Elise had anticipated crossing paths with William again eventually, but she never imagined it would happen like this.

She had assumed William and Victoria would be too occupied to take James out recently, given their hectic schedules. That was precisely why she chose this time to spend with her son.

If she had known this encounter was inevitable, she might have reconsidered, despite how much she missed James.

She glanced casually at William, careful to maintain neutral eye contact—neither lingering too long nor avoiding him completely. She treated him like any other stranger, with polite detachment.

"Daddy, can I go home with Mommy?" James looked up at William with pleading eyes.

William swallowed hard, tearing his gaze away from Elise.

He nodded at James. "Of course."

"Thank you, Daddy!" James couldn't contain his excitement.

He tugged at Elise's sleeve eagerly. "Mommy, Daddy said yes! I can come home with you!"

Elise gave James a warm smile before turning to William. "Thank you."

William's fist tightened almost imperceptibly.

"Let's go." Elise didn't prolong the moment, taking James's hand to leave.

"Jamie." Victoria's voice stopped them.

James turned to look at her.

Victoria crouched down again, leaning close to him. "Jamie, I'll be returning to Rockville in a few days. Could we have dinner together before I leave?"

"Um..." James hesitated visibly.

"Ms. Stuart, just let me know when and I'll bring James over," Elise offered.

"Really?" Victoria sounded surprised.

"Yes." Elise nodded.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." The exchange between the two women was excessively polite.

"Jamie, I'll be waiting for you at home." Victoria kissed James's cheek.

Disgust flashed across James's face as he quickly wiped his cheek.

Victoria didn't seem offended. In fact, her smile widened. "You're still the same as when you were little, hating kisses. What will you do when you have a girlfriend someday?"

She seemed to be deliberately teasing him.

James covered his face with both hands, remaining silent.

"We should get going." Elise took James's hand and led him away.

It was clear James wasn't comfortable with Victoria's close proximity.

"Take care," Victoria called after them warmly.

Throughout the entire exchange, William remained cold and distant, like an outsider.

Elise drove James back to her apartment in the car she'd purchased just days before.

She was still getting used to the vehicle and drove cautiously, especially with James in the passenger seat.

Just then, she spotted a familiar Maybach passing her car.

They were probably heading back after failing to pick up James.

"Jamie."

"Mommy." James sat obediently in his child seat.

"Would you like to go to the amusement park?" Elise asked.

"Yes!" James exclaimed excitedly. "I'll go anywhere with you, Mommy!"

"Okay." The corners of Elise's lips curved upward.

Her eyes began to redden with unshed tears.

She focused on calming herself as she navigated toward Crestwood's largest amusement park.

Elise held James's hand as they approached the ticket counter.

The weekend crowd filled the park with energy and excitement.

"Mommy, this is actually my first time at an amusement park! I really want to ride that one, and that one, and that one too..." James pointed enthusiastically at various rides, his face glowing with happiness.

"Has your daddy never brought you here before?" Elise frowned slightly.

"Daddy was always too busy to take me out for fun."

Elise's heart ached.

She squeezed James's small hand tighter. "Today, Mommy will take you on every ride you want, as long as you meet the height requirements."

"Yay!" James jumped with joy.

Hand in hand, they hurried into the bustling amusement park.