- Chapter 606
- Ellic froze for a second at Oscar’s unexpected question. However, she quickly pulled herself together crouching By us wrap both kids in her arms.
- Looking into Oscar’s eyes, she said firmly. “When someone tries to bully you, it’s never about whether you have mor dad. He only cares if you’re weak enough. Even if you don’t have a dad, I’ll try my best to protect youst
- Ellie hugged them tightly, offering comfort. “Stay right behind me, okay? The police will be here so**?
- After reassuring them, Ellie slowly straightened up. These people were lawless, and she needed to figure on a way to go the kids out of there first.
- Her gaze swept over the three arrogant teachers and the smug Miles. Then she lifted her phone and smirked. From the moment I stepped out of the elevator, I recorded everything–every action and every word. And it’s all right here in this phone.”
- “Hand over the phone. If you do, I might consider letting your kids study here,” Miles threatened, pointing a le
- “No need for that. Just open the gate and let my kids leave. Then I’ll consider handing over the phone ile kept her grand up, scanning her surroundings, afraid these people might resort to violence,
- Miles scoffed arrogantly. “A single mom with two kids–your emergency contact is completely blank. I’d love to see what you can actually do. If you don’t hand over the phone, none of you are leaving this school.”
- Before he could finish his sentence, Ellie suddenly hurled her phone over the gate. A sharp shattering sound echoed from outside. Ellie immediately yanked her kids back, putting distance between them and the staff.
- “Don’t open the gate! Go through the security office and get that phone, now!” Miles barked. Several security guards and a male teacher rushed toward the security office, scrambling to find another way out.
- Seeing that everyone was scrambling to get her phone, Ellie seized the moment. Grabbing her kids hands, she dashed toward the security office. However, before she could get far, two female teachers–who had been standing beside the office -suddenly blocked her path.
- The scene erupted into chaos. Ellie struggled to shield her children, but against two grown adults, she simply couldn’t break free. Her kids, terrified by the commotion, sobbed uncontrollably, yet still clung to her, trying to protect her with their tiny bodies.
- “Ellie!” A familiar voice rang out from the gate. Ellie turned around–there, just outside the electric gate, stood Alex. The moment she saw him, her breath hitched, and for some reason, her eyes suddenly welled with tears.
- “Don’t cry. I’m coming in right now.” As Alex spoke, a disorienting pain stabbed through his head. For a split second, a flood of unfamiliar images flashed through his mind–fragmented memories that felt both foreign and deeply ingrained.
- He gripped the metal bars of the electric gate, steadying himself against the dizziness.
- “It’s okay. I’m here.” The words left his lips instinctively as if he had said them countless times before.
- Ellie, still huddled with her kids near the gate, looked at him–trusting. He would get them out.
- “Sir, please move your car. This is a school entrance and no parking was allowed,” Benjamin, the male teacher, stepped forward, snapping Alex out of his thoughts.
- Chapter 607
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Alex turned, shooting Benjamin a glare. Gripping the bars of the gate with both hands, he was just about to climb over when Benjamin and two security guards stopped him. “Sir, climbing the gate without permission is illegal. Please move your car and leave immediately!”
“Go to hell!” Alex swung a punch at Benjamin, knocking him back. Then he swiftly climbed over the 6.5–foot–high gate. With a sharp leap, he landed right in front of Ellie and the two kids, shielding them.
“What are you doing here?” Ellie’s voice trembled as she asked.
Alex averted his gaze, mumbling, “Uh… I was just passing by.”
“Mr. Warren, my kids are scared. Can you help us get out of here first?” Ellie grabbed the sleeve of Alex’s jacket.
Alex glanced at the kids, whose faces were flushed from crying. Oscar held Betty’s hand tightly while clutching a car key in the other, eyeing Alex warily.
Betty’s collar was crooked, her hair a mess–she looked as disheveled as a defeated rooster. She tried to step forward to talk to him, but Oscar pulled her back.
