At this point, Stella and Matteo had already heard the full story from David. Stella turned to Maria, asking, “Did you not see what happened?”

Maria, who had been distracted by her phone, said, “I wasn’t paying attention, so I didn’t notice if what he said is true.”

Stella thought for a moment before saying, “I believe David isn’t lying. It’s possible that he really did see your niece’s mom, but it could also be that he saw someone who looks like her. After all, if Freya had time to go watch a movie, she would’ve returned home instead of staying away.”

Everyone had assumed that Freya must have been busy with something important, which made it hard for them to believe she would take the time for a movie. But now, hearing David’s words, doubts began to stir.

David couldn’t stand being accused of lying. When Stella comforted him, his mood immediately improved.

On the other side, Isabella stopped crying upon hearing this. Right, it was possible that David had just mistaken someone else for her mom. Thinking this, her mood lightened considerably. However, she then recalled how Freya had once praised Tommy for being very cute. They also seemed quite familiar with each other.

Isabella thought for a moment, her tears still unshed, and then reached into Matteo’s pocket. “Dad, phone.”

Matteo, having heard Stella’s words, had an idea of what had happened. He gently wiped away her tears with his thumb and handed her his phone.

Isabella quickly dialed Freya’s number.

By then, Freya had finished watching the movie. She was now at the arcade next door, playing games. When she saw a call from Matteo, she immediately hung up without a second thought.

Isabella, with her eyes still red from crying, sighed, “Mom didn’t pick up.”

“She’s probably busy,” Matteo said, trying to reassure her. “Let’s not disturb her. How about I take you out to eat tonight?”

Matteo’s mention of Freya being busy made Isabella feel that her dad also thought David had made a mistake. This reassured her, and she responded, “Can we invite Aunt Raven too?”

Matteo smiled. “Of course.”

Feeling better, Isabella climbed down from her father’s lap and was about to return to her puzzle. However, she couldn’t quite shake the feeling of unease. She picked up the phone again and dialed the Teacher.

The teacher was surprised to receive the call. In her impression, Isabella didn’t like Tommy very much. Although their relationship hadn’t been particularly close, Isabella was persistent, and after some pleading, the teacher agreed to help. She first contacted Tommy’s mother to ask if Tommy was available. After receiving permission, she shared Tommy’s contact details with Isabella.

Isabella quickly initiated a video call.

Tommy answered right away, clearly surprised, “Isabella, you’re looking for me? Do you want to play with me?”

Though Isabella hadn’t been particularly kind to him in the past, Tommy had always liked her. He thought Isabella was bold, confident, and a bit cool, which made him admire her.

“Mm,” Isabella replied, her lips pressed together. “Where are you?”

“At home,” Tommy cheerfully swung the camera toward her family. “My grandparents came over, and they’re making cookies with Mom. Do you want some?”

Isabella saw the pile of cookies in the background, and the fact that they were clearly at home made her feel more at ease. She asked, “You didn’t go watch the movie with my mom, right?”

Tommy shook her head. “No, I haven’t seen Aunt Freya in a long time.”

Hearing this, Isabella felt her worries ease completely. “Okay, you go ahead and make your cookies.”

With that, she was about to hang up, but then paused. After a moment of discomfort, she muttered, “Goodbye.”

Tommy, who hadn’t expected the abrupt end to the call, awkwardly replied, “Oh, um, goodbye…”

In the living room, Matteo returned, and Felix asked, “Is everything alright?”

Matteo nodded. “Mm.”

Not long after, several guests, who had arrived just recently, were sitting across from Felix and Matteo. They had just met Isabella for the first time.

One of the guests couldn’t help but comment, “I can’t believe it–Frank’s child is already this big. Does that mean he’s been married for quite some time?”

Although there had been rumors about Matteo having children, they hadn’t thought much of it until they saw Isabella with their own eyes.

Matteo, who had been sipping tea, replied simply, “Yes.”

The others laughed awkwardly. They had actually brought their daughter today, hoping to introduce her to Matteo. If things worked out, it would have been great. However, they hadn’t expected to find out that Matteo was already married. Their daughter was beautiful, gentle, and well-mannered, but despite sitting there for over half an hour, Matteo hadn’t even looked at her once. It was clear that Matteo had absolutely no interest in their daughter. They began to wonder if, even if Matteo wasn’t married, their daughter would have had a chance.

Meanwhile, after spending more than an hour at the arcade, Harry and Daisy had to leave first. Freya had been busy writing a paper earlier in the day, and now that it was nearly finished, she just needed to tweak the latest content before sending it over to Nolan for review. Once everything was confirmed, she could submit it officially. While lost in thought, playing a VR game, she didn’t notice someone from the cinema walking by and noticing her. Sophia saw her, alone, playing games, and sneered before quickly looking away and leaving.