Chapter 2 The Place Where Mom Lived

In the office, two kids were sitting on the couch, bickering with Chandler.

Landon shouted, "This is all your fault! If you didn't make my mom do experiments every day, we wouldn't have gone so long without seeing her!"

"Winston, put that down! You can't touch that!" Chandler begged as Winston held one of his antique ornaments, ready to smash it.

Hearing the ruckus, Riley burst through the door, a mix of frustration and amusement on her face. "Winston, put the ornament down!"

"Mom!" Landon and Winston ran to Riley as soon as they heard her voice.

Winston, still clutching the ornament, tripped over his own feet and started to fall.

"My ornament!" Chandler, heartbroken, rushed to catch it. He managed to grab it just in time and patted his chest in relief. "That scared me to death!"

"Prof. Hart, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to cause you trouble!" Riley said, relieved that the antique didn't break.

Still shaken, Chandler said, "I've never been afraid of anyone in my life, but your kids' wild behavior really gets to me."

He glanced at Landon and Winston, who had lost their earlier bravado and were now acting all obedient. One was pouring water for Riley, and the other was massaging her legs.

"Mom, are you tired? Let me massage your legs!"

"Mom, let me get you some water!"

Landon and Winston were super attentive in front of Riley, scampering about without a trace of their previous arrogance. Watching this, Chandler felt a mix of amusement and exasperation.

"As soon as they see you, they turn into different people. My computer!" Chandler looked at his now black-screened computer, utterly distressed.

Worried about Riley spending too much time in the lab and not taking care of herself, Landon and Winston had been causing trouble in Chandler's office and managed to mess up Chandler's computer.

Riley spoke up, "Landon, fix Prof. Hart's computer right now. No more messing around."

Landon nodded obediently. "Okay, Mommy." He walked over to Chandler's computer, fiddled with it for a moment, and it was back to normal.

"Indeed, only your mom can handle you," Chandler said, looking at the mischievous kids.

Landon playfully stuck his tongue out at Chandler. "Mom gave birth to us, so of course we listen to her."

Hearing this, Chandler almost fainted from anger. He looked at Riley, clearly hesitating to say something.

Riley noticed and said to her kids, "Landon, Winston, go play outside for a bit. I need to talk to Prof. Hart. I'll come find you in a while."

"Okay!" Landon and Winston responded in unison and ran out.

Now, only Chandler and Riley were left in the office.

Chandler turned to Riley and said, "Riley, I've set up a research institute back home and I need you to oversee it. I have to finish my current tasks before I can join you, so I'll need you to manage things for now."

Riley hesitated. "Prof. Hart, I'm not sure I'm up to the task."

"It's okay; I believe in you. I know what you're worried about, but it's been so many years. You can't keep living in the past, right?" Chandler looked at Riley earnestly.

Chandler knew a bit about Riley's past. The reason she was unwilling to return home was because Donovan was there.

"Prof. Hart, I..." Riley started to say, but Chandler interrupted her. "There's no need to say more; I understand."

Riley took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the decision she had just made. She nodded slowly. "Alright, I'll do it."

A few days later, at Haven City International Airport, Riley got off the plane with her kids. As she looked at the familiar surroundings, memories from six years ago flooded back.

Riley had left so decisively back then, never thinking she would return one day. If it weren't for Chandler asking her to come back to help with the research institute, she wouldn't have come back.

"Riley, I know you don't want to return, but with your abilities, only you can help me," Chandler had said. "It's been years, and you're not the same girl you were. You can handle this now."

As Riley absorbed Chandler's words,her mind drifted to Donovan. 'After all these years, he must have married the one he loved, maybe even has kids.' she thought, feeling a sudden sense of ease.

"So this is where Mommy used to live. It's so beautiful!" Winston exclaimed in awe. The scenery here was much more beautiful than abroad. He had never seen such sights before and found it quite novel.

Meanwhile, Landon was lost in thought, thinking about finding his dad now that they were back. He was determined to see what kind of man his dad was and give him a good lesson!