So Fleur wanted to take Robin abroad?
Elise found that hard to believe. She knew exactly what kind of designs Fleur had on Dylan; how could she possibly be willing to just up and leave for another country? It was highly likely just empty talk—a tactical move to leverage Robin, fully knowing that Dylan could never bear to part with his son.
With this in mind, Elise said evenly, "Robin, if you don’t want to go abroad, you can talk to your mommy yourself. Or, you can tell your daddy. I really have no right to interfere in this."
"Why...?" Robin sobbed. "You’re my godmother. Daddy said so himself—whether it’s Godmother or Mommy, you are both my family..."
"You’re still too young to understand a lot of things, and I can’t explain them to you right now," Elise replied. Her tone was helpless, but her stance remained firm. "Anyway, if you really don’t want to go, talk it over with your parents. I’ve been very busy with work lately and truly don’t have the time."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Elise steeled her heart and hung up, cutting through Robin’s crying.
She knew speaking to him this way would break his heart. But the animosity between her and Fleur ran too deep; if she continued to stay close to Robin, it was only a matter of time before Fleur harbored deep resentment.
Fleur couldn’t do anything to her, but Elise worried that in a fit of volatile emotion, Fleur might take it out on Robin. At the end of the day, Robin was just a child, and Elise didn’t want him caught in the crossfire of adult conflicts. This was the only way she could look out for his well-being right now.
. . .
The threatened typhoon never made landfall, and the temperature in Rainport remained comfortably above 25°C. Today was bright and beautiful, with a gentle breeze.
Dressed in an apricot-colored dress paired with a white sun-protection cardigan, Elise grabbed her bag and walked out of her room. Since the guesthouse had been completely booked out by Josh’s team, there were no other tourists around, making the place exceptionally quiet.
Descending from the second floor, Elise headed out, planning to grab breakfast at a small shop along the ancient town’s streets. But just as she stepped into the courtyard, a familiar voice caught her attention.
"Miss Harper?"
Elise paused and turned around.
Alexander Hayes was walking toward her, cradling Lily in his arms.
"Godmother!" Lily waved her tiny hands excitedly. "Godmother!"
"Lily!" Elise smiled. She took a few steps forward to meet them, reaching out to gently pat Lily’s head before looking up at Alexander. "Mr. Hayes, what a coincidence. Are you here on vacation with Lily?"
Alexander offered her a warm smile. "I’m actually here on a business trip. I heard the scenery here was beautiful and perfect for kids, so I decided to bring Lily along."
"Ah, I see." Elise looked back at Lily, studying her for a moment with a smile. "It’s only been half a month, but it looks like Lily has put on a little weight?"
"She has," Alexander chuckled. "Our doctor is truly remarkable. Lily is a much better eater now."
"That’s wonderful." Elise looked at Lily with pure fondness. "Lily, Godmother can’t carry you right now because I have a tiny baby growing in my tummy. But we can play together over the next few days, okay?"
"Yay!" Lily was ecstatic. "Daddy said we’re staying here for a few days. What about you, Godmother?" The little girl had not only filled out a bit, but her speech had also improved tremendously.
"I will be here for about the same amount of time," Elise replied gently. "Because I have some work to do here too."
"Oh." Lily nodded. Her large, grape-like eyes blinked, her little face turning incredibly serious. "I promise to be on my best behavior!"
"What a good girl!" Elise tapped Lily’s nose playfully, then turned back to Alexander. "Have you two had breakfast yet? I was just on my way to get some. If you haven’t eaten, why don’t we go together?"
"I know, my little girl is always the best." Alexander smiled warmly at his daughter, stood up, and looked at Elise. "I’ll head out then. Let’s touch base later."
Elise nodded. "Mhm, see you later."
After Alexander left, Elise walked around the ancient town’s market with Lily.
The little girl absolutely loved the place. Whenever she spotted unique handicraft trinkets, she would lean in close with wide, curious eyes. Whichever ones she took a liking to, Elise bought for her. Seeing her cradle those small toys with sparkling eyes made Elise’s heart melt, her own mood lifting considerably.
They eventually wandered into a bead shop, where they sat down to customize some bracelets on the spot. Despite her tiny hands, Lily was surprisingly nimble at stringing the beads. She announced that she wanted to make four bracelets.
"One for Godmother, one for Daddy, one for Lily, and one for Robin!"
Looking at her earnest little face, Elise felt a wave of warmth. "You are so sweet, making sure no one is left out."
"Of course, I can’t be unfair!" Lily’s high-pitched, milky voice was crystal clear. "I called Robin yesterday, and he sounded kind of sad. So I want to bring him a present when I go back. I hope it makes him happy!"
Just then, the phone in her bag began to vibrate. Setting down the beads in her hand, Elise pulled it out.
It was Zoey.
She pressed the answer button. "Zoey?"
"Elise, something’s gone horribly wrong!" Zoey’s voice was dead serious. "You’re being targeted by a cyberbully mob online!"

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