The restaurant looked more like a surprise proposal than anything else. Colorful balloons and roses were laid out from the entrance all the way to the stage-super romantic vibes going on.

Sweet and dreamy background music filled the place, and a big screen kept looping pictures from Maria's daily life. At the bottom corner? A huge caption: "Blind Date Gala."

Looking around the room, it was packed wall-to-wall with men in suits, all seemingly eligible bachelors. The whole vibe was buzzing.

Right up front on a stage sprinkled with rose petals stood two adorable kids, each holding a mic. They'd just wrapped up a heart-eyes introduction of their mom.

The moment things quieted down, a man in the crowd raised his voice, "Didn't you say she'd be here in five? It's been what-twenty now? Your mom's still a no-show!"

Someone nearby chuckled, joking with a sly smile, "Yeah, kids, your mom didn't ditch you two at the altar or something, did she?"

A few folks found the kids cute and couldn't resist teasing.

Ella looked worried right away, but Ethan? Totally calm, ice cool.

"Sigh, I'm out. Got other stuff to do."

"Same here, got a meeting with a client later!"

Some actually started heading out, and as time ticked by, more followed. Ella looked more and more anxious.

Ethan held her arm gently, signaling her to keep it together. He raised his mic again and said,

"Mom probably had a last-minute thing come up, but she'll be here soon-no doubt. If you've got to go, it's chill. Still plenty of quality guys left here-missing one or two won't hurt."

That got some laughs from the crowd.

"Well said!"

"Kid's got some game."

Most of the people who were about to leave now decided to hang around and see what would happen next.

Seeing the crowd settle, Ethan turned to Ella, "Ella, try calling Mom again."

Ella beamed and pulled out her phone. But just as she was about to dial, she caught a familiar figure at the door out of the corner of her eye.

"Mommy!"

She waved excitedly toward the entrance, her whole face lighting up. "It's Mommy! Mommy's here!"

As soon as she spoke, every single head turned to look toward Maria.

All kinds of stares swept over her-curious, impressed, admiring. plenty of approving glances too.

Maria felt the intensity right away. She tugged awkwardly at the corner of her lips. this was beyond embarrassing.

Those two little troublemakers really went all-out with a surprise dating event?!

Everyone's staring made her want to disappear. She was two steps away from spinning on her heel and bolting-

But before she could move, someone caught her by the shoulder.

And then came a familiar voice.

"Oh wow, is this what a matchmaking party looks like."

It was Isabella. She laid a hand on Maria's shoulder, giving her a sly grin.

Taking her sweet time scanning the room, she teased, "The kids went all out planning this for you. You're the star of today, girl. Where you think you're going?"

Maria rolled her eyes hard and muttered under her breath, "It's bad enough those two stirred up a circus. Did you really have to block me too?"

Isabella grinned, eyes twinkling. "You're scared to go 'cause you're still hung up on James, aren't you?"

Maria's expression stiffened. "Of course not!"

Isabella arched a brow, teasing, "Then what's holding you back?"

Rolling her eyes, Maria snapped back, "It's just a blind date. Fine, I'll go."

With that, she strutted down the red carpet scattered with flower petals, high heels clicking, heading straight toward the heart-shaped area where Ella and Ethan stood waiting.

Seeing her trap had worked, Isabella exchanged a quick victorious glance with Ethan on stage-mission accomplished.

Meanwhile, outside the restaurant, a sleek Maybach was parked a few cars away from Maria's. Inside sat James, his sharp jawline catching the light as he lifted his head.

Did she really think ditching him was as easy as walking a lap?

James pulled out his phone, ready to call her out.

Then paused-only to realize he didn't have her number. Or even her on WhatsApp.

Inside, the blind date event was in full swing. Everyone seemed entertained-everyone except Maria, who was beyond bored but had to pretend otherwise. No way was she giving Isabella more ammo to laugh at.

She hadn't expected much from the event, but what she got still caught her off guard.

One guy brought up her education and suggested she should go for a PhD to keep up with him. The guy really mapped out her whole future, no joke.

