The back of Emily's head throbbed slightly, the image of the child replaying in her mind incessantly.
She rubbed her temples, then rose to start her morning routine, washing up and applying makeup.
After that, she glanced at the time: eleven-thirty in the morning. Emily adjusted her purse and headed out the door, intending to hail a cab, but a sleek black car pulled up elegantly in front of her.
Derek parked and gracefully opened his door. He wore a dark black suit adorned with subtle golden lines on the cuffs, exuding an air of elegance and perhaps a hint of arrogance. He gestured toward the passenger seat, saying, "Emily, please, get in."
Emily obliged, sitting down and reaching for her seatbelt, but before she could fasten it, Derek leaned over, carefully securing it for her. Emily held her breath, feeling a flutter of nerves.
Derek suppressed a chuckle at her adorable apprehension, returning to the driver's seat and then started the car.
Emily gazed out the window, feeling an inexplicable sense of déjà vu as the scenery passed by. Half an hour later, they arrived at a villa nestled halfway up a hill. Emily stepped out of the car and saw four children standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows of the villa.
Her jaw dropped in disbelief. Though the distance prevented her from discerning their features clearly, she felt an urgent pull in her heart. She quickened her pace toward the living room window, where the children stood.
Diane's eyes glistened with tears, while the boys looked stunned.
"Is that Mommy?" Aaron asked incredulously.
Diane nodded, her voice choked with emotion. "Yes, she's our mommy. I knew it the moment I saw her."
Aaron made a move to rush out, but Ian restrained him. "Let's not scare Mommy. Diane, wipe your tears. We'll greet her together."
The children composed themselves, then stepped outside. "It's wonderful to see you, Ms. Parker," they chimed in unison, their voices filled with joy.
Emily stood in the doorway, overwhelmed by the scene before her. It felt strangely familiar, as if she had lived it before. Once upon a time, she thought, as she got out of the car after work, several adorable children would rush into her arms, calling her "Mommy"...
Derek approached, standing by Emily's side and giving a wink to a couple of the kids.
Aaron struggled to suppress the urge to leap into Emily's arms. His gaze lingered on her features, and suddenly he felt a twinge of sadness.
Chris clenched his fists slowly, exerting all his strength to hold back tears. His mother was the most important person in his life, and it felt as though he had lost a part of himself in the four years since she had disappeared.
Only Ian remained composed, offering a good-natured smile as he said, "Ms. Parker, please come inside. I'll have someone prepare coffee for you."
Emily, too, had begun to regain her composure.
She smiled warmly and said, "Thank you." She was amazed at how much she enjoyed the company of these four children.
Emily settled onto the sofa, her gaze sweeping the room. Servants bustled about, tending to their duties, occasionally casting perplexing glances her way. Their expressions were inscrutable, leaving her puzzled and unable to discern their intentions.
"This house exudes strange atmosphere," she thought, taking in the numerous paintings adorning the walls, including a group photo of the four children—yet Derek was conspicuously absent. Equally absent was any trace of the children's mother.
The absence of the children's mother's presence was palpable throughout the entire house.
"Lunch is served," announced the butler, directing the servants to bring the meal to the table.
Emily had barely settled into her seat when the four children eagerly began to share the delicious food with her.
As they gathered around her, Emily felt a surge of emotion, on the verge of tears.
Derek treated her specially, but she couldn't help but wonder why these four children also showed such kindness towards her.
And she could sense that these four kids were absolutely sincere with her.
So why was that?
"Ms. Parker, please try the soup I made with my own hands," Aaron said, offering her a bowl with bright eyes. Emily smiled and replied, "Thank you."
As she reached out to take the bowl of soup, it accidentally splashed all over her dress.
"I'm sorry, Mommy! I'm sorry!" Aaron exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock. How could he be so careless as to spill soup on Mommy's dress?
Emily's hand jerked back. "What did you call me?"
"Ms. Parker!" Aaron replied dully. "I'm sorry, Ms. Parker, I didn't mean to."
