Chapter 3

Avery couldn’t sleep.

There had already been too much weighing on her mind, and Lucien’s sudden reappearance only made it worse.

Around three or four in the morning, she dozed off for a short while, only to be woken again by the early alarm.

After turning it off, Avery went into the bathroom to wash up and put on makeup to cover her injuries. Once she was done, she went to wake Ivy.

“Mommy, why have you been wearing a hat and sunglasses these past few days?” Ivy asked curiously.

“Because I had a cosmetic treatment. The doctor said I need to keep my face fully covered so it can heal faster.”

The night Henry hurt her, Ivy had already fallen asleep and hadn’t seen anything.

Avery was grateful for that. If possible, she hoped her daughter would never have to go through something so traumatic.

“But Mommy is already beautiful. You don’t need cosmetic treatments.” Ivy wrapped her arms around Avery’s neck. “In Ivy’s heart, Mommy is the most beautiful mother.”

A warmth spread through Avery’s chest.

Ivy had always been well-behaved and thoughtful.

Her birth had healed Avery’s once-shattered heart. After cruelly pushing Avery into darkness, fate had shown mercy and given her this child as redemption.

“Thank you for the compliment, sweetheart. In my heart, you’re the most beautiful baby too. Come on, let’s get ready for kindergarten, okay?”

“Okay.”

Avery kissed her daughter and led her to get changed and wash up.

After breakfast, the two chatted as they went out into the corridor to wait for the elevator.

The moment the elevator doors opened, Avery froze. Lucien was standing inside.

He was dressed in a perfectly tailored dark gray suit, the crisp white collar of his shirt framing his sharp jawline.

He radiated a calm, commanding presence simply standing there.

Avery tightened her grip on Ivy’s shoulder.

Why was Lucien here?

Did he live in this building too?

No, probably not. Although Sophie’s place had been positioned as mid-to-high-end housing when it was first developed, the complex was older now and the facilities somewhat dated.

With Lucien’s current status and standing, he surely had better options.

Their eyes met.

Lucien gave Avery only a brief glance before quickly looking away, his gaze lingering for not even a second.

“Mommy, aren’t we going in?” Ivy looked up at Avery.

“Y-yes… let’s go in.”

Avery pulled Ivy into the elevator. The cabin was spacious, yet she deliberately guided Ivy into the farthest corner from Lucien, using her body to shield her daughter’s face.

The elevator descended, the numbers ticking down slowly, every second stretching like an eternity.

Avery even held her breath, but in truth, Lucien never once looked at Ivy.

Of course. He despised her.

Why would he pay attention to her child?

Just as Avery finally relaxed, the rainbow bouncy ball Ivy was playing with slipped from her hands and rolled to Lucien’s feet.

“Mommy, my rainbow ball! My rainbow ball fell!”

Avery froze.

It was always the very thing she feared most.

Ivy’s hand reached out from the narrow gap between Avery’s arms, trying to grab it, but she couldn’t reach that far.

Lucien glanced down, bent over, picked up the ball, and handed it back to Ivy.

As she watched his large hand brush against her daughter’s small one, cold sweat broke out across Avery’s back.

Even their hands looked so alike.

“Thank you, mister.” Ivy smiled sweetly at Lucien.

Lucien nodded once, his expression blank, almost mechanical.

Ivy was about to say something else when Avery quickly reached out and covered her mouth.

Finally, the elevator reached the first floor. The soft ding sounded like salvation.

Lucien stood near the front, but since he was headed to the underground garage, he remained where he was.

Avery wrapped an arm around Ivy, turned sideways, brushed past Lucien, and bolted out of the elevator as if fleeing.

The elevator doors slid shut again and continued downward.

Ivy looked back once and asked softly, “Mommy, was that man we met in the elevator a bad person?”

“Why would you think that, Ivy?”

“Because you kept blocking me just now, and your palm was all sweaty.”

Only then did Avery realize that her child had sensed her tension.

“No, Ivy. That man isn’t a bad person. He’s just a stranger. Mommy has told you before that we should keep a certain distance from strangers, right?”

“Right. But if he was just an ordinary stranger, why were you so nervous?”

“I was just… just worried you’d be late. Come on, come on, if we keep talking, you’ll be late for kindergarten.”

Ivy’s attention shifted immediately. “I don’t want to be late. I want my gold star!”