9 Will To Compromise...

"Pfft! Haha..."

The shocked silence that stretched after Phoenix's question was broken by Davina who suddenly burst into laughter, doubling over on her knees while hugging her stomach and even tears sprung from her eyes.

Why? Anyone who saw the sour look on Kelvin's face right now as he looked at his sister like looking at a dead person would crack up just as much, and it's exactly why Isabel and Kim also fell into a laughing fit on taking notice of the downturned mouth with lips slightly parted in scorn and the dead fish eyes that screamed ridicule.

It was a look that seemed to beg the question, 'are you an idiot?'

Isabel, who earlier couldn't choose between laughing or crying, was now doing both uncontrollably and when she looked up and saw Phoenix looking at them with a heavily confused look, oblivious to just about everything, she guffawed so hard that she snorted.

"What do you say, Zac? Would you like me to be your new mommy?"

Unaware that her own son's face had turned as black as pot's bottom, Isabel giggled as she hugged the little guy on her lap and nuzzled his cheeks with her own.

She had no idea whose child this was, but Zac was too precious; she really wouldn't mind making him a part of her family, even if only to hear him call her 'mum' once.

Isabel didn't know that her simple half joking question had thrown the little boy's mind into chaos as he thought seriously.

This lady was very nice; she was kind and she was pretty and actually reminded him very much of his own mommy.

His own mommy had died more than a year ago and he had heard his grandma talking to his uncle about getting him a step-mother; everyone knew that stepmothers were terrible people and he really didn't want one, but if his stepmother would be someone like this lady, he really wouldn't mind. However...

Zac's eyes landed on the elaborate gold ring on Isabel's left ring finger.

His mommy had once told him that a lady should only wear a ring on that finger when she found the person she loved most in the world and that person loved her back and they decided to spend the rest of their lives together. This lady was so pretty and kind, so the person she was in love with had to be someone really amazing and his own dad...

Zac's face fell when he thought of his father's current condition and everyone noticed it. Thinking that he was sad because of Isabel's words, the atmosphere turned a little awkward.

"Ahem. Um, Izzy, how long do you plan to sit there?"

Davina stepped forward to help Isabel up from the floor in an attempt to save the mood.

"Right? We came here to look for a house, but you've spent the better part of it sitting on the floor while feeding on cuteness points." Kim teased with a laugh and Isabel laughed along, her bright smile lifting the atmosphere once more.

"Right then; let's head inside. We're so sorry for inconveniencing you."

Isabel smiled apologetically at the young staff member once she was able to stand and the lady waved her hands, saying it was no problem as she tried to suppress the twitching at the side of her mouth.

This woman, she wanted to be this little master's new mother? Keep dreaming!

Did she even know this little master's identity? Don't be ridiculous!

Sure she had saved him from possibly seriously injuring himself, but she would still be lucky to get off unscathed just for uttering those words and not being accused of branch climbing. Even if she was very pretty, she was already a married woman with kids, didn't she know any shame?

Unaware that she had been labeled as a gold digging slut in the mind of the young woman she had just given one of her most sincere, apologetic smiles, Isabel took hold of Kelvin and Phoenix's hands and began to lead them inside.

Behind her, two dark eyes filled with stars looked at the joined hands and subconsciously tightened his own grip only to find that the usual comforting plushness was still missing, it was then that he remembered.

"Leo!"

"""Huh?"""

The group turned back and saw Zac once again climbing the guard rails.

"Zac don't climb up there!"

Isabel rushed forward and grabbed the little boy, picking him up to stop him from doing anything else that might get him injured.

"But Leo...!"

His large dark eyes wet with tears, Zac stretched his hands toward the scholar tree growing up from the yard with its branches hanging slightly over the guard rails. When Isabel looked, she saw that trapped within some small branches was a little plushy, just the right size to fill a child's embrace.

As the wind blew, the branches rocked and swayed, flinging upwards and down, but no matter what, the toy lion was firmly stuck.

