“Follow them,” Nelson said calmly.
Two years had passed, and Callie had become a steady driver. She drove all the way to a daycare center. Soon, a teacher came out to greet them. After a brief exchange, Grape was taken inside.
Watching Grape’s back, Callie once again experienced the pain of separation, knowing there might be countless more in the future.
As Grape left, Callie sighed deeply before getting back into the car and driving back the way she came.
She passed by a parked car without noticing the people inside.
Anthony asked, “Should we go in now?”
Nelson stared straight ahead. “Wait two hours.”
The child had just started daycare and needed time to adjust. Taking her away suddenly could leave psychological scars, making her reluctant to go to school in the future.
It was complicated.
Having a child meant considering many things.
Anthony looked at the man in the rearview mirror, hesitant to speak. “Sir, I thought about it all night. Miss Marsh’s child might be…”
He didn’t dare continue, and Nelson didn’t respond.
The car remained parked for two hours. When the time was up, Nelson got out and walked straight into the building.
The daycare was full of children crying and fussing, each with a dedicated teacher watching over them. Only Grape sat quietly in a corner, building with blocks, unusually calm for a child her age.
Nelson stood in the corner, watching her for a long time.
At the venue, Callie finished work on time and headed straight to the daycare. As soon as she entered, she asked, “Where’s Grape?”
“Grape? She was picked up by her father,” the teacher replied, surprised.
Callie was even more surprised. “What are you talking about? She doesn’t have a father.”
The teacher was shocked. “A man claiming to be her father came to pick her up. The child called him ‘Dad,’ and we verified his documents before letting him take her.”
What father?
Callie had a bad feeling. She was utterly confused. Who in this world could make Grape willingly call him ‘Dad’?
Could it be that strange uncle she mentioned a few days ago?
Callie quickly asked, “What was the name on the documents?”
“I can’t remember clearly. Oh, his last name was Oconnor.”
Callie froze in place, feeling as if struck by lightning.
How could it be… how could it be him…
She turned and ran out, but once in the car, she didn’t know where to go. Her hands were shaking as she looked at her pale face in the mirror, struggling to catch her breath.
She trembled even more, finding it hard to calm down.
After a long while, she finally regained her composure and drove off.
Returning to the hotel venue, she encountered a fellow judge on the way. “Alice, why are you back?”
Callie didn’t answer, walking quickly with determination.
“Strange…” He scratched his head.
Not far away, Lily also saw this scene and immediately felt suspicious, instinctively following her.
Callie always arrived and left work on time without lingering. Why would she come back today, and why did she seem so flustered?
Callie went straight to the hotel’s annex with a cold expression, following a familiar route to her destination.
She had been here before but hadn’t gone inside.
Standing at the door, she took several deep breaths to calm her racing heart.
She knocked on the door; no one answered. She gently pushed it open and saw the scene inside.
The main door was also open.
She surveyed everything carefully, not stopping her steps until she walked inside and saw a figure standing by the window.