"Now she sent her daughter back just to assert her dominance, to show me that she's still alive, and to flaunt that she has a daughter!"
"Since she didn't come back herself but sent her daughter as a pawn, how can I not take care of that little brat?"
"That brat, giving her just one slap today was letting her off easy!"
James's grip on the menu tightened, a cold glint flashing in his dark eyes.
So Juliet got hit today?
No wonder Mommy had to stay with her and wasn't coming home tonight.
The little boy pursed his lips and quietly reached into his pocket.
He would avenge Juliet!
Shortly after James sat down, the waiter began serving Kyle's food.
"Miss, what is this dish?"
James reached out to stop the waiter serving Kyle's food, blinking his big eyes innocently.
The boy was adorable, and his sweet voice made the waitress smile. "This is Beef Wellington. Too large for a little boy like you."
James smiled sweetly at the waitress. "Thank you, miss! You're so kind and pretty!"
The waitress, flattered by the little boy's compliment, couldn't help but feel delighted, her steps even lighter as she served the dish.
"Do you want to eat that steak?"
Olivia frowned, looking at James.
James grinned mischievously. "No."
"Then why did you just..."
"Olivia."
James interrupted her before she could finish.
"Let's make a bet."
The little boy grabbed Olivia's phone and set the stopwatch. "I bet that woman won't be able to eat it in ten seconds."
Olivia glanced at him, completely skeptical. "The food just got served. There's no way she'll stop eating so quickly."
She shot James a look. "You little glutton, if you want steak, just say so."
"Five, four, three, two..."
James placed the phone on the table, continuing his countdown with a smirk. "One."
"Bang!" Nearby, Kyle suddenly threw her fork down, her face twisted with discomfort.
Olivia watched in shock as Kyle hurriedly rushed to the restroom.
"What...?"
The little boy grinned mischievously, then turned his attention back to his spaghetti.
Kyle stayed in the restroom for a full half hour.
She had only taken a bite of her steak!
Even if she had eaten something bad, it shouldn't have affected her so quickly!
When she finally returned to her table, completely drained, she found a small note tucked under her plate.
The note, written in elegant, neat handwriting, read: The price of being a witch.
Furious, Kyle tore the note into pieces. "Get me your manager! I want the security footage!"
She wanted to see who had the guts to mess with her!
"I'm sorry, Miss Lawrence, but the system was hacked just a while ago, and all the surveillance footage was erased..."
"Useless!"
In the surveillance room, she threw the cup in her hand at the computer screen in a fit of rage.
The glass cup hit the screen with a loud crash.
It must be Mia! It had to be her!
At ten in the evening, a black sports car pulled up at the entrance of Blue Bay Villa.
Michael hung up from his last conference call of the day, exhaustion evident as he stepped out of the car.
When he habitually walked to the door of the master bedroom, he paused.
He glanced down the hallway at the children's room, then strode towards it.
The children's room was empty.
"Sir, you're back."
Hearing movement in the children's room, the butler approached. "Are you looking for the little miss Juliet?"
Michael frowned slightly. "Where is she?"
The butler sighed. "Miss Juliet insisted on sleeping with Mira. There's only one children's bed in the room..."
"So, she went to the maid's quarters to sleep with Mira."
He watched Michael's expression carefully. "Shall I wake Mira and bring Miss Juliet back?"
Michael didn't respond. Instead, he turned and headed downstairs.
He stopped outside Mia's closed door.
The butler understood and quickly produced a key to unlock the door.
The room was dark, illuminated only by a bedside lamp.
Michael stepped inside, looking down at the two sleeping figures on the bed.
Mia was wearing light gray pajamas, cradling the pink-clad Juliet in her arms.
Though asleep, Mia's arm was still protectively draped over Juliet's injured face.
For some reason, this scene struck Michael as oddly heartwarming.
He let out a self-deprecating laugh. He must be going crazy.
Juliet was his and Mia's daughter, the embodiment of their love.
This Mira before him, however, was just a scheming maid trying to get close to him for personal gain.
After a moment, he turned and left.
"Add another bed to the children's room tomorrow."
"Yes, sir!"
The door closed, and the sound of footsteps in the hallway grew fainter.
Under the pale moonlight, Mia opened her eyes, a cold smile playing on her lips.
A peaceful night passed.
The next morning, Mia woke up early to prepare breakfast for Juliet.
She also made a portion for Michael.
When they were together, she had always prepared his breakfast.
She wondered if his taste had changed over the past six years.
When she brought the breakfast to the table, Juliet had just finished washing up and came out in her little pajamas.
"Wow, waffles for breakfast!"
The little girl's eyes lit up as she climbed onto a chair. "This breakfast looks so good!"
"Really?"
Before she could continue, a deep, amused voice sounded from upstairs.
Juliet looked up at the man descending the stairs.
He was aloof, noble, and so handsome that she struggled to find the right words to describe him.
Her face inexplicably reddened. "Good morning, Daddy."
This was her daddy, the one she had just met yesterday!
"Good morning."
Michael smiled faintly and sat across from her.
Juliet forked a small piece of waffle and placed it in front of Michael. "Daddy, try it. Miss Larson's waffles are really good!"
Michael glanced at the untouched sweet treat in front of her. "You haven't even eaten any, how do you know it's good?"
Juliet smiled awkwardly. "I guessed!"
Then, she quickly forked a piece and put it in her mouth. "It's really good!"
Michael watched her with her cheeks puffed out. "Does it still hurt?"
Juliet was taken aback for a moment, realizing he was asking about her face.
"It doesn't hurt anymore."
Remembering something, she glanced at Mia, who was standing nearby. "Daddy, why don't you ask Miss Larson if she's hurting?"
"She was hurt worse than I was yesterday."
Michael lowered his head, eating his breakfast as he spoke nonchalantly, "She's an adult. It doesn't hurt."
"Even if it does, it's not my concern."
Juliet lowered her head, silently biting her lip.
After breakfast, Michael left.
The butler took Juliet and Mia around the villa to familiarize themselves with the environment.
Blue Bay Villa was enormous, and for Juliet, who had just arrived, everything was full of the unknown and excitement.
But for Mia, it was a walk down memory lane.
All morning, she showed little interest.
Every corner of the villa held memories of her and Michael, each one a reminder of how foolish she had been to be so infatuated with him.
During lunch, Juliet had little appetite and barely ate.
Mia assumed she was just not acclimated to the local food yet. So, when Juliet went down for her nap, Mia decided to go out and buy some oranges to cook a special sauce, her favorite.
But just as she stepped out of Blue Bay Villa, a red Ferrari pulled up beside her.
The window rolled down, revealing Kyle's arrogant face. "Care to chat?"