Chapter 33
Unfortunately, Elias had noticed them just as they were about to get up and leave, for he was approaching their direction.
Amanda was hastily packing up and by the time she turned around, she froze as Elias was only a few feet away from them.
Shoot… This is it. He’s going to learn about Aiden!
At that, countless possible scenes of the Winterses fighting her for the right over Aiden rushed to her head. What should I do?
Meanwhile, Simon pulled Aiden into his arms and concealed his face under his jacket. “Aiden, don’t look back,” he whispered. “I’ll bring you out tomorrow to play again if you lean quietly on my shoulder for a while.”
“Really?” The boy’s eyes lit up at once. “Don’t lie to me, Mr. Simon!TM
“Shh…” He pressed Aiden’s head on his shoulder, making it impossible for Elias to see the child’s face.
At this point, Amanda’s face had blanched, and a thin layer of sweat also gathered on her forehead. She was beyond apprehensive and her heart was racing wildly.
“Amanda, what a coincidence. Have you guys come to eat as well?” Grace asked after arriving in front of them.
However, Amanda said nothing and only fixed her gaze on Elias, thinking the man would explode. the next second and flip the table. Much to her surprise, Simon interjected, “I brought my son out to eat with Amanda.”
Amanda turned around reflexively and gazed toward him and the child in his arms in shock.
From her angle, she couldn’t see Aiden’s face at all. All that was visible was a fuzzy little head.
“You have a son?” Elias asked with narrowed eyes. “Is he a love child?”
The atmosphere turned incredibly eerie, and Amanda couldn’t help gulping and clenching her hands nervously.
Simon smiled in response. He didn’t admit nor deny Elia’s accusation, merely patting Aiden’s
head.
Even Grace was somewhat shocked that Simon would have an illegitimate child.
F*ck! Elias hit the roof. I knew Nicholson was trash! No wonder he doesn’t care whether Amanda is divorced or had even given up a child! He has a love child himself!
“Did you know about his son?” Elias stared at Amanda like he was interrogating a criminal.
“I did, and I don’t mind.” Amanda tried to remain calm even though she had trouble looking straight into Elias’ eyes.
Don’t mind? She doesn’t mind being a stepmother? Is she out of her mind? Does she think being a stepmother is fun?! Elias suddenly had the urge to take her away by force.
“Elias, let’s not bother them anymore. We should find another restaurant.” Grace wanted to take Elias away, unable to bear his lingering gaze on Amanda for an extra second.
But much to her dismay, Elias enunciated as he stared at Amanda. “We’ll eat right here!”
With that, he turned and headed to another corner of the restaurant, and Grace had no choice but to follow him, for she knew just how obstinate the man was. He would never listen to her.
Seeing that the couple had finally left, Amanda heaved a sigh of relief. She nearly broke out in a cold sweat.
Meanwhile, Simon put Aiden on the chair opposite him, with the back of his head facing Elias.
“Let’s go to another restaurant, Amanda requested while grabbing her bag, getting ready to leave. However, Simon thought otherwise. “We should just stay. Leaving now will only make you look guilty, and I bet he will chase after you.”
At that, Amanda sat back down. However, she couldn’t eat at all with Elias nearby, especially having to worry that he would discover Aiden’s existence at any second.
“Did I do well, Mr. Simon?” Aiden exulted.
“Of course. You were great, Aiden.”
“In that case, you have to take me out to play tomorrow! Adults should keep their promises. Pinky promise.” Aiden even extended his pinky at that, looking incredibly adorable.
“Pinky promise.” Simon hooked his finger with Aiden’s as he smiled affectionately.
On the other hand, Amanda was so nervous that she had trouble breathing, and it wasn’t until she turned around and found Elias and Grace sitting far away that she finally eased a little.
“Take it easy. We’ll leave right after we’re done with dinner. Being agitated will only ignite their suspicion, Simon tried to comfort her as he took his time reading the menu.
Finally, Amanda nodded and collected her emotions.
At the same time, Elias downed the glass of ice water the attendant had just poured for him like he was drinking liquor, and he couldn’t help cussing as he stared at Amanda’s back.
“Don’t say that, Elias… I think Mr. Nicholson’s pretty gentlemanly, no?” Grace begged to differ.
“Gentlemanly? What gentleman has a child out of wedlock and even expects Amanda to be a stepmother?!”
Yet that idiot looks very happy and ready to be a stepmother.
“But this isn’t Amanda’s first marriage either…” Grace couldn’t help mumbling.
“So what? Do you have a bias against divorced women? Do divorce women have to be stepmothers?”
“I don’t mean it like that. I just think… What matters is that they like each other. What do outsiders like us have anything to do with their happiness?”
The situation was becoming bleaker for Grace, for she believed Elias was becoming more in love with Amanda. In fact, they might get back together if she continued to let this be.
Meanwhile, Elias fell silent, finally calming down.
Grace is right. Who am I to have a finger in their pie?Then again, Amanda is so dumb that I can’t stand it anymore. Can’t she tell Nicholson is a d*ckhead?! Is she so desperate to be a stepmother?!
However, an unexplainable feeling arose within Elias as he gazed at the child’s back and suddenly, sadness overcame him.
Hmm… Our child would probably have been around his age if Amanda hadn’t had the abortion, right?
Back at Amanda’s table, the young woman hastily finished her meal and urged Simon to leave the restaurant with Aiden.
She was relieved that Elias did not follow them. She only let her guard down when they returned
home.
Later, while Simon tucked Aiden into bed before leaving the bedroom, Amanda fell briefly into a trance when she saw his tenderness and care. She brewed him tea when he returned to the couch in the living room.
“Thank you so much for tonight, or Elias would’ve really caught me.
“Don’t worry about it.” Simon was gentle as always. It was as if he didn’t have a temper at all.
Amanda found the atmosphere a little awkward as she sat there, and she knew Simon had many questions.
She had been waiting for him to ask. However, he never did. Not only that, he even helped her out during every crisis.
“Actually, Elias isn’t aware of Aiden’s existence,” she finally revealed after a long hesitation.
