Chapter 3 Encounter

As Riley grabbed her bags and stepped out of the airport with Landon and Winston, they spotted Harper Bishop waiting for them at the entrance.

Harper and Riley had been college buddies and were now best friends. Harper was also a doctor at a hospital owned by her family.

"Riley, over here!" Harper waved at Riley and the kids.

"Long time no see! Thanks for picking us up today," Riley said, linking arms with Harper and grinning.

Landon and Winston were thrilled to see Harper. "Harper!" Their sweet voices made Harper's heart melt.

Winston and Landon were both dressed in little suits, looking super sharp.

"Did you miss me?" Harper crouched down and pinched Winston's cheek, finding him adorably soft. She also ruffled Landon's hair. "You guys are still as handsome as ever!"

"Of course we missed you, Harper! You look even prettier," Landon said sincerely, gazing at Harper.

Harper couldn't help but smile widely. "They say kids never lie, so it looks like Landon is really telling the truth!"

"Absolutely! You and Mom are the prettiest women in our eyes," Winston said earnestly, lifting his little head.

"Alright, let's get going," Harper said, starting to grab the luggage.

Riley's face changed slightly. "Harper, can you take the kids and wait for me for a moment? I think I have an upset stomach. I need to use the restroom; I'll be right back!"

Riley thought she must have had some coffee on the plane, and now her stomach was acting up.

Harper nodded. "Sure, go quickly and come back soon. We'll wait here for you!" With that, she held onto the kids' hands to keep them from running off.

Riley nodded and hurried towards the restroom.

Winston and Landon were extremely curious about their surroundings, constantly looking around and asking Harper questions.

"The air here is so much nicer than abroad; I feel a lot happier being here," Landon said.

Harper glanced at him and chuckled. "You can actually tell the air is nicer?"

Landon nodded. "Yeah. It feels like home."

Winston chimed in, "Yeah, I feel really comfortable here. It must be the feeling of coming home."

Harper found their serious expressions amusing. "You sure know a lot for your age."

Winston and Landon were always smarter than their peers, which didn't surprise Harper. But she didn't expect them to be this thrilled about coming home. Riley should let them stay here for a while to soak in the sights and sounds.

About ten minutes later, Riley came out of the restroom and started heading back when she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"You can't even keep an eye on a child! What are you here for?" Donovan's stern, icy tone cut through the air.

Riley turned to see Donovan's familiar, handsome face. 'What a crap, running into Donovan at the airport on our first day back! I need to get the kids out of here before he spots them.' Panic surged through her as she quickly moved back to Harper and the children, who were just 20 feet away.

"Harper, we need to leave, now," Riley urged.

On the other side, Donovan, who had just hung up his phone, thought he heard a familiar voice. He instinctively turned around and saw a figure quickly running past him.

'That looks like Riley. Has she come back? After abandoning the kids and drugging me, she has the nerve to return?' He took a few long strides forward, but his phone rang again. By the time he looked up, the woman had vanished.

Harper, holding the two kids, was being pulled along by Riley, looking puzzled. "What's going on, Riley?"

"I just saw Donovan!" Riley whispered urgently into Harper's ear.