Chapter 34

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“Mommy. I’ll have French fries,” Abigail asked Marissa and squeezed her stuffed toy, a cute panda to her

chest.

“Sure, sweetheart,” Marissa said absent–mindedly and looked through the menu card. She had just received a very handsome amount in her account along with all the people related to the MSin event.

That was when she decided to bring the kids and Sophia to this high–end restaurant. She invited Flint too, but he was getting ready for a date and apologized.

Ariel ordered a kiddie burger while Alexander was still skeptical about what to eat. Marissa and Sophia were wildly chatting to each other in between their menu confirmations to the waiter.

They had chosen to dine on the rooftop and Abigail wanted to stand close to the banister to look down.

“Mommy. May I go?” she was repeatedly insisting that her mom listen to her plea.

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“No, Abi. It’s not safe.”

“Mom!” Alexander raised his eyes from the menu card, “Why don’t you send her to that part where they have installed a safety net? I can see other kids too.”

Marissa gave a confused look to her daughter when Ariel raised her hand, “I can accompany her.”

With a long sigh, Marissa nodded, “Just don’t get out of my sight.”

Both the girls wanted to run excitedly when Ariel reminded Abi that she should not run and be careful.

“Will I ever be able to run?” Abi asked Ariel when they reached the net. All the happiness and excitement of looking down from this height was dying down slowly.

Like other kids, she wanted to run and jump and enjoy

her life.

“Why not, silly! You will!” Ariel held her hand and pointed down, “Now just look at the cars down there and tell me. Don’t they look like Alex’s dinky cars?”

Abi giggled and little Ariel took a sigh of relief. She was aware of how sensitive her little sister was.

“And look at that truck! It’s also too small!” Abigail

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laughed while showing it to Ariel.

“You two should move aside. I need this space!” they both turned when heard a familiar voice.

Robert, who used to bully them in the park and always tried his best not to let them take the slides was also there. He wanted his favorite spot again.

“Can you quit bullying for once and let my sister enjoy?” Ariel asked him in annoyance while Abi’s eyes were on something else. She wasn’t paying much attention to the argument.

“Abi. Don’t leave your spot. Ok? Let me bring Alex and he will teach him a lesson,” Ariel said looking boldly into the boy’s eyes.

“Ariel. I need to tell you something,” Abi whispered in

her sister’s ear.

Ariel knew her sister was a softie and could be

intimidated quite easily.

“But you can’t leave the spot, Abi. No need to be scared of him. When I’m with you,” She was talking to Abigail, but her eyes were on the bully boy.

This time Abigail pinched her arm lightly to get her

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attention and whispered again, “Ariel. You really need to see this. Forget Robert. We can fight him later,” she started pulling Ariel aside which made enough space for Robert, and he happily adjusted himself in that

space.

“I know there is nothing you want to show me, Abi. You just didn’t want to fight him,” Ariel said with a pout, but Abi’s eyes were still there and she could see the man standing up from his seat while talking to another

man.

“Ariel. Look! Don’t you think that man resembles Alex?” Ariel who was almost mad at Abi, frowned and turned

her head to have a better look. Man’s back was facing

them.

“I swear, Areil. Let’s walk to that side so that you can have a better look,” With curiosity, both the girls started walking towards that table.

The man for a minute tilted his face a little and that

was when Ariel saw him and gasped.

“Oh, good God!”

“Didn’t I tell you this?” Abi was so proud of herself.

“Should we bring Alex too?” Ariel was still looking at

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the man when Abi started shaking her head wildly.

“No, silly. He has already started walking to the elevators. We don’t want to lose him. Come on. Let’s follow him,” They started walking taking small steps, keeping a safe distance.

Unfortunately, he was waiting for the elevator, and they were not allowed to enter there without any elder’s assistance.

“Abi. I think we should go back to Mom,” Ariel gulped hard because from there they could no longer see

their table.

“Shh. We’ll lose them, Ariel. Don’t worry. I won’t let you get lost. Plus, we won’t be alone in the elevator. Other elders will be there with us,” She convinced her sister quite smartly and they got inside the elevator with speeding heartbeats.

***

Rafael was there to host a business dinner with Joseph. They had invited another business executive to close a

deal.

He was quite happy that the meeting went well.

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“I can’t believe he took the hook, you offered him,”

Joseph laughed and praised his friend while waiting for

the lift to arrive.

Tonight, they had an early dinner and now Joseph wanted to celebrate this deal approval in a bar. Today his friend was also happy because Marissa approached him today for a favor.

“So, what’s the plan? How you are going to convince her about your… intentions.” Joseph asked him, standing there, and combed his fingers through his

hair.

“I don’t need to,” Rafael said while entering the lift and started rolling up his shirt sleeves, “I just asked the finance department to release their salaries. Now fingers crossed. I hope she is happy, and her financial situation gets more stabilized,”

The thought that she was his wife and the mother of his kids but would never accept his financial aid was

too much for him.

They got out of the lift and Alex walked towards the lobby.

“Hello, Mr. Sinclair.”

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“Good night, Mr. Sinclair.”

Most of the staff knew him and were offering him greetings. Though it was his first visit to the city, still he was popular there.

He must have taken a few more steps when he found Joseph looking behind them and stopped.

“What happened, Jo?” he asked his friend and halted in his steps as well. However, nothing could have prepared him for the sight that awaited when he followed Joseph’s gaze.

Standing there behind them were two little girls with long hair. One was a blonde who looked exactly like Valerie while the other one was the carbon copy of

Marissa.

Rafael had seen them in a photograph provided to him by his investigator but in reality, they were so much more beautiful and more innocent.

Rafael felt his heart coming out of his chest when he whispered, “M…my daughters!”