Chapter 2 Unexpected Airport Encounter

Anastasia moved the trolley containing a quiet Jared seated on their luggage three days later, his wide eyes checking out the airport curiously. Softly staring at Jared, she suddenly felt sick and glanced around, noticing the toilet some distance away. She raced to deposit him on the nearest seat and ordered, "I have to use the toilet. Don't go anywhere." "Okay!" He nodded quietly. Anastasia raced off with the belief that her son was smart enough to stay out of danger. Elliot Presgrave, who was home after finishing his tasks and was in a long black trenchcoat, headed from the exit to see Anastasia leaving, which made his eyes narrow in annoyance. What sort of mom just leaves her kid like that? She's so irresponsible. What if he is spirited away? Elliot himself had gone through it at five years old and couldn't have survived had a female police officer not sacrificed herself in the course of saving him, so he had no patience for people this dismissive toward their offspring. He turned to the little boy in a blue checked shirt and denim shorts, with downy bouncy hair flopping over his brow and childish dainty features. Despite only looking about four, the boy already looked regal. He's so charming! Elliot bent down and enquired gently, "Hi. Why has your mom left you by yourself?" The little boy looked up at him with round wary eyes which studied him and answered carefully, "Sir, my mom is in the toilet and will be back in a while!" The boy's cute face and childish voice made Elliot's heart melt as the latter realized the boy looked so much like himself as a child, which enchanted Elliot even more. Moving even closer, he softened his voice. "Can I stay here with you up after she returns?" "Sure." Detecting nothing evil about Elliot, the boy obliged but paid attention to the luggage as he moved away. Anastasia dashed back after several minutes to find her son beside a man, which sent alarms ringing. "Jared!" Anastasia raced forward. Jared's eyes brightened at the sight of her, and he dashed into her arms while Elliot turned toward her. She was clad in a simple white shirt and jeans, her tied-back hair revealing a fair, delicate, and flawless face. Her poise was what made her stand out, but she was an extremely careless mother despite being beautiful! Elliot stepped forward. "Ma'am, you should not have left your son alone." Anastasia felt puzzled, not having asked why he had gone near Jared yet. "Sir, so I have to take him along to the ladies?" she inquired, smiling politely. He advised with a frown, "Leaving him by himself is too risky in any case. What if someone—" "Sir, he's smart and not so easily tricked. You look like a creep, though," she cut him off. "Y-you're just impossible!!" Not wanting to be involved, he grabbed his things and turned away. Anastasia grunted condescendingly and checked her things before heading off to find a ride while carrying Jared. "Weirdo!" Anastasia couldn't help whispering. There was a stylish black Phantom at the entrance of the airport, spotting Elliot; its passenger immediately exited the car to welcome him. "Mr. Presgrave!" Rey Osborne nodded respectfully, grabbed everything, and opened the door. Elliot relaxed in the back and shut his eyes but somehow couldn't shake off the memory of the event, making him shake his head in annoyance. Why was she so unreasonable? Rey glanced at Elliot and ventured carefully, "Mr. Presgrave, your grandmother wants a word." "Alright, let's return to the villa then," Elliot mumbled, snapping back to reality. His mobile rang, and he checked the caller's ID. "Hayley." "Elliot, will you be coming? I miss you," Hayley's melodious voice said. She still felt as if she was dreaming. A ridiculously handsome man had suddenly shown up in her boutique with a fancy men's watch she had pawned, asking if she had been keeping it all this time. She had nodded guiltily even though it wasn't really hers—someone from the Abyss Club had called her about a watch left behind in a room she had booked and asked her to get it back. She had kept it unhesitatingly after realizing it was a luxury watch but then tossed it into a drawer without any further recollection. Her financial issues had forced her into selling some of her jewelry which was when she had found it, but she had never thought that that old watch would be worth fifteen grand! She had envisioned enjoying herself for a while with that in the bank, but that inconceivably attractive man had appeared. She only knew something was up when he had asked if she had booked number 808 five years ago—the one she had used to set Anastasia up. A gut feeling had told her to nod and things took an unexpected turn, for the man Anastasia had had relations with was not some host as she had thought but the elegant attractive man right before her, the heir of the famous Presgrave Group no less. Hayley had been overjoyed to the point of passing out and had made a spontaneous choice due to her jealousy of Anastasia's luck—take Anastasia's place as Hayley was aiming for him to shoulder the blame so she could be his wife! She was relocated to a lavish bungalow equipped with the best of everything and now felt like floating as she enjoyed her servant's massage. "I'm sort of busy now but will see you when it's all done," assured Elliot in his deep voice. "Please do!" flirted Hayley. "Sure!" he promised patiently. At the Presgrave Residence, Harriet looked up in surprise on the couch after hearing a report while drinking her tea. "What? Anastasia with a son? Does she have a husband?" "The information we found indicates that the father has never shown himself, which means it's possibly an illegitimate child." "It's a pity she's already a single mother at her age." Harriet sighed as she guiltily remembered the female officer who had unfortunately died from the eighteen stab wounds by a felon. An attractive, elegant man walked in at that very moment—Elliot was back.