The Unwanted Wife and Her Secret Twins (Mia and Kyle) novel Chapter 254

Chapter 254 She’d been watching us.

Mia’s POV

I gathered my things and headed out, leaving Camille to handle the packages and my afternoon schedule. The drive to Bright Beginnings gave me time to think, but unfortunately, thinking was the last thing I needed to be doing right now.

I pulled into the preschool parking lot twenty minutes earlier than usual, scanning the area for Victoria’s black Mercedes. It wasn’t there, which was a relief. I didn’t think I could handle another confrontation today.

Today, I was early enough to avoid most of that chaos. Only a handful of other parents were there, and the playground was relatively quiet.

“Ms. Williams!” Ms. Rodriguez spotted me immediately. “You’re early today. Is everything alright?”

“Just had a lighter afternoon schedule,” I lied smoothly. “How were the boys today?”

“Much better than yesterday. Alexander and Ethan seemed more relaxed, and the dynamic with Madison was completely different.”

“Different how?”

Ms. Rodriguez lowered her voice slightly. “Madison was much quieter today. Almost… subdued. She didn’t approach the boys at all, just kept to herself mostly. Played quietly at the art table, helped clean up without being asked. Honestly, she seemed like a completely different child.”

Interesting. Had Victoria talked to her daughter after yesterday’s incident? Or was Madison simply intimidated by the consequences of her behavior?

“And the boys?”

“Wonderful, as always.”

My heart swelled with pride.

“Can I take them now?” I asked.

“Of course. They’re in the art corner.”

I made my way across the classroom, weaving between tiny tables and chairs until I spotted Alexander and Ethan hunched over sheets of paper, crayons scattered around them like confetti.

“Mama!” Ethan looked up with a grin, his hands stained various shades of blue and green. “You’re early!”

“I finished work early today,” I said, crouching down to their level. “What are you two creating?”

“Dinosaur families,” Alexander announced proudly, holding up his drawing. “This one is a mama T–Rex and her babies. They live in a volcano.”

“And mine is a brontosaurus family having a picnic,” Ethan added, pointing to his more carefully detailed drawing. “They’re vegetarians, so they’re very peaceful.”

Chapter 254 She’d been watching us.

“These are amazing,” I said sincerely, examining their artwork. “You’re both such talented artists.”

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“Ms. Rodriguez said we can take them home today,” Alexander said excitedly. “Can we hang them on the refrigerator?”

“Absolutely. They’ll be the first things everyone sees when they open the fridge.”

“Did you have good days today?” I asked as I helped them gather their art supplies and backpacks.

“Much better than yesterday,” Ethan said matter–of–factly. “The mean girl didn’t talk to us at all.”

“She looked sad though,” Alexander added, with the natural empathy that never failed to amaze me. “I felt a little sorry for her.”

“That’s very kind of you,” I said, though privately I wondered if Madison’s sadness was genuine or just another manipulation tactic learned from her mother.

“Boys, guess what? I have a surprise for you at home.”

“What kind of surprise?” they asked in unison, their eyes lighting up.

“A very nice man sent you some presents because he was impressed by how brave and well–behaved you were at the park the other day.”

“The superhero man who caught me?” Alexander asked excitedly.

“That’s right. Mr. Maxwell wanted to give you something special.”

They spent the entire drive home speculating about what the surprise might be, their voices animated with excitement. It was exactly what they needed after yesterday’s trauma–something to remind them that there were good people in the world who appreciated their true natures.

At home, I presented them with the art supplies and the space exploration book. Their reactions were everything I could have hoped for.

“Look at all these colored pencils!” Ethan breathed, carefully examining each shade in the professional artist’s set. “There are colors I don’t even know the names for!”

“And this book has real pictures from space!” Alexander added, already flipping through pages filled with stunning photographs of galaxies and nebulae. “Mama, can we read this tonight for bedtime story?”

“We can read one chapter,” I agreed, sitting down on the couch between them as they explored their new

treasures.

“The man who saved you must be very thoughtful,” I said carefully, watching their reactions. “Do you remember much about him?”

“He was tall,” Alexander said, not looking up from his book. “And he had nice eyes. They were… what color were they, Ethan?”

“Brown, I think? Or maybe green?” Ethan was already sketching with his new pencils, his tongue poking out slightly in concentration. “He smelled like the outdoors. Like trees and stuff.”

Chapter 254 She’d been watching us

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“And he knew about baseball,” Alexander added. “He asked good questions about my pitching,”

As the boys excitedly explored their gifts in our living room, something caught my eye through the window. A small figure standing near the playground across the street, partially hidden behind a tree.

Madison

She was watching us through our window, her blonde head barely visible as she peered around the trunk. But something was different about her posture–gone was yesterday’s calculated aggression. Instead, she looked… small. Almost fearful

When she realized I’d spotted her, Madison quickly ducked behind the tree completely.

She’d been watching us. Watching the twins receive their gifts.

“Mama?” Alexander’s voice drew my attention back to the room. “You’re making that face again.”