At that moment, Derek was overwhelmed by anger and almost lost his mind.
Rose was stunned. She put her phone behind her and then stood up.
"Derek." Her voice trembled. She could feel Derek's burning anger, which frightened her a lot. She even wanted to prostrate herself in front of Derek and submit to him.
"Is this how you take care of them?" Derek gritted. He tried to contain his anger, not wanting to be violent in front of his two children.
Rose noticed that Derek was restraining himself. She looked at the children on the bed and explained, "Just now, Aaron's fever was gone, I swear. I played with my phone only to keep myself awake."
"Then why don't you turn the volume down?" Derek said coldly.
"Well..." Rose said slowly and racked her brains to find an excuse. "I just turned on the video and forgot to adjust the volume. I was also shocked. Please believe me."
There was a genuine look on her face, and she found her excuse convincing.
Derek closed his eyes and took a deep breath, not wanting to see Rose's face at all.
He walked to Ian and changed the towel on Ian's forehead. Then, he asked Charlie to call the family doctor again.
He looked calm and didn't say another word to Rose.
Rose stood in place. She felt cold, though it was warm in the room. She was happy when she received the call, yet she was furious now. She thought, 'Derek only cares about those little brats. I dressed up and came over late at night because of his phone call. However, he turned a blind eye to all my efforts.'
Rose clenched her fists because she had never felt so humiliated. If she knew things would turn out this way, she would have strangled Ian and Aaron again back then.
The dawn was breaking, and the lights were on throughout the night at the villa.
"Alright, Ian's temperature has dropped. He's fine now." Kelly's eyes were a little red. She had barely slept last night.
Rose was still standing where she was. She dared not go home, nor stay by Derek's side. She yawned while covering her mouth. Although she often stayed up late, it was the first time she stood bored for a night.
"When he wakes up, ask him to drink some water. I will go back first," Kelly said to Derek.
"I'll send you off." Charlie left with Kelly.
Derek bent down and placed Ian's favorite teddy bear beside him since he liked to hug it while sleeping.
Rose looked at Derek's back and bit her lip. "May I have a word with you alone? We may disturb the boys if we talk here."
Her words were so full of concern for the two children that Derek turned to look at her.
"Let's go." He brought Rose to the study.
"You think I'm not a qualified mother, right?" Rose spoke first.
"Derek, I'm in great pain. Do you know how other parents get along with their children? I know. You always think that I am indifferent to Aaron and Ian, but have you ever considered it is because they left me when they were still babies and spent little time with me? I suffered a lot to give birth to them. And to let them grow up with their father, I sent them to you. Isn't this my love for them?" Rose said in a tearful voice.
"I understand that you are surprised by the sudden appearance of me and our two children. You are not prepared, so I don't mind your disregard for me. However, I am very sad now. Ian only spoke his mind when he was sick. He needs me, yet your attitude toward me affects how they feel about me. Don't you think so? I am just a poor mother who has nowhere to turn to." Rose expressed her grievances as if she was a pitiful woman who thought genuinely of Aaron and Ian but was misunderstood.
Rose's words were convincing, and Derek fell silent.
"If they grew up without you, it would be difficult for them to accept a father who suddenly appeared." Rose's last sentence struck Derek's heart.
"I never thought about this before," Derek said slowly.
To his family, he was a dignified and cold leader. However, to him, without Aaron and Ian, his life would have been monotonous and boring. It was Aaron and Ian who had enriched his life.
Perhaps Rose was not a qualified mother, and he was responsible for it.
Derek's anger for Rose was gone in an instant. Although he still disliked her, he began to consider easing her relationship with Aaron and Ian.
He did not want his attitude to affect the relationship between the boys and their mother.
When Ian had a fever, he wanted his mother, and as for Aaron's condition... If they could receive both parents' love, would they recover more quickly?
Derek clenched his hands. Rose's interactions with the children over the years proved that his thoughts were correct. Rose was a scheming woman who had done many things behind his back.
However, it did not conflict with the fact that Aaron and Ian needed their mother. Derek believed that he had seen through Rose's true self. He wavered a little, willing to give her more opportunities with the children, but his impression of Rose was hard to change.
Rose was thrilled by Derek's change of attitude. She felt like a warrior just now. Now she would persuade Derek with the tenderness of a woman.
"Derek, we are not a real couple. To Aaron and Ian, I am more like a stranger with a mother's title. In the future, I will not appear in front of them. I'll be satisfied if you can update me about the kids." Rose's words made sense. It seemed that she was such a poor mother who would rather suffer alone than be with her children for their sake. Such a devoted and tender-hearted mother would certainly have made men pity her.
Rose didn't leave alone. Because she had taken care of Ian and had not slept all night, Derek asked the driver to send her back.
The moment Derek asked the driver to send her back, Rose knew that although she did not win Derek's heart this time, her image in his heart had improved.
She could not help but smile.
After walking out of the villa, Rose did not look at the phone in her hand. Instead, as she walked, she pressed on it with her thumb. Then, when she tidied her hair with the other hand, she removed the earphone.
Her movements were so subtle that no one would have noticed them.
When she got home, Rose's restrained joy on the way burst out after sending the driver away.
She grabbed Laura's shoulders and kept jumping, "Heavens! It is over. Laura, you are so smart. What you said really convinced Derek. I'm so happy. Did you see that? He asked the driver to send me back."
Laura looked at Rose, who was laughing happily. She patted Rose's hand and said.
"You didn't sleep last night. Are you tired? Go to sleep. Don't act like a child," Laura said with a distressed voice.
"Laura, you are my mother. In front of you, I am just a child," Rose said excitedly.
She kissed Laura on the face and then went to the bathroom to take a shower.
Laura looked at Rose and smiled with relief, "Rose, you are my child. No matter what you want, I will get it for you."
Her tone was gentle, but it was somewhat chilling.