Chapter 429
Chapter 429
My parents were still out, leaving me and Norah to fend for ourselves. With just two adults, keeping tabs on three kids was proving to be quite the challenge.
Thankfully, the babies were usually well-behaved, though they had their moments of fussiness that were difficult to soothe.
After Stella returned to her home in Rosemont, she reached out to me once, video calling to see her kid, Yara. She then made me promise not to let Mitch know that Yara was with me, and absolutely not to let him take her.
“Alright, don’t worry,” I assured her, nodding my head.
With that, Stella ended the call, seemingly relieved.
But I hadn’t expected Mitch to come looking for me so soon.
Just three days after Stella left, he showed up at my doorstep. The moment I saw him, I blocked the entrance, refusing to let him in.
“Where is my kid?” Mitch looked like he hadn’t slept in’ days; his eyes were bloodshot and dark circles painted his under eyes.
“Stella took her,” I replied, keeping my expression as neutral as possible. “So you care about your kid now? Aren’t you responsible for all of this?”
“Enough with the nonsense, I just want my kid!” Mitch snapped, his patience clearly wearing thin. “I know she didn’t take Yara with her. She went to my parents’ house, caused a scene, and my parents haven’t seen Yara!”
He tried to barge in but I held my ground. Fortunately, he didn’t dare to force his way in.
Instead, he grabbed my arm, “Irene, I know you’re close to her, but this is my family matter. Don’t overstep!”
“This certainly is your family matter, but this here is my house and you’re trespassing!” I warned, “If you keep this up, I’m calling the police!”
“Go ahead, calf the police. I just want to find my child!” Mitch was so preoccupied with finding his child that he didn’t seem to care about anything else. His grip on my hand tightened, causing me pain.
Just moments ago, I had asked Norah to take Yara out for a walk. Yara had been crying all day, so I decided to stay home with Serena and Brandon.
I was only trying to stall Mitch to buy some time.
Just as Mitch’s grip tightened, I stumbled back, allowing him access into the house.
He wasted no time and stormed into the living room to search for his kid. I quickly sent a message to Norah, asking her to stay away for a while longer,
In the living room were only Serena and Brandon. Mitch searched every room in the house and when he couldn’t find Yara, he stood in the doorway looking utterly defeated.
Just as I breathed a sigh of relief, he suddenly focused on something: a pair of baby shoes on the shoe rack by the door. They were Yara’s; she had wet her shoes earlier and we had swapped them with a pair of Serena’s while these were washed and left to dry.
Mitch’s eyes lit up, “These are Yara’s shoes! Irene, where have you hidden my child?!”
He picked up the shoes and glared at me.
My heart began to race; I had overlooked the shoes and now I was at a loss for words.
Before I could come up with an explanation, I felt a presence behind me. Turning around, I was met with Neil.
His face was stern as he looked at Mitch, “Mitch, what are you up to?”
“Neil, this is none of your business. Irene has hidden my child and I must take her back!” Mitch was more restrained in front of Neil, even in his agitated
state.
Neil glanced at me. I must have looked bewildered and panicked, since Stella had entrusted me with her child and asked me not to let Mitch take her. If I failed, I didn’t know how I could face her. Moreover, I had two kids of my own. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to protect all of them.
Neil’s appearance was a godsend; at least he could keep Mitch in check.
“Did you find your child?” Neil asked coldly.
“No, but I found Yara’s shoes!” Mitch showed Neil the shoes, hoping that he would take his side.
Neil looked at the shoes, then asked me, “Are these your child’s shoes or his?”
“They’re Serena’s. When Stella bought a pair for Yara, she also bought a pair for Serena.” I quickly replied.
“Did you hear that?” Neil chose to side with me. I was stunned, unsure of what he was up to.
Mitch was his good friend, and now I was with Russel. He had Karina and Hiram. Why was he helping me?
Mitch was equally flabbergasted. He couldn’t believe that Neil was siding with me, “Neil, I know you still have feelings for Irene, but this is about my child. Why are you helping her? I’m desperate to find my child!”
The whole problem started when you treated Ariana differently. Didn’t you ever reflect on that?” Neil frowned. He had always been aloof and distant towards others, but he was never like this with his friends and family.
Mitch scoffed in disbelief, “Even you don’t believe me? Neil, are you doing this to win Irene over? She’s with Russel now, and they have two kids. Why bother?”
Seeing Neil’s face darken at the mention of this, I felt uncomfortable. The last thing I wanted was for Neil to still harbor feelings for me. “You’re overthinking this; I just don’t want you making a scene here.” Neil dismissed Mitch’s accusation.
*Fine, let’s say I’m overthinking. But don’t get in my way now.”. Mitch sat down in the yard, “Isn’t there another nanny here? Did she take Yara out? I don’t
Chapter 429
believe she won’t come back!”
Seeing Mitch’s obstinacy, I felt a headache coming on. Norah couldn’t possibly stay out all night. If Mitch continued to wait, he would definitely see her return with Yara.
I reached for my phone, “Alright, I’m calling the cops then.”
“No need for that. I’ll take him away.” Neil caught my wrist, his palm was warm, his fingers were light, yet still managed to bind my movements.
A jolt ran through me, and I instantly pulled my hand away from Neil’s.
Neil’s palm squeezed the air where my hand used to be, then dropped back to his side.
“There’s no need to escalate this,” Neil’s gaze lowered slightly, shielding his eyes from me. All I heard was his advice to Mitch, “If you want your kid back, focus on making amends with your wife.”
