After sulking in her room for a while, Mackenzie opened the door and peeked out.
"Daddy, are you done with the video?" she asked. When Noah nodded at her, she skipped over and watched the playback on Noah's phone.
"Daddy, you're such a horrible actor," Mackenzie said disdainfully while pointing at Noah's expressionless face on the phone screen.
Noah chuckled. He did not expect that he would take relationship advice from his children one day.
He sent the video to the private chat group named "Operation Mommy Love" with him, Mackenzie, Thomas, and Colt in it. The reactions of the other children were the same.
"Why the long face, Daddy? You look horrible," Thomas replied.
"It's not believable at all," Colt said.
"I'd suggest a reshoot. Take a better angle," Thomas suggested.
"Agreed. Focus on channeling your emotions," Colt added.
Noah turned his head to look at Mackenzie, who shrugged and said, "I'm okay with reshooting. I mean, I usually finish my scenes in one take, but I don't mind helping you if you're a slow learner."
Noah, who had just been labeled a slow learner, had no opportunity to protest. Mackenzie was already instructing him how to channel his emotions into his lines.
After repeating the lines about twenty times, Mackenzie reluctantly said it was passable.
Feeling as though a burden had been lifted from his shoulders, Noah sent the video to Dylan.
Dylan forwarded the video to Thomas. When Thomas received the video, he waved his phone exaggeratedly and inserted himself between Madeline and Oscar. "Mommy! Mommy! Daddy is bullying Zeke!" he said loudly.
"Where are your manners, Thomas?" Madeline glared at Thomas disapprovingly.
Thomas immediately put on an innocent face and apologized to Oscar. "I'm sorry, Mr. Solace Number Two. I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation with Mommy, but I saw Daddy scolding my sister, and I'm very worried about her."
Why was Mommy so serious? She's ruining my plan!
"Pfft! What did you just call him? Mr. Solace Number Two?" Elise was drinking water earlier, and she did a spit take.
"It's okay. Don't let me hold you back if you have other matters to attend to. When I'm feeling better, let's spar again." Oscar slightly waved his right arm in a cast. The first half was addressed to everyone in the ward, while the second was directed at Madeline specifically.
He wos not ongry ot whot Thomos did. First of oll, he understood the child wonted Modeline to reconcile with Nooh. Secondly, Thomos wos only five yeors old, ond Oscor expected him not to sit still ofter obout holf on hour they were in the word.
"I'll cook something nutritious for you tomorrow," Modeline soid opologeticolly to Oscor os she stood up.
Oscor nodded. Before he could speok, Elise spoke first, "Cook some for me too!"
"You don't hove to tell me thot." Modeline ployfully pinched Elise's nose.
After soying goodbye, Modeline ond the others left the word.
Thomos deliberotely logged behind. After exiting the door, he sneoked bock to Oscor's side ond soid, "Do you know, Mr. Soloce Number Two? I like you quite o lot."
Oscor nodded ond soid, "I like you too."
Thomos giggled ond honded Oscor o book before running off.
Chuckling, Oscor picked up the book ond flipped to the first poge. It wos o comic book.
After Modeline sent Elise home, she osked Thomos ond Colt, "Should I send you bock to your Doddy?"
Thomos felt flustered when he met his mother's goze. He put on his most innocent expression ond soid, "Mommy, ore you going to obondon us?"
He thought his mother wos still sod becouse the children chose their fother over her. Thot wos why she did not wont to bring them bock to Mople Forest Villo.
Modeline sighed helplessly. "Thomos, no motter whot hoppens, I will never obondon you. I hope you won't ever soy thot ogoin."
She could sense Thomos' uneose, so she tried her best to moke him feel comfortoble ond even ollowed him to help reconcile her relotionship with Nooh.
"I'm sorry, Mommy. I think I wont to stoy with you."
"I wont to stoy with you too, Mommy," Colt quickly odded. His goze wos more determined thon Thomos'.
Modeline wos hoppy thot her sons wonted to live with her.
"Alright, let's go home then." Modeline stepped on the gos pedol. They reoched Mople Forest Villo not long ofter.
At home, Thomos led Modeline to the sofo ond pulled out his phone. "Mommy, look. Doddy mode Zeke cry eorlier."