"I- I was playing with him earlier and threw him up and the wind blew him away. I just wanted to get him back."

Zac explained why he had climbed the guard rails with a slight blush on his tender cheeks. He didn't want this nice lady to think that he was a naughty child that would climb rails for no reason without any regard for his own safety or the trouble it would bring the grown-ups around him if he got hurt.

Looking at those pretty eyes and pitiful gaze that seemed to say 'please don't hate me', Isabel felt a bit of familiarity and she placed a kiss on Zac's cheek. "It's alright; we'll help you get him back."

"And by 'we', you mean me, right?"

Davina stepped forward with a mocking tone and Isabel laughed. "You're the tallest."

For a woman, Davina could be considered tall at 5ft 7", plus she was wearing heels, it wasn't difficult for her to reach out and rescue the poor unfortunate lion from the evil clutches of the scholar tree.

"Leo!"

Once the lion had been cleaned of twigs and leaves and returned to Zac's arms, the little boy hugged the plushy tightly until it issued a slight squeaking sound.

"Th- thank you."

Hiding behind the lion's wooly mane, he blushed and said his thanks to Davina who almost melted into a puddle from being looked at with those limpid dark eyes.

"You're more than welcome, darling." She reached out and petted his hair.

"Okay, now can we re-focus on our reason for being here?"

Kim who thought that she had stood aside and let these two have fun for long enough finally stepped up to say something.

"Yes, yes." Isabel chuckled. "Please lead the way."

They once again followed the staff member and this time, they all actually made it to the seating area.

"First checkpoint, cleared and saved." Davina joked, causing them all to laugh. However, just as they sat down, the clear 'ding' sound of the elevator opening sounded, followed by the sound of quick and precise footsteps against the tiled floor.

The one who showed up, was a tall and lean middle aged man wearing a swallow tail suit and a gold monocle against his right eye. Isabel raised an eyebrow when she saw how the man was dressed; he was on point with the butler image and with his dark hair slicked back to reveal two streaks of grey on either side of his head, his style was outstanding.

"Uncle Sam?" Next to Phoenix, when Zac saw the man, he slipped from his seat and pattered over to him. "Why are you here?" He glimpsed behind the man to the closed elevator and his expression fell a little. "Where's--"

"I'm sorry young master, Second Master had an important matter to take care of, so he left first. I'm here to take you home."

"He left me?"

Zac's back was facing Isabel so she wasn't able to see the tears that sprung up in his eyes, but his heart breaking tone stabbed at her chest. She couldn't help but fume on the inside about how irresponsible Zac's father was.

The child already lost his mother; all he had left was his father. At a time like this, shouldn't the man be pulling his child closer instead of pushing him away?

Isabel herself was guilty of neglectful parenting from her last life, but now, she was trying to do right by her kids, so she couldn't help the anger and indignation she felt towards this man she had never met before. If she ever did get the chance to meet him, she would be sure to give him one hell of a lecture for neglecting such a cute and precious little treasure.

Children were meant to be treasured while they were still children, because in the blink of an eye they'll grow up and be men and women, no longer clinging to you, longing for your constant attention and affection and in return, their own attention and affection will belong somewhere else with someone else.

"Let's go home."

Isabel watched as the man took Zac's hand to lead him away. The little boy's head was drooping down to his chest.

She was wondering if she should call out to give him a farewell, hoping that his mood would improve, when that little drooping head suddenly shot up and swiveled around, star bright eyes locking with hers.

"Aunty, bye-bye."

Isabel was once again KOed by the little treasure's cuteness factor and if she wasn't already seated, she would have staggered from the wound in her heart. She really wanted to run over and kiss him a few more times before he left, but feeling the middle aged man's eyes on her, she settled for simply waving with a bright smile.

"Bye sweetheart. I hope I see you again soon." It really was her honest sentiment.

