Chapter 94: Discussing the Custody of the Ungrateful Son Again
Marcus immediately tossed aside the infuriating storybook and sat on the bed, shaking his son’s shoulders.
“When? What did she say?”
Alijah’s head spun from the shaking, leaving him too dazed to speak.
Marcus, oblivious, pressed on. “Did she mention me? Why are you only telling me now?”
Alijah finally snapped out of it
He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts.
“Mom doesn’t seem willing to apologize to Grandma”
He summarized seriously
Then, he clung to Marcus’s arm
“Dad, can you call Mom? If you call her, she’ll come back and tuck me in.”
He rubbed his eyes, his small face weary.
He’d been having nightmares lately.
In the past, Mom would always prepare something soothing to help him sleep.
Marcus frowned. “Why does she need to apologize?”
“Grandma said so.”
Alijah replied earnestly, recalling Margaret’s words.
“Grandma said everything’s Mom’s fault. She’s selfish.
She doesn’t want to come home because she doesn’t want me anymore. She wants to find someone else and have new kids.”
“If that happens,” Alijah added with wide, confused eyes, “Grandma said I’d lose face forever.
Dad, is that true!
I don’t get it.
Why would I lose face if Mom has another kid?”
Though he was young, Alijah could sense the weight of those words.
Meeting Gemma had only strengthened his resolve to get her to apologize.
He believed it was the only way to restore his dignity and make everything go back to the way it was
But to his surprise, Marcus didn’t immediately call Gemma.
Instead, his expression darkened ominously.
“Did your grandma really say that?”
Alijah froze, terrified by his father’s cold and stormy demeanor. He couldn’t even answer
Marcus didn’t wait for a response.
He abruptly stood and strode out of the room.
Panicked, Alijah chased after him.
“Dad, where are you going? I’m scared!”
“Are you going to see Mabel? Take me with you! You always took me before!”
He ran to Marcus’s side, tears streaming down his face.
“Dad, I don’t want to stay home! I’ll even lie for you if Mom asks. I’ll say you’re working overtime!”
His sobbing was heart–wrenching, and tears flowed like a river.
Marcus should’ve been moved
g moment..
For a long
Marcus just stared at his crying son. Then, he pulled out his phone and started recording a video.
“Do you want your mom to come back?” he asked.
Alijah nodded without hesitation.
He couldn’t wait to return to the way things used to be.
“Alright,” Marcus said. “Tomorrow, I’ll take you to see her.”
Alijah’s tears turned into a radiant smile. “Really? That’s amazing!
“Go to bed now and get some rest. Otherwise, your mom might think poorly of you.”
Finally. Alijah stopped fussing. With the nanny’s help, he went to bed.
Marcus stared at the video he’d just recorded, edited it briefly, and sent it to Gemma.
Movie theater.
The characters on screen were working together seamlessly, while Noah was utterly engrossed.
He rarely watched cartoons, making this one of his few escapes.
Next to him, Gemma sat close to Cassius, feeling stifled by the man’s powerful presence.
His aura enveloped her, making even her breathing careful and restrained.
Suddenly.
Cassius extended his palm in front of her.
It was a candy.
“If you’re bored, this might help.”
His deep voice low and magnetic in the dark theater.
Gemma, almost involuntarily, reached out and took the candy.
Surprisingly, it did make her feel a little more relaxed.
Her phone vibrated a few times.
Fearing it was news from the hospital, she excused herself to check
It was a video from Marcus.
In the video, Alijah was crying uncontrollably, pleading for mommy.
His eyes were swollen, and his voice was hoarse from sobbing.
The video was followed by a brief text:
“Let’s meet tomorrow to discuss custody.”
Gemma was so furious she nearly exploded.
When they divorced, Alijah had insisted on staying with Marcus.
He had even accepted Mabel as his new mom.
Gemma had wrestled with the decision for a long time before finally choosing to prioritize herself and give up custody,
Now, after all the effort to separate cleanly.
Marcus wanted to talk about custody again?
Could he be any more infuriating?
That jerk totally ruined her day.
Chapter 94: Discussing the Custody of the Ungrateful Son Again
And what was the point of sending her a video of Alijah crying?
Was it a warning because he knew she’d seen Alijah today?
Or was he trying to manipulate her soft spot as a mother!
Grinding her teeth, she forced herself to stay calm.
She replied with a single message:
“If you have any issues, talk to my lawyer.”
Then, she forwarded her lawyer’s contact info.
She took a few deep breaths to calm down.
“Gemma?”
Noah appeared, yawning and looking sleepy as the movie ended.
“Are we going home?”
Seeing his soft, tired face melted her anger, She bent down to pick him up. “Yeah, let’s go home.”
There were still so many people in her life worth cherishing. She needed to love herself more–and those who truly
for her.
As for everything else?
She’d leave it to fate
The next day.
Gemma arrived at the hospital early.
After checking in with the night–shift doctor, reviewing cases, and adjusting medications, it was already 9 a.m.
She noticed Brian had taken the day off
She sent him a message to check in.
Although Cassius had assured her the Read family disaster wasn’t her fault, she still felt it was her duty to show concern as a
friend.
Brian could reply.
Marcus showed up–bringing Alijah with him.
They stood at the door of her private office. While they hadn’t caused a stir, she knew their presence could still draw unwanted attention.
Her face instantly hardened.
She’d once been soft and sweet, like a cupcake.
But now, she’d grown edges, her expression tinged with authority and sharpness.
She was no longer the same woman.
For a moment, Marcus seemed stunned.
But he quickly recovered.
He pulled Alijah inside and shut the door.
“You know why I’m here,” he said flatly.
