Motherly Consideration!

Brycen's complexion soon recovered and he no longer looked as though he had seen a ghost but a defiant look glistened in his eyes.

"I was busy, do you think running a big business is easy? All these years, why didn't you mention it a second time?"

Isabel laughed mockingly and shook her head. She knew that no matter what she said nothing would change, Brycen would rather be beaten to within an inch of his life than admit his faults; especially in this kind of situation where it would only put him at a disadvantage.

In the past, she had thought this quality of his to be quite amazing; he never bent under pressure and was unyielding in the things that he wanted, but looking at it another way, wasn't he just an overgrown brat?

Ai! Isabel suddenly pitied the her of the past. Why the hell was that girl so stupid to fall in love with this kind of selfish man-child? No-calling him a man-child was an insult to all the childishly playful but amazing individuals out there.

"If you were too busy for them then, you're still too busy for them now, do you think that will change in the future?"

Isabel sneered. She didn't want to do this, to fight with him in front the twins, but she was angry, though she did her best to hide it. She didn't want her kids to see that part of her.

Brycen was stumped for a reply to Isabel's jab and remained stiff lipped, his whole self exuding a cold and unpleasant aura.

Isabel wanted to jeer, but Phoenix suddenly tugged on her hair and whispered from where she was in her bosom, her naïve dark blues glancing at Brycen.

"Mommy, why is daddy upset?"

Isabel stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head.

"It's alright baby, your daddy just feels a little unwell, that's all." He really should seek treatment.

Phoenix couldn't understand the sarcasm in Isabel's words, so the little girl lifted her head, her expression worried and slightly agitated. "If he's sick, shouldn't he see a doctor?"

After seeing her brother faint a few days ago because he was sick and hadn't wanted to tell anyone then ended up sleeping for such a long time-- not waking up no matter how much she tickled under his feet, which usually worked, Phoenix had received a slight trauma. The thought that her father might be sick too and also didn't want to see a doctor scared her.

Seeing her daughter's obvious concern for Brycen, Isabel was once again struck by that feeling that stopping Brycen from being a part of Kelvin's and Phoenix's lives was not entirely her own decision to make; her kids' wants and feelings were also important.

Isabel's earlier anger and hostility brought about by feelings of the past suddenly and instant deflated like a popped balloon in the face of Phoenix's concern for her father. Her expression became helpless and although her eyes still carried fury when she looked over at Brycen again, it was laced with a tolerant look, like an adult bearing the unreasonable actions and demands of a child.

Observing all this from the side, Kelvin glared at his sister who looked like she was on the verge of tears and strongly resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but at the same time, he couldn't stop the warm feeling that spread in his chest on thinking that she was once again this naïve, easily trusting, upbeat and jovial kind of person compared to the cold, jaded one he knew twenty or so years from now.

Kelvin glanced at Brycen's stoic expression and a malicious light flickered in his eyes.

Fine. For his sister's sake he would still leave this bastard with his life-- he knew how much Brycen meant to Phoenix at this stage-- but he better not hope to escape with anything else, not even his dignity.

Isabel sighed then she wrapped both arms around her baby girl and rocked back and forth a few times while groaning agonizingly into her dark hair.

"Mommy loves you so much, Nixy! You know that don't you?"

"I know." Phoenix replied while nuzzling against Isabel's chin like a spoiled cat.

"Mommy wants only the best things for you and wants you to be happy"

"I know, I know! Me and Kelly are mommy's a babies, mommy loves us the absolute most!"

Phoenix recited the line Isabel had said to her and her brother countless times before, causing Isabel to laugh.

"That's right."

Suddenly Isabel's golden orbs darkened and she pulled Phoenix closer. Her heart began to thump in her chest.

"Nixy, would you be happy if daddy came home to see you and Kelly more often?"

This question caused everyone in the room to freeze and look at Isabel as though her hair was turning pink! What was she saying? Did she want to cancel the divorce suite? Kim was pretty much horrified by this turn of events.

Out of everyone, the most surprised was Brycen, but soon, his surprise turned into conceit and he tilted his chin up a little in an arrogant manner.

This was expected. The woman had aimed for nothing but pleasing him for twelve whole years, even to the point of committing disgusting acts. Even if her long time infatuation was waning for whatever reason, her innate mindset of giving him what he wanted couldn't have possibly changed so soon.

The thought that Isabel was still affected by his charm brought Brycen a great deal of satisfaction and comforted his bruised ego, but it also made whatever growing interest Brycen suddenly garnered toward Isabel from the seemingly firm stance she took against him earlier disperse all at once.

To raise her hands and surrender to him just because he spoke a little loudly and showed some dissatisfaction, as he thought, this woman still didn't have any backbone. How could such a weak woman possibly qualify to stand by his side as the Lady Boss of the empire he was building?

His woman needed to be confident and resolute and unafraid to talk back to him without fear or compromise when she was dissatisfied with his actions. Beauty wasn't a requirement and even if she were to get scared and hide behind him sometimes, that would still be fine, one couldn't expect much from a woman in the end. But, to give up so easily and be so easily put off by his dissatisfaction that she would give up completely.... Brycen sneered, how weak.