"Bye Zac!!" Phoenix knelt on the couch and waved her both hands crazily as her face showed the biggest possible grin.

"Later." Kelvin just raised his hand slightly and nodded at him.

Their words and actions varied, but Zac could feel the warmth and good intentions from each of them, making him feel giddy inside that he gave a foolish giggle and waved back, surprising the man next to him who glanced over at Isabel's group before he turned around and they headed for the elevator.

"Mama, will we see Zac again?"

Phoenix asked the instant that the elevator doors closed and the small figure disappeared from their sights.

"I don't know sweetheart. But I hope we do, I really like Zac."

"Me too! I like him a lot."

"Really?" Isabel put down the catalog in her hand that she was looking at and patted Phoenix's head. "Why?"

"He feels a lot like mama." The little girl, like a cat, leant against her mother's touch and rubbed against her hand. "Hey mama, can I have a little brother?"

This time, not only Isabel, even Davina and Kim choked when they heard Phoenix's question, but before any of them could reply, a firm and resounding 'no' answered Phoenix's question.

"Why not?" Phoenix pouted as she glared at Kelvin on Isabel's right.

"Mum only needs me as her son, no one else."

Isabel looked at her son's stoic little expression that was filled with obvious jealousy and possessiveness and thought it cute until she heard his next words.

"But a little sister is fine."

*Cough cough*

"You brats! *Cough* You do realize your mother first has to have someone to make those younger siblings of yours with, right?"

""Davi!"" Kim and Isabel shouted at the same time. It was only then that Davina realized the problem with her words.

"Can't mommy make my little brother with daddy?"

As Phoenix looked at her with those big, untainted dark blue eyes, Isabel felt as though her heart had been cut and she winced.

Although she believed herself to be in the right and they would both benefit more than anything else by dissolving their marriage, Isabel suddenly realized she had overlooked a very important point in her decision to divorce Brycen this time.

What did her children think?

In the last life she had fought against the divorce till hell and when she requested physical custody of the twins in return for finally agreeing to sign, Brycen had jumped at the chance, leaving them in her care; not that she did care for them at that time, she was just holding on to Brycen's weaknesses.

As a man that had built his company from scratch through desperate means that weren't few, Brycen obviously would not want to hand his company over to an unrelated party in the future, he would want his child, specifically his son, to inherit his legacy.

By holding on to Kelvin, she was pretty much holding Brycen by his throat because, she knew something that nobody else knew and even Brycen didn't know that she knew. Brycen had a low fertility rate.

After he had learnt of Isabel becoming pregnant after they had slept together just one time, it was unknown if it was hysteria or paranoia or if he had just gone mad, but Brycen had started a sterilization process, however, for whatever reason he stopped midway.

Isabel had only come across the documents in his office by chance when she went to visit him once during her pregnancy and it had left her horrified. But, knowing that Brycen definitely would not like her knowing about something like that, she kept it to herself.

She knew he would be hard pressed to secure a successor with Susan and no matter what, at the end of the day he would still have to come crawling back to her if he wanted his son. That was her conviction; however, she didn't count on anyone finding out about her drinking allowing him to take the twins away, she had kept it very secret... In fact, now that she thought about it, Isabel believed she knew who ratted her out last life!

But, right now, that wasn't important, her children were. She had caused them enough pain in one life because of her selfishness and vanity; she didn't want to do it for a second time.

Isabel sighed. She had wanted to keep them away from these matters and only explain it to them when they were older or started asking questions, but now she knew that she couldn't do that. As much as Brycen was a bastard, he was still their father; they deserved a chance to choose whether they wanted to be with him or not.

She loved her kids and she wanted nothing but the greatest happiness for them. If they wanted, she would be willing to compromise and share them with Brycen if that would make them happy.

Isabel was lost in her own thoughts as she pretended to leaf through the catalog in her hand, unaware that from the first mention of his father, the look in her son's eyes by her side had become very dark and distant.