Tailsa knew James was out with Amanda and her daughter.
She wanted to go find him.
But her mother, ever the advisor, warned her not to be too forward. "Don't just throw yourself at him," she'd said.
"That'll make you look like you care too much about him. You'll be in a weak position. Besides, they're out as a familyâdo you really want to go and be the third wheel?"
Tailsa pouted, frustrated and torn.
She agonized over it for a long time.
And finally decided... not to listen to her mother.
Tch, what does she know? Tailsa thought.
She's just a regular woman, no grand wisdom or foresight. James isn't her man, of course she's not in a hurry.
If I don't take the initiative, what am I going to do if someone steals James away? Cry about it later?
"I'm at the Intime Mall. Which one are you guys at?" Tailsa sent James a message.
The phrasing of her question was clever.
Directly asking for their location would have seemed desperate.
But pretending she just happened to be out, casually suggesting they meet up, was a much smarter approach.
Of course, at that moment, Tailsa was still at homeâhair unwashed, not even dressed yet.
She was simply betting on the fact that the Intime Mall had a lot of kid-friendly attractions. There was a good chance James had gone there.
James saw her message and thought, Crap.
Sure enough, they were heading to Intime Mall.
But this wasn't just any outingâthis was Amanda's critical moment. They were on the verge of a major milestone, and he couldn't afford any distractions.
If Tailsa showed up and caused a scene, it could jeopardize his progress. He couldn't handle another drop in her affection score like the last time it slipped from 79.
This was six million dollars on the line! Every bit of it was as real as gold.
After a moment of thought, he ignored her message and turned to Amanda.
"Sis, why don't we go to Times Mall instead?"
Amanda tilted her head, a sly smile forming on her lips.
"Trouble at Intime?"
James stammered, "N-no, no trouble at all."
Amanda raised a brow.
"Oh? No trouble, so why can't we go? Timmy wants to climb the rock wall, and only Intime has one."
From the backseat, Timmy chimed in, "I'm climbing all the way to the top today!"
Realizing he couldn't hide it, James hesitated before awkwardly admitting,
"Well... uh... Tailsa's there too. I thought you might mind."
Amanda's lips curled into an amused smile.
"Your little girlfriend? Why would I mind? She's a sweet girlâI actually like her a lot."
James blinked in surprise. "Should I invite her to join us?"
Amanda shrugged, nonchalant.
"Sure, why not? Us girls can go shopping while you take care of Timmy. I can even help you vet her a little."
"???"
James stared at her, confused by her casual tone.
He couldn't tell if she genuinely didn't care or was just pretending.
Maybe she really did see him as a little brother and wanted to help him find a good match.
James suddenly felt a little guilty.
Just moments ago, he was scheming to seduce his "sister."
But seeing her act so graciously now, he felt a pang of remorse.
And yet... it only made him more determined.
Wouldn't this make things even more exciting?
With a mischievous grin, James pulled out his phone and sent Tailsa a message.
"We're heading to the kids' rock climbing area. Want to join us?"
At that moment, Tailsa was scrambling to wash her hair, apply makeup, and get dressed. She had asked her mom to reply to any messages for her.
Her mom, holding the phone, responded:
"I'm at a nail salon nearby. It'll take about thirty minutes. You guys go ahead."
"Alright, let me know when you're ready," James replied, setting his phone down as he, Amanda, and Timmy got out of the car and headed into the mall.
Trailing behind them was Jay Johnson, who had been waiting in the parking lot ever since he got wind of their destination.
Jay was facing a personal dilemma.
In his pocket, he had both last night's parking receipt and the hotel billâtotaling $240.
He wasn't sure how to ask James to reimburse him.
Last night, after helping Amanda carry the boss back to her place, he had decided to stay in a nearby hotel in case the boss needed anything.
But the night passed without incident.
Now, he was worried he'd wasted money unnecessarily.
Should've just bought a sleeping bag and crashed in the car, he thought.
But then, I wouldn't have been able to shower... showing up all scruffy would've embarrassed the boss.
Jay's mind was racing, but his expression remained cold and impassive as he followed quietly behind James and the others.
Timmy was holding James's pinky with one hand and Amanda's hand with the other, walking obediently between them. She looked like the picture of a perfect little angel.
"Timmy's so well-behaved," James praised. "A daughter like her must be such a breeze to raise."
Amanda chuckled.
"She's smart enough to know when to behave. But wait until we get insideâyou'll see her true colors."
From beside them, Timmy chirped, "You can't run where there are cars! You have to hold an adult's hand to cross the road."
"Impressive! Do they teach that in kindergarten now?" James asked, genuinely surprised.
He didn't remember learning much as a kid, other than earning gold stars from his teacher.
"Most of it, I taught her myself," Amanda said, her tone casual.
"I might've been a bit strict, so it stuck with her."
James could sense a trace of steel in Amanda's voice. Truly, nothing's tougher than a mother protecting her child.
Noticing his silence, Amanda smiled, worried he might think she was too harsh.
"I've only had to spank her once or twice," she explained.
"Most of the time, I just talk things through with her. But sometimes, kids won't listen unless you're firm. You'll understand when you have your own."
The two of them strolled along, chatting idly as they held Timmy's hands.
They looked like a picture-perfect family.
Every passerby turned their heads, envious of the trio.
The man was dashing, the woman radiant, the child adorableâand they even had a bodyguard-like figure following behind them.
They were the embodiment of success.
Onlookers couldn't help but wonder when their own lives would look like thisâfinding a love so perfect, so harmonious.
The group arrived at the mall, and Timmy led them straight to the rock climbing area in the central atrium.
It was a 30-foot-tall rectangular structure with climbing walls on all four sides. Brightly colored climbing holds dotted the walls, standing out vividly.
Even though it was a weekday, several kids were already scaling the walls.
James paid the fee and watched as the coach securely fastened Timmy's harness. Then he and Amanda sat down on a bench to watch her climb.
"Does Timmy need a coach?" James asked.
Climbing was $60 for one ascent, but hiring a coach for a 40-minute lesson cost $120.
Not cheap, but not outrageous either.
"No need," Amanda said confidently.
"Timmy doesn't climb often, but she's got natural athletic talent."
Sure enough, James watched in awe as Timmy scrambled up the wall like a little monkey. She climbed higher and higher with incredible speed.
"Wow," James murmured, genuinely impressed.
"She's always been full of energy. Anything outdoors excites her."
Amanda's eyes followed Timmy's every move, her expression filled with pride and joy.
It was hard to believe that the baby she once cradled in her arms was now scaling walls with ease.
"I love kids like her," James said wistfully. "I wish she were my daughter."
Amanda glanced at him and smiled, saying nothing.
"Oh, right," James added. "I'll put more money on her climbing account so she can come play here more often."
Amanda, watching Timmy near the top of the wall, replied casually,
"No need. You can load up her account all you want, but if there's no one to bring her here, it's just wasted."