Ex Husband Wants Me Back

Chapter 8

Lessie's POV

"Ma'am," the nanny greeted me first, easing my frustration.

"Why weren’t you here earlier?" I asked again, but this time my voice was calmer.

"We went home to cook porridge for James. He needs something solid to eat," she explained, holding out the lunch box, which I hadn’t noticed until now.

The nanny I hired for my kids was in her thirties. I could have chosen an older one, but I wanted someone younger and more energetic, someone my children could play with.

"Oh, give it to me." I took the lunch box from her and began feeding James the hot porridge until he finished every bit.

Afterward, we stayed with him until the next morning before leaving the hospital. Once again, the doctor reminded me to keep a close eye on James.

When we got home, I settled James in their room to rest, while Jasmine and I stayed in the living room.

"Mommy, your phone is ringing," Jasmine said, picking it up and bringing it over to me.

"Who’s calling?" I asked, my attention still on the television.

"It’s Uncle Benjamin," she replied, handing the phone to me. I glanced at it, puzzled, wondering why he was calling after we had just seen each other the day before.

"Benjamin, what’s up?" I asked, dropping the formal 'boss' since we weren’t at work. He inquired about James' health before moving on to the real reason for his call.

After hanging up, I rubbed my throat and stood.

"Mommy, what did Uncle Benjamin say? Did he ask about little Jasmine?" Jasmine looked up at me with eager eyes.

I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I walked into the kitchen, where the nanny was.

"Ma’am?"

"Adele, I wanted to let you know that the kids and I will be going to New York for a business trip," I muttered, pouring myself a glass of water.

"A business trip? Was this a sudden decision, or had you planned it?" She asked, clearly confused since I hadn’t mentioned anything about this to her before. It wasn’t my fault, though. Benjamin’s call had been about this unexpected trip.

The business deal we had just secured required a few of us to travel, and unfortunately, I was one of those selected.

"What city will the trip take place in?" Adele asked again.

I pressed my lips together, pausing for a moment. A brief flash of pain crossed my face, but I quickly masked it before Adele could notice.

"Syracuse," I muttered, biting my lower lip.

I had no good memories of Syracuse. All that lingered were bittersweet recollections. The Lessie who lived in those memories was different from the person I had become. I never intended to set foot in that city again, but it seemed unavoidable now. This trip was strictly for work—nothing more.

"Syracuse City? Isn't that where you lived before coming here?" Nanny Adele gasped.

I nodded slowly, my expression somber.

Seeing me confirm her suspicion, she looked at me with concern. "What are you going to do now?"

"Nothing, I guess. I have to go. It's my job," I shrugged and began to leave the kitchen, but Nanny Adele stopped me.

I turned to her, puzzled. "What's wrong?"

She hesitated before speaking. "Uh, ma'am, would it be alright if I joined you on your trip?"

Sensing my silence, she quickly added, "I promise I won't be a bother. I'm just so used to the children, and I wouldn't feel right being apart from them, even for a few days."

I stared at her for a moment, watching her anxiety grow, and then I burst into laughter. "Haha, of course, you're coming with us! But honestly, you should see how funny you look right now."

Nanny Adele's worried expression brightened immediately at my words.

"I'll arrange your flight, but we won’t be able to leave at the same time," I told her, since ours had already been booked by Benjamin earlier.

"That's fine, I don't mind taking a different flight," Adele said, now looking excited.

I chuckled and left the kitchen.

Our flight was scheduled for the morning, so we had to leave early. I spent the entire night packing and handling the small details. I also called Benjamin to help with Nanny Adele's flight arrangements.

I finally finished around midnight. Before Jasmine went to bed, I had informed her about the trip, and she didn't seem to mind as long as she and the kids were coming along.

Once everything was done, I closed my eyes and fell asleep...

The next morning, I woke up to find that Nanny Adele had already dressed the children. Fortunately, James was feeling fine when he woke up.

"We should be leaving in about an hour," I mentioned to the kids as we ate breakfast.

Halfway through the meal, my phone lit up with a call. I answered it. "Hey."

"Lessie, I'll meet you in Syracuse. I’m missing today's flight because I need to take care of something," Benjamin said.

"Okay," I replied, nodding even though he couldn't see me, and hung up. Exactly one hour later, the kids and I left for the airport.

Freddie's POV

“Boss, we have a meeting with Globus Company at 5 pm today.”

“Cancel it,” I said, yanking off my tie, feeling like I was suffocating. “What about the investigation? Any updates?”

“Unfortunately, no.” My personal assistant, Zenith, shook his head, and I sighed.

“No, no, no! That’s all I ever hear!” I slammed my hands on the desk, frustration boiling over. “Can't I get some different news for once?”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

“Just get out!”

I didn’t need to look up to know that Zenith had quickly left the room.

It’s been five years already. Five years since she left my side. Five years of hiring private detectives to find her, yet no leads.

I knew I should give up the search, but I just couldn’t.

I didn’t understand why I kept looking for her, but the restless nights wouldn’t stop without seeing her.

I closed my eyes, trying to steady my emotions. I wasn’t sure how long I stayed like that, but I only got up when Zenith came back with news.