Alex lowered his gaze, staring at Ellie’s hand gripping his sleeve. A strange feeling stirred in his chest, one he couldn’t quite put into words. He was just a stranger to them. Yet somehow, seeing them like this made his heart ache.
Alex cursed himself under his breath.
“Who the hell are you?” A pompous voice rang out from behind Alex. He straightened up lazily, rolling his sleeves back down. He loosened his cufflinks, stretched his neck, and took a slow step toward Miles. “I’m your damn father!” Alex growled, punching him.
Without missing a beat, Alex unleashed a brutal flurry of blows on Miles. The moment Barry swung open the gate, he jumped into the fight as well. Within minutes, the security guards and those arrogant teachers were sprawled across the ground, completely wrecked.
O
“Do you know who we are? You won’t be able to walk out of here once our principal comes back!” Miles, pinned to the ground by Alex, spat blood as he tried to threaten him.
Alex slammed his boots down, kicking Miles until his face and head were covered in blood. “Principal? He better educate himself before talking to me!”
“Use this!” Betty suddenly appeared, dragging a shovel behind her.
Alex took the shovel with a raised eyebrow. However, Barry rushed over and quickly snatched the shovel from him. He thought, ‘Mr. Warren just came out of prison. If Betty sends him back in with a shovel, that’d be… well, hilarious.
Alex stared at Betty, frowning. She was younger than him, but even more ruthless.
“Do you want to hit him?” Alex pointed at the man lying on the ground.
Betty nodded vigorously. “They hit my brother and bullied me and my mom. I want to use the shovel to knock their heads!”
Barry’s hand trembled as he held the shovel.
Ellie was left speechless. She had to say the Warren family’s genes were terrifying. Oscar was easy to manage, but Betty was a little wild, like a lunatic. Even her fierceness was the same as Alex’s–reckless when it came to fighting.
Sighing in frustration, Ellie led Oscar over. “I’ve already called the police. Let them handle the rest.” She was worried Alex might go too far, so she stepped in to stop him.
Chapter 607
“It’s fine,” Alex said, taking the opportunity to pull her closer by the shoulder. “You aren’t even as brave as your daughter. No wonder you always get bullied.”
Alex then turned Ellie around and pulled both her and Oscar into his embrace. “You’re even quieter than your sister. That’s rare for boys.”
Oscar glanced at Alex but didn’t say anything. Instead, he just shrugged off Alex’s arm on his shoulder.
Alex shrugged, saying nothing.
Chapter 608
“Kick him as hard as you want! I’ll take care of the rest!” said Alex.
Ellie turned with Oscar, frowning as she heard Alex’s arrogant voice from behind. He was leading Betty by the hand, showing her how to kick and stomp on Miles, who was still lying there.
Tm tired, Betty said, her legs aching from all the kicking. Finally, the duo stopped.
Alex squatted down and grabbed the corner of the security guard’s shirt, wiping the blood off Betty’s shoes. The teachers and security guards around them were so frightened they lay flat on the ground, pretending to be unconscious.
Alex led Betty back to Ellie, and their eyes met. Alex noticed Ellie’s swollen eyes, and without thinking, he reached out to touch her face. However, Ellie instinctively turned her head away.
“Are you guys okay?” Alex asked, feeling a sharp pain in his heart as soon as he saw her eyes.
With Alex standing guard, Ellie finally had the chance to check if the kids had any injuries. As she rolled up Oscar’s sleeve, she saw several pencil–tip marks on his arm, and her heart tightened. She hugged him and asked, “Who did this, sweetie?”
“It was my desk mate,” Oscar said, looking down. “He threw my pencil case on the ground and stepped on it. When I went to pick it up, he pushed me. I pushed him back, but he stabbed me with his pencil.
“The teacher said it was my fault and told me to apologize, but I didn’t.”
“That bad guy also hit Oscar on the head!” Betty cut in, “The teacher held him back from fighting back, so I used a chair to hit him!”
Betty, feeling protected, spoke with newfound confidence. She raised her voice even more, her small face puffed up in anger as she glared at the people still lying on the ground, wishing she could stomp on them again.
