Scum Daddy Dreams Of Stealing My Mommy!
Chapter 214 Betrayed by a Loved One

Chapter 214: Chapter 214 Betrayed by a Loved One

The atmosphere in the dining room was already tense, and when Christopher spoke up, his expression and movements froze.

Amelia withdrew her gaze and lowered her head to continue eating, but the food had lost its flavor.

A suffocating silence fell for a few seconds before the man finally broke it to offer an explanation.

"Having someone follow you wasn’t meant maliciously. I was worried that if my family found out about your existence, they’d trouble you again. Given your personality, even if they mistreated you and you felt aggrieved, you wouldn’t tell me."

He paused, then continued in a deep and sincere tone, "I wasn’t there to protect you in the past, and that was my fault. From now on, and forever, I won’t let you suffer again."

The woman didn’t utter a word, continuing her meal in silence with her head down, her expression calm, not looking at him.

But deep down, there were still some ripples in her heart.

She had heard from Snow about what happened yesterday.

Christopher had harshly confronted Emma Carter and her husband in front of all the guests, leaving the elderly couple nearly fainting from anger.

The determination he had to protect her was there for all to see.

But if he had known this day would come, why act the way he did in the beginning?

She couldn’t help but think that maybe all men take things for granted, regretting only once they’ve lost.

After breakfast, Amelia received a call from Shaw reminding her to attend a fashion event that morning where she was an important guest and could not be absent.

She hung up the phone and, seeing her little girl unpacking her birthday gifts in the living room, sighed and went over to her.

"Hope, mommy has to go to work. Will you be good and play at home?"

Hope turned to look at her, her delicate features and bright, beautiful eyes twinkling with joy.

"Will mommy come back then?"

"Mommy..." She hesitated but decided to be honest, "I have to go back to my own house tonight, I have to take care of your brother too."

"You still love brother more..."

"No, it’s not like that. You and your brother are both mommy’s treasures. I don’t love one more than the other."

Before the mother and daughter could resolve their conversation, Christopher came over and picked up his daughter, saying to her, "If you’re busy, you should go ahead. I’ll stay home and spend the day with her."

Amelia looked at him, a trace of gratitude in her eyes. Before she could speak, she saw him turn to his daughter and coax gently, "How about we go to mommy’s house for dinner tonight, okay?"

Hope didn’t respond, conflicted in her heart.

She yearned for her mother, but every time she saw her brothers with her, she felt unhappy.

"..." Amelia pursed her lips, somewhat at a loss for words.

They had had such a fierce argument the day before, and today he was acting as if nothing happened? How exactly did this man develop such a thick skin?

Christopher turned his head again to look at Amelia, his thin lips curving into a slight smile, "Aren’t you in a hurry?"

She glanced at her watch, her brows knitting together.

Indeed she was short on time, she would have to see to the evening’s matters later.

"Bye, my treasure. If you miss mommy, you can give her a call."

The little girl pouted, still not speaking up, and watched her mother leave with yearning eyes.

Christopher also kept his gaze on the retreating figure of the woman, his eyes profound, a tranquil appearance concealing an indistinct tartness.

With a love rival who had returned and was now brazenly living with his son, which man could suppress his feelings?

He had to show up, assert his dominance, and conveniently have a proper chat with that foreigner.

"Hope, daddy will take you to see a cute dog, okay?"

The sulking little girl perked up immediately and nodded her head, "Is there a dog?"

"Mhm."

————

Kane was very experienced with kids, and although the two brothers were a bit naughty, they were overall quite sensible and easy to look after.

After sleeping in to get over the jet lag, he got up and cooked spaghetti for the children, toasted a few slices of bread with bacon, and served it with jam and a vegetable salad—a simple yet nutritious brunch.

Before they even finished eating, the doorbell rang.

Curious, he got up to open the door, unsurprised to see the rival and fellow man standing there.

As usual, Hope clung to her dad, but when the door opened, she turned and politely greeted, "Uncle Kane."

She was quite fond of the tall guy.

Kane liked children, especially such a delicate little girl; anyone would feel compelled to touch her.

He smiled and responded, automatically reaching up to ruffle the little girl’s hair, "Hello, Hope."

Christopher’s expression darkened, and he uncourteously brushed Kane’s arm aside, "Don’t get too friendly; we’re not close!"

With that, he entered the house, holding his daughter as if no one else was there.

Kane smiled helplessly, stepped aside to let him through, and then closed the door behind him.

After waking up, he saw the WhatsApp messages; Clarke had said this guy might come over in the afternoon and told him to be mentally prepared—yet here he was before ten thirty.

