Approaching the door, Nathan noticed it was slightly ajar.
Just as he moved to push it open, he heard Destineeâs tearful voice and Colbyâs soothing tone.
âWaa⦠Waa⦠Colby, I miss Mommy so much,â Destinee sobbed, her voice filled with sadness.
Colby refrained from teasing her as he usually did.
Instead, he patiently dabbed her tears with a tissue.
âDonât cry.
Your eyes are getting red.
Daddy will feel sad if he sees you like this.â
âBut⦠I canât stop crying.
Iâm so worried about Mommy.
But I donât want to cause Daddy any trouble.â
Colby sighed, speaking earnestly.
âYou have to be brave.
Get a good nightâs sleep and donât cause any trouble.
Daddy will find Mommy soon, I believe in him.
Please donât cry.
It will make Daddy sad.
We canât make things harder for himâ¦â
Gradually, the sobs in the room subsided.
Nathan felt a surge of guilt in his heart.
His fingers trembled on the doorknob, his nose twitched, and his eyes welled up with tears.
His two children already knew that Lucinda was missing instead of staying at the Simmons family home.
His throat tightened with emotion.
Nathan struggled to swallow the bitterness, but the tears came despite his efforts.
They filled his eyes.
Overwhelmed with guilt and sorrow, Nathan found it hard to breathe.
Not wanting his children to see him like this, he headed to the restroom, feeling the cool air and washing his face with cold water to calm his overwhelming emotions.
After about five minutes, he checked his watch and glanced at himself in the mirror.
Aside from his obvious fatigue, he had managed to contain his emotions well.
Returning to the ward, he opened the door as if nothing had happened.
Inside, he found that Colby had already managed to coax Destinee to sleep.
Under the soft light of the bedside lamp, it wasnât immediately apparent that Destinee had been crying.
However, she lay quietly, nibbling on her little finger with a slight frown of distress on her face.
Upon seeing Nathan, a bright smile lit up Colbyâs young face.
âDaddy, youâre back early today.
Does that mean your work with the National Security Bureau is almost finished?â
âYes, almost done,â Nathan replied, sitting on the edge of the bed with a gentle smile, affectionately patting his sonâs head.
âWhy did Destinee go to bed so early tonight? Is she okay?â
âShe had a good dinner and is perfectly healthy.
I thought she was a bit restless, so I helped her fall asleep.â
Nathan lovingly caressed his sonâs cheek.
Suddenly remembering something, Colby added, âOh, Daddy, I sent Aldric away.
He always likes to criticize me, and I got tired of it, so I asked him to leave.â
âHe did it for your goodâ¦â Nathan sighed softly, explaining gently to Colby.
However, Colby didnât want to hear it.
He wrapped his little arms around Nathanâs arm, lay down on the pillow, and gazed at him with bright eyes.
âIâm sleepy, and Daddy, you must be tired too.
Can you sleep beside me?â
âSure, letâs go to bed.â
Nathan held Colbyâs hand as they lay down together.
His tall frame shielded the light from the bedside lamp as he waited for Colby to drift off.