?”
He looked at Lily with hostility, glaring at her, which made Lily clutch Elara’s sleeve tighter in fear.
Elara stood frozen, her hands hovering in the air, unsure whether to hug them back.
After seeing Leo’s gaze, she suddenly came to her senses, her own gaze turning cold.
She didn’t make any move to hug them back. Instead, she gently took a step back.
Her gaze shifted between the two children and Julian, finally resting on Dominic.
“What are you doing here?” Her voice was soft, yet as sharp as a knife.