It seemed like a deliberate provocation against him...

Noah and Ethan looked stiff upon the man’s entrance.

"What are you doing here?" Noah asked, his attitude unfriendly.

Christopher put his daughter down and pointed to Little Dunham, rolling around and acting cute in the living room, "Baby, look, that’s the doggy, named Little Dunham."

Seeing the chubby and fluffy little dog, Hope’s eyes lit up, and she hurried over, "Little Dunham, you’re so cute..."

Having dealt with his daughter, Christopher stood up straight, and his expression instantly changed.

"Is this what you feed my sons? They’re growing and need nutrition. Rumor has it you’re rich as Croesus, and this is how stingy you are?" He snorted after glancing at the food on the table, then turned his head and ridiculed Kane with a glance.

Kane’s proficiency in Chinese was limited, and he didn’t quite understand at first, but he was sure it wasn’t anything complimentary.

Nothing like a rival to get the blood boiling.

Just thinking about how this guy had cornered him into marriage negotiations, causing him such a headache that he hadn’t settled and had to "flee" the country, Kane felt annoyed.

"If you’re so capable, why don’t you cook a meal?" Kane threw the challenge back.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he made the comment, a young voice immediately criticized, "Even dogs won’t eat what he makes."

Mr. Hart suddenly turned around, "What did you say?"

The critic was Noah.

But when faced with his father’s questioning again, the little guy lost his courage and couldn’t repeat it.

Then Ethan suddenly spoke up, "My brother said, even Little Dunham disdained the last meal you cooked! Mom said you wasted food and were disrespectful to the farmers—mmmph..."

Before he could finish, Noah quickly lunged to cover his mouth.

"Can’t you ever keep quiet? Can’t eating shut you up?" Noah was livid.

Such a surefire way to betray his brother!

Christopher, understanding his son’s words, had a face that was an astonishing sight, a real palette of colors.

Having his cooking rejected by his own son was embarrassing enough—let alone in front of his rival!

Thick-skinned as he might be, he at least wanted to save face!

Ethan, his mouth covered and seeing his Scumbag Father’s expression, realized he said something he shouldn’t have.

"It’s just what it is... You’re the one who said it to mom, not me... I think it’s fine though—" Ethan muttered subconsciously in defense of someone, trying to save face for them.

He had eaten two bowls of rice that day.

Noah was frustrated as if dealing with a hopeless case, "You glutton! Is there anything in this world that you can’t eat?"

Christopher immediately took offence upon hearing this and instinctively defended his younger son, "Is there a brother in this world who talks to his younger sibling like that?"

Noah shot back, "Exactly."

Kane, who was aside, watched the skirmish between the father and his sons and couldn’t help wanting to applaud the dramatic scene.

Christopher seemed to catch onto his thoughts, turned his cold and hostile gaze back to him, and said, "You can leave now; I’ll take care of them."

"That won’t do," Kane refused outright, returning to the dining table to continue his meal. "I live here."

"Live here?" Christopher sneered with contempt. "If you are so cheap that you can’t even bear to stay in a hotel, I can book a room for you."

"No need, I like living here with Clarke." Kane deliberately provoked him and even chuckled after saying that.

Christopher: "..."

If persuasion didn’t work, then he’d have to resort to other measures.

After the children finished eating and ran off to play with Little Dunham, Christopher pulled a chair and sat down, asking expressionlessly, "Tell me, what do you want to disappear from her side?"

Kane put down his fork, pulled out a napkin to wipe his mouth, and looked at him seriously, "I thought you’d be a bit more polite to me after finding out about the existence of the two brothers."

Christopher scoffed coldly.

"It can be said... quite frankly, if it wasn’t for me, Clarke couldn’t have managed to live with two children... let alone establish the brand she has now. Although we... are not married, we... have long been like a family."

Kane’s Chinese was halting, but his meaning was clear.

Hearing this, Christopher felt a surge of anger, but also as if his heart was being cut with a knife.

Anger because another man had the audacity to lay claim to his woman, his biological children—and he had been totally unaware.

The heartache came from imagining the hardship and difficulties of that woman raising the children on her own.

In a foreign land, all alone, with two children...

Just the thought of it conveyed how hard each day must have been.

He fell silent, his gaze fixed blankly on the tabletop as he once again deeply regretted his past mistakes.

Kane noticed the change in his emotions and continued, "If you... truly love her, you should respect... her choices."

"Yesterday, I also saw that your parents... are not welcoming to her. If she returns to your side, it would just lead to... the same tragedy all over again. That would be bad for her... and for the children."

