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."

Ethan rubbed his chin like a little adult, thinking out loud, "Do you remember his name?"

"Uhhh..." Ella scratched her head for a bit before it clicked. "Yeah! James Bennett! My godmom mentioned it once."

If Maria overheard this conversation, she'd probably be seriously shocked.

She had never brought up James in front of them. The only time Ella heard his name was when Isabella blurted it out without thinking.

The little genius Ethan quickly grabbed the tablet on the table and typed in "James Bennett" in the search bar.

The very first image that popped up made him freeze for a second.

He hadn't gotten a clear look at the matchmaking event, but now that he could see the picture clearly. this guy looked exactly like an older version of himself.

Ethan kept scrolling. He found out James had gotten married seven years ago and divorced five years back.

Even though Maria's name wasn't listed under his relationship history, the timeline totally lined up. There was a high chance she and James were their parents.

The two kids were thrilled. He had to be their dad!

For the sake of their family getting back together, they had to help their mom and dad reconnect.

Back in her room, Maria hadn't quite fallen asleep when she suddenly rubbed her ear with a frown. "Weird," she muttered. "Why are my ears burning? Someone must be talking about me."

Her phone rang at that moment. She picked it up, "Daniel? What's going on?"

"I just saw Mom and Dad," Daniel said, his voice shaking slightly. "I saw them at Night Palace. I swear it's really them."

Maria froze for a moment, then quickly snapped back to reality. She jumped out of bed and started putting on her shoes while trying to steady her brother, "Stay calm, and don't do anything rash. I'll head over right now. Keep me updated if anything new happens, got it?"

She changed quickly, then rushed to the kids' room to give them a few instructions.

The kids nodded obediently, not making a fuss.

As she left, Maria locked the door behind her, then sped off in her car, GPS guiding her to Night Palace.

North City had changed a lot-past five years had turned it into a whole new place. Tall buildings rose everywhere, roads were wider too.

Shops lined the streets, and even in the middle of the night, the whole area was brightly lit. It really was a city that never slept.

Life here moved fast. If you had some skills, you'd want a shot here.

But surviving wasn't easy-just being talented wasn't enough. You had to hustle hard. Some made it, a lot didn't and were barely getting by.

Maria didn't care about any of that right now. She just wanted to get to Night Palace as fast as she could.

Night Palace sat smack in the heart of North City's busiest district-high-end, sleek, and packed with people cutting business deals. Maria hadn't been back in five years, but thanks to Isabella's live updates, she knew the place well enough.

As soon as she parked outside the entrance, she called her brother, followed the GPS, and found the private room where Daniel Lewis was waiting.

The second he saw her, Daniel rushed over and pulled her into a corner, lowering his voice and pointing, "They're right over there."

With the dim lighting and the distance, Maria couldn't make out much-just barely recognized their outlines.

"What are they doing?" she asked.

"Talking business. See that guy across from them? Big shot in North City's business scene. No clue how they even got in with someone like that." His tone was dripping with disdain.

Maria frowned. Back then, James's mother had said Richard and his wife had gone bankrupt and vanished. So where was all this money coming from now?

"You keep eyes on them. I need to make a call," she said, walking off.

She contacted her people from Shadowglint to look into where the couple's sudden wealth came from, though she didn't expect much-they'd been digging for a while with zero luck.

Still, she added another instruction: Investigate the businessman sitting with them too.

"Maria, what do you think they're doing back in North City this time?" Daniel asked, sipping his drink.

She was still wrapped up in thoughts of how they'd abandoned her and her brother. Absent-minded, she replied, "Who knows?"

"We've been looking for them for five years. I just. can't wrap my head around it-how any parent can walk away from their kids like that. This time, I'm getting answers."

Daniel was usually the tough one. Only around his sister did he show a softer, more vulnerable side.

Out of everyone, Daniel had taken their parents' sudden disappearance the hardest.

First, their parents bailed after going bankrupt, then Maria got forced into divorce by her mother-in-law. Blow after blow-it nearly broke him.

Even now, just remembering those days made Maria's chest tighten.

She'd never seen her brother that shattered.

Maria had always banned him from drinking, but that night, she handed him the bottle herself-tossed back a shot without a word.

She'd said, "I'm planning to move overseas. Come with me. A change of scenery might help clear our heads."

Daniel stared at her for a bit, then took a long gulp. He didn't say no.

That night, the siblings drank themselves into oblivion.

The next morning, the restaurant owner had to wake them up. They ended up crashing at a nearby hotel for a few days.

During that time, Maria withdrew Daniel from school.

She had wanted him to at least say goodbye to his friends, but he flat-out refused to step outside.

Maria understood-he just didn't know how to face them. So, she didn't push him.