Another felt she was "too tough to handle" and said, weirdly, Isabella seemed more his type. Maria shot Isabella a mock-serious look, "Yeah, you two vibe. Go for it."

Isabella just shrugged like a victim caught in chaos.

Then came the one who asked if she had siblings. Explained he didn't like people with brothers or sisters-too annoying, he said. Maria shot back with a smirk, "Cool. I hate mother-in-laws. Got a mom?"

The room broke into laughter. Someone whistled. A few folks cheered.

"Damn, that was savage!"

"She's got fire, I'm into it!"

Another tried digging into her past. She rolled her eyes, deadpan: "How's that your business?"

Then finally, one guy who actually seemed decent said at the end, "So, do I just wait to hear back?"

She barely had time to recover before it got weirder. A short, round man stood up and declared loudly, "I've watched your pics, your videos, and now you in real life. Honestly, you totally meet my standards."

Maria's face turned stormy.

Dude. have you seen yourself in a mirror lately?

And if that wasn't enough, the next guy was completely out there-not even on the same wavelength. His vibe was almost. surreal.

Maria screamed internally, "These people are unreal!"

She felt her patience-and possibly her soul-starting to crack. She was barely hanging on.

Then the door slammed open.

James stepped in, immediately taking in the chaos around him. He froze mid-step, face darkening like a brewing storm.

"What the hell is going on?"

That deep, commanding voice and icy presence instantly froze the room.

Silence. Not a single sound.

James's voice hit the room like a blast of cold air, instantly killing the vibe of the matchmaking event.

The whole place went quiet, tension slicing through like a knife.

The hotel manager rushed over, instantly breaking into a nervous sweat when he realized who had shown up.

He didn't even get a word out before James' blue eyes flashed with something sharp. "Clear the room," James ordered, his voice cold as ice.

"Y-Yes, right away." The manager didn't dare meet his eyes, let alone question the order. He quickly signaled the staff to start clearing people out.

Maria was standing nearby, stunned.

Whispers started buzzing around her.

"Who's that guy? He came in like he owns the place."

"He does. That's the hotel owner."

"What? Why's he kicking everyone out? Isn't this bad for business?"

"Who knows."

Maria paused for a second, watching James more carefully now.

Unfortunately, their gazes locked-his eyes were frosty cold.

Just that one look made Maria feel like she'd plunged into freezing water.

But James' harsh expression softened a little when he spotted her.

Still feeling on edge, Maria quickly looked away.

Knowing now that this restaurant was his property, Maria didn't plan to stick around.

She already wanted to leave, and his arrival made it the perfect excuse.

James took a step toward her, but Maria happened to turn and walk away that very moment.

To him, it looked like she was clearly trying to dodge him.

A flicker of darkness passed through his eyes as he followed her.

Before he could catch up, a little girl popped out of nowhere-cute as a button, standing right in front of him with her tiny feet firmly planted.

"Stop right there! This matchmaking was all for my mommy, and you totally ruined it!"

Right after that fierce declaration, Ella froze. Whoa. this man is so handsome.

Her big, sparkly eyes locked onto James. She pursed her lips shyly, her stern little face softening as a blush crept in.

Maria saw her daughter's lovestruck reaction and instantly got alert.

James looked stunned too.

Wait. did the little girl just call her "Mommy"?

He glanced at Maria, clearly thrown off.

Maria had already turned back and rushed over. She grabbed Ella's hand and tried to leave.

"Wait," James stepped in, his expression all kinds of complicated. His tone was sharp. "Maria, you have a kid?"

Maria didn't want to get into it with him and snapped, "Yeah, so what? What's it to you?"

Her voice wasn't friendly, and James' face darkened like someone had just thrown a bucket of cold soup in his face.

Seeing his reaction weirdly made Maria feel smug.

But of course, Ella had to ruin that.

Protected by her mom, Ella leaned forward with her head poking out.

"Mommy didn't marry anyone."

Her big eyes stared right at James, voice soft and curious: "Are you my daddy?"