When it came to family, Christopher suddenly felt a surge of fighting spirit, "Do you think your family will accept her? Miss Betty should probably be chasing after you again soon, right?"

Kane’s face darkened with anger at the provocation, "You... mean-spirited, despicable!"

"Heh... say what you will. As long as I can get my woman and children back, I can do anything."

With the negotiation breaking down, the two men locked eyes, a silent battle raging between them.

After a moment, Christopher softened his tone but made his final warning, "I advise you to give up on that idea while you can. I won’t let her be with you. Just roll back to your own country and marry your foreign girls."

————

Amelia Garcia had just finished a fashion event and was leaving the venue when it was almost noon.

Just as she returned to the company, Shaw answered a phone call and looked at her, "Sis, the store says someone’s looking for you and has been waiting for a long time."

"Who?"

"A young lad, surnamed Garcia; he said he’s your brother." Shaw was puzzled, "Sis, is it your half-brother from the same father?"

Amelia was taken aback, looking at Shaw in a daze for a second before responding crisply, "Don’t see him."

She had almost forgotten she had a younger brother.

What was his name again, Jacob Garcia?

They had never interacted before, and his sudden appearance could only mean trouble.

"Alright, I’ll go down and send him away," Shaw agreed and turned to leave.

But before long, Shaw’s call came again, "Sis, he’s saying that he won’t leave unless he sees you. He’s causing a commotion in the store and has driven all the customers out."

Their studio was located right above the Venus brand flagship store, which catered to VIP clients.

If this commotion continued...

What will be, will be—fortune or misfortune can’t be avoided. Amelia stood up, "I’ll go down now. Have him wait in the rest area."

After hanging up, Amelia felt uneasy.

Lily had escaped from the Hart Residence. Christopher Hart had instructed his men to pay close attention to Jacob Garcia this morning, suspecting that the siblings might contact each other.

And now, Jacob Garcia had come looking for her...

Could it be related to Lily?

In the elevator, she hesitated, unsure whether to inform Christopher Hart.

She had her phone out, pondering over and over, but ultimately decided against calling him proactively.

Upon entering the store’s rest area, Amelia walked in and saw the young man sitting on the sofa, his expression quite... complex.

After so many years, she genuinely didn’t recognize her own brother.

However, Jacob immediately recognized her and stood up without courtesy, scoffing, "So you’re really alive? Incredible. Both my mom and my sister combined are no match for you."

Amelia turned her head, signaling the irrelevant people to leave, keeping a security guard and Shaw by her side.

Ignoring his mockery, Amelia stood at a distance, her expression cold, "What do you want from me? Just say it."

Jacob eyed her nonchalantly, "Where’s my sister? She was bailed out and has disappeared. I checked; she called you."

Hearing this, Amelia couldn’t help but scoff, "You’re here to ask me for her?"

"She’s been missing for days now. Just you and that Christopher Hart have a grudge against her."

"Then why don’t you go find Christopher Hart?"

"I..." The young man stiffened his neck, his words stopping mid-sentence as he tried to save face, "I’ll go find him later!"

Although Amelia hadn’t seen him for many years and barely recognized him, her memory still afforded her some understanding of him.

"You’re scared, right? That’s why you came to me first, thinking I’m an easy target."

The young man pursed his lips, staying silent.

Amelia turned around, "I don’t know where your sister is, and I have nothing to say to you. Leave, I won’t see you out."

She hadn’t finished speaking when she reached the door.

Unexpectedly, the kid suddenly lunged forward, "Don’t go!"

The security guard, thinking he might attack, quickly restrained him.

Amelia and Shaw were startled and turned back, their eyes filled with alarm.

"What do you want? I’ve had issues with your sister, but I value my time and have no interest in seeking revenge. Come here again, and I’ll call the police!"

"I don’t want anything, I want money!" The kid blurted out the truth as she tried to leave, "Dad’s about to go bankrupt, we’re dying poor. I’ve come back to the country with no job or savings...I, I have no money to spend! You’re my sister; you should take care of me! Who else but you to get my mom and my real sister sent to jail!"

Amelia froze, then let out a cold laugh, pausing before laughing coldly again.

This giant baby, what nerve does he have to ask her for money?

"Do you have something wrong with your brain? Do I look like a saint to you? Why should I give you money?"

Jacob was fidgety, panting heavily in the security guard’s arms, his complexion betraying intense conflict. After a prolonged silence and struggle, he said, "I know, my sister isn’t with you guys... If you give me money, I’ll tell you where she is...really, it’s the truth, I’m not lying to you!"