Returning with Triple Treasures: My CEO Husband Is Obsessed novel Chapter 14

Chapter 14 Between Love and Duty

Chapter 14 Between Love and Duty

The next day, Isabella arrived at the children’s therapy center just before dawn.

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When she found him, Jason was having breakfast in the communal dining area under the supervision of a counselor. Though he was still his quiet self, he seemed settled amidst the other children.

Isabella waved, catching his eye. The moment Jason saw her, his calm little face crumpled, and two silent trails of tears streaked down his cheeks.

The sight shattered Isabella’s heart. She hurried over, scooped him up into her arms, and held him close, murmuring soft comforts into his hair.

Of her triplets, Jason had always been the most attached. This was his first night ever away from her, and his puffy, red–rimmed eyes were clear evidence of a restless, lonely sleep.

“Shh, sweetie, it’s okay. Mommy’s here. I’m not leaving you,” she whispered, rocking him gently.

It took some time for Jason’s quiet sobs to subside,

Afterward, one of the lead counselors pulled Isabella aside to discuss Jason’s adjustment. Aside from the understandable moment of distress upon seeing her, Jason had been remarkably calm and cooperative throughout the previous day.

Isabella stayed to have breakfast with him at the small table before reluctantly handing him back to the counselor’s care.

Even then, she found it hard to leave. The memory of his tear–streaked face was a physical ache in her chest.

The counselor, a perceptive woman, seemed to understand her struggle. “Ms. Carter, try not to worry too much. Sometimes, selective mutism in children can be tied to emotional dynamics—the balance of attachment and independence. Too much of either can hinder progress.”

Her words struck a chord. In the absence of a father, Isabella had poured all her love and attention into her children, striving to compensate. With Jason, she had been especially protective, which perhaps had fostered an overdependence.

Then the counselor asked gently, “If you don’t mind my asking, is Jason’s father involved at all?”

Isabella hesitated. “He’s… not in the picture. Hasn’t been for a long time.”

“I see. I’m sorry to pry,” the counselor said, slightly flustered. “It’s just that Jason has been drawing pictures of a man quite frequently, so I wondered…”

Isabella’s mind flashed to the sketch she’d seen in Jason’s book–the one with the strong, familiar profile. The one where he’d written “DAD“.

Was a father’s presence the missing piece Jason was silently yearning for? The thought was a fleeting, sharp pang she quickly pushed away. That night remained a blurred, traumatic blank. Even if she wanted to find the man, it was an impossible task. The world was far too vast.

By the time Isabella arrived at Moore Group’s headquarters, the official workday had already begun.

The executive floor housing the CEO’s office suite was shrouded in a suffocating, tomb–like silence. This area had always operated

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12:25 pm p

Chapter 14 Between Love and Duty

under a cloud of tension because of Xavier, but today was palpably worse.

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Rumor had it that earlier that morning, Xavier had unleashed a storm of fury during a senior strategy meeting. Every executive who had entered his office since had emerged looking pale and shaken. In less than an hour, three members of the senior support staff had reportedly handed in their resignations.

Just as the remaining employees were tiptoeing around, holding their collective breath, Isabella strode into the open–plan area. The sharp click of her heels on the polished concrete floor shattered the quiet. She carried a takeout coffee cup in one hand and a fashion magazine in the other, moving with an audacious calm that seemed to defy the very atmosphere.

All eyes turned to her in stunned disbelief. This wasn’t the Moore Group of five years ago, and no one recognized her. Moreover, her style and aura were completely transformed. To them, she appeared to be a recklessly brave–or foolish–new hire who had dared to arrive even later than the tyrannical CEO himself.

“Pardon me,” Isabella said, stopping a junior analyst who was hovering nervously by a printer. “Could you direct me to the executive shareholders‘ wing?”

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