Charlotte’s heart began to ache again. It took her a few seconds to gather herself, managing to muster up a smile, "You’re both still young. Don’t worry about all this. Whether you return to your father or not, just remember that I will always be your mommy."
Saying this, Chad pursed his lips, understanding the meaning behind Charlotte’s words. He didn’t say anything else, but there was a complicated mix of emotions in his eyes.
Charlotte shrugged her shoulders, her tone forcedly casual, "Let’s not feel too sad. It’s a good thing for Annie to stay with her biological parents."
While waiting for the traffic light to change, she turned to glance at Grace sitting behind her. The girl was obviously feeling dejected.
Annie usually had the best relationship with her. Despite being the youngest among the children, Annie was always eager to offer advice to Grace, like an older sibling.
On many occasions when Grace was upset and shedding tears, it was always Annie who earnestly comforted her.
Charlotte sighed, reached out and caressed the young girl’s soft cheek, whispering to Grace, "Don’t worry, we will still see Annie regularly."
Upon hearing this, Grace lifted her head, her big, tearful eyes fixed on Charlotte. She bit her lip and asked, "Really?"
"When have I ever lied to you?" Charlotte turned her eyes back towards the road ahead, smiled and said, "We’re about to reach the restaurant. Let’s all eat to our fill and turn our sorrows into appetite, okay?" ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ N0velFire.ɴet
Upon hearing her words, Grace brightened up and started nodding her head like a pecking chicken.
Charlotte had already chosen the restaurant beforehand. It was an Internet celebrity restaurant. Although it was quite crowded, the food truly lived up to the hype.
She led Grace into the restaurant, found an empty table and sat down with the kids. At this point, the waiter came over with the menu.
Charlotte glanced at it and casually selected a few dishes while also ordering a few juices.
The restaurant was filled with people, mostly young couples with their children, or lovebirds. It was rather unusual to see someone like Charlotte alone with five kids.
She saw a number of glances being thrown in her direction. Not seeming to mind, she simply turned her head and engaged Grace in a conversation.
What she failed to notice was that a few minutes after they had walked in, a woman wearing glasses and a mask entered and took a seat at the table next to hers.
It was right in Charlotte’s blind spot.
The woman quietly took out her phone, turned on the camera, and quickly snapped a few pictures in Charlotte’s direction.
The woman did everything so subtly that no one noticed. After waiting a few seconds, she stood up and walked out of the restaurant as if she was just a random customer.
Behind her, the waiter prepared to present her with the menu, but by the time he realized what was happening, he only saw her back exiting the door.
The waiter dejectedly took back the menu and muttered, "So strange."
Outside the restaurant, the woman checked the photos she had taken. A satisfied smile curled at the corner of her lips at what she saw.
She exited her gallery, opened her contacts list, and called a number.
The call was picked up almost instantly. She excitedly spoke before the other person could.
"Sister Hughes, your information was spot-on," her eyes shone brightly, her voice quaking with excitement. "This news is going to be even bigger than the last time. My promotion is definitely not far off."
She paused for a second before continuing, "By the way, Sister Hughes, I am curious. How did this woman manage to give birth to five children of similar ages?"
Upon hearing this, the woman on the other end chuckled, "Let’s not pry into others’ affairs. Just focus on getting the news out."