Maria immediately snapped, "Ella! He's not your daddy!"

James frowned and stared intently at Ella.

Maria immediately reached out to cover Ella's head, nervous as hell.

He's starting to get suspicious.

James wasn't blind - her attempt to play it cool only made things more obvious. His eyes narrowed. "Is she my kid?"

Maria shot him a cold look. "Nope. I've already divorced her dad."

Ella blinked her big round eyes and looked at Maria like she'd just dropped a bomb. "Mommy, when did you ever-"

Maria quickly bent down and clamped a hand over Ella's mouth.

"Mmmmph!" Ella could only make muffled noises.

Still covering Ella's mouth, Maria scooped Ella up and turned to make a quick exit.

Watching her bolt like that, James became even more convinced - there was no way that little face wasn't a mix of the two of them.

Once they made it out of the hall, Maria let Ella go and pulled her phone out of her bag.

The moment her mouth was freed, Ella started chattering like a little bird. "Mommy, why didn't you let me finish? I don't even have a daddy!"

Maria let out a long sigh and fished out a pack of Skittles. "Sweetheart, have some candy first."

"Oh, okay!"

Ella nodded happily and instantly forgot what she was saying.

Seeing her distracted, Maria quickly tapped out a message to Isabella.

[Get Ethan out of here. Fast.]

Ethan looked way too much like James - just like he did when he was a kid.

If James saw him, game over. There'd be no way she could talk her way out of that one.

A ping. Message received.

[I'm in the middle of a game with Ethan. Can it wait a minute?]

Maria practically frowned her eyebrows off.

[Isabella, this is serious. You two can play later, alright?]

[Okay, okay, I got it.]

Even after seeing Isabella agree, Maria still wasn't at ease. She added another note: make sure Ethan wore sunglasses and a mask.

"Maria-"

Out of nowhere, James's voice came from behind.

Maria made a "shush" gesture at Ella.

Ella obediently nodded, her big clear eyes looking curiously at James.

James had barely stayed in the lobby for a minute when it suddenly hit him- he still didn't have Maria's WhatsApp. So he'd made a beeline after her.

He caught up in just a few steps.

Maria didn't slow down, holding Ella tightly, her shoulders tense.

Her tone was frosty. "What is it now?"

James stared at her, voice low and firm. "Add me on WhatsApp."

Maria raised an eyebrow, forced a smile. "And why would I do that? I don't see the point."

Seriously? After all these years, now he remembered he didn't have her contact?

There was a flash of sharpness in James's eyes. "Maria, swear to me this kid has nothing to do with me."

Maria barely had time to react when -

A man suddenly stepped between them.

"Excuse me, sir. You're way out of line."

He was tall, handsome, with a kind and gentle presence - the kind of guy that instantly puts people at ease.

Maria instantly recognized him - her old high school classmate.

An idea lit up in her mind. She put on a look of surprise and delight. "David, you're here!"

David barely had time to respond before-

Maria ducked behind him, chin high, and stared James down. "This man is her father."

James's face darkened as he watched the two looking so cozy together.

David Spencer was taken aback for a second, but quickly caught on. He turned around, scooped up Ella in his arms, met James's gaze directly, and gave him a small, confident smile. "Yeah, I'm her dad."

His calm and self-assured smile only made James's expression turn even more sour.

A burning anger lit up inside James. He narrowed his eyes and gave Maria a cold glance before saying in a low, threatening tone, "If I'm not mistaken, most of your company's projects are still tied to Bennett Corp. Are you really ready to risk it all just to piss me off?"

Anyone could hear the warning behind his words. David's smile froze, and his face went blank without responding. Seeing his reaction, James looked pleased. He turned and left, his retreating figure exuding a chill.

Maria's feelings were all over the place, but there wasn't time to dwell on them.

Once James's car was out of sight, she quickly took Ella from David's arms and set her down.

Looking at David, she blinked, clearly both grateful and worried. "Thanks for stepping in, but your company."

