Chapter 213

After wrapping up everything in Skyview City, our family headed back to Suncrest City.

With only a week left before school started, I had to bring Briar back.

I promised Leo I'd bring her back and hand her over myself.

When our family, along with Holly and Savannah, landed in Suncrest City, Kelly came to pick me up personally.

She stood outside the airport with Brett and Briar, waiting for us.

I went up and hugged Kelly. After everything I'd been through recently, being with her felt like home.

Kelly didn't know what had happened, but she seemed to sense I'd been through a lot. She gently patted my back.

"It's okay, honey. You're home now."

Her words made my tears flow uncontrollably.

Brett looked at me curiously. "What's wrong, Mom? Why are you crying?"

I quickly waved my hand and squatted down to pinch Brett's cheek. "It's nothing, I just missed Grandma. Have you been good while I was away?"

Brett nodded. "Of course I have! Ask Grandma, I've been very well-behaved."

I held Brett's hand with one hand and Briar's with the other.

"As long as you two are good."

Our family got into the car, and Savannah drove us home.

Even though I had returned home many times, every time I saw our house coming into view, I felt a sense of peace and happiness.

Maybe that's the magic of home.

After we settled in and unpacked, I took a nap.

I hadn't slept well in Skyview City, my mind constantly occupied with thoughts of my lost child.

Now that I was home, I finally felt at ease and fell into a deep sleep.

When I woke up, it was already evening. I could hear the sounds of activity in the kitchen.

They were probably making dinner, accompanied by chatter and children's laughter.

The sounds made me feel at peace, and I stepped out of my room.

Holly was cooking in the kitchen, with Savannah helping her.

Kelly was on the couch, with Yves on one side and Aria on the other, gently patting their heads.

I sat next to Kelly and decided to tell her the truth.

I couldn't keep this from her.

"Mom, Aria isn't my biological child."

"Brandon switched her at birth. I left people in Skyview City to find out where my biological child was taken."

Kelly paused, her hand stopping on Aria's head.

"I had a feeling. Aria doesn't look like you did as a child."

I clutched my clothes. "Mom, I want to raise Aria. No matter if she's my child or not, I want to bring her up."

"I don't want to send her back to that monster Brandon."

I looked at Kelly anxiously, unsure of what to do if she disagreed.

But Kelly only paused for a moment before continuing to pat Aria's head.

"Did I say you should send her away? Aria is my granddaughter, and that won't change."

"Unless she grows up and doesn't recognize me."

I nodded heavily. "Thank you, Mom."

Soon, dinner was ready, and we all sat down for a lively family meal.

This sense of peace was something I had never experienced before.

After dinner, Savannah and I decided to take a walk down the nearby alley.

Eugene's case had moved to the criminal prosecution stage, and his verdict would be announced soon.

Aside from not finding my child, everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.

I firmly believed that I would find my child and bring them back to me.

As Savannah and I walked deeper into the alley, a shadow suddenly rushed past us.

We both jumped.

The back of the alley was almost deserted, with only a few elderly residents who were likely asleep or not venturing out at this hour.

Savannah instinctively stepped in front of me, looking ahead.

"Who was that, moving so fast?"

I shook my head. "Probably just someone in a hurry. Let's keep walking."

We walked from one end of the alley to the other and then turned back.

When we reached the spot where the shadow had appeared, I glanced into the yard. "My dad bought this yard, but did someone just come out of it?"

Savannah looked at the dark yard for a long time. "Did we remember wrong?"

"Maybe it was from the next yard."

I nodded. "Maybe. Let's go home; it's late. No need to spook ourselves."

When we got home, Brett and Briar were doing their homework, while Aria and Yves played with toys in the baby playpen.

My mom sat next to Brett and Briar, watching them study.

Holly, having finished in the kitchen, came out. "Time for bed, Yves and Aria."

The two kids didn't want to leave and kept playing.

Holly smiled helplessly, picked them up, and carried them to their room.

"Do I have to catch you two?"

When it was time, my mom took Brett and Briar to their room.

I, having slept too much during the day, couldn't fall asleep, so I sat in the living room for a while.

There had been so much going on that my mind couldn't keep up.

Only in this quiet moment could I think clearly.

Just then, I heard crying from Brett and Briar's room.

I went in to check. Both kids were sleeping soundly in their beds.

Briar's blanket had fallen to the floor, probably kicked off during a nightmare.

I picked up the blanket and covered Briar, noticing a phone with a lit screen next to her.

She had brought the phone to stay in touch with Leo.

I intended to turn off the phone and place it on the nightstand, but the scary profile picture of her top contact caught my eye.

This person was at the top, meaning Briar often chatted with them, even more than with Leo.

The profile picture was terrifying-a grinning face with fangs that would scare any child.

Why was Briar chatting with this person so much?

Puzzled, I picked up the phone.

All the chat history with the scary face had been deleted, not a trace left.

This only made me more suspicious.

Briar was a good kid, still young. I couldn't believe she would delete the chat history without being prompted.

I checked her messages with Leo. Their conversations were normal, nothing unusual.