Elias’ Crimes and Punishments of Romance

Chapter 3 Nearly Exposed

hold it in!” “I’ll bring Aiden to the bathroom while you head inside to talk to them. They’ve been bugging me about this for a long time. Please, help me.” Helean picked Aiden up from the ground and ran toward the bathroom. Feeling resigned, Amanda shook her head and entered the meeting room. She did not anticipate Imperia’s drastic shift during the four years she left this city; even Winters Enterprise had moved. As planned, she spent precisely thirty minutes in the meeting room. When she came out, her cold expression immediately turned into a gentle smile after seeing her baby. “Come on. Let’s grab something delicious.” “Yay! Mommy, you’re the best!” A plump, tiny hand grabbed hers, after which she reciprocated with a firmer grip. Aiden had been her mental support for all these years, sustaining her through the endless darkness. Truth be told, she was relieved she did not abort him but chose to keep him on a whim. “Aiden, what would you like to eat?” “I want… ramen.” In the meantime, at a corner down the corridor, a group of people surrounded Elias while he strode over. He seemed to be heading to the meeting room while the people around him were competing to make their reports. Amanda smiled dearly while listening to her son’s words, but when she arrived at a corner and looked up, her smile froze in trepidation. It’s him—Elias Winters. Guess I have no choice but to run into him after four years. What I dreaded the most finally happened. Instinctively, she retreated a few steps and hid herself. Then, she took out the sunglasses from her bag, confusing Helean. “What’s the matter?” “Let’s take the stairs.” She picked up her son and turned around, heading straight for Plan B. Although she wore eight-inch heels, she still managed to pick up her kid and walk away effortlessly. “Why are we taking the stairs when there are elevators? Also, you’re wearing heels. Isn’t that tiring?” Helean was flabbergasted but still hopelessly followed behind her. “Mommy, I want to take the elevator. Taking the stairs is exhausting.” “I’ll carry you.” She was determined not to let Elias discover her child’s presence. At last, the man arrived among the crowd of higher-ups. It had been four years, and Elias donned a black, perfectly tailored suit. He looked as elegant and handsome as always, but there was also a trace of maturity on his face. Unexpectedly, he heard a cute voice yelling, “Mommy!” It caught his attention, so he looked in that direction and was slightly shocked. A woman’s figure appeared before his eyes like a blinding light. Though the sight of a woman was nothing surprising, she looked strangely familiar to the point that reality started to overlap his memories of his ex-wife, whom he had not seen for four years. Amanda? However, that woman seemed to be worried and glanced anxiously behind her. The problem was that her sunglasses were so huge that they covered most of her face. Elias reflexively took a step forward with his long legs, creating a distance between himself and the surrounding crowd. “Mr. Winters! The meeting room is over here!” his secretary yelled behind him, but the man paid no heed. He followed the familiar figure to the stairs but did not discover anyone. Frowning, he wondered, Was I mistaken? He stared at the empty stairwell for a few seconds before leaving. When he thought about it, he found it ironic. That woman has disappeared for four years, so how could she appear here? During these four years, he had tried looking for Amanda, but she seemed to have vanished without a trace. His grandfather even nearly severed their relationship because of that. Unbeknownst to Elias, Amanda was covering the child’s mouth with her hand while hiding behind the stairwell’s door at that precise moment. Even Helean was hiding beside her quietly. It was such a close call. If that man had walked two more steps, he would have discovered them. Meanwhile, the child in her arms blinked his large eyes, creating an adorable sight. Once Amanda heard the footsteps retreating, she removed