Robin shook his head, his dark eyes wide with terror. Seeing Fleur dragged back the nightmare he had lived through. She looked almost identical to how she did on that terrible day.
A tremor ran through the boy’s tiny frame. Even with his eyes squeezed shut, flashes of past abuse at the hands of his nanny played on a loop in his mind.
Sensing his panic, Jessica turned immediately and pulled the boy’s head tight against his chest. "It’s alright, Robin," he murmured gently. "Don’t be afraid. We’re all right here. She can’t hurt you anymore, and she certainly isn’t taking you anywhere."
Robin buried his face deeper into Jessica’s chest, staying silent as his small body continued to shudder.
Jessica frowned, turning toward Mrs. Shaw with a grave expression. "His emotions are spiraling. We need to get her out of here—now."
Hearing this, Mrs. Shaw’s temper flared out of control. Hands on her hips, she glared at Fleur and snapped, "I’ve never seen a mother as heartless as you! How could you raise a hand against your own child? You aren’t fit to be a mother. Get out of here before I throw you out myself!"
"I gave birth to him! I can hit him or yell at him whenever I want!" Fleur screeched, devoid of any shame. "You’re all nobodies to him—you have zero right to stop me from taking my son home! If you don’t hand him over this instant, I’m calling the cops and reporting you for kidnapping!"
"Pfft!" Mrs. Shaw spat on the ground. "Scum like you? The police will lock you up first! I’m asking one last time—are you leaving or not?!"
Convinced Mrs. Shaw was all talk, Fleur didn’t back down an inch. "He’s my kid. No one here is going to stop me from taking him!"
She lunged forward to grab Robin, but Mrs. Shaw spread her arms wide to block her path.
"I’m warning you one last time—get lost! Don’t blame me if things get ugly!"
"What, you think you can hit me?" Fleur sneered, thrusting her chin forward in defiance. "Go ahead! Try it! I just got discharged from the hospital. Touch me once, and I’ll sue you for everything you own!"
"Oh, you think I’m scared?" Mrs. Shaw rolled up her sleeves and shouted into the house, "Nina, bring me the broom!"
"On it!"
Nina grabbed a broom from the laundry room, but as she stepped out, she ran into Elise coming down the stairs.
"Miss Harper, that woman Fleur is here trying to take Robin!" Nina clutched the broom handle, fuming. "She’s acting like a lunatic. You’re pregnant—you really shouldn’t go outside."
Elise glanced at the broom in her hand. "You don’t need brute force to handle someone like her. Put it away."
Nina hesitated. "But the boss told me..."
"If we get violent, we lose the moral high ground," Elise said calmly. "Don’t worry, I know how to deal with her."
Nodding, Nina put the broom aside and followed close behind, still feeling protective. "I’ll stay right with you, Miss Harper. You’re expecting, so if Fleur tries anything crazy, I can shield you."
"Thank you," Elise replied, offering a soft smile.
Her health had improved recently, bringing a healthy flush back to her cheeks. Restored to full vitality, her striking features looked stunning; when she smiled, her eyes curled like crescent moons, softening her usual cool aura with a touch of warmth.
Up close, Nina felt her cheeks flush pink—a sudden flutter of excitement akin to a fan meeting an idol. In truth, ever since Elise first checked into the guesthouse, Nina had secretly admired her beauty. At first, it was just her breathtaking looks, but over time, Nina discovered a unique grace within her.
Quiet, she carried a distant, ethereal elegance that made her seem almost untouchable. But once you got to know her, a quiet tenderness revealed itself beneath the surface—a tenderness reserved for very few.
Lost in these thoughts, Nina followed Elise out into the courtyard.
In the yard, Mrs. Shaw and Fleur were locked in a tense standoff, shoving each other back and forth.
Amid the chaos, a flash of malice glinted in Fleur’s eyes. Yet, weakened by a recent miscarriage that had left her severely anemic, she lacked the strength to overpower Mrs. Shaw.
Noticing Elise’s arrival, Mrs. Shaw delivered a firm push!
Fleur stumbled, shrieked, and collapsed onto the ground.
Panting, Mrs. Shaw placed her hands on her hips. "You’ve got more fight in you than you look! Thinking about how you used all that strength on a defenseless child makes me want to slap you myself!"
Clutching her aching lower abdomen, Fleur turned deathly pale as cold sweat broke out across her forehead. Seated on the ground, she glared up at Mrs. Shaw with venomous hatred, her mind filled with dark thoughts. If her body weren’t so weak right now, she never would have let this slide...
Elise stepped up to Fleur, looking down at her as if staring at a stain on the floor.
SLAP!
Yes, I have to keep Robin firmly in my grasp! He’s my last leverage!
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