The waitress’s smile stiffened slightly, but she forced herself to keep smiling. She nodded and said, "Miss Bishop, this is on Mr. Lockwood’s orders. I’m just doing the job I was paid for."

Of course, Eleanor Bishop understood what the waitress meant. She said nothing more, simply turning to go back inside. She poured a glass of water and, right in front of the waitress, swallowed the medicine. Only then did she speak. "There. Satisfied now?"

"Yes. Then I won’t disturb you any longer, Miss Bishop."

"Mm."

After watching the waitress leave and shut the door, Eleanor Bishop’s expression immediately fell. She walked dejectedly over to the sofa and sat down.

She sat there, lost in a daze, for a very long time. It wasn’t until her phone rang that she snapped back to reality. She hurriedly pulled the phone from her pocket, but when she saw the word ’Home’ on the screen, the melancholy in Eleanor Bishop’s eyes deepened.

"Hello?"

"Eleanor, so? How did it go? Did you get the money?" Yara Ross’s excited voice came through the phone.

Listening to Yara Ross, Eleanor Bishop replied in a cold voice, "Yeah, I got it."

"That’s great. Hurry and come back. Rory woke up and has been crying for you."

"I know. I’ll be right back." With that, Eleanor Bishop hung up before the other person could speak.

Gazing at her phone, her eyes were filled with sorrow...

***

「Newcroft, the villa district.」

When Mika Summers woke up, she saw that Kiki was already awake and sitting up in bed, playing by himself.

She rubbed her eyes, threw back the covers, and got out of bed to wash up in the bathroom.

When she finished, something occurred to her. She frowned and looked at Kiki. "Kiki, where’s your father?"

"Oh, he went on a business trip," Kiki answered while playing with his toys.

"A business trip?" ’He left for a business trip without saying a word? Then what about Kiki?’

"Mm-hm."

Mika Summers composed herself and walked over to Kiki. While picking up his clothes and dressing him, she asked, "When did he leave? This morning?"

"I don’t know," Kiki muttered, pouting and lacking confidence.

Mika felt a pang of anxiety. She asked tentatively, "Kiki, how about you come with Mommy, and we can live together? Okay?"

Kiki tilted his head, thought for a moment, and nodded. "Mm, okay."

As soon as Kiki agreed, Mika leaned down, kissed his cheek, and said with a smile, "Mommy promises Kiki, living with Mommy will be way better than living with Daddy!" ’If I can get on good terms with Kiki during this time, maybe I can take him with me when I leave.’

At this thought, Mika’s smile grew even wider...

Blushing slightly from the sudden kiss, Kiki looked flustered and responded faintly, "Oh..."

Mika put Kiki’s shoes on, grabbed a few changes of his clothes, and led him out the door.

Once they were in the car, Mika pulled out her phone and called Jessica Archer, telling her to find an apartment near the office. She wanted to move in that very night.

After hanging up, Mika smiled at Kiki and said gently, "Kiki, you’ll have to put up with a temporary place with Mommy for a little while. Once things at Mommy’s company are settled, I’ll take you back to Austerra. It’s really fun there."

"What about Daddy?" Kiki asked, looking up with a pout.

"Uh, your daddy... he has to stay here, of course."

"If Daddy’s not going, then I’m not going either. I want to be with Daddy."

Mika’s expression soured, and her voice dropped. "You like him that much? What’s so great about him, anyway..."