Semua Bab There's No Turning Back: Bab 481 - Bab 490

Elara noticed that Xavier displayed quite a range of expressions.He seemed more restrained than before. A five-year-old child should be innocent and carefree, but he acted like a little adult. His eyes were full of joy and attachment when looking at Elara, yet upon seeing her, Xavier tightly clenched his hands, not allowing himself to step forward.He was making every effort to maintain distance from Elara. Though he came because he wanted to see her, he couldn't bring himself to approach her.Elara crouched down and extended her hand to him. Xavier stared at her, feeling as though he'd been captured by a gentle, warm light."Go-karts!" Merida had already been drawn to the recreational activities in the break area."Mommy, can we ride the go-karts together?" Merida called out innocently.Elara asked Xavier the same question, "Would you like to ride the go-karts together?"Xavier's dark eyes sparkled like stars. He pressed his rosy lips together and nodded at Elara. He reached o

The countdown sound began, and the moment it ended, both go-karts shot past the starting line simultaneously.Harold stood on his tiptoes, craning his neck to see the track. He and Samuel followed the racing go-karts with their eyes.When they saw Angie falling behind within seconds, the excitement in Samuel and Harold's eyes instantly faded.Harold scratched his head. "I thought Angie would lead the whole way."As Angie fell further behind, Samuel's heart tightened with concern. "Let's wait a bit longer," he said.No sooner had he spoken than they watched the distance between Angie and the go-kart ahead grow increasingly wider."Wow!" Harold exclaimed in surprise. He turned to Theodore and said, "Mr. Snapp, your friend has some serious skills!"Only then did Harold notice Merida and Xavier standing beside Theodore. He smiled teasingly, "Mr. Snapp, so you're on babysitting duty, huh?"He assumed Elara was busy and Theodore was helping look after the children. Theodore simply ig

This time, Angie watched helplessly as Elara drove the go-kart across the finish line.What made this loss particularly difficult for Angie to accept wasn't simply being beaten by someone else—it was knowing exactly who had outpaced her, someone she couldn't catch, no matter how hard she tried.Despite her best efforts, she couldn't overtake Elara. And this time, she'd navigated the turns flawlessly. Angie reached the finish line in her go-kart and sat there, stunned and distracted.How had she lost to Elara? In the workplace, she could accept that Elara might have connections.But in a go-kart race? They'd even swapped vehicles and raced twice, yet she still lost.Was it possible that, being a full-time mom, driving kids around all day, had somehow given Elara extraordinary driving skills?Angie's mind was in complete disarray. Her eyes unfocused as she still refused to accept the reality of her defeat."Woohoo!" Angie heard the employees cheering.Elara stood up from the go

The cheese and chocolate fondue pots were brought to the table by the server. Elara and Theodore sat together, with Merida and Xavier sitting across from them."This is Xavier's first time having fondue, right? I'll teach you how to dip the beef!" Merida said.She picked up the fondue fork. The thoughtful server had provided a booster seat so she could stand on her chair and reach the fondue pots comfortably.Although Xavier had never eaten fondue before, he understood the concept. Despite his lack of experience, he knew how fondue worked. But Merida was eager to teach him, so he watched her movements intently, learning carefully.Elara observed the two children sitting across from them. If she were dining out with Beau, she would have never been able to sit separately from him.Beau needed someone beside him to help with his food, someone to ensure he had a balanced meal during dinner, and to encourage him to eat his vegetables. Otherwise, he'd only eat what he liked and was extr

Angie's slap flew toward Merida but stopped abruptly when it was still about an inch from the girl's face.Merida had grabbed Angie's other hand. Angie felt as though the bones in both her hands were about to snap."Ow! It hurts!" Angie cried out, turning to glare at Elara. "Elara, control your child!"Elara said coldly, "Merida, restrain her!""You got it!" Merida replied cheerfully to her mother, positioning herself like a fierce guardian.Theodore asked, "Need any help?""No," Elara declined. "I'll handle calling the police."Elara dialed 911 directly. "Hello, there's someone causing a disturbance at Ember House in Joy City Mall. The woman's assaulting children and trying to kidnap my child."Xavier looked at Elara. Was she referring to him when she said "my child"?His heart trembled, though his expression remained somewhat bewildered.His somatization symptoms were now obvious—he felt his entire body going rigid. The stares from surrounding diners felt like glue, freezin