Comparing Isabel with his 'Rose', the difference really was too drastic. He really wanted to hurry and be done with this divorce so he could cut ties with Isabel finally marry the woman of his dreams.

If anyone else in the room were aware of Brycen's thoughts, they would certainly think he was an idiot, even Dale was no exception.

Look at that expression ah. Look at it!

Did that look like surrender to you? That was obviously the deepest most profound and sincere act of motherly consideration he had ever seen in his life! To compromise against the desire to completely sever ties with the man who caused her most painful memories for her children's own happiness, exactly how hard must that be?

Earlier, Dale had only thought that Isabel's character was unique, but now he knew for certain that she was one in a million!

Dale's eyes were filled with admiration as he watched Isabel and Phoenix then he suddenly thought of something and turned to look at the little boy lying on Isabel's lap, the main reason for today's visit. He was surprised to find that the boy was looking at his mother and sister like an elder would look at two stubborn children; full of helplessness, doting and warmth. It was the kind of look that said, no matter what they chose to do; he wouldn't interfere and just clean up the mess afterwards. It wasn't a look one would find on a young person, let alone a child of six years.

As though he had sensed Dale's gaze on him, the boy suddenly glanced over and his dark blue eyes looked at Dale from head to toe before he snorted and turned his head away, once more burying his face in his mother's lap.

For a moment, Dale froze then he rubbed his nose awkwardly.

What was with this feeling as though he was being treated like he was nothing more than an annoying fly?

Hearing her mother's question, Phoenix didn't answer immediately and peeked through her side hair, like a dark curtain at the man standing off to the side, looking imposing and indifferent.

To be honest, Phoenix didn't know Brycen. She had ssen the man in the treasured photo her mommy kept on the night stand in her bedrrom and Aunty Kim had pointed him out to them many times on TV, in newspapers and magazines; she said 'Look, there's you dad!' and would explain about whatever amazing thing Brycen had done to end up on TV or in the papers and after years of that, although she had only met the man in person a handful of times, the worship Phoenix had in heart for her father had reached a point close to idolization!

Every year when their birthday came around, there were never any big parties or celebrations. They didn't invite outsiders or people from school and it was only her and her brother, mommy, Aunty Kim and Aunty Davi and sometimes Uncle Sonny, with a cake and some snacks. When this time came, the thing Phoenix looked forward to most were not the cake and ice-cream or even the gift from her own mommy, but the neatly wrapped boxes with the big red bows as compared to the terribly wrapped gifts from her aunties and uncle that sometimes weren't even wrapped at all.

Those boxes with the tags that said 'To: Phoenix on your birthday, Love Daddy!', those were the ones she loved! No matter what was inside, whenever she read those tags, even if the words were the same every year, she felt so very, very happy.

She wasn't like the other girls in her class whose daddies sometimes dropped them off and picked them up from school or took them shopping on the weekend or on vacation trips abroad or took silly photos with them; Aunty Kim told her that her daddy was a very busy person, he didn't have time to waste; but she knew from those presents that her daddy 'loved' her and it was the deepest wish of any little girl to be loved by their daddy. Of course she wanted him to come see her and Kelly more often! And she said so.

"I want~"

Lowering her head bashfully, she gripped Isabel's top and drilled into her embrace as though she wanted to force her way and hide inside of her!

Isabel barely suppressed a rueful smile and looked down at Kelvin on her lap who had been quiet all along.

"Do you want daddy to come home more often Kelly?"

Kelvin stared up at his mother, his eyes clear and full of innocence, then he pursed his lips and said: "I only need mommy."

These words were like a sharp sword that made a clean slice through the air, going 'shwaa!' Brycen's face turned red!

The main reason he had come here today was for Kelvin, Phoenix wasn't important, she was a girl, what he needed was his son!

Again! It had to be this woman again! What had she said to Kelvin about him?! To think that she would stoop so low as to use his own children against him. Despicable!

Brycen was on the verge of exploding when Kevin suddenly opened his mouth and spoke again.

"But, if Phoenix wants him..." he glanced over at his father and Brycen was surprised to find that his son's look was distant and detached as though looking at a complete stranger. "If my sister wants him, I guess its fine."

Mumbling the last few words, he rolled his eyes and turned over to hug Isabel's waist, wiggling forward to stick even closer to her and nuzzle his face into her stomach.

Isabel wasn't surprised by Kelvin's answer; she had asked him the question before only a few days ago and gotten a similar reply. Although she didn't know of the reason why, Isabel was aware that her son's regard for Brycen was not very close or high.

Isabel chuckled and hugged both her kids, her eyes full of tender warmth, but once she turned to face Brycen and Dale, the underlying coldness in that courteous façade was back, in full swing.

"I'll call my lawyer to come over. I assume that you wouldn't want this to become a public matter; let's find a quiet place to talk things over. Let's end this game today, I think. How about you?"

Facing's Isabel's steady gaze, that complicated, uneasy feeling surfaced in Brycen's chest once more, but he suppressed it. This woman was an actor, she was only acting.

Using that to comfort himself, Brycen acted confident. He jerked his chin and sneered in disdain. "I couldn't agree more."