Chapter 1051

Jonathan almost blurted out “tomorrow,” then stopped himself. He shot a look at Irene, swallowed back his own desperate longing to go home, and changed his answer.

“Soon, Mike. I’ll be back really soon,” he said into the phone. “I got you and your little brother a bunch of awesome toys, and I’ll have Bunny drop them off, okay?”

“I don’t want toys, Dad,” Michael said immediately. “I just want you.”

But Jonathan couldn’t give him a date. He couldn’t make a promise he wasn’t sure he could keep. He said, “I promise, buddy. I’ll be home real soon.”

Jonathan spent a few more minutes talking to Michael before the kid had to get back to class. Jonathan really didn’t want to hang up, but finally did and chucked his phone on the table.

Irene shot up, mumbling about needing the bathroom, but Jonