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Chapter 196 The Marriage Certificate Was Taken 

Molly’s words struck a deep chord in Alexander, stirring a feeling that had been pent up inside him for far too long. 

His gaze drifted downward. Under the oak’s dappled shade, Emily sat on a wooden bench with Tommy, talking quietly. A soft smile was on her lips–subtle, almost fleeting, but real. 

Alexander took in the sight, his eyes lingering on her face. 

He turned back to Molly, determined, and said solemnly, “Molly, I promise you this: I’ll do everything I can to make Emily happy every day.” 

Under the tree’s cool shade, Emily handed Tommy the water bottle. He took a quick sip, then looked up at her with bright eyes. “Ms. Carter, Sophia, Molly, and I are all classmates–we went to the same kindergarten.” 

Emily had suspected as much. She smiled warmly, her voice gentle, “That’s sweet. So tell me, why did you and Mr. Lessing decide to come to this amusement park today?” 

Deep down, she couldn’t shake the suspicion that their “chance” encounter wasn’t purely by chance. 

Tommy passed the bottle back and shrugged casually. ‘My17:02 

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daddy’s away on a business trip today. He asked Mr. Lessing to take me out and have some fun.” 

Emily nodded, a soft “ah” slipped out as the pieces clicked into place. “I see.” 

So she’d been overthinking it after all. 

Maybe running into them really was just a happy accident. 

Before long, the ride hummed to a stop, and Alexander stepped down with Molly cradled securely in his arms. 

Spotting them, Tommy jumped up from the bench, and Emily rose alongside him. 

As Alexander approached with Molly in his arms, Tommy spun around with outstretched arms and a cheeky grin. “Ms. Carter, I want a hug too!” 

Emily hesitated, about to explain her injured arm, when Alexander cut in smoothly, “Tommy, I’ve got you.” 

In one easy movement, he scooped Tommy up with his free arm, holding both kids like they weighed nothing. 

Emily couldn’t help but laugh at the sight–him standing there with a kid on each side, totally at ease. 

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For the briefest moment, Alexander froze, caught off guard by 

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her smile. But he said nothing, simply turning and striding 

ahead without a word. 

Emily trailed behind, listening as Molly pointed excitedly at a nearby cart. “Mr. Lessing, can I have a cotton candy, pretty please?” 

He flashed her a fond smile. “Of course you can, sweetheart.” 

Carrying both kids over to the vendor, he gently set them down so they could choose their treats. 

Molly picked a fluffy pink bunny shape, while Tommy went for a fierce little tiger. 

As they made their selections, Emily reached for her phone to scan the payment code, but Alexander beat her to it, tapping his own phone against the reader first. Then, with a casual nod, he added, “And that colorful one too.” 

The vendor beamed, hurrying to make the extra one. 

Emily didn’t argue–after all, it was just a few dollars, hardly worth fussing over for someone in his position. 

When the treats were ready, Alexander took the vibrant, swirling cotton candy in hand. 

From the moment he’d ordered it, Emily had assumed it was for himself–a grown man with a secret sweet tooth. 

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But then he turned, extending it toward her with a simple, almost gruff gesture. “Here. This one’s for you.” 

Emily blinked in surprise, pointing to herself. “For me?” 

He pressed it firmly into her hand. “Yeah.” 

Without another word, he pivoted back to the kids, taking one small hand in each of his and leading them forward. 

Emily watched the scene and couldn’t help thinking about the hardships she’d faced raising Sophia alone these past few 

years. 

There were servants, yes—but when it came to her child, she had done everything herself. 

Countless times, she had hoped Ethan would help her—even if it was just holding Sophia for a moment or changing her diaper. 

But in all those years, he’d never lifted a finger. 

Seeing Alexander now–so effortlessly attentive, juggling two energetic kids with genuine care–stirred a quiet sorrow deep within her. 

If Ethan had ever been like this, she thought, maybe the memories wouldn’t still taste so bitterly of regret. 4/6 

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On the other side of the park, Ethan had just finished a shooting gallery game with Sophia perched on his hip. 

As the final target clattered down, his phone buzzed insistently in his pocket. 

Balancing his daughter with one arm, he answered with the other. 

It was Jane, the housekeeper from Brocade Estates. 

“Mr. Wilson,” she said hesitantly, “I just remembered—the marriage certificate… I believe Sir Wilson took it.” 

Ethan froze. After a long pause, he managed a calm, “Alright. Thank you for letting me know.” 

Back when he and Emily had married, their marriage had been fragile at best. His grandfather had dropped subtle hints— almost pleas–for them to make it work, to make a real go of it. 

But Ethan had brushed it all aside, too wrapped up in his own world to care. 

When the certificate went missing recently, he hadn’t thought to suspect his grandfather. 

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Now, with Jane’s revelation, everything suddenly made sense. 

He slipped the phone back into his pocket just in time to glance across the path—and there was Alexander, strolling along with a child on each side, while Emily followed a few steps behind, idly nibbling on a swirl of colorful cotton candy. 

From a distance, the four of them looked like the perfect picture of a young family enjoying a carefree day out. 

The sight sent a sharp, uncomfortable twist through Ethan’s chest—a heavy, unexplainable ache he couldn’t put a name to. 

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