As James gazed at the child's face and listened to her innocent words, a wave of conflicting emotions washed over him. After all, the incident of the day had nothing to do with her; it was Jenna who had chosen to confront Windy. He was merely concerned that she might abandon everything once again. They needed Windy at home. This thought had frequently occupied his mind in recent days. Yet, upon seeing her, all his true feelings were overshadowed by his pride.

He lowered his gaze and spoke slowly, "Children are intuitive. They can distinguish between the good and bad people around them." Wendy raised her eyebrows, her expression turning cold as she inquired, "What are you trying to say? No one told him to distance himself from you. He knows who treats him well." Her frustration bubbled over, and she laughed derisively. "James, can you not see the contradiction in your words?" His gaze faltered. "What did you say?"

"I'm merely questioning, as the esteemed Mr. Frank, whether you truly believe in a five-year-old child's ability to discern." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "If Ethan's judgment were sound, why then was he hospitalized for gastroenteritis? Why did he nearly succumb to shock? Why did today's incident occur?"

Wendy's words were sharp; James struggled to respond but managed to maintain his composure. "Clearly, the reason a child like Ethan could strike someone so forcefully is because he inherited your unreasonable temperament." Her anger flared at his careless remark. When she saw his unrepentant expression, she understood that he would only continue to press her and remain cold without justification. Her resolve began to wane. Wendy sighed softly and said, "Never mind. Talking to you is like conversing with a brick wall."

A notification from the nurse on duty flashed on her phone, and she glanced at it while contemplating a patient. Wendy no longer wished to waste her time here. She looked over at James, who remained silent but visibly angry. In a frigid tone, she declared, "If you still possess a conscience and treat Ethan as your own child, you should keep him away from Jenna and pay more attention to his needs. Otherwise, you can rest assured that I will sever Ethan's ties with the Frank family."

"I will take him away and never show my face before you again. We will distance ourselves from you and Jenna, ensuring we never disturb you again." After making her intentions clear, Wendy turned and left before James could respond. He could only watch as her silhouette vanished from the entrance of the police station. He pressed a hand to his chest, feeling an unexpected emptiness. There should have been nothing inside, yet the sensation filled him with pain.

If he allowed her to sever their bond, Wendy would indeed follow through and disappear from his future, along with Ethan. Time seemed to slow as James pondered, Did Wendy truly wish to leave so desperately? Just like when she would crawl into his bed back then—James couldn't bear to let her slip away like that!

In the midst of his turmoil, he inquired about the situation with Ms. Ganders, "Have you arrived at the police station yet?"

He carefully considered a solution. Then, he called Zelda. As soon as the call connected, Zelda informed him, "Just now, Mr. Frank picked up the phone before I could."

Wendy closed her eyes, steadying her temples as she replied, "It's okay, Zelda. There's something I need your help with." Zelda quickly responded, "Whatever you need."