David waved it off with a warm smile. "Yeah, Spencer Corp does work with them, but it's not nearly as bad as he made it sound. Everything's in writing. If he pulls out now, they take the bigger hit. He's not that reckless."

James might have money to burn, but no smart businessman would just throw it away.

If he really breached the contract, it'd mess with Bennett Corp's image and cost them a fortune.

David sounded casual about it, and Maria could only pretend to relax. "How come you were here, though?"

"I was having dinner with a client nearby. Thought I saw someone familiar and-turns out it really was you."

There was surprise and happiness in David's eyes.

He'd wanted to reach out when he heard about her divorce five years ago-but then she went abroad, and it was like she vanished completely. When he spotted her today, he almost didn't recognize her.

"When did you get back?"

"Yesterday."

David nodded slightly, thoughtful. Then he noticed Ella next to him, crouched down with a smile. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"I'm Ella!" Her face lit up as she opened her arms to hug him.

David's brows lifted with amusement. He picked her up, gently tapped her nose, and couldn't help but smile. "Ella's adorable! She got all your best genes."

Maria gave a light laugh. "Not even curious who her biological dad is, huh?"

"Does it matter?" David blurted without thinking. "You're her mom. That's enough."

Of course, deep down, he'd already guessed.

Ella's eyes mirrored Maria's, but the nose and mouth were all James. Anyone with eyes could see it-not surprising James had suspicions.

Maria felt something warm rise inside her and looked at David. She seemed lost in thought for a second, then suddenly let out a dry laugh and lowered her head.

"Are you planning to leave again this time?" David asked quietly.

"Not sure, but I'm not leaving for now."

"In that case, I'll reach out to our old classmates. You've been gone for so long-you gotta catch up with them," David said casually, like he wasn't giving up any time soon.

"Sure, go ahead and set it up."

Maria agreed without hesitation.

Right then, her phone buzzed-it was Isabella. She said she had already taken Ethan out.

Maria couldn't help but roll her eyes. They took forever to come out, seriously. But the good news? Ethan didn't bump into James. Crisis averted.

Since she was clearly busy, David nodded and left considerately.

As David walked away, Ella tugged at Maria's dress. "Mom, who was that man?"

"An old classmate from high school," Maria replied, following her daughter's gaze, watching David's back slowly fade away into the distance, overlapping with the image of a teenage boy in her memories.

All these years, and he still had that gentle vibe. The lines on his face from time did something to him-added a depth, a kind of charm he didn't have back then.

"Yo, what are you staring at like that? Zoned out much? Did James already leave? When?" Isabella suddenly appeared out of nowhere, making Maria jump a little.

Maria grabbed Ethan's hand and brushed it off. "Nothing really. Let's just go home-I'm beat."

Back in the car, Maria buckled both kids into their booster seats and took the passenger side while Isabella drove.

The gossip in Isabella instantly kicked into overdrive.

"So, who were you watching like that, hmm?"

Maria shot her a look, sighed, and said, "It was David."

"No way-THE guy you crushed on in high school? When did you guys reconnect?"

Maria wanted to slap her. "Can you not? The kids are right here."

Isabella shrank back a little. "Oops, sorry."

"We just ran into each other, that's all. He helped me out when things got awkward earlier."

"Well, guess he's still a nice guy. No wonder you liked him back then."

Maria rolled down the window and stared outside. Her voice was light, swept away by the breeze. "It's all in the past."

Their conversation didn't go unheard. The two little ones in the back shared a wide-eyed glance, like they'd just uncovered some big secret.

Maria was totally drained. As soon as they got home, she went straight to bed.

Isabella stayed to keep an eye on the kids-though honestly, it wasn't much work. She just microwaved the leftovers, and the two of them ate quietly, even cleaned up after themselves.

Before leaving, Isabella warmed up some milk, gave the kids a little pep talk, kissed each of them goodnight, and was out the door.

Those two were something else.

Before their plates were even empty, Ella dragged Ethan into the bedroom.

Eyes sparkling with curiosity, she waved her arms as she whispered, "Bro, that guy kinda looks like you. I think he might be our dad."