"It's okay." Emily thought she had misheard. She smiled gently and stroked the child's short, dark hair. "I can wash the clothes if they get dirty; there's nothing to be afraid of."
Aaron's eyes widened. "You really don't blame me?"
"I don't blame you," Emily assured him, smiling. "But you'll have to take me to the restroom to take care of my dress."
Aaron's eyes seemed a little teary. For the past four years, he had always dreamed about the month before Mommy disappeared, when he accidentally stepped on Mommy's foot and she got angry and yelled at him.
In that moment just now, he even thought Mommy would slap him across the face, but what he imagined didn't happen. Mommy had really softened.
Seeing Aaron's dumbfounded inactivity, Derek pushed back his chair and stood up. "I'll take you to the restroom," he said, taking the lead and heading upstairs, with Emily pulling back her chair to follow.
Derek walked to the door of the master bedroom and pushed it open. The room was dimly lit, but Emily could still make out the details. The curtains were pale pink, and the bed was covered in pink sheets, giving the impression of a woman's bedroom.
Derek pursed his lips. Everything in this room was just as it was when Emily left.
"There are new clothes in Aaron's room. I'll bring you a set," he offered, turning around and going to the next room. He selected a set of loose everyday dresses to bring back.
"Thanks," Emily whispered.
"You might want to take a shower," Derek suggested. "The chicken soup smell is a bit strong."
She went into the bathroom, locking the door before undressing and starting the shower. She didn't dare take too long, so she quickly rinsed off and dried herself, preparing to get dressed.
Just then, however, her calf suddenly began to spasm and cramp. This was the aftermath of an incident three years ago; Simona said she almost drowned in the ocean, resulting in severe lung infection. It took two surgeries for her body to recover, but her limbs were left with serious after-effects, often cramping, which made her afraid to swim.
"Bang!"
Emily grabbed onto the wall and fell hard on the ground.
"Emily, what's going on?" Derek rushed over in a single bound and knocked hard on the door.
"I'm fine," Emily replied, trying to maintain her composure, but the strain in her voice was evident to Derek.
He pursed his lips and said, "Wrap up in a towel. I'm coming in."
"No!" Emily panicked, rushing to stop him. "I just have a little cramp. I'll be fine in five minutes. Don't come in!"
She reached for the towel hanging nearby but couldn't grasp it. She was completely naked, and if Derek came in, he would see her.
But the next moment, Derek opened the bathroom door with his key. He closed his eyes tightly. 'I'm not looking at you,' he stated, then walked over and stooped to lift Emily.
Emily attempted to resist, but she was suffering from cramps in her calf and couldn't summon even half the strength required.
Reluctantly, she allowed Derek to carry her out of the bathroom and carefully place her on the bed. Hastily, she pulled the covers over herself.
Only then did Derek open his eyes. 'Which leg is cramping? Extend it out,' he instructed.
'What do you want?' Emily asked, eyeing him warily.
'I know how to massage. I'll give you a massage, or you'll still be in pain when you try to walk later,' Derek said bluntly as he pulled out her right leg without a word.
'Not the right leg,' Emily blurted out, her cheeks instantly flushing red at her unintended implication of accepting his massage.
Without hesitation, Derek moved to take hold of her other leg. His palm was warm, and his fingers, lightly calloused, gently massaged her calf, easing the cramps.
“Do you experience spasms often?” Derek asked softly as he continued the gentle rub.
Emily replied calmly, “I've been having cramps every now and then for the past couple of years, but it's nothing serious.”
Derek's voice softened. “How can this not be a concern?”
The individuals he had dispatched to investigate her had only uncovered information about the past three years, with a gap of one year completely missing. And Emily only seemed to recall events from those three years.
“It’s just the aftermath of the surgery,” Emily explained gently. “Mr. Scott, could you please step outside? I'd like to get dressed.”
Derek's gaze darkened.
Surgery...
How had he not discovered that she had undergone surgery three years ago? He had scrutinized all the hospitals in Kinnis, yet there was no record of her surgery... Either she had misremembered, or the surgical records had been tampered with by someone...
But why?
Derek was lost in contemplation.