Capítulo306

Trabajémuyduroparacriaralosniñosdurantetantosañosyélmelosvaaarrebatar._

lejosdemíasícomoasí?

Victorianopudoevitarapretarlospuñosaloscostadosantesdecaminarlentamente._

Alaric,quetodavíadisfrutabadelaalegríadevercomera losniños,no se habíadado cuentadeque

alguienseacercaba.

Esofuehasta…

“¿Mami?”

Nicoleestabamordisqueandounabaquetacuandoderepenteviolafiguraparadadetrás.

Alarico.CuandolevantólacabezayvioaVictoria,exclamósorprendiday___

deleite.

Mientras tanto,Alaricse quedósentadocuandoescuchóelnombrede Victoria.Lasonrisaensuslabios

instantáneamenteyánished.

InclusoNathan,quehabía estadocomiendotranquilamente,dejóde masticarymiróhacia atrás.

Alaric,sumiradaclaramenteevasiva.

Capítulo306Ellostambiénsonmishijos

Esperaunminuto…Alaricfruncióligeramentelos labios.

Justocuandoestabaapuntodelevantarse,escuchóaVictoriadirigirsea él:“¿SeñorNoche?”

Uponhearingthis,Alaricstoppedforamomentbeforeheslowlynarrowedhiseyes.

2/8

Afterasecond,helightlytappedhismolarswithhistongueandtookhis timetostand

up,meetingVictoria’sgaze.

“Mommy,whatareyoudoinghere?”Nicoleimmediatelyput downthespooninher

handandwipedhermouthcleanwithatissuebeforeshewenttohugVictoria’sleg.

Victoriawasstillinherhighheels,soshestumbledalittlewhenNicolehuggedher.

However,sheregainedherbalancefairlyquickly.

“MissSelwyn.”

VictoriahadjuststoodupstraightagainwhenshesawAlaricpolitelyextendinghist

handtowardher.

Lookingatthoselargehands,shequietlyscoffedandcalmlyshookhandswithhim.

“Hello.”

Chapter306TheyAreMyChildrenToo

Shebarelytouchedhimbeforesheletgo,leavingAlaricnochancetoshakeherhand.

3/8

Nathanwaswatchingfromthesidewhenhenoticedthis.

Mommydoesn’t seemlikeshelikesMr.Nightalot,hethoughtwithafrown.Butwhy?

Aftergreetinghim,Victoriapretendednottorecognizehimandlookedatthetable.

“Nicole,Nate,whatdidItellyoubefore?Youcan’teatfoodfromstrangers.”

Hearingtheword“strangers”madeAlaricfrown.

Apartfrombeingthechildren’sfather,hewasalsothe“SilentNight”whohadbeen

supportingtheirlivestream.

Andyet,sheactuallyreferredtohimasastrangerinfrontofNicoleandNathan.

Thechildrendidn’tsayanythingafterhearingthosewords.

Victoriasmiledandcontinued,“I’msorry,Mr.SilentNight.IheardfromNicoleand

Nathanthatyoualwaysbringfoodforyournephew.Thesemischievouslittleones.

alwayscometobummealsoffof you,don’tthey?Howmuchdothemealstheyhad

thesefewdayscost?ShallIpayyou?”

Herpolitenessandthedistancebetweenthemwerequiteapparent.Sheclearlywanted

mun,

Chapter306TheyAreMyChildrenToo

nothingtodowithhim.

Insteadofansweringher,Alariconlypressedhislipsintoastraightlineandkepta

straightface.

ItwasNicolewhoclungtoVictoria’slegwhospokeup.“Mommy,heisMr.Night.He

won’taskusformoney.”

4/8

Victoria’slipstwitchedatNicole’swords.Ithasonlybeenafewdays,butsheisalready.

sidingwithhim?Whatwouldhappeniftheyspent moretimetogether?

Withthesethoughtsinmind,VictoriacouldonlylowerherheadandgentlypatNicole’s

head,whispering,“Mr.Nightisanadult.Whenanadultoffersachildsomefood,they

won’taskformoney.ButasItaughtyoubefore,youcan’tjusteatfoodfromstrangers.

So,yes,Iwilldefinitelypaythemoneyforyou.”

Strangers.

Alaricunknowinglyfurrowedhiseyebrowsagain.Fromthemomentsheappeareduntil

now,shehadalreadyusedthatwordonhimtwice.

