Chapter 43
Beau couldn’t help but complain and continued to grumble
“Beau!” Niamh’s voice rang out, and Beau instantly sprang up from his seat.
“Niamh! Why are you late?”
“Because I went to buy you this!” Niamh pulled out a mechanical crossbow from behind her back.
“Wow!” Beau’s eyes lit up as he took in the sleek, all–black weapon.
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Niamh smirked. She knew exactly what he liked, and understood this was something Elara would never even let him touch.
“Don’t you feel powerful with this crossbow?”
Beau eagerly grabbed it, striking a cool archery pose. “Niamh, where are the arrows? Give me the arrows!” Niamh handed him a container filled with finely crafted metal arrows.
Beau marveled at their cold, metallic surface, unable to hide his excitement. “Finally, real arrows instead of plastic ones! Niamh, I really love you!”
“Boys should play with real crossbows and real arrows–that’s how they develop a true warrior’s spirit!” Unable to contain his excitement, Beau placed an arrow into the crossbow, aiming in all directions.
Just then, Niamh noticed Bambi. “Hey, Bambi, why isn’t your mom here to pick you up?”
Without even looking at Niamh, Bambi replied, “Mommy is busy, but she’ll be here soon.”
Niamh scoffed. “Gosh, your mom! She’s so irresponsible!”
She walked away and dialed Harvey.
“It’s getting late, and Elara still hasn’t come for Bambi. I can literally hear your daughter’s stomach growling. I can’t reach Elara either. Should I go check Finnegan’s gym to find her?”
“No need. I’ll go pick Bambi up myself.” Harvey’s voice was like the biting cold of winter, sharp enough to freeze someone’s ears.
There was no way Niamh would find Elara at the gym–she hadn’t left the Snapp residence all day.
What was she doing with Theodore?
How could she forget to pick up Bambi from kindergarten?
At the Snapp residence, Elara finished her test just as the timer reached its final moments. She had started three hours later than the other participants and was forced to take Version B of the test.
Fixing her gaze on the screen, she clicked “Submit” and finally exhaled in relief.
She had made it! She could feel it—she was taking control of her life again.
Submitting that test marked the beginning of a new chapter, one that would completely change her future.
But before she could truly relax, she caught sight of the time displayed on her screen. Her heart nearly stopped as she shot up from her chair.
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Chapter 43
Bambi was still in kindergarten!
Without even shutting down her laptop, she rushed toward the door. Theodore, carrying a freshly warmed cup of milk, met her in the hallway.
“Finished your test?”
“Yeah,” Elara answered distractedly while slipping on her shoes.
Theodore watched her, then asked, “You’re going to pick up Bambi?”
“My phone was on silent. She called me, and I missed it.” Elara’s voice wavered slightly as she was tying her shoes.
Her plan had been simple–that was to drop Bambi off, head home, and complete the math competition in the afternoon. She had expected to submit her test by 3:00 pm.
But the unexpected power outage at Azure Shores had cost her nearly three hours. Now, knowing Bambi was still waiting for her, a heavy sense of guilt pressed down on her
“I had someone contact your brother,” Theodore said casually. “That big guy–what was his name, Finn something? No idea if he managed to pick Bambi up yet.
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Elara’s head snapped up. “Finn went to get Bambi?”
Theodore’s smile remained warm. “Yeah, I didn’t want to interrupt your
test.”
Just as Elara let out a breath of relief, Theodore’s phone rang. He answered, and his expression instantly hardened.
A cold smirk formed on his lips. “Oh? He showed up? Got it.”
After hanging up, he turned to Elara to say, “Harvey is at the kindergarten. He won’t let Finnegan take Bambi.”
Elara’s eyes turned sharp. “I’m going there now.”
“I’m coming with you,” said Theodore.
Elara initially hesitated as this was her private matter.
However, Theodore tossed the Corona’s keys to her. “You drive. I want to sit in the passenger seat in the car driven by the Great Jones.”