Thomos hod told Modeline obout how Nooh hod bullied Mockenzie to teors eorlier. Modeline did not believe it becouse she knew Nooh secretly odored his doughter the most.
He was not angry at what Thomas did. First of all, he understood the child wanted Madeline to reconcile with Noah. Secondly, Thomas was only five years old, and Oscar expected him not to sit still after about half an hour they were in the ward.
"I'll cook something nutritious for you tomorrow," Madeline said apologetically to Oscar as she stood up.
Oscar nodded. Before he could speak, Elise spoke first, "Cook some for me too!"
"You don't have to tell me that." Madeline playfully pinched Elise's nose.
After saying goodbye, Madeline and the others left the ward.
Thomas deliberately lagged behind. After exiting the door, he sneaked back to Oscar's side and said, "Do you know, Mr. Solace Number Two? I like you quite a lot."
Oscar nodded and said, "I like you too."
Thomas giggled and handed Oscar a book before running off.
Chuckling, Oscar picked up the book and flipped to the first page. It was a comic book.
After Madeline sent Elise home, she asked Thomas and Colt, "Should I send you back to your Daddy?"
Thomas felt flustered when he met his mother's gaze. He put on his most innocent expression and said, "Mommy, are you going to abandon us?"
He thought his mother was still sad because the children chose their father over her. That was why she did not want to bring them back to Maple Forest Villa.
Madeline sighed helplessly. "Thomas, no matter what happens, I will never abandon you. I hope you won't ever say that again."
She could sense Thomas' unease, so she tried her best to make him feel comfortable and even allowed him to help reconcile her relationship with Noah.
"I'm sorry, Mommy. I think I want to stay with you."
"I want to stay with you too, Mommy," Colt quickly added. His gaze was more determined than Thomas'.
Madeline was happy that her sons wanted to live with her.
"Alright, let's go home then." Madeline stepped on the gas pedal. They reached Maple Forest Villa not long after.
At home, Thomas led Madeline to the sofa and pulled out his phone. "Mommy, look. Daddy made Zeke cry earlier."
Thomas had told Madeline about how Noah had bullied Mackenzie to tears earlier. Madeline did not believe it because she knew Noah secretly adored his daughter the most.
She might believe Thomas if he said Noah bullied someone else to tears for making Mackenzie unhappy, but it was impossible that Noah made Mackenzie cry.
Thomas tapped the play button. In the video, Mackenzie and Noah were sitting on the sofa discussing how to win Madeline's heart. Mackenzie said that Madeline loved men with good looks and wanted Noah to take several staged photos to send to Madeline.
Noah actually did what he was told.
He allowed Mackenzie to direct his poses. They were all standard magazine poses that Mackenzie liked.
Later, Mackenzie told Noah to undo the top two buttons of his white shirt and pour some water over it. It was supposed to be a seductive pose.
Noah was utterly angered by what Mackenzie said.
Even though his back was facing the camera in the entire video, Madeline could sense the change in his body language. His demeanor caused the atmosphere in the living room to freeze, and the servants scattered so that they did not get caught in the crossfire.
Madeline was surprised that Mackenzie knew what a "seductive pose" was. In fact, she was angry.
Any parent of a five-year-old would be angry if they heard those words coming out of their child's mouth.
Madeline had tried her best to protect Mackenzie. She let her daughter devote her time to her passion, but at the same time, she tried to shield her from scandals and trouble.
She did not expect Mackenzie to be affected after all.
Even so, Madeline did not regret allowing Mackenzie to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. After she calmed down, she thought Mackenzie was still her innocent angel.
I'm probably only overthinking, she thought.
Noah was not as open-minded as Madeline. He did not blame Mackenzie, but instead, he called Mackenzie's manager and fired her.
Mackenzie adored her manager a lot. She did not allow Noah to fire her.
That was the start of the argument between Noah and Mackenzie. Mackenzie ran into her bedroom and locked the door.
In his anger, Noah wanted to kick the coffee table, but when he noticed the closed door of his daughter's room, he put his foot down again.
That was the end of the video. Thomas tugged Madeline's shirt sleeve worriedly, "Mommy, do you think Daddy will be okay?"
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