“Dr. Thompson, your phone,” a voice called out, and Barry handed over her phone as he moved the car.
Ellie put the broken phone into her bag. There had been no signal in the elevator, so the video she sent Aaron probably didn’t go through. She looked at Barry and asked, “Can I borrow your phone for a second?”
Barry was just about to hand over his phone when he caught a glare from Alex, warning him. Subtly, he pulled the phone back.
“I’m sorry, Dr. Thompson, my phone is dead,” Barry said.
Ellie was speechless.
“My phone can do.” Alex slowly pulled out his phone.
Ellie reached for it, but Alex didn’t let go. They stared at each other for a moment until Ellie took a deep breath and said, “Mr. Warren, can I borrow your phone?”
“Sure. Why are you asking Barry?” Alex handed over his phone to Ellie.
Ellie glanced awkwardly at Barry before calling Aaron on Alex’s phone. Just as she hung up, the police arrived. She glanced at the time on the phone. It had been exactly twenty–five minutes since she called the police.
In this area, the police usually arrive within five minutes, and even in the farthest suburb, they should be there within twenty minutes. Ellie understood what was going on but didn’t press the matter further.
Instead, she casually asked, “Excuse me, I called the police twenty–five minutes ago. Why did it take so long for you to
arrive?”
Chapter 608
“Mind your own business. If you have a problem, take it to the station,” several officers got out of the car, and one of them snapped at her.
Ellie said, “I’ll cooperate with the investigation, but could you wait a moment? I called my family to pick up my kids.”
“The kids need to come with us for questioning too,” the same officer snapped back at Ellie.
“My kids are still in kindergarten, and according to the law, they don’t need to go,” Ellie replied calmly.
Chapter 609
“All of you need to come with us. If you have a problem, go ahead and file a complaint!” Before Ellie could respond, the officer pointed at her and said.
Ellie quietly saved the recording and handed the phone back to Alex.
“Damn it, I really want to twist their heads off!” Alex seethed, his chest visibly heaving with anger, though Ellie stopped him from going any further and tried to keep him calm.
“I want to twist their heads off too!” Betty stood next to Alex, mimicking his tone.
Ellie glanced at Alex, then at Betty, frowning in concern.
Seeing Ellie’s face full of worry, Alex thought she was upset about the kids being taken to the police station. “You can’t be so conservative. They’re young and it’s a good chance for them to learn more about the world.”
Ellie raised an eyebrow. “You mean, being taken to the police station can help them learn the world, huh?”
Alex shot her a puzzled look. “Am I wrong?”
Ellie sighed.
*****
In the evening, Aaron finished the procedure and watched as Ellie and Alex walked out of the police station, each holding one of the kids. They looked like an ordinary family of four.
So many years had passed. Aaron wondered if Ellie had moved on from the past or if she could open her heart to Alex again. Or maybe, for the kids, she would give Alex another chance.
As her brother and the kids‘ uncle, Aaron hoped they could be a happy family. After all, life was short, and he hoped they wouldn’t leave any regrets. With a sigh, he took a step toward them.
“Uncle Aaron!” The kids ran toward Aaron, pulling away from Ellie’s hands.
Aaron bent down and picked them both up, one in each arm.
“Aaron,” Ellie called out, and then Alex followed and greeted him.
Ellie and Aaron turned to stare at Alex in unison. Alex rubbed his nose awkwardly and explained, “Well, Mr. Thompson just has that approachable vibe. I feel that we might be good friends.”
“Mr. Warren, thanks for what you did for them,” Aaron said. They had moved on and Ellie had two kids with Alex. Therefore, Aaron no longer treated him with the same coldness he once had.
“I’ll follow up on the remaining matters. Let’s head back,” Aaron said before getting into the car with the kids.
Oscar had always kept a polite but distant attitude toward Alex. Betty was different. Held by her Aaron, she kept waving at Alex with a huge smile on her face.
“Thanks for everything, Mr. Warren,” Ellie said as she took a bottle of water from Aaron’s car and handed it to Alex.