Alaricwasnotsurprised byherbehavior;otherwise,hewouldn’thavecomeearliertotry

towinthefavorofthetwochildren.HewasworriedthatVictoriawouldn’tgivehimany

Chapter306TheyAreMyChildrenToo

chanceandwouldcompletelyrejecthim.

Itturnedoutjustasheexpected.

5/8

AndperhapsNicolewasanexpertatpullingtherugfromunderotherpeople’sfeet,but

shespokeupagainafterhearingVictoria’swords,“ButMommy,we’vereceivedalotof

moneyfromMr.Nightduringthelivestream.AndifMr.Nightiswillingtobemydaddy

inthefuture,hewon’tbeastrangeranymore.”

Victoriastayedsilentatthat,buttheslightfrownonAlaric’sfaceturnedintoasmile

whenheheardNicole’swords.HislipscurledintoabeautifularcashegaveNicolea

thumbs–up.

“You’reright,Nicole.”

Victoria’seyebrowstwitcheduncontrollably.Itwasn’tlikeshecoulddoanythinginfront

ofthechildren.Shealsodidn’twantthemtoknowaboutsomeofthegrudgessheheld.

Itwasn’tnecessarytoinvolvethechildreninherpersonalmatters.

Asshethoughtaboutthis,shecouldonlysuggesttoAlaric,“Mr.Night,howaboutwe

findanotherplacetotalk?”

Mon,

Chapter306TheyAreMyChildrenToo

Alaricraisedaneyebrow.“Alright.”

“Nicole,Nate,”Victoriacalledthenamesofthechildren.ShethennoticedZacksitting

nexttothem.Judgingfromhislastnameanddemeanor,heprobablywasn’tAlaric’s

relativeeither.Sincehewasjustachild,Victoriadidn’twanttoventherangeronhim.

Shesmiledathimaswellandreminded them,“Youthree,begoodandeatyourlunch

here.Mr.Nightand havesomethingtotalkabout.We’llbebacksoon.”

Thethreechildren noddedinunison.

Aftersettlingthemdown,VictoriaturnedtoAlaricandstartedwalkingoutside.

Seeingthis,Alaricquietly andslowlycaughtupwithherpace.

Insteadofstayingintheschoolvicinity,Victoriaheadedstraightoutside.Thesecurity

guardattheentrancegreetedherwhenshewalkedby.

“Areyouleaving already,MissSelwyn? Youjustgothere!”

Victoriasmilinglygavehimanod.

Afterexchanginggreetings,theguardsuddenlynoticedthatsomeonewasfollowing

Victoria.Hetookacloserlook,onlytoseethatthemanusuallycametodeliverfood.

6/8

Chapter306TheyAreMyChildrenToo

7/8

TheguardwantedtogreetthepersonbehindVictoria.However,thewordsinhis mouth.

seemedtodisappearwhenhesawtheunusuallygloomylookonAlaric’sface.

Hewatchedasthe twoofthemwalkedoutoftheschoolgatewithonepersoninfront

of theother.

Soonafter,thetwoofthemstoppednexttoacarnotfaraway.

Theguardthensneakedapeekattheduostandingunderthesun.Theylooklikethey

knoweachother,hethought.

AfterVictoriastoppedwalking,shecouldalsohearAlaric’sfootstepscomingtoahalt.

behindher.Sheturnedaround,hergazefilledwithmockeryassheglaredathim.

“Mr.Cadogan?OrshouldIcallyouSilentNight?”

Alaricpursedhislipsslightly,hisAdam’sapplebobbedashereplied,“Youcancallme

whateveryouwant.”

Victoriawassuddenlyatalossforwordsuponhearingthatunexpectedreply.She

turnedtotheothersideafterawhile.“Idon’tcarewhoyouare,”shesneered,“andI

don’tcarewhatyoudo.Fromnowon,stayawayfrommychildren.”

12Mon,

Chapter306TheyAreMyChildrenToo

Alaricchuckledsoftly.“Victoria,theyarealsomy

children.”

8/8

ThepreviouslycomposedVictoriawasinstantlyprovokedbyhiswords.Sheabruptly

turnedherhead,herbeautifuleyesfilledwithanger.“Whatdoyoumean,theyareyour

children?Whatright doyouhavetosaythat?Doyouhaveanyevidence?”

Surprised toseehersuddenoutburstasifhehadsteppedonhersorespot,Alaric

sighedhelplesslyafterabriefmoment.“DoIevenneedevidence?Ionlyhavetolookat

susaparienciasyrasgosfacialesparasaberquesonmishijos._”