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VARTA het! BAAT around for a while, and Pamie stopped coming try my raddaurant I thought their dreadfully envied and that Sofs and could return to cor pescafoliivas
koma
But one day, as i retornet korn with a bag of timp, couldnt find Sola
I forced myset to calm down and called her teacher and the bookstore she frequented, but no one had
Panicked, I ran out to call the police, in the hallway, I met Malina, my neighbor, who was carrying her grocery basket. Sasing the sweating with anxiety, she asked what was wrong. When she heard about Sohie’s disappe, She S even more flustered than me.
“Patricis, I don’t know if I should say this, but could it be that eligible bachelor who is chasing you took Solve away? she wished,
1 was stunned, “Week
“We one who often drove to your restaurant to see you. He’s chasing you, right? she said.
I understood who she meant, but before I could deny it she continued, “Nowadays, people will consider their children’s wishes when it comes to a second marriage. Maybe he wants to get closer to Sofia to win you over You should call him and confirm it.
Melina spoke tactfully, but I could sense her unspoken message. Although the truth was different from what she thought, I couldn’t help worrying
Jamie Was spoiled. These days, when he saw me taking care of Sofia, wiping her mouth, straightening her bowtie, and making desserts, his eyes would sometimes show loneliness.
When he came to me, he was always rejected.
1 intended to use this method to force them to leave sooner, but what if they had taken Sofia away? The thought haunted me, and I couldn’t help but imagine the worst.
Shaking, I reached for my phone. The call was not answered. I stepped out of the stairwell and saw a black Maybach parked there.
Jamie, in a suit and leather shoes, was holding something. His voice was full of joy when he saw me. Mom, how did you know Dad and I were coming?
I rushed to Vicente, grabbing his collar and asking if he’d seen Sofia.
Vicente looked startled and immediately pulled out his phone. “Patricia, don’t worry. I’ll call someone to look for her,”
1 let go of him in a trance. He didn’t seem to be lying. Then where was Sofia?
“Mom,” came a familiar voice from afar. Sofia stood at the end of the alley with her backpack on.
I hugged her tightly, tears in my eyes. “Where did you go? I couldn’t find you.”
Sofia whispered an apology against my neck, “Sorry, Mom. I fell asleep in the library, and my smartwatch
+25 BONUS
Chapter 7
ran out of battery,
I rubbed her hair and led her home. At the entrance of the stairwell, Jamie and Vicente were crouching on the ground, carefully piecing something together. Meanwhile, Jamie kept wiping tears from his eyes.
“I lost my temper earlier when I couldn’t find Sofia. I’m sorry,” I apologized.
Jamie looked up timidly, holding back tears. “Mom, happy birthday. Dad and I worked hard on this Lego set for you, but I dropped it and broke it.”
I realized I might have accidentally bumped into Jamie when I questioned Vicente earlier.
Apologetically, I squatted down to help him pick up the pieces, only to find that the broken Lego set was the miniature of a wedding photo of Vicente and me.
After a long silence, Vicente lifted his head. “Patricia, let’s go home. I have no objections to bringing Sofia with us.”
I glanced at Jamie, who was watching eagerly, and asked Sofia to take him inside to watch TV.
The heat of summer was overwhelming, so I got into Vicente’s passenger seat. A note stuck to the seat read, “Exclusive to Mom“. It must have been done by Jamie. It had not been there when I left.
Noticing the note, Vicente cleared his throat. “Jamie put that there. He missed you.”
