Chapter 620: Too Scared to Sleep Alone

Cecilia saw Nathaniel standing by the door, holding Elliot.

“Mommy, I’m scared to sleep alone,” Elliot said. “I brought Daddy. Can we all sleep together?”

Cecilia hesitated; she and Nathaniel weren't speaking. However, Nathaniel readily picked up Elliot, placing her beside him before lying down himself. “Sleep,” he said, his tone businesslike. “I have to work tomorrow.”

Seeing Elliot nestled between them and Nathaniel’s apparent disinterest in her, Cecilia decided against disturbing them. She put down her phone and slept.

She dreamed she was a small boat on a vast ocean, rising and falling with the waves. A sound escaped her lips, jolting her awake. In the dim light, she felt a tall, broad figure holding her, his breath warm on her forehead. Was it Nathaniel?

Cecilia tried to wake fully. Opening her eyes, she saw Elliot sleeping between them, with Nathaniel on the edge, illuminated by moonlight. Oddly, Cecilia was in the middle, a large space to her right. Too tired to analyze it, she shifted, repositioned Elliot, and ignored Nathaniel.

The next morning, she awoke to find herself again in the middle, Nathaniel and Elliot already awake. Confused—she usually slept close to the edge, especially with a child—she attributed it to exhaustion, got up, and prepared breakfast. She planned to ask Jonathan about his day at school during lunch.

10:48 AM

Chapter 620: Too Scared to Sleep Alone!

At Jonathan’s international preschool, the atmosphere was strained. Besides Terry and Dorothy, even Vivian’s nephew, Dante, ignored him. Felix actively engaged with other children in front of him, and the teacher stopped calling on Jonathan.

Though not as perceptive as Elliot, Jonathan noticed the change. Most children would have struggled with a day of ostracism, but Jonathan was different. He hadn't enjoyed playing with the younger children; he’d only done so to make friends for his mother and avoid suspicion. Now, free from distractions, he focused on his studies.

Felix, while playing, curiously observed Jonathan. “Why isn’t he crying?” he wondered. Dante, instructed by his mother not to play with Jonathan, also watched him studying alone. He felt a pang of sympathy.

Seeing Jonathan go to the bathroom, Dante followed. “Jon, are you okay?”

Jonathan looked puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

“Aren’t you angry we’re not playing with you?” Dante asked.

Jonathan replied disdainfully, “If I were angry, would you play with me?”

Dante fidgeted, embarrassed. “Jon, my mom said I shouldn’t play with you. She said you’re not Aunt Vivian’s child, so I don’t have to treat you like an older brother.”