“Follow them,” Dexter whispered. Two years had passed, and Josie had become quite skilled at driving. She drove all the way to the front door of a daycare center. Soon, a teacher came out to meet her. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Grape was taken inside.
Josie watched as Grape’s figure grew smaller, once again experiencing the pain of parting ways. Perhaps there would be countless instances like this in the future.
After Grape disappeared from her sight, Josie let out a deep sigh and then got back into the car, retracing her route. She walked past the car parked by the roadside, unaware of the person inside.
Larry asked, “Should we go in now?”
Dexter stared straight ahead. “Wait for two hours.”
The child had just started attending daycare and needed time to adjust. Suddenly taking her away could cause psychological trauma, and she might not want to go back to school in the future.
It was complicated because having a child meant considering many things.
Larry glanced at the man in the rearview mirror, hesitating before finally speaking. “Sir, I thought long and hard about it yesterday. There’s a high chance that Ms. Warren’s child might…”
He didn’t dare to continue speaking, and Dexter didn’t pick up the conversation either.
The car had been parked for two hours. As soon as the time came, Dexter got out of the car and walked straight into the building.
The daycare was filled with children, their cries and complaints never ceasing. Each child had a dedicated teacher watching over them. Yet, Grape sat alone in a corner, quietly stacking blocks. She was unusually quiet for a child her age.
Dexter stood in the corner, gazing at her for a long time.
Inside the venue.
As soon as the clock struck the hour, Josie finished her shift and headed straight for the daycare. However, as soon as she stepped in, she asked, “Where’s Grape?”
“Grape? Wasn’t she already picked up by her father?” The teacher was quite surprised. Josie was even more astonished. “What are you saying? What father?”
The teacher was taken aback. “A man who claimed to be her father came to pick her up She also called him Dad After verifying his Identification, we let him take her away”
What father?
Josie had an unsettling premonition. Her entire being was in disarray. She wondered, in this world, who could possibly make Grape willingly call him father.
Could it be the strange man she mentioned a couple of days ago?
Josie quickly asked, “What is the name on his identification?”
“I can’t quite recall. Oh, his last name is Russell.”
Josie froze in place, as if struck by a bolt of lightning.
How could it be… How could it possibly be him….
She turned and ran out, but once she got in the car, she had no idea where to go. Her hands were shaking, and as she looked at her pale face in the mirror, she found herself unable to catch her breath for a long time.
Her trembling intensified, making it difficult for her to calm down.
After a long while, she finally calmed down, stepped on the gas, and drove off. Upon returning to the hotel venue, she ran into a fellow judge. “Alice, why are you back again?” he asked.
Josie didn’t respond. Instead, she quickened her pace, walking as swiftly as the wind.
“That’s strange…” He scratched his head. Not far away, Lily also witnessed this scene. She immediately looked puzzled and followed Josie.
Josie was always punctual, never lingering a moment longer than necessary at work. So why had she returned today, and with such disarray in her steps? It seemed as though something had happened.
Josie went straight to the hotel’s courtyard, her face expressionless. She found the place by following the route she remembered.
I had been to this place before, but I hadn’t entered.
Standing at the door, she took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm her racing heart.
She knocked on the door, but there was no response. With a gentle push, she opened it, revealing the bustling and magnificent scene inside.
The gate was also left ajar.
She carefully observed her surroundings, never slowing her pace as she moved forward. As she entered, she noticed a figure standing by the window.
