The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 35: Chapter 35

Inside the police station, the officers just finished taking statements and were preparing to contact Alyssa's family. One of them asked Serena, "Ma'am, do you know the girl's father? Do you have any way of contacting him?"
Serena paused, caught off guard, then shook her head. "I only know the father's name is Keith Brannon. I don't have any of his contact information."
The officer gave her a slightly surprised look and continued, "Then what is your relationship with her father?"
It was only then that Serena realized that after all this time knowing Keith, she had never even asked for his phone number.
"We're friends," she said.
Alyssa reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out a small wooden tag. She handed it to Serena.
Serena took the tag and saw it neatly engraved with a string of numbers.
She passed it to the officer. "This is her dad's phone number."
The officer examined the number and began dialing.
The phone rang for a long time, but no one answered. "Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later."
The officer tried again, yet he still got no answer. Setting the phone down, the officer frowned and looked at Serena. "We'll keep trying to reach her father. You guys are free to go. If there's any update, we'll contact you immediately."
Kristy gave a small nod. "Thank you, officer."
Alyssa, however, clung tightly to Serena's neck, her face buried deep in her shoulder, unwilling to lift her head.
Serena gently tried to move Alyssa into the seat beside her, but Alyssa only tightened her grip. Her body was still trembling, revealing the fear that was still coursing through her.
Just then, a female officer approached and crouched beside them, speaking softly, "Hi there, sweetheart. I'm a police officer. Can I hold you for a moment?"
Alyssa tucked her head in deeper, clutching Serena's clothes even harder, refusing to let go.
The officer tried again, but Alyssa only began to squirm, a low whimper building in her throat. Her distress grew quickly. Her cheeks flushed red, and her breathing grew shallow and panicked.
Serena explained, "Officer, Alyssa has autism. She's afraid of unfamiliar people and situations. She doesn't do well in new environments."
Serena paused, then gently rubbed Alyssa's back, speaking in a soothing voice, "Alyssa, it's okay. This officer is very kind. She's here to help. You're safe, sweetheart."
But Alyssa only cried harder, her small frame shaking uncontrollably.
Realizing the situation was more delicate than she'd thought, the officer gave Serena a small nod and stepped away.
Serena held Alyssa tighter. Her heart ached at the thought of leaving Alyssa here alone. Serena thought, 'She must be terrified. Everything here is strange to her. After what just happened, she shouldn't be facing this alone.'
Serena looked up at the officer again and asked, "Officer, is it possible for me to take Alyssa home with me for now? She's extremely unsettled."
Kristy turned to Serena, clearly surprised by the request. She hadn't expected Serena to offer something like that, especially under such sensitive circumstances.
The officer hesitated, looking conflicted. "That's not really within protocol. We haven't made contact with her father yet."
Serena said, "I understand, but her condition is very specific. She's on the autism spectrum. In a strange environment, it could only cause her to regress or become even more distressed."
Seeing the officer's hesitation, Serena added, "I can leave my passport with you if necessary. And I do know her father. If he contacts you, you can give him my address directly."
The officer glanced at the sobbing girl in Serena's arms, then at Serena's anxious expression. Finally, he nodded. "Alright. But you need to guarantee the girl's safety and remain reachable at all times."
Serena replied, "Yes, of course. I promise."
Serena and Kristy brought Alyssa back home. The moment they arrived at the apartment, Serena gently sat Alyssa down and began checking Alyssa for any injuries.
As expected, there were a few bruises on Alyssa's arm from being yanked too hard, along with some scrapes on her hands.
Serena carefully applied ointment to the wounds while soothing her.
Alyssa clung tightly to Serena, her wide eyes fixed on her face, afraid to look away for even a second.
"Her father is completely irresponsible," Kristy said angrily. "How could he leave her alone in a place like that?"
Serena let out a quiet sigh but said nothing. She knew Kristy was right, but there was no point in saying it now.
Back at the mall's play area, Keith's assistant, Jaclyn, rushed back after getting her coffee, only to find Alyssa gone.
"Where's Alyssa? Where did she go?" Her voice trembled with panic.
Terrified to tell Keith that Alyssa had disappeared, Jaclyn frantically searched the entire mall. But no matter how hard she looked, there was no sign of the little girl.
By the time Keith finally wrapped up work and rushed to the mall, he found Jaclyn standing there alone, pale and visibly shaking.
Keith asked in a chilly tone, "Where's Alyssa?"
"I... I just went there to grab a coffee. When I came back, she was... gone," Jaclyn stammered.
Keith barked, "What? Tell me the details."
Jaclyn flinched at his tone, her body trembling. No longer able to hide the truth, she stammered out every detail.
Keith was furious after hearing the whole situation. He grabbed Jaclyn by the collar, his voice thunderous. "Do you have any idea what you've done? What if something happened to her? Could you take the consequence?"
He shoved her aside and stormed off to the nearest police station to report Alyssa missing.
At the station, Keith was told that Alyssa had been rescued by someone he knew and had already been taken home safely.
An officer handed him a slip of paper with a name, address, and phone number. "This is the number of the woman who took your child. She said she's your friend."
Keith took the note and stared at the name on it—Serena.
Serena?' he thought, stunned. He never imagined that the one who saved Alyssa would be her.
He slipped the paper carefully into his pocket and looked at the officer, saying politely, "Thank you so much."
Then he turned and walked out of the police station.
Once outside, he got into his car and drove straight to the address on the paper.
As he sped through the city streets, he didn't hesitate to send a text to Jaclyn: [You're fired.]
When Keith arrived at Serena's door, he rang the bell. Soon, Kristy opened the door and saw a tall man with striking features and a calm intensity standing outside.
"Excuse me, is this Serena's house?" Keith asked politely.
It took Kristy a moment to recover her composure. She quickly nodded and asked, "Are you..." Her eyes scanned him up and down. "Are you Alyssa's father?"
Keith gave a small nod, his gaze drifting past Kristy and into the house.
Kristy stepped aside and gestured with her hand. "Come in."
Keith walked into the living room and immediately saw Serena sitting on the sofa. Alyssa was curled up peacefully in her arms, fast asleep.
Hearing the footsteps, Serena looked up. When she saw Keith, she whispered, "Alyssa fell asleep."
The little girl's cheeks were flushed, her breathing soft and even. One of her hands clutched tightly to Serena's shirt, as if afraid Serena might disappear.
Keith looked at Alyssa for a long moment, then turned to Serena. "Thank you, Ms. Gray. I'm sorry to have troubled you again."
Serena's voice was calm, but her tone carried restrained anger. "Mr. Brannon, do you have any idea how dangerous it is to leave a little girl like her alone in a busy mall?"
"I know. It was my mistake," Keith replied, lowering his head. His voice was sincere as he explained, "There was a critical project that required my full attention. I couldn't leave the meeting, so I asked Jaclyn to watch her."
"I understand that you're busy, but Alyssa is just a child. What she needs isn't an assistant. She needs her father, you know?"
"I know. You're totally right."
"Her safety should always come first. Thank goodness I saw her today. But what if something had happened? It will be too late to regret it."
Keith fell silent. He knew Serena had a point. And inside, he was filled with guilt and fear of what might have happened. He stepped forward, carefully lifting Alyssa into his arms. He then took Alyssa home.