Ascension of a Reborn Woman (Hiatus)

Chapter 15

Just as Kim was hesitating on opening the door, the little girl by her side who hadn't seen her mother or brother for several days and was now hearing them obviously having so much fun inside was growing impatient and finally couldn't wait any longer. Phoenix pushed open the door and charged in.

"Mommy, Kelly, no fair!"

She climbed onto the bed without taking off her sneakers and threw herself on top of the other two people, trying to squeeze her way between them.

"I wanna play too!"

"Phoenix?"

Isabel let go of Kelvin and picked up the little girl whose knees were digging brutally into her side as she climbed around. She rubbed her stinging hip. "Where's Kim?"

The little blonde woman stepped into the room in the next moment, wearing a highly awkward expression. She was wondering how she was supposed to say what she wanted to when Phoenix beat her to it, going with the direct approach by directly blurting out, "Hey mommy, daddy came! He's right outside, daddy came to see you."

Kim wanted to give Phoenix an award and face palm at the same time as she saw Isabel's stunned expression. Girl, you can't just say it like that; this kind of news needs to be broken gently. But, she was obviously worried for nothing.

"Brycen is here?"

Isabel's surprise towards Phoenix's words only lasted for a second; she had actually been waiting for him to come find her. Knowing that man, once he came across 'that' he would never allow the suite to go to court and allow himself to be humiliated.

She knew he would come find her to settle in private so she wasn't very surprised to see Brycen step into the room the next second, dressed in a highly impeccable grey suit.

Seeing the man standing there in his usual stoic manner, his whole self exuding cold confidence and enticement, Isabel laughed inwardly. To see him twice in only the span of a few days, this would have been an occurrence to make her ecstatic beyond belief in the past.

Brycen's expression right now seemed to be as neutral as it always was, but from the creased corners of his thin lips which were set in a grim line, Isabel who had been obsessed with the man for a lifetime could see his clear irritation. She smiled.

"To see you twice in week; I must say Brycen, I'm quite flattered." Isabel moved up on the bed and leant against the headboard as she hugged Phoenix to her side with one arm and used the other to brush Kelvin's hair who had moved to lay his head in her lap as he peeked at the man standing in the doorway with a concealed glint in his eyes.

After Kelvin had woken up, Isabel was finally relieved and free of worry and instantly took notice of her unkempt appearance which made her cringe-- especially her huge eye bags. She was a celebrity ah! She couldn't let herself be seen like this!

That night, once the doctors were done with all their different examinations, she had left Kelvin's side for the first time since he collapsed and returned home to bathe, eat and sleep properly, so compared to the disheveled retro-mom Kelvin saw when he woke up, she looked much more presentable right now in a casual outfit of jeans and an off shoulder, black long sleeved shirt, her dark hair cascading freely over her milky white shoulders.

She exuded an air like a regal and languid spoiled cat as she lazed while petting the two little buns in her arms.

"What can I do for you?"

Facing his wife so soon after their last meeting where he had been so confident, Brycen felt embarrassed, though he didn't dare to let it show, but he felt even more unnerved by the distance the woman was intentionally putting between them and her unconcerned attitude. It was like she was someone else completely from the annoying woman who had clung on to him for twelve years and acted pitiful to earn his sympathy and affection; he couldn't tell what she was thinking and that made Brycen unhappy, only adding to his already unpleasant mood.

Thinking of the reason why he had to come here looking for her today, Brycen felt like he would explode from the indignation, his fists clenched tightly at his side. How had he managed to overlook such an important thing for all these years? And this woman--- he glanced at Isabel's smiling golden eyes-- she hadn't even said anything!

He looked at the two children in Isabel's embrace, his eyes skimming lightly over Phoenix whose eyes were fixed on him timidly and full of curiosity and landed on Kelvin who was scratching at the fabric of Isabel's jeans and he felt even worse as he thought about the state of his fertility and he couldn't suppress his anxiety about the future.

Dammit! This woman truly was a devil fox like he always thought her to be. She hadn't even made any moves in the matter and already she had him at her mercy. It was possible that this was the only son he would ever have in his life but yet, he was firmly grasped in this woman's hands. Hateful!

But, as much as he hated the current situation, the fact was that he was in her territory now, if he didn't tread carefully, he might end up not having any stake at all to his own son. Whatever this woman wanted, as long as she wasn't unreasonable enough to demand his affection, he would give it to her.

Clenching his teeth which made the well-defined lines of his prominent jaw even more defined and handsome, Brycen turned to the man who had followed behind him quietly all this time, shooting him a subtle glance before he stepped to the side, not even deigning to reply to Isabel's greeting.

Isabel didn't put Brycen's ignorance in her eyes and instead showed a charming smile to the bespectacled man wearing a black suit who stepped forward, greeting her politely with a 'Mrs. Jaeger'.

She remembered this man. How could she not? For four whole years he alone impeded her group of four divorce lawyers, driving her until her back was against the wall with no choice but to eventually sign the divorce papers.

He was a shrewd and astute lawyer, very talented and completely wasted in Brycen's hands. She had plans to poach him to her side sometime in the future.

Isabel giggled and squinted her eyes full of mischievous charm as the man bowed his head lightly in greeting.