Chapter 9

"Mommy..." Kaida stood there in a pink dress, eyes red and puffy, clutching a stuffed bunny in her hand, looking absolutely pitiful.

Beside her stood the nanny, Lika.

Ophelia frowned. This was obviously arranged by Jeffrey.

"What are you doing here?" Her tone was flat, without a trace of emotion.

Lika quickly explained. "Ms. Blake, Kaida missed you. She couldn't find you, so I had no choice but to follow Mr. Adams' instructions and bring her to spend some time with you."

Ophelia let out a cold laugh and stepped aside to let them in. She knew exactly what this was—Jeffrey was playing the emotional card, using Kaida to soften her up.

As soon as Kaida entered, she rushed over to hug Ophelia's legs, but Ophelia instinctively dodged.

Kaida's movement froze mid-air. Tears immediately streamed down her face as she choked out. "I was wrong. I'll never make trouble with you again. Please don't be mad at Daddy and Freya, okay?"

"Please let me go home with Daddy. I want to live in our old house. I want to eat the cookies you used to make for me." She cried as she spoke, her little shoulders shaking, looking especially pitiful.

Lika chimed in from the side. "Ms. Blake, Kaida has grown used to you. You're the only one who can make her happy. After these past six months, she's come to rely on you."

"Mr. Adams knows he was wrong, too. He says he'll treat you well from now on and never let you suffer again."

Ophelia looked at Kaida's red, tear-stained eyes, feeling nothing but cold emptiness inside.

She used to be fooled by Kaida's act, thinking that if she gave her whole heart, she could eventually warm Kaida's heart. Now she knew that everything she'd done had been in vain.

Ophelia crouched down, meeting Kaida's eyes, her voice calm but edged with ice. "Do you really think you can't do without me?"

"Every time I dressed you, you cried on purpose and tore the clothes off. The cookies I made? You threw them straight into the trash. And when I took you to the amusement park, you avoided me the whole time... clingling to Freya instead." She held her gaze, ublinking. "Have you forgotten all that?"

Kaida's sobs faltered. Her gaze slipped away as she stammered, "I... I was young then. I didn't know better..."

"Didn't know any better?" Ophelia pulled out her phone, opened the paternity test, and held it up in front of her. "Then explain this. Freya is your real mother. You've called her 'Mommy' all along, but me—someone who raised you for three years—you call by name. You went against me at every turn."

Her eyes hardened. "Do you think I don't know who taught you that?"

Kaida eyes darted from the screen to Ophelia's icy gaze. She shrank back, trembling, tears falling harder. "No... it wasn't Freya. It was me..."

"You decided to hate me all on your own?" Ophelia cut in, with a faint, mocking edge to her voice. "Then why are you crying now? Why are you begging me to come back?" Her gaze dropped, cold and unyielding. "Is it for the house? Or your father's company?"

"Kaida, you're still young—but you need to understand something." Her voice lowered. "Not all hurt can be erased with 'I didn't know better.'"

She slipped her phone away and stood, looking down at her. "I took care of you for three years. I've done more than enough." She paused. "From now on, we have nothing to do with each other."

"If you want to go back to your father and your real mother, go ahead." Her voice didn't waver. "You're not welcome here."

Kaida went still. Her sobbing stopped. She stared at Ophelia, blank and stunned—like she couldn't believe someone could be this cold.

Lika panicked. "Ms. Blake, how can you talk to Kaida like that? She's just a child. What does she know?"

"She doesn't," Ophelia said, turning to her, her voice turning colder. "But you do." Her gaze sharpened. "Jeffrey sent you to bring her here, didn't he? Tell him to stop playing games. It won't work."

Her tone dropped, quiet but firm. "Go back and tell him—he has two days. That's my final deadline. After that, I won't hold back."

Then she looked at Kaida. "Go back with Lika. And don't come looking for me again."

Seeing Ophelia's resolute expression, Kaida broke into sobs again, this time genuinely frightened. "I don't want to go! I know I was wrong! Please... give me one more chance!"

Ophelia didn't respond. She walked to the door, opened it, and stepped aside. "Leave."

Lika hesitated, about to speak—but one cold glance from Ophelia stopped her. Swallowing her words, she pulled Kaida along and led her out.

The moment the door closed, Ophelia leaned back against it and slowly closed her eyes.

She felt no reluctance—only the relief of finally being free from this mess.

She pushed herself off the door, walked to the sofa, and picked up the remote. The TV flickered on. She dropped her phone onto the table and sank back, as if nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, Lika pulled the sobbing Kaida out of the villa gates. Kaida broke free from Lika's hand and pulled out her childhood's smartwatch from her pocket. Her fingers trembled from crying, but she accurately dialed Jeffrey's number.

The moment the call connected, Kaida's sobs poured out like a flood. "Daddy! She doesn't want me anymore! She kicked me out!"

Jeffrey was discussing strategy with Freya but hearing Kaida's sobs, his tone immediately softened. "Kaida? What happened? Take your time. Why did she kick you out?"

"I went to apologize. I told her I knew I was wrong and I'd listen to her moving forward, but she just won't forgive me!" Kaida sobbed, her words broken and stuttering. "She also said—she had nothing to do with me anymore, and I'm not welcomed... Daddy, I'm so scared. I want to go back to our old home. I want you..."

Jeffrey's brow furrowed, anger and anxiety rising inside him.

He'd been counting on Kaida to play the emotional card and get Ophelia to soften, but he never expected Ophelia to be so heartless—not even caring about Kaida.

Freya leaned close to Jeffrey, pressing her ear to the phone to listen. Her face immediately showed deep distress as she said gently into the phone. "Kaida, sweetie, don't cry. Maybe she was just in a bad mood and said some harsh things?"

"No!" Kaida cried in protest. "She was so mean! The way she looked at me was so cold! She said you're is my real mom, that I've been going against her all along. I haven't! I really haven't..."

A flash of viciousness crossed Freya's eyes, though her voice remained as gentle as ever. "My sweet Kaida, you've been wronged. It's all my fault for putting you through this." She paused. "She's probably still angry about what happened between Daddy and I, so she's taking it out on you. Please don't take it to heart. Once Daddy is done handling things here, he'll come get you, okay?"

Jeffrey patted Freya's hand and said firmly into the phone. "Kaida, find somewhere to wait with Lika. I'm coming to get you right now."

After hanging up, Jeffrey's expression darkened. "The situation online has blown up too much, and there's a huge mess at the company. I need to deal with public opinion first and calm down our partners." His face grew grim. "I gave her a chance to make peace, and she didn't take it. So she can't blame me for being ruthless now."