Chapter 184



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Joel tensed and asked nervously, “What are the results?”

The previous generation of Smiths had three sons, and Ian was the youngest. They had no sisters.

No one had given birth to any daughters in their generation, either. However, Ian had adopted a daughter. If Nora really turned out to be his cousin, that would be great.

Besides, this would also give Ian the courage to go on living.

Joel received a reply from Quentin as he thought about it. The response took him by surprise. His eyes, which had been upturned, slowly became downcast. Soon after, he said, “I see.”

After hanging up, Joel turned to look out the window and sank into deep contemplation.

A while later, he finally withdrew his gaze as if he had made up his mind about something. The students started to leave the garden after that.

Joel got out of the car.

The students at Sol de Oro International Kindergarten were all children of the rich and powerful. Therefore, the parents who picked up their children were also all rich or of high social standing.

In the past, it was Mia’s mother who had picked up Mia and Brandon from school. However, now it was Joel who came every day, which caused the other parents to start picking up their children themselves.

“Oh, you’ve come to pick up your son too, Mr. Smith? Nice to meet you.”

“What a coincidence Mr. Smith, have you come to pick up your son from the garden?”

“I’m the CEO of the Gloria Group, Mr. Smith. Pleased to meet you…”

“…”

As Tanya, leading Pete by the hand, was about to leave the kindergarten, she was greeted by the sight of the directors of several corporations standing in a line at the door.

The kindergarten teachers couldn’t help but marvel.

“Gee, those parents usually send nannies or bodyguards to pick up and drop off their children. Why did so many of them come in person today?”

“Anyone I hit with a random throw of a ball will probably have a net worth in the millions of dollars!”

“I bet you don’t understand why, do you, can’t you see? Everyone is here for Mr. Smith!”

“Mr. Smith is so handsome! No wonder Mia is so beautiful even though she’s so young, she must have inherited her looks from Mr. Smith! He’s also so graceful, gentle and elegant…. Gosh, I’m so envious of Mrs. Lynn! If only Mr. Smith would say something to me!”

“I know, don’t I? Miss Turner, you’re a dance teacher, aren’t you, why don’t you go and talk to Mr. Smith?”

Tanya, “…”

She lifted her head and looked toward the door. The graceful figure standing in the crowd seemed to stand apart from the world and gave off an air like that of a noble gentleman.

Even after five years had passed, that man still glowed with such strength and luminosity.

Five years ago, he had said, “I want to hide you and not let anyone else see you. You’re just too outstanding; I’m afraid someone will take you away from me!”.

But in the end he had become someone else’s husband.

When he thought about him and Hillary being married, he immediately withdrew his gaze.

Pete, who had caught a glimpse of her expression, was puzzled and asked, “Why don’t you teach Mia to dance Godmother? I think she dances very well.”

Mia was thinner than most children, and she didn’t have much baby fat on her little face. She had a small, oval face as well as a pointed chin. When she danced, her form was very light and weightless, as if she were a butterfly.

Pete thought it would be a great pity if it didn’t dance.

Tanya touched Pete’s head and replied, “It’s because her parents won’t let her dance.

Otherwise, why wouldn’t they have taught her to dance when she was already five years old?

Besides, she didn’t want to be involved with the Smiths anymore either.

Pete tilted his head and nodded as if he understood something.

Tanya pulled Pete to the side of the road as they left the nursery. The unreliable Nora had left with the car in the morning after waking up, so the two of them could only take a cab home.

The kindergarten was relatively far from the area where they could hail a cab, so they walked one street down and headed down another road.

Joel had seen Tanya a long time ago.

After all, she was a dancer. Her legs were long and her waist was slim, which made her look as lovely as ever despite wearing ordinary-looking clothes.

She thought they would at least make eye contact, but, unexpectedly, Tanya didn’t so much as glance at her and took the girl straight across the street.

The light flickered in her upturned eyes. After clenching his fists a little, he grabbed Mia and got into the car with her.

As Tanya and Pete waited for a cab, an elongated Lincoln suddenly pulled up in front of them. The door opened and Joel’s strikingly handsome face appeared in front of them. He said, “Where are you going? I’ll give you a ride.”

Tanya was so shocked that she immediately looked around. When she saw that no one had noticed them, she breathed a sigh of relief. Then she took Pete’s hand, stepped back and said with an air of reluctance, “No, it’s okay.”

But as soon as she said that, Joel uttered a commanding reply in a soft voice, “Don’t make me get out of the car and kidnap you.”

Tanya, “…”

Nearby parents and teachers were about to approach. Tanya didn’t want to cause any trouble, so she could only grab Pete and quickly get into the car.

The car door slowly closed. Mia shouted cheerfully, “Cherry! Miss Turner!”

Tanya smiled at her.

Pete took the initiative to sit next to Mia.

Tanya furrowed her eyebrows: now she could only sit next to Joel. However, she moved away from him and put some distance between them.

Joel frowned at the sight of her.

He looked down and asked, “Your address?”.

Only then did Tanya finally react. After she gave him the Andersons’ address, Joel looked at her and asked, “You’re staying with the Andersons?”

Tanya nodded.

Joel looked down. “It’s not very convenient to stay at someone else’s house, is it, don’t you have someplace else you could stay?”

Tanya turned around and replied, “That doesn’t seem to be any of your business, Mr. Smith.”

She was calling him Mr. Smith again….

Joel took a deep breath and said, “That’s right. We have nothing to do with each other.”

Tanya clenched her jaw.

Indeed, they had nothing to do with each other.

In fact, that man must have even hated her, right?

That’s why he wouldn’t allow his daughter to dance: because she was a dancer, wasn’t she?

Tanya didn’t expect Joel to hate her so much. It’s just that if he hated her so much, why was he taking them home?

In the midst of his doubts, Joel said, “It was a misunderstanding of mine the other time.”

The other time? Was he referring to that time at the hospital when he thought she was Mr. Hunt’s mistress?

With a cold stare, Tanya said sarcastically, “It’s not your fault, Mr. Smith. It’s because I look too much like someone’s mistress.”

Joel, “…”

He knew she was putting him down, but from Tanya’s reaction, he instead caught vague shadows of how they were in the past.

He took a deep breath and said, “You don’t have to say that about yourself. That’s not what I meant either…. Never mind. I’m taking you home because I wanted to apologize to you.”

“You can save the apology, Mr. Smith,” Tanya replied coolly. “It’ll be fine as long as you stay away from me in the future, lest I become an eyesore to you!”.

Joel, “!”

The kindergarten was very close to the Andersons’ villa, so they had already arrived as they spoke.

The chauffeur even felt as if his boss had given him a cold stare when he stopped the car.

“Let’s get out.”

Tanya was about to get out of the car with Pete when she suddenly looked at Joel and asked, “Mia’s dad, why are you forbidding Mia to learn to dance?”

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