Elowen looked at him and then at Seraphina. She couldn’t make her decision. She didn’t want to trust him. But Seraphina still wanted her father.
’Should I give him a chance?’
After a long hesitation, she said, "Fine. A chance is given... For Sera. But remember... If you hurt her, I’ll walk out."
"I won’t hurt her. That’s a promise."
Elowen’s heart fluttered at his unwavering gaze. She looked away and turned to her daughter.
"Alright, we are not going to Grandma’s. But you still have to go to school."
"I’ll take her," Soren said.
"There is no need," Elowen said, stopping him. "The taxi is already here."
Soren would never allow them to board that taxi.
"Cancel the ride," he said decisively.
Elowen hesitated.
"Mommy. I want to go with Daddy. Please..."
Elowen’s shoulders sagged. She reluctantly nodded. "Fine. I’ll cancel the ride."
She took her phone and canceled the ride.
Soren smirked, satisfied. ’I stopped the accident.’
One danger was gone. But there was still so much he had to do.
"Wait here. I’ll go change my clothes."
He rushed back to the bedroom.
Elowen looked back at Seraphina. "Are you sure you want to go with Daddy?"
"I know Daddy was mean before. But he promised he would make things right." She smiled. "Let’s give him a chance, Mommy. I don’t want to lose him."
Elowen’s eyes moistened. She knew how much Seraphina missed her father’s presence in her life.
’If Soren is willing to change, maybe I should give him a chance.’
She caressed her hair. "The chance is already given."
The smile on her face disappeared. ’I hope you won’t disappoint us again.’
A few minutes later, Soren returned, dressed in an immaculate black suit. He looked handsome and sharp as ever. It was the same man she had fallen in love with seven years ago.
For a moment, Elowen couldn’t take her eyes off him.
"Let’s go."
His voice snapped her back to the present. She realized he had been staring at him, and her cheeks turned red. She turned her head aside.
Just then, Soren’s phone rang.
Elowen saw Tahlia’s name on the screen. Her expression changed. The small warmth inside her vanished.
’Tahlia again. He will abandon us and leave. It’s always like this.’
Her fists trembled at her sides.
Across from her, Soren was unsettled.
It was happening exactly as he remembered.
In his past life, Tahlia had called him in the morning. He had left without hesitation.
Soon after, Elowen and Seraphina had moved out. And then that accident happened.
This time, Soren wouldn’t make the same mistake.
"Hello," he answered the call, his tone cold.
"Soren," Tahlia’s sweet, helpless voice came through. "I’m having a terrible headache. Can you come over? I am scared. It feels like my head is going to explode."
Soren’s insides twisted. In the past, he had rushed toward her without delay whenever she called him. But now, her pitiful act only disgusted him.
’How did I ever fall for this?’
He was disappointed in himself. His indulgence had given Tahlia the power to destroy everything he had.
"If you are sick, call a doctor," he said flatly. "Why are you calling me? I can’t help you."
With that, he ended the call.
What?
Elowen gawked at him in stunned silence. She had been certain that he would leave. But he hadn’t.
Not only that, but he had dismissed Tahlia coldly.
It had never happened before.
’Has he really changed?’
Elowen immediately pushed that thought away. She couldn’t believe it that easily.
Maybe this was just an act. Maybe he fought with her. That was the only reason he had refused to go to her.
’Yes, that must be it,’ she convinced herself.
"Let’s go." Soren picked up the backpack and carried Seraphina out of the villa.
Elowen remained rooted to the spot for a moment before finally following them in a daze.
Soren opened the back door of the car and helped Seraphina inside. He secured the seatbelt. When he looked at her, he saw a bright smile on her face.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Because I’m happy." Seraphina’s eyes sparkled. "You are finally taking me to my school."
Soren’s expression turned troubled. Those simple words landed him like a hard slap.
All those years, he had never taken the time to notice how much his absence had hurt his daughter. He had missed her school events, small achievements, and countless ordinary moments that could never be returned.
’If only I had been a little sensitive...’ The regret was written plain on his face. ’But I still have a chance. And I won’t waste it.’
He pulled a smile over his face, caressing her head. ’I’ll do everything I can to keep this smile on your face. I’ll protect you. And anyone who tries to hurt you will pay.’
In the meantime, Elowen opened the other side of the car door and was about to get into the backseat.
"Wait." He stopped her. "Sit in the front."
Elowen froze.
’The front seat?’
Her brows furrowed.
Soren had never allowed her to sit in the passenger seat. That seat had always been reserved for Tahlia.
Elowen remembered the day he had coldly told her that she didn’t deserve to sit beside him.
And now, he was asking her to take that very seat.
"But that seat..."
"It’s yours," he said before she could finish. "You are my wife, and your place is beside me."
He opened the front door and gestured to the passenger seat.
Elowen didn’t move. She kept staring at him with questions in her eyes.
"I remember you telling me that I didn’t deserve that seat," she started, her voice flat. "You said it was only for Tahlia. And now you want me to sit there. Aren’t you afraid of upsetting her?"
She stared at him, searching for a trace of hesitation, discomfort, or even faint regret. She thought he would change his mind.
But Soren’s expression didn’t waver. He looked completely certain.
"It was in the past," he said. "Tahlia means nothing to me now. And you are the woman I care about."
He stepped toward her and took her hand. "My wife. The mother of my daughter. This seat belongs to you."
He ushered her into the car, his tall frame hovering over her.
Elowen’s heart pounded like a war drum, her mind stuck somewhere between disbelief and longing. She couldn’t remember the last time he had talked to her with such gentleness.
In fact, she couldn’t remember him treating her this way.
’This is not the Soren I knew.’
She couldn’t reconcile the man in front of her with the cold, distant husband she had in her memories.
’Where did that cold, arrogant man vanish to? When did he become so gentle to me?’
The soft click of the seat belt pulled her out of her thoughts.
"Are you done staring at me?"
Elowen lowered her head, mortified. Heat flooded her face. "I wasn’t... I am just..."
Her words faltered.
"Just what?"
When Elowen looked back at him, her gaze was as sharp as a blade.
"I am just trying to understand what’s going on with you. I don’t believe that someone can change overnight. I definitely don’t believe the story of your weird dream. So tell me, Soren, what is it about? What do you want from me?"
"You," he replied without a second thought, and Elowen’s heart stumbled.