Chapter 7

Julia almost forgot that she had a meeting scheduled with Henry.

A flash of panic crossed her eyes as she glanced around, then whispered, "Caroline, get to the lobby now. In a bit, say you made a call and we're skipping dinner. I'll take Joe and Steve and leave! You hand the little girl back to Henry, and we'll meet up later!"

"Got it!" Caroline agreed without hesitation.

In less than five minutes, she emerged from the private room and joined Julia.

Julia handed Tiffany over to Caroline. "She's all yours."

Little Tiffany's eyes were brimming with tears, her expression full of reluctance.

Julia turned and quickly led her own kids, Joseph and Stephen, away.

Joe and Steve curiously asked, "Mommy, why aren't we eating? The food's already here."

"We'll eat later."

Julia hurriedly pushed Joseph and Stephen forward, almost breaking into a run.

As they passed by Tiffany, the little girl looked at Julia with a pitiful gaze, as if she wanted to say something.

Being a mother of two, Julia's heart softened at the sight of Tiffany. She gently stroked Tiffany's cheek before swiftly leaving the Azure Bay Hotel with Joseph and Stephen.

Just as Julia left, Henry arrived.

When a big shot like him showed up, it was always a grand affair.

His black-suited bodyguards cleared the way, making space for him to walk through.

Henry appeared in the cleared path, his presence commanding attention.

Caroline was so nervous that her hand holding Tiffany's was sweating, but for Julia's sake, she maintained her composure and looked towards Henry.

In the lobby of the Azure Bay Hotel, it was easy to spot the person with his little princess. With just one glance, Henry saw them.

Tiffany also saw her daddy.

Henry's eyes darkened with a mix of anger and worry.

"Miss Hearst, are you alright?" Henry's assistant, Asher, asked.

Tiffany glanced at Henry, then turned her head away in a huff.

Asher checked Tiffany for injuries and finally felt relieved.

"Don't run off like that again. Your daddy was very worried about you, you know." Asher had watched Tiffany grow up and cared deeply for her.

Tiffany pouted, clearly expressing her displeasure.

Henry glanced at her, then shifted his gaze to Caroline.

Caroline was undeniably nervous; Henry's aura was overwhelming.

To keep her composure, she pinched her thigh hard, forcing herself to stay calm.

She expected Henry to thank her or something.

She even started rehearsing her response in her head, but Henry's first words were a shock.

"Where's Julia?" he said coldly.

One phone call, and he recognized Julia?

Good thing Julia had left.

Henry's presence was suffocating.

"Shouldn't you be thanking me for finding your daughter?" Caroline suppressed the tremor in her voice and retorted sharply.

Henry frowned slightly. "You made the call?"

"Who else would it be?" Caroline was doing her best to hold her ground.

Henry gave Asher a look, and Asher understood immediately.

He took a small team and left, seemingly to investigate something.

Caroline's intuition told her they were looking for Julia.

Henry's icy gaze scrutinized Caroline from head to toe, as if searching for any flaws.

Caroline was struggling to keep it together, her breathing slowing down.

Henry compared her voice to the one on the phone. It was similar.

But the woman in front of him was too nervous, exposing her inner anxiety.

Asher returned to Henry's side after his investigation and whispered something.

Henry's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes revealed his thoughts.

"You ordered a whole table of food by yourself? Impressive appetite," he sneered.

Caroline stayed silent.

What? They even checked that?

It was clear he was after Julia.

Caroline forced herself to stay calm. "So what? I can't invite friends over?"

Henry's lips curled into a cold smile, his oppressive gaze making Caroline's spine tingle.

Before he could ask more questions, Caroline handed Tiffany over to Henry and said indignantly, "Sir, I find you very strange. I found your daughter and called you, and you don't even thank me. Instead, you interrogate me like a cop. What's your deal?"

Could he just stop?

She was really getting scared by his gaze.

It was terrifying.

Julia sat with Joseph and Stephen in a café not far from the Azure Bay Hotel.

Her eyes kept darting towards the hotel, waiting for Henry's car to leave.

Knowing Henry, Caroline might not last much longer. But she still silently prayed that Caroline could hang on just a little longer.

Outside the café window, a man and a pregnant woman walked by. The woman was holding the man's hand, seemingly pleading with him, tears streaming down her face.

Seeing this, Julia was reminded of six years ago.

In Henry's eyes, she must have been that kind of clingy, oblivious woman, right?

So why was she afraid of being discovered by Henry?

Even if he found her, what could he do?

Six years ago, she had drugged him and forced him into a relationship. After what she did to Henry, he probably never wanted to see her again.

So, what was she afraid of?

"Mommy, the straw is upside down," Joseph reminded her, his soft voice pulling Julia back to reality.

Joseph fixed the straw for her and asked curiously, "Who's Henry, and why are we hiding from him?"

Joseph and Stephen had already found out through data that Henry was their biological father.

Julia took a deep breath, collected her thoughts, and looked at Joseph and Stephen. "It's just an old work issue. We had a little disagreement, so we don't keep in touch. You need to be on Mommy's side, okay? We need to stay away from this Henry, got it?"

Joseph and Stephen exchanged a meaningful glance and nodded obediently. "Mommy, we'll listen to you."

Julia still couldn't help but glance towards the Azure Bay Hotel, worried about Caroline.

She didn't notice Joseph and Stephen communicating silently.

"We need to clear up the misunderstanding between Daddy and Mommy!"

"Joseph, we have to try our best!"

"Yes, let's do it!"

Julia sighed. "I wonder how your godmother is doing."

"Mommy, is your grudge with Henry really deep? If he's really powerful, won't he check the surveillance to find us?" Joe asked.

Julia almost forgot about that!

She wasn't afraid of Henry finding her, but she was worried about him discovering Joseph and Stephen.

She had left in such a hurry, she hadn't thought of anything else.

Now, what should she do?

"Mommy, do you need me to delete the surveillance?" Joe asked, already starting to erase their traces with ease.