Chapter 460

"Luna, Celeste, how about Grandma Grace and I take Ethan with you to the parent-child event?" Stella forced a cheerful tone.

Celeste immediately pouted. "Mommy, where's Daddy? Teacher said both parents should come." She counted on her fingers, "There's even a daddies' competition. Daddy would definitely win!"

"Yeah!" Luna's eyes sparkled like stars. "Daddy's the strongest superhero in the world!"

The children hadn't seen Adrian Roland in months. As the eldest, Ethan hid his longing well. But the twins wore their hearts on their sleeves, terrified their parents might never reconcile.

Stella had considered that very possibility, though she couldn't bring herself to tell them. Their hopeful gazes pierced her heart like needles.

"Daddy's leg injury hasn't fully healed," she explained softly. "When he can walk properly, we'll all go to the amusement park together, okay?"

Though Adrian no longer needed a wheelchair, he still relied on crutches. Participating in kindergarten athletic events remained impossible.

Ethan squeezed his sisters' hands. "I'll go with you. I promise to win every prize!"

The twins mumbled reluctant "okays," their drooping postures twisting Stella's heart.

Grandma Grace had dinner ready when they returned. Noticing the girls' gloom, she quietly learned the reason and sighed. "They just miss their father."

Stella smiled bitterly. Didn't she know?

But that emotional chasm between them seemed uncrossable.

Changing the subject, she took the tableware toward the dining room. "Wash your hands before eating!"

Grace spared her daughter further pain. After dinner, she volunteered for homework duty. "Go handle your work. I can manage elementary school assignments."

"Remember—one ice cream cone each. No more."

In her study, Stella immersed herself in work. Though she'd delegated some decisions to Penny Anderson, the company remained hers to steer.

Besides, she couldn't count on Adrian's assistance.

A sync notification popped up. Opening it, she froze at the meticulously revised documents—far beyond Penny's capabilities.

Those familiar editing marks belonged unmistakably to Adrian.

She silently checked off completed tasks and opened her inbox. Shockingly, the once-overflowing unread emails had been cleared.

As she reached for the history log, her phone vibrated.

That long-absent name on the screen stole her breath.

[All handled. Get some rest.]