Chapter 2 Reunion

Five Years Later

After a loud rumble, Amelia stepped out of the airport with a beautifully dressed child in tow. "Zoey, when you see Lucy later, remember to be nice. No mean comments or giving her the cold shoulder, okay? Just be polite and say hi."

"Got it, Mom. I'll be nice." Zoey replied.

Zoey Smith had an adorable face with big, round eyes and a sweet, childlike voice. The only downside was her temper, which could be quite fiery, especially when it came to Lucy.

Five years ago, after Lyanna killed her father, Barry Smith, she had been relentlessly sending people to find her. Amelia had a one-night stand with Raymond and got pregnant. To protect the child and herself, she spent months hiding, just to ensure she could give birth safely. But things still went wrong at the last moment.

Lucy felt incredibly guilty about it and had been helping her search for the child all these years. Unfortunately, there had been no news. Thinking about the child she only got to see once, Amelia felt a tightness in her chest. The forced labor and constant moving had taken a toll on her body. She had been recuperating abroad for years. This time, she returned to find her child and reclaim what was rightfully hers.

Just then, Lucy called, and Amelia tightened her grip on Zoey's hand. "Zoey, I'm going to check if Lucy is at the entrance. Stay here and don't run off, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy." Zoey looked up and answered obediently. Amelia walked away.

At the same time, Raymond walked out of the airport with a five-year-old boy, Noah Adams. Noah had a face that was quite similar to Zoey's, dressed in a little suit like a miniature adult. The difference was that he was thinner than Zoey and had a much colder demeanor.

Seeing Noah's pale face and weak appearance, Raymond frowned. "Noah, you feeling okay? If not, we can hit the hospital."

Noah had been in poor health since he was a baby, partly due to a rainstorm and lack of breastfeeding. Long trips, especially flights over two hours, left him feeling faint and exhausted. Thinking about how Amelia not only assaulted him but also abandoned the child, Raymond felt a surge of anger.

Not wanting to waste time, Raymond suggested, "If you really can't handle it, we'll go to the hospital and get you checked out before heading home."

Before Noah could respond, he turned and ran to the restroom. Raymond stood alone at the airport entrance. A cold wind blew, and he lit a cigarette. Before he could take a puff, he heard a small voice calling him.

"Sir! Sir!" The voice was sweet and mischievous. Raymond turned around and heard a crisp sound. A pink hair clip shattered at his feet. Looking up, he saw a little face scrunched up in front of him. Zoey looked at him pitifully. "Sir, you broke my hair clip."

Her soft, adorable demeanor unexpectedly tugged at Raymond's heart. Raymond squatted down, about to speak, when a figure suddenly rushed past him. Amelia ran over, covering Zoey's mouth and pulling her to the corner.

Zoey looked up at Amelia, curious. "Mommy, why are you covering yourself with a scarf? It's so funny."

Zoey covered her mouth, her eyes forming crescent moons. Amelia, however, was in no mood for jokes.

"What were you doing over there?" Amelia asked, her voice tinged with worry. Talking to Raymond, of all people. What if he recognized her?

Zoey, oblivious to her mother's concerns, replied innocently, "I wasn't running around! I just thought that man looked familiar." She grabbed Amelia's sleeve with her chubby hand. "Mommy, do you think he could be my daddy? Everyone else has a daddy, but Zoey doesn't. Zoey is so sad!"

Zoey's chubby face rubbed against Amelia's side. Amelia gently pushed her away. "Stop it. You've said that about eight out of ten good-looking men. Besides, when have you ever lacked fatherly love?"

Amelia's eyes darted around, worried that Raymond might recognize her. She was about to leave with Zoey when she saw Raymond standing not far away, looking at her curiously. Her heart skipped a beat. She quickly hid Zoey behind her and adjusted the scarf around her face.

Making sure he couldn't see her face, she cautiously asked, "Who are you? What do you want?"

Raymond looked at the strange woman in front of him, feeling a peculiar emotion. "That's what I should be asking you. Who are you, and what are you doing?" He reached out to Zoey behind Amelia. "Come here. Where's your mom? I'll take you to her, okay?"

It took Amelia a moment to realize that Raymond thought she was a child trafficker. At that moment, Zoey mischievously poked her head out. "Okay, let's go find Mommy!"

Seeing Zoey about to walk over to Raymond, Amelia quickly pulled her back. She warned Zoey, "This is not the time for jokes. Behave, okay? If you keep this up, I won't want you anymore!"

Seeing Amelia's serious expression, Zoey reluctantly lowered her head. "Okay, I won't mess around. I'll be good. I'll listen. Mommy, don't be mad, okay?" Zoey obediently held Amelia's hand.

Raymond, initially just suspicious, now felt almost certain about something after seeing their interaction. "Ma'am, I advise you to let go of the child. Or I'll call the police, got it?" Raymond said sternly, taking out his phone.

Seeing this, Amelia couldn't help but panic. "Sir, didn't you hear her call me Mommy? Is this how you handle things?"

Raymond snorted. "Whether you're her mom or not, the police will find out." He was about to dial when Amelia quickly snatched his phone. "You want to call the police? Find your phone first!" Amelia said, throwing the phone in the opposite direction and running off with Zoey.

Lucy's car was parked at the entrance. Without thinking, Amelia jumped in with Zoey. Raymond watched them leave with a dark expression, wanting to chase after them, but Noah came out of the restroom. Seeing Raymond standing not far away, he weakly called out, "Dad, what are you doing there? Let's go home. I feel awful."

Just then, the driver pulled up, and Carl got out to open the door. Raymond picked up his phone.

"Investigate the car that just left and the little girl who got in. If it was a kidnapped child, at least I would be doing a good deed," Raymond casually instructed.

Carl, however, looked puzzled. "Mr. Adams, the woman who got in the car looked like Mrs. Adams, and the little girl too."

Raymond paused, suddenly looking up. "What did you just say?"