Chapter: 826

"Huh?"

“I never knew she's my daughter..."

From the very moment Jonathan's gaze met Nola's, he felt an irresistible gravitational pull.

At first, he attributed this strange attraction to the resemblance her eyes bore to Bethany's. However, the truth revealed itself with stunning clarity-she was his daughter all along.

“Yes, she's your daughter, our child," Bethany said, her voice a soothing balm to his turbulent emotions as she gently squeezed his hand. “Come on, they're waiting for us."

Jonathan's eyes locked onto her face. With a slight, almost imperceptible nod, he acknowledged her words. "Alright."

“Mommy! Mommy, I'm here!" Nola's excited squeals pierced the air as she waved her arms with gusto, her pigtails dancing to the rhythm of her enthusiasm.

But when her gaze fell upon the man by her mother's side, her little face scrunched up in confusion. "Aren't you... Uncle?"

He had taken her money but didn't buy her candy.

Rowan, ever the diplomat, gently tugged at his sister's sleeve. “He's Daddy, not Uncle."

"He is Uncle! He told me to call him Uncle!"

Rowan, rendered momentarily speechless by his sister's stubbornness, decided it was best to let the matter slide.

As Bethany and Jonathan approached, Aimee greeted them with a warm smile. “Bethany, you look tired. Did you manage to catch some rest on the plane?"

"I did, slept like a baby the entire way," Bethany replied with a weary but contented smile, bending down to scoop up the kids.

However, as she tried to lift them, a sharp pang of pain caused her to wince and halt midway.

Quick as a flash, Jonathan grabbed her wrist and scooped up Nola.

The little girl's eyes, wide as saucers, blinked up at him. “Uncle, where's my money?"

Jonathan pulled out a crisp hundred-dollar bill from his pocket, having come prepared. "Here, it's all yours."

He had been prepared, keeping the bill ready for just such a moment.

But Nola pushed it back, shaking her head. "I don't want that much. I only want one dollar! Mommy won't let me spend a hundred!"

Laughter erupted around them, lightening the mood with its infectious warmth.

Bethany sighed with a wry smile. "If I gave you a hundred, you'd buy every candy in sight and ruin your teeth."

Nikolas, still holding Rowan, watched the scene unfold with a smile, his earlier irritation melting away in the warmth of their shared amusement.

“Let's get in the car and find a place to eat. The airport isn't exactly the best place to hang around," he suggested.