Chapter 230

William had a foolproof plan.

He decided to start with the kids.

At the hospital, he didn't mention it to Christina. She was swamped with work, so he just called for a nurse.

Unexpectedly, Christina got stuck at work and couldn't pick up their child on time.

By the time she finished her overtime and rushed to the preschool, Harper had already been waiting in the security office for an hour.

She greeted the security guard first, then picked up Harper. "I'm so sorry, sweetie. Mommy's late."

"It's okay, Mommy. The security guard was really nice to me. He even gave me candy!" Harper showed Christina the lollipop in her hand.

The security guard was an elderly man in his sixties. His own child had married late, and his granddaughter was also attending the same preschool.

He chuckled and told Christina, "Your daughter is so well-behaved, much better than my granddaughter. She's quite the handful. If you're ever busy and can't pick her up on time, just let her wait in the security office. It's safer and she won't catch a cold standing outside."

"Thank you. Do you smoke? I happen to have a pack here." Christina handed the security guard a pack of cigarettes she had originally planned to give to a client.

The security guard was delighted and became even more friendly. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Christina left the school with Harper.

On the way home, Harper asked, "Mommy, tomorrow is the weekend. Isaac invited me to his birthday party. Can I go?"

Isaac was a boy in her class and Harper's first friend since she transferred schools.

Christina hesitated.

She didn't want to disappoint her daughter, but she had work to do the next day, and Harper was still so young.

Letting her go to someone else's house alone made Christina uneasy.

"Mommy, please. I already told Isaac I would go. He'll be so disappointed if I don't. You're the best mommy in the world. Please say yes." Harper tugged at Christina's shirt, her eyes wide and pleading.

"Mommy, please?"

Seeing her daughter like this, Christina couldn't help but soften.

She needed to work to provide a better life for Harper, which meant she didn't have much time to spend with her.

Other kids had both parents and grandparents, but Harper only had her.

On weekdays, Harper could play with her classmates at preschool, but on weekends, she was often alone at home.

Having someone to play with Harper would be a good thing.

"Harper, tell Mommy where the party is and how many people will be there."

"The party is at Isaac's house. Don't worry, Mommy. I won't wander off, and all our classmates will be there." Harper promised earnestly.

Harper had always been a reliable child, always following Christina's instructions.

After a moment of hesitation, Christina finally agreed. "Alright, you can go to Isaac's, but we need to set some ground rules. I'll drop you off in the morning and pick you up in the afternoon. No wandering off, okay?"

"If you need to come home early or if anything happens, call me with your watch. I'll come right away. Promise me you won't go anywhere on your own."

"Okay!" Harper nodded eagerly.

She knew how hard her mom worked and didn't want to cause any trouble. "Mommy, don't worry. I promise I'll follow the rules."

Christina focused on driving and didn't say much more.

Harper, sitting in her car seat, sent a voice message to Isaac with her watch: "My mommy said yes! I can come over tomorrow morning."

"That's awesome! I'll go tell my parents the good news right now!" Isaac was thrilled.

He ran to the kitchen, waving his watch at his dad, who was cooking.

"Dad! Harper said yes! She's coming over tomorrow! Look, Dad!"

"Great. After dinner, we'll go to the store to buy some snacks for your friends tomorrow." Juan Stewart put down the spatula and ruffled his son's hair.

Tomorrow was Isaac's birthday, and all his classmates were invited to the party.

As hosts, they needed to make sure everyone was well taken care of.

Juan also wanted to help his friend William.

When Christina went missing years ago, everyone thought she was dead. Juan had the same thought.

But William never gave up searching for her.

Now, years later, Christina was back, and she had a daughter.

Juan didn't know what had happened between them, but as William's friend and a father himself, he understood a father's love for his child.

He wanted to help bring them together.

"Dad, can we get a big cake? If it's too small, there won't be enough for everyone."

"Of course. We'll go to the bakery and you can pick out any cake you want." Juan agreed readily.

He always tried to fulfill his son's reasonable requests.

That afternoon, Juan and Isaac ran errands, ordering the cake and buying supplies. They returned home with bags full of goodies.

Isaac, though tired, was excited and quickly helped organize everything in the living room before going to bed.

The next morning, Christina woke up early.

She had an important meeting at work and needed to leave early. Harper was also up, sitting on the bed looking adorable, like a life-sized Barbie doll.

"Sweetie, go wash up. I'll order breakfast, and then I'll take you to your friend's house. Do you have his address?" Christina asked while doing her makeup.

Harper nodded and pulled a piece of paper from her backpack. It was a note from Isaac with his address.

Christina glanced at the note. Isaac's house wasn't far, just a short drive away.

They left early to avoid rush hour traffic and soon arrived at Isaac's house.

It was in a gated community, a three-story house with a large garden and an outdoor pool.