Chapter 4

"I don't need to…" Celine pulled her hand back.

Quinn cut her off before she could finish, "Actually, you should have been the one playing these games with him from the start. You seemed busy, so I just filled in for a bit. But it's not too late now that you're here."

She spoke with such casual confidence, as if she were simply stating facts. She bent down and patted Zane's head. "Zane, why don't you let your mom play the last game with you?"

The moment Zane spotted Celine, his expression soured with disgust. Now, hearing Quinn's suggestion, he bristled like an angry cat.

"I don't want to play with her! Make her leave! Who told her to come here anyway? Did you put a tracker on my phone or something?" He hurled the accusation at Celine with venom in his voice.

Celine barely recognized her own son anymore. He'd open his mouth and immediately insult her.

She wanted to say something, but her mind flooded with memories of being ignored, dismissed, and met with silence over and over again. So, she closed her mouth.

"Celine, I'll have the driver take you to the jewelry store next door." Steven got to his feet, positioning himself between Quinn and Celine with seemingly casual intent.

The host had just finished praising the three of them as a family. Now, the legal wife had appeared. Was he worried people would start whispering that Quinn was the other woman?

Celine saw right through Steven's calculations. She glanced at Quinn, who'd stirred up this mess and was now being protected behind him.

"She's the one who called me in here. Isn't that right?" Celine hadn't wanted to come inside in the first place.

She was tired of fighting and of the endless back and forth. But that didn't mean she was willing to be trampled on.

Steven's brows furrowed. He lowered his voice. "Don't make a scene here. Zane's finally having a good time."

She was making a scene? Which part of what she'd said was making a scene?

Celine understood in that instant where Zane had learned to twist the truth.

"The game's about to start. If you don't go now, you'll miss it. Celine, hurry and take Zane over. I'll wait outside."

Quinn moved toward the exit. As she stepped over the knee-high barrier, her body swayed.

"Ah!"

Steven rushed over to steady her. "Quinn, what's wrong?"

Zane ran over too.

Quinn's brows creased in obvious pain, but when she saw Zane, she still managed a smile. "Zane, go play the game with your mom, okay? You promised me you'd bring back the prize today."

Zane looked back at Celine, then at Quinn, and finally nodded with reluctance. Celine listened to Zane urging her to get on stage and prepare. She let out a long breath.

Fine. She'd play along one last time. This would be the last time anyway.

The game involved crossing a balance beam to retrieve objects from the other side. Celine had never had great balance, so her pace was slower than the others.

Zane kept rushing her. He watched the other kids nearly finish while he lagged behind. The realization that he wouldn't get the prize made him furious.

The moment Celine stepped onto the beam, he deliberately jumped up and down on his end of the platform.

Celine had been moving carefully to begin with. The sudden shaking threw her completely off balance, and she fell from the beam. It was a children's play area, so the beam wasn't high, but there were plenty of building blocks scattered below.

Pain shot through Celine's shin.

"You're such bad luck! This is all your fault! You made me lose!" Zane ran over, shouted at her, and then immediately bolted toward Quinn.

By the time Celine emerged from the play area, Quinn was consoling Zane, telling him it was fine and that they could come back another time.

When Steven saw Celine, his brows furrowed in annoyance. "How can you not even keep up with a kid?"

Celine opened her mouth to respond, but Quinn stood up, and the movement aggravated her leg. She let out a small cry of pain, and Steven's attention immediately snapped to her.

"I'm taking you to the hospital." He scooped Quinn up in his arms and headed for the exit without another word.

Zane grabbed Quinn's purse and followed. No one paid Celine any attention.

She bent down and rolled up her pant leg. A dark purple bruise had already formed. But the pain in her leg was nothing compared to what she felt in her chest.

Celine slowly made her way out of the mall and found Steven's car still parked outside. She hesitated, confused.

The window rolled down. Steven called out impatiently, "Are you getting in or not?"

Celine glanced at Zane in the passenger seat, then opened the back door. Quinn had one leg stretched across the entire seat.

"Where exactly am I supposed to sit?" Celine asked.

Quinn immediately looked apologetic. "I'm so sorry. My leg won't bend properly. Maybe I should just take a cab to the hospital instead."

She started to push herself up as if to get out.

"Stop being ridiculous. You'll make it worse if you keep moving around!" Steven scolded her, his tone firm but not harsh. Then, he looked at Zane.

"I'm not sitting on her lap!"

Steven's expression darkened.

Celine had had enough of their games. She slammed the car door shut. "I'll get a cab."

Steven hesitated for a moment. "I'll send the driver to pick you up."

Before Celine could respond, Quinn let out another pained sound, and Steven started the engine.

Celine watched the car speed away. She had to admit, even now, her heart still ached.

Thank God she'd already decided to leave.