Alex glanced at the cheap bottled water she handed him and asked, “Is this all? A simple thank you and a bottle of water?”
Ellie was momentarily confused.
Alex pointed to his pants, “Look, I tore my pants climbing the gate to save you.”
Chapter 609
Ellie rolled her eyes. “I’ll get you a new one next time.” She finally figured out what Alex wanted. After saying that, she turned and got into the car.
“By the way, Mr. Warren, you could get one size bigger next time. Tight clothes aren’t good for your circulation,” Ellie added, pausing before getting into the car to give one last reminder.
Alex watched as Aaron drove off. “Just because the pants are ripped doesn’t mean they’re completely unwearable. It’s too wasteful to buy new ones.”
Barry, listening to Alex’s complaints, couldn’t believe it. He thought, ‘When did Mr. Warren become so frugal?‘ He said, “Maybe you should take it off. I can go find a tailor to fix it for you.”
Alex shot Barry a sharp look. “The tailor might charge a lot. Just have Dr. Thompson sew them for me.”
Barry replied, “Well, Dr. Thompson is a doctor, not a tailor. She probably doesn’t know how to sew.”
Alex snorted. “She’s a plastic surgeon. If she can do that on human faces, what’s so hard about fixing a pair of pants?”
Chapter 610
After taking the kids to the hospital for their check–up in the evening, which turned out normal, Ellie took them back to the Thompson residence.
When Whitney heard the news, she was stunned for a moment. “These people are lawless. Now that they’re in your hands, Aaron, you can’t let them get away with this!”
“This matter is already going through legal channels, and they will be punished severely!” Aaron said, his eyes filled with concern as he pulled the kids in close.
Tll take them upstairs, Ellie said, chatting briefly with her family before leading the kids upstairs to rest.
The evidence on her phone had already been submitted to the police, and she knew Aaron would make sure these people faced the consequences. She wasn’t worried about the case’s progress, but she was worried about the kids.
“Oscar, let’s go. I’ll take you for a bath,” Aaron stood up, gently pulling Oscar upstairs. Since Ellie brought the kids back, Aaron had always been the one to take Oscar for his baths.
The kids seemed to have been frightened, so Ellie brought them to her room to stay together. She lay in the middle, with the kids on either side, curled into her arms.
“Mom Oscar murmured, eyes closed, but he held onto Ellie’s arm tightly, not letting go.
Ellie felt a pang of heartache. Oscar had a somewhat aloof personality, and though he was very close to her and depended on her, it was rare for him to cling to her like this even while asleep. It seemed that he was truly scared.
She pulled him closer to her, gently whispering, “Don’t worry, sweetie. I’m right here, and no one will hurt us anymore.”
“Mom, can I see that handsome man again tomorrow?” Betty asked, her voice full of excitement despite her eyes being shut.
“Do you want to see him again?” Ellie asked, pausing for a moment in the pitch–black room. She listened to Betty’s eager affirmation and fell into brief silence. Maybe this was the power of blood ties.
“Can I give him a gift?” Betty’s voice came again, full of curiosity.
Ellie asked, “What would you like to give to him?”
“I haven’t decided yet. Once I figure it out, can you take me to see him?” said Betty.
Ellie fell silent again. After a long while, she answered, “Okay.”
“He is so amazing. Can we ask him to be my dad? That way, no one will bully us anymore,” Betty’s voice, full of longing, reached Ellie’s ears in the dark.
Before today, Ellie had never questioned the decision she made years ago to have these kids. However, now, she was starting to doubt herself whether it was right to have stubbornly chosen to bring them into the world.
She had always believed she was doing her best to be a good mom. She thought her kids had everything, and any lack of fatherly love could be balanced out by other means.
However, what had happened today made it clear–she could never make up for that. She, as a mother, had failed.
If it hadn’t been for Alex arriving in time today, Ellie had no idea what might have happened or how much more her kids would have suffered.
As she closed her eyes, her mind was filled with the helpless and terrified expressions of her kids hiding in her arms. She couldn’t quite describe how she felt–only that it was complicated.
