James was finally starting to understand what Amanda meant when she constantly said, "Timmy is a handful."
He had never imagined that this little girl could be this much trouble.
Her energy levels were off the chartsâlike a hyperactive husky on steroids.
The rock climbing? That had barely taken ten minutes. After conquering the wall, she moved on to conquering the entire mall.
One lap around the first floor, then the second, and now she was sprinting around the third.
James was chasing her as if his life depended on it. In just a short amount of time, his step tracker showed over 10,000 steps. He was completely out of breath and about ready to collapse.
"Timmy, come back! I'll buy you some candied hawthorn!" James shouted, panting heavily.
"No!" Timmy yelled back, giggling mischievously as she kept running.
"Okay, then what do you want? A stuffed animal? A little monster toy?" James asked desperately.
Timmy stopped for a moment, her tiny face scrunching up in thought. Then, in her adorable baby voice, she said:
"Timmy wants roller skates."
"Absolutely not," James rejected immediately, not even pausing to consider it.
She's already impossible to catch without wheels. If I give her skates, she might actually fly.
Timmy pouted, her little mouth curling downward in frustration. Without saying a word, she turned and started running again.
But James wasn't about to let her escape this time. He pulled out his ultimate bargaining chip.
"How about this? Uncle will take you to the beach to catch crabs!"
Timmy froze mid-step, her tiny feet suddenly still.
James saw the hesitation and hurried to close the distance between them.
"Uncle will take you rafting and surfing on the ocean. How does that sound?"
Timmy turned around, her big, sparkling eyes filled with curiosity. She was clearly intrigued.
"Or... how about a trip to the amusement park?" James added, his voice dripping with false sincerity as he edged closer. He felt like a big bad wolf coaxing a little bunny into his trap.
Finally, with one swift move, James scooped her up into his arms, laughing triumphantly.
"Gotcha! Let's see where you're going to run off to now!"
Timmy, now securely in his grasp, didn't even resist. Instead, she blinked her wide, innocent eyes at him.
"Uncle, will you really take Timmy to the amusement park?"
James kissed her on the cheek and replied, "Of course! Uncle will take you and Mommy together. How does that sound?"
Timmy hesitated, her voice softening.
"But Mommy sleeps during the day and works at night. She doesn't have time to take Timmy out to play."
James tapped her little nose playfully and said, "That won't be a problem anymore. Uncle will make sure Mommy stays home every day to play with you."
"Really?" Timmy's eyes lit up with excitement, her entire face glowing.
"Really," James assured her.
"But you have to be on Uncle's side and tell me about Mommy's favorite things."
"Do you know what Mommy likes the most?" he asked casually.
"Mommy likes money the most," Timmy said with absolute certainty.
"..."
"What else does she like?" James asked again, refusing to give up.
"She likes Timmy," Timmy answered with pride.
"And what does Mommy dislike?" James tried a different angle.
"Hmm... Grandma's neighbor's goose."
"I mean, what does Mommy dislikeânot what Timmy dislikes."
"Oh. Mommy doesn't like going to Grandma's house. Timmy thinks it's because the neighbor's goose scared her."
"Mommy doesn't like going to Grandma's house?" James repeated, his curiosity piqued.
"Uh-huh. Mommy says Grandma's house is too noisy," Timmy explained.
James nodded thoughtfully, adjusting his grip on Timmy as he headed toward Amanda.
Meanwhile, Amanda was leisurely wandering through the mall by herself, occasionally stepping into stores to browse.
With Timmy wearing a GPS tracker on her braceletâand two grown men chasing after herâAmanda felt entirely at ease.
Five- and six-year-olds could be at an exhausting age, always running off at the first opportunity.
Whenever Amanda took Timmy out alone, she often resorted to using a child leash just to keep her in check.
Amanda stepped into a Givenchy store.
She had always loved their designs.
But the prices? Outrageous. A single dress could cost tens of thousands.
While Amanda's salary was high enough to afford such luxuries, she had always prioritized Timmy's expenses and savings for the future. She usually just admired the clothes from a distance.
But things were different now.
She had a man in her life who was willing to support her, someone who could give her peace of mind.
Amanda wandered through the store, eventually stopping at a deep V-neck black lace evening gown. She hesitated, debating whether to call James over and try it on in front of him to get his opinion.
Just then, a balding, pot-bellied man approached her.
"Hey there, gorgeous. Shopping alone?"
Amanda glanced at him briefly.
He was wearing a gray mandarin-collar shirt, his massive belly barely restrained by a cheap leather belt. On his wrist was a gaudy gold watch, and his small, squinty eyes sparkled as he grinned, the fat on his face quivering with every movement.
Amanda was immediately disgusted. Without a word, she set the dress back on the rack.
"Aw, don't like that one? I think it'd look amazing on you. How about you try it on? If it suits you, I'll buy it for you," the man said with a smarmy smile, flashing his Vacheron Constantin watch as he held the dress out to her.
The man, Delwen Dowlin, had been dragged to the mall by his much younger girlfriend. While waiting for her to try on clothes, he had spotted Amanda.
Her elegant, hourglass figure, caramel curls, and cold, alluring features captivated him instantly.
Compared to his girlfriend, who was both high-maintenance and plain-looking, Amanda was leagues above.
"No need. My husband can afford it," Amanda replied flatly, her tone icy.
Delwen Dowlin wasn't deterred. She was alone, which meant that if she had a husband, the relationship couldn't be a good one.
"That husband of yours must be an idiot," Delwen said, shaking his head in mock disapproval. "Letting a beauty like you shop alone? Doesn't he know how to take care of you?"
Amanda's patience was wearing thin.
"Go away," she snapped.
But Delwen only grew more excited by her resistance.
"Come on, don't be so cold. Fate brought us together today. Why don't you give me your WhatsApp? We can chat sometime."
Amanda narrowed her eyes, glaring at him. She was tempted to slap him right there.
But she didn't want James to think she was the kind of widow who attracted unnecessary drama. So, instead, she turned and started walking away.
Delwen, however, mistook her silence for an opportunity.
"Hey, gorgeous! How much? Just name your price, and I'll make it worth your while."
Amanda froze, slowly turning to face him. Her eyes burned with icy fury.
She was ready to make a call.
Years of working in the bar business had given her plenty of connections. Summoning a van full of enforcers to teach him a lesson? Easy.
Men like this only learned their place after a good beating.
But just as she was about to act, James walked into the store, Timmy in his arms, with Jay Johnson trailing behind them.
"What's going on here?" James asked, noticing the tension.
Amanda exhaled deeply, her expression softening.
Then she turned to James, a sweet smile blooming on her face.
"Hubby, you're here."