Chapter 496
It was a tiny robot.
Nathaniel had somehow squeezed a Barbie dress onto the metallic toy.
He frowned, wondering if his baby sister would actually like something like this.
Ugh. It looked ridiculous.
He’d just buy her a brand new one.
Just as he was about to toss it in the trash, Isabella walked in.
She scooped Oliver into her arms and gently pinched his cheeks. “Is my sweet boy having fun?”
“Yeah! I wanted to give all my toys to my baby sister, but… they’re all kinda ugly.”
Most were Transformers, race cars, or battle bots.
Isabella understood when she spotted the frilly pink dress stretched over the robot’s chassis.
If things were different… she might have actually considered building a family with Nathaniel.
She pushed the thought away. “Oliver, I need you to promise me something.”
His smile instantly vanished.
Tears welled in his wide, fearful eyes.
Her chest tightened.
She’d grown so attached to him these past weeks.
Even though he wasn’t biologically hers, a deep, protective bond had formed.
The idea of him hurting felt like a physical wound.
But she had no choice.
She needed space. Time to breathe.
She needed to see what Nathaniel would do—how he truly felt about Sophia.
Time would reveal if their family could ever truly be whole.
If not… she would walk away for good.
She sat him on the bed, her voice soft. “You know Mommy’s family is in trouble, right? The Montgomery family… we’ve lost everything. My brother is in the hospital. I have to go back. I need to fix things, to fight off the bad people. When it’s all over, I’ll come back for you.”
“No! Waa… no!” He burst into sobs instantly. “Don’t leave me! Please, Mommy! Don’t go!”
His small arms locked around her neck, his whole body trembling against hers.
Tears soaked through her shirt.
Each cry felt like a shard of glass in her heart.
She held him tighter. “Sweetheart, listen. I’m not leaving you. I just need to handle some things at home.”
“You’re lying! I’m not a baby! I know you’re mad at Daddy! You’re leaving him! And you’re leaving me!”
He suddenly pulled away, scrambling off the bed. “I hate Daddy! He hurt you! How could he be with another woman? I’m gonna beat him up!”
He dashed toward the door, a tiny ball of fury.
Isabella’s heart lurched. She hadn’t expected him to see through it so clearly.
She caught him just as his little hand reached for the doorknob, pulling him back into her arms.
“Oliver, no. You misunderstood. I swear on my life, I will come back to you. I just need to save my family first.”
She prayed that by the time she dealt with the Montgomery crisis and Benjamin, Nathaniel would have resolved things with Sophia.
But Oliver kept crying, his small body shaking. “I don’t believe you! You’re lying! You won’t come back! You don’t love us anymore! Waa…!”
His desperate wails filled the room.
Then, steady, heavy footsteps echoed from the hallway.
Nathaniel walked in.