The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 122: Chapter 122

Leon was overjoyed when he received the gift. After all, it came from his mother, and he couldn't even remember the last time he had gotten anything from her.
Victor stood to the side, watching Leon's expression with a complicated look in his eyes.
Victor pondered, 'If it weren't for Eliza, maybe we could've still had a normal family. Leon wouldn't be this happy over just one gift from his mom.'
He lowered his head and sent Serena a quick text: [Leon got the gift. He's really happy.]
Serena replied almost instantly, simply saying she was glad Leon liked it. Her tone was polite and distant. But Victor knew very well they had no one to blame but themselves.
Victor let out a quiet sigh. A moment later, another message came through, and this time it was a voice message.
Holding Leon close, Victor tapped on the voice message. Immediately, Serena's gentle voice came through the speaker. "Happy birthday, Leon. I'm really glad to see you've made progress. I hope you keep it up."
It was such a simple compliment, but Leon's eyes turned red in an instant. He quickly wiped them away, pressed the voice message button, and said he promised he would keep doing better and better.
On the other end, hearing how obedient Leon sounded now left Serena feeling a bit wistful. She wished he could always be like this.
After two hectic days, Serena finished the draft for the newlyweds' place and sent it over to Regina. Regina was over the moon, praising her nonstop, and even joked about stealing her away in the chat with Keith.
Serena, resigned, had to gently refuse her every attempt.
Once the first draft was finally submitted, Serena needed to wait for other departments to do their part. She ended up with a rare little break, which gave her the perfect chance to take Alyssa out for some fun and finally keep her promise.
Early in the morning, Keith brought Alyssa over to Serena's place. The little girl wore two cute pigtails on her head and looked much more cheerful. As soon as she saw Serena, she reached out her arms.
Keith watched from the side, a sense of comfort growing inside him.
Even though Alyssa still couldn't speak normally, it was obvious she was far less withdrawn than before and could clearly communicate her needs. That would have been unimaginable in the past.
Serena didn't notice the look on Keith's face. She just crouched down and adjusted the little bow in Alyssa's hair, making her look even cuter like a doll.
"Say goodbye to your dad, Alyssa. We're heading out to have some fun," Serena said gently.
Alyssa immediately waved obediently at Keith. Seeing her behave so well, Serena felt something soft crumble deep in her chest.
"Go on now," he said with a smile. "Don't forget to do as Serena says. If there's any trouble, call me, okay?"
With that, Keith gave Alyssa a light pat on the head and turned to Serena. "I'll head off to work now. Just call if anything comes up," he said, his deep-set eyes showing a trace of warmth.
"Alright," Serena replied.
This wasn't the first time she had taken Alyssa out. If it weren't for Tara suddenly vanishing again, they wouldn't have had to be so cautious.
But Tara had gone off the rails, clearly intending to use Alyssa as her ticket into a wealthy family. So, they couldn't afford to take chances. They had to make sure she never got anywhere near Alyssa.
As Keith walked away, Alyssa quickly clung to Serena's arm, snuggling close.
Seeing her act so affectionate, Serena laughed and teased, "Now that your dad is gone, you finally remember to hug me, huh? What, were you worried he would get jealous?"
At her words, a sly glint flashed through Alyssa's eyes. Watching her act so lively now, Serena felt even more confident that she could one day help her fully return to a normal life.
She had worried that Tara's sudden reappearance would set back Alyssa's progress. But clearly, they had all underestimated the little girl's resilience.
"Come on," Serena said. "The restaurant I booked today is supposed to be amazing. I have even asked Dr. Sutter, and he said you can have a little bit of ice cream."
Alyssa had always been kept away from sugary treats because of her health, even though she craved them. So, the moment she heard that, her eyes sparkled.
"But not too much," Serena added. "I'll be watching you."
When Alyssa nodded right away and looked up at her with that sweet, obedient gaze, Serena couldn't help pinching her cheek before leading her into the car.
The restaurant had a pleasant atmosphere. Serena had gone to get Alyssa some ice cream and portioned out a small cup just for her. Watching Alyssa slowly lick at it like a little kitten, she couldn't help but smile.
After they finished their meal, Serena hesitated for a moment before saying, "Alyssa, I already asked your dad about this, and he said it's fine for me to take you to visit the director from the orphanage.
"But I still want to know what you think."
Serena had spoken to Nate about Alyssa's situation. He mentioned that if Alyssa could spend more time around people she trusted, especially those she had known when she was little, she might gradually build some resistance to Tara's presence.
So, after thinking it over, Serena and Keith figured that the people from the orphanage fit that criteria best.
Serena knew Tiana well and knew she was always kind to every child. With Alyssa being so sweet, Serena figured Tiana would be delighted to see her.
Even so, Serena still wanted to know if Alyssa actually wanted to go.
Alyssa gave a quick nod, not even stopping to think. She was certain Serena would never do her wrong, so she was happy to go wherever Serena wanted to take her.
Seeing how obedient she was, Serena let out a soft sigh and gently reminded her, "Right now, I'm doing this for your sake. But Alyssa, you have to remember, adults can be really awful sometimes.
"Even people who seem close to you can't always be trusted with everything."
Alyssa looked like she didn't really get it.
Noticing how clueless Alyssa seemed, Serena sighed softly before taking her by the hand.
In any case, she would never do anything to hurt Alyssa. She figured there was plenty of time to teach her those things later. For now, it was better to let her just be a happy, carefree little girl.
Serena took Alyssa to the hospital. Tiana had been doing much better lately and was even able to get out of bed and walk around on her own. As soon as she saw Serena with Alyssa in tow, a big smile lit up her face.
"Seri, what brings you here? And this little one... don't tell me she's your daughter?" Tiana looked at Alyssa, sensing something familiar about her, though she couldn't quite place it.
Serena walked over with Alyssa and shook her head. "Alyssa was one of the kids adopted from the orphanage. Take a closer look. Does she ring a bell?"
Tiana studied Alyssa's face and suddenly seemed to remember. "Wait, is this Alyssa?"
Tiana could hardly believe it. After all, Alyssa's case had always been a bit unique. Among all the children at the orphanage, she was one of the lucky few. Even though she had health problems, she still managed to find a family.