Having finished their dinner, Adrian and Aileen started getting ready for bed. Brushing their teeth was the first order of business.

Eliana stood attentively in front of the children and instructed the twins to wash their teeth gently, as all moms did.

Maurice stood with his back against the door of the bathroom and casually observed them.

Eliana was briefly captivated as she watched the four reflections in the mirror. The four of them… They resembled a happy family.

She was briefly drawn into the fantasy of a family reunion at that moment.

Unlike her, Maurice was unable to suppress his feeling of loss at seeing Eliana and the two children interacting so closely. There were three of them, and then there was him. Two wonderful and innocent children, as well as a beautiful and caring mother.

But fate was already sealed. Maybe in another world.

After washing her hands, Aileen could not help but yawn. As she rubbed her eyes, she started to feel drowsy.

Seeing her in such a state, Eliana was going to take her to bed. But Aileen unexpectedly evaded Eliana's grasp and extended her arms to Maurice at the entrance.

"Daddy, please take me!"

Eliana's heart sank as she heard that. She was afraid Maurice would reject the title and glanced up at him.

However, Maurice's treatment of Aileen changed this time. Out of nowhere, he turned down Aileen's request with a stone-cold demeanor.

"I am not your dad. You've got it wrong."

The abrupt coldness of Maurice scared Aileen. Her drowsiness was extinguished. She had a little pout, and her large eyes were covered in a coating of tears, giving the impression that she was inconsolable.

Adrian's anger had only grown. Even though he wasn't their father, he couldn't watch him upset his little sister.

"You have the wrong person, Aileen. Of course he isn't our real dad. Compared to him, our dad is a thousand times better."

As soon as he finished saying this, there was an instantaneous chill in the air. Maurice stood up straight and fixed a piercing stare on Adrian.

In an instant after seeing this, Eliana grabbed Adrian's hand and stepped in front of the child to shield him. "Adrian, stop it!" she urged him.

Adrian unwillingly closed his mouth.

However, dealing with Maurice was a challenge. He retrieved his cell phone and dialed Corbin's number.

"Come to Eliana's room and take the two children, Corbin."

"What? Miss Pierce's room? Are the twins with her?" Corbin was about to go to sleep as he lay in his bed. He was startled by a phone call from his boss. When Corbin heard his boss's icy tone, he knew something bad had occurred. "I'll be there in a flash."

He hurriedly put on his coat and rushed out of the room.

Eliana was hesitant on seeing Corbin, who had come so swiftly. "It's too late now. Let me share a bedroom with the two children." The fact that Corbin was a man made her unsure whether he had the experience necessary to care for her children.

"But it's an order." Maurice was as adamant as ever.

Eliana made a compromise in the end. She had no hope of persuading him otherwise. She consoled the distraught Aileen by picking her up and telling her, "Aileen, it's such a shame. Mommy can't let you stay with me tonight. You may go back with Corbin and sleep, all right?"

Aileen nodded thoughtfully despite her reluctance.

Then Eliana set Aileen down, took her hand, and passed it to Adrian's hand. "Adrian, can you look out for your sister for Mommy? It won't be long until Nana arrives."

"Mommy, don't worry," Adrian reassured his mother as he patted his chest. "Aileen is in excellent hands with me."

Eliana stroked him on the head with a smile of contentment.

As soon as the twins had gone, Eliana's expression immediately became gloomy. She questioned Maurice, "Why were you being so cruel to the children just now?"

Maurice grunted, "They are not my children. How should I behave?"

Eliana was enraged when she heard that Maurice would send the children away. "Maurice, find some compassion in your heart! Aileen and Adrian are my children. It's impossible for anyone to take them from me!"

Having been provoked all night, Maurice could hardly contain his anger at this point. He yanked her close to him and grabbed her shirt.

Eliana battled with every ounce of her power, but Maurice held her arms with a single hand. She couldn't move her hands and felt trapped.