Araceli POV
Micah whispered, "I don't mind..."
"Great. Then I'll call you Micky from now on."
I laughed.
"You guys go play in the living room. Dinner will be ready soon."
Essel takes Valeria's hand and walks to the living room.
"Vallie, I got you a new puzzle today..."
Krish and Micah looked at each other without saying anything, but I could feel that they were not so aggressive with each other anymore.
I let out a small sigh of relief and walked into the kitchen.
It didn't take long for footsteps to come from behind me.
Raphael came striding into the kitchen.
"Why are you suddenly willing to come over to my house and cook dinner again?"
Raphael asked slowly as he stood behind me.
My hand lurched, then said blandly, "I've been too busy the past few days, that's why I haven't come over."
Raphael looked at the side of my face and smiled coldly.
I glanced at him a little uneasily, wondering if he had guessed that I was lying.
Judging from his expression, he should have guessed.
Raphael took a few tickets out of his suit pocket and handed them over.
"I'd like to take Valeria to a painting exhibition on Sunday. Would you have time to bring her over?"
My eyes glanced over.
It was a joint exhibition of paintings by several modern artists who are very well known internationally. I wanted to take Valeria to see it before, but I forgot to buy tickets because there was so much going on the other day. Later, when I went to ask about it, I was told that the tickets had been sold out long ago.
Raphael actually had so many tickets...
I pursed my lips and said, "If Valeria wants, I can bring her here."
Raphael raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Buzz..."
The phone sitting on the cupboard suddenly vibrated.
I raised my eyes and glanced over.
It was Kenneth's phone.
I dried my hands and put the phone through.
"Mr. Easton."
"Ms. Chancey, I was just contacted by the Fleming family's legal counsel team."
Kenneth's voice was a little serious. "Ramon seems to have the support of the Fleming family to win the case, and Robert has spent a lot of money to hire the best legal advisory team in the country. We..."
My eyes calm. "I understand, Mr. Easton, thank you."
No matter how many lawyers the Fleming family called, there was no way they could take custody of me, because Ramon was not the father of my two children.
I hung up the phone and pondered in my mind how I would explain this to Kenneth.
Raphael walked up, his voice low, and said, "What are you going to do next?"
It seemed that he had heard the voice on the phone just now.
The Fleming family got a team of lawyers to advise them, and Kenneth's call meant that he was not sure he could win this case.
I lowered my eyes, took a potato, and while cutting it, I said, "Mr. Lancaster, if Melany hadn't returned Micah and Essel to the Royal Pack, and you found out one day that they were your children, would you have gone out of your way to take custody of them?"
"Of course," Raphael said without hesitation, "I am the father of these two children. That would mean they would have to go back to Royal Pack."
My hand stalled, my heart beating wildly.
"But you're in a completely different position than that."
His nice voice sounded again.
Raphael looked at me seriously, "Ramon already has a family. If you let the children go back to the Fleming family, then Krish and Valeria will be the children that the Fleming family scorned. For the sake of both children, you must retain custody despite everything."
I laughed bitterly.
If Raphael found out that Krish and Valeria were his children, he would do whatever he could to take custody of them.
Just the thought that Krish and Valeria would be taken away by anyone kept sending stabbing pains through my heart.
I should have taken Krish and Valeria out of New York...
What would I do if Raphael found out? There was nothing I could do to stop him.
But, I couldn't leave New York.
Micky and Essel are my children, too. I left them for five years. How could I just walk away?
I wanted to take custody of Micky and Essel, but I knew I didn't have the power to do so...
Competing with Raphael would be like hitting a rock with an egg.
"What's wrong? What's on your mind?"
Raphael looked down slightly and looked squarely into my slightly reddened eyes.
I lifted my head, my cool gaze was decisive.
"Mr. Lancaster, can you be my boyfriend?"
"What?"
Raphael's eyes widened in shock.
He froze for a few seconds, took a deep breath, and said, "Are you kidding me?"
I looked Raphael in the eye and said, "Mr. Lancaster, the Fleming family has decided to give everything they have to get custody of Krish and Valeria. I don't want to lose custody of my two children, and Mr. Easton said that a long-term, stable boyfriend relationship would go a long way toward winning the case, so, Mr. Lancaster, I'd like to ask you to pretend to be my boyfriend."
I stared into Raphael's deep eyes.
Raphael looked at me and said, word for word, "Why should I help you?"
I replied, "Mr. Lancaster, I'll promise you anything if you'll help me."
"Really?"
Raphael stared at me, somewhat aggressively.
Undaunted, I locked eyes with him.
"I would give anything to keep custody of my children. You know that."
"I need to think about it."
Raphael said calmly, "It should be clear to you that I have never publicly announced that I am in any relationship with any woman. If you became my girlfriend, it would spark public opinion. It won't do me any good."
I pursed my lips. "Mr. Lancaster, please don't misunderstand. I just want to ask you to pretend to be my boyfriend. This is for submission to the court as proof, so I don't mean to make the relationship public. Don't worry, even if you agree, the relationship between us will remain the same as before and nothing will change."
I gritted my teeth as Essel and Micah kept popping into my head... I actually had my own personal reasons for doing so...
After I became Raphael's girlfriend, I would be able to go in and out of Royal Pack more often and take care of Essel and Micah as his girlfriend.
I wanted to make up for Essel and Micah's lack of motherly love over the past five years.
Five years ago, I gave birth to Essel and Micah, and no one but me knew about it.
As long as I didn't say anything, no one would have guessed that the two heirs of Royal Pack were my children...
My mind was filled with all kinds of complicated thoughts.