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.

After moving abroad, Maria still had some savings, so settling in wasn't that hard.

As soon as things were in place, she got Daniel Lewis enrolled in a school.

She thought he'd push back, but to her surprise, he said yes right away.

He told her he'd grown up, couldn't keep acting like a spoiled kid anymore, and wanted to ease her burden. Maria felt a mix of emotions inside and secretly promised herself she'd work hard to give her brother the best she could.

Thankfully, Daniel adapted quickly to the new environment.

He ended up applying for universities that same year and got into a top-tier school.

After hearing Richard Lewis and his wife had shown up in North City, he came back immediately and had been tracking them down these past few days.

Just as Maria's mind drifted back to old memories, her phone buzzed. The message read: "Found them."

Richard and his wife had set up a shell company in North City.

The company looked legit on the surface and had fooled quite a few people.

Maria shared the findings with Daniel, but she still couldn't figure out where they got the money to start it. Daniel rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe it came from what your ex-husband's family gave your parents when you got married."

A cold smirk appeared on Maria's face as something clicked. "Yeah, makes sense."

Back then, she'd been lured into marrying James by the generous financial offer his family put on the table.

The company went bust, and the money was never in any company account-most likely they hid it in their own stash.

Maria had nothing more to say. She shook her head and looked in their direction, feeling nothing but bitter irony.

Once it all clicked, Daniel couldn't sit still. He jumped to his feet. "They dumped us, and now they're still trying to milk you? Are they even human? I'm going over to confront them!"

"Don't blow our cover!" Maria quickly pulled him back.

But their movements had already drawn attention.

Noticing Richard and his wife looking over, the siblings exchanged a glance and turned away calmly, pretending nothing had happened.

They didn't have a plan - just kept walking, trying not to get spotted.

They didn't know where they ended up, but the music from the main hall was barely audible now. Only then did they ease up a bit.

Sneaking a glance, Daniel spotted Richard scanning the crowd from not too far off. He tugged Maria's sleeve and whispered to her.

Maria didn't dare glance back. She bit her lip, dragged Daniel along, and ducked into the nearest private room.

The room was brightly lit and clearly reserved by someone. Maria was about to apologize and back out.

But then she saw someone familiar, her voice caught in her throat mid-apology, and she started coughing uncontrollably.

Daniel quickly patted her back and kept an eye on the door, worried Richard might walk in any second.

When he looked up again, he finally registered who was sitting in front of them, and his movements froze.

But Maria misread his intention, thinking he was about to step in. She grabbed his wrist and whispered, "Let me handle this. Don't say a word."

Daniel just gave a short hum, his gaze turning colder.

"Huh, Ms. Lewis switching men like changing shoes. David in the afternoon, now another guy at night?" James sneered, though his eyes were sharp and hostile.

His sharp brows furrowed, glare fixed on Daniel with undisguised animosity.

Maria's forehead creased slightly. Her fingers gave the slightest tremble, but her voice held firm. "Really? My ex-husband, defending David?"

James was clearly thrown off by her bold comeback. He froze, having no comeback for once.

Andrew tried to smooth things over, sensing the tension. "James said you're working as his assistant now, right? You're bound to bump into each other-no need to act like enemies. Come join us for a drink. We haven't seen each other in ages."

Andrew and James had been buddies since they were kids. A charming rich guy turned lawyer, surrounded by an ever-revolving door of girlfriends.

Back when Maria and James were married, Andrew would drop by their house now and then; she'd had quite a few interactions with him. They got along okay back then.

But with her relationship with James now in ruins, there was no way they'd return to that dynamic.

So she turned him down without hesitation. "No thanks. We just stepped into the wrong room. We're heading out now."

Then she grabbed Daniel's wrist, ready to leave. Deep down, though, she was getting worried-what if Richard Lewis was still after them?

"When did you become his assistant?" Daniel finally processed what was going on, gripping her hand tightly, his other hand shooting up to point at James like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Maria leaned closer and replied quietly, "I'll explain later at home."

Their closeness lit a fire in James's chest. He slammed his glass down, voice low and seething. "Point that finger again, and I swear none of you will see the sun come up tomorrow."

Daniel just chuckled and looked him straight in the eye. "Go ahead. Try me."

Maria knew James well enough; things would get ugly if it kept escalating. She gave Daniel a stern look. "Drop your hand. Right now. Or I'm gonna be pissed."

Daniel slowly lowered his hand. Maria's word was law to him.

James watched the whole thing unfold, anger boiling over. He stepped forward without thinking, shoving Daniel aside and pinning Maria against the wall with one arm.

She saw the fury burning in his eyes. but underneath, was that-was that lingering emotion?

For a second, Maria faltered. But then, she remembered how coldly he'd signed those divorce papers. Her voice came out sharp. "Quit staring at me like that. You're gonna give people the wrong idea-that you actually cared."

There was a flicker in James's eyes. He moved back a bit, scoffing. "Don't flatter yourself."

Andrew sighed, pouring himself a drink and muttering under his breath, "Clueless, both of them."

Maria straightened her clothes, watching James warily. "What is it you're even trying to do?"