"Layla is participating in a dance performance at the kindergarten and the show is about to start soon. She doesn't want to miss it," replied Xander.Jessamine's brows relaxed after understanding the situation. During her time away from Hajera, she also missed her child a bit. Unfortunately, Layla didn't come along this time."Alright, what time is your flight? I'll come pick you up.""No need, you stay at home. I've arranged for Oscar to pick us up.""Okay."Xander bent down and asked Lucas, "Lucas, is there anything else you want to tell Mommy?"Lucas, who was carrying two backpacks, replied, "There's nothing else, Uncle Xander. I want to tell Mommy in person."After hanging up the phone, they heard the announcement of their flight number on the broadcast. Xander took out a safety wrist leash from his pocket, linked their hands together, and queued up for check-in.Lucas was excited. This was his second time going to Zenville. Last time, he hadn't had enough fun before Xander

Xander didn't want to say anything, so Oscar didn't ask further.Jessamine chatted with them for a while before heading to the kitchen to prepare dinner. She promised to treat Oscar to dinner, so why not have it now while Xander was here too?As soon as she left, Oscar rolled up his sleeves and followed her. "Jessie, what are you cooking? Let me help you."Xander watched Oscar's eager demeanor and felt something was off. This guy hated going into the kitchen the most.Back when they were in school and shared an apartment, even asking him to wash a piece of fruit was a nightmare. But now, he was volunteering to help cook. Something was fishy about this situation!He loosened his tie and followed. He saw Oscar wearing a pink, cutesy apron and preparing vegetables. What's more, he seemed to be doing it in earnest. Meanwhile, his sister was cutting meat, and the atmosphere in the kitchen was harmonious.Xander squinted, seemingly seeing through everything. He wanted to give Oscar a k

Jordan and Erik were both given time off, which left Thaddeus alone in the spacious house today. He inexplicably felt a bit lonely.He reached for a cigarette box on the coffee table, only to find it empty. He had emptied it at some point without realizing it.Looking outside, he calmed down enough to replay the events in his mind and suddenly felt that something was amiss.Layla's age and the time she moved in with Xander didn't seem to match up. In fact, her age seemed more like…He startled himself with his own thoughts.Thaddeus thought back to what Layla had said about Xander being her deadbeat dad, and how she had asked him for money for her mom. Everything she said sounded credible, and a four-year-old child wouldn't lie.So, was Layla really the child of Jessamine and Xander? Thaddeus wasn't sure anymore.He couldn't rest easy until he figured this out.He typed another message and sent it to Layla. "Layla, is Xander your dad?"He nervously checked his phone now and th

Jessamine was momentarily stunned. "This… is too much, isn't it?"Thaddeus rubbed the back of his neck. "It's not too much. Is there… anyone at home? Can I help you bring them in?" He wasn't sure if Xander was at home, so he spoke cautiously."You've bought too much. My son won't be able to play with so many toys, and we'll be returning to Hajera soon," Jessamine replied."If he can't finish playing with them, he can leave them here and continue next time. If there are other toys he likes, you can let me know," Thaddeus suggested."Thank you for your trouble." They exchanged polite words, which further emphasized the awkwardness between them.After pondering for so long, Thaddeus had to clarify things. "Jessie, is Xander… Is he Malcolm?"Jessamine was reminded of the past by his sudden question, bringing back some memories. He used to care a lot about her frequent dreams of calling out "Malcolm", and they had argued about it countless times.Who would have thought that the perso

Inside the house, Xander dismissed his feelings of displeasure and saw Lucas still focused on assembling the pile of strange things on the ground. He joined in with Lucas to work on it.Jessamine retreated into the kitchen to calm her emotions. She peeked out of the window and saw that Thaddeus hadn't left yet—he was leaning against the car, smoking. She felt that since their reunion, his smoking habit had become even worse. Every time she saw him, he was smoking.She opened the takeout containers Thaddeus had given her. Inside were her favorite empanadas from that restaurant, along with other dishes from restaurants she used to frequently ask him to take her to four years ago.The food tasted the same, and he seemed like the same person. But she didn't feel the same as she did back then.She hadn't particularly loved that restaurant before. She just wanted more time alone with him. He was always busy, only coming home late at night, and their interactions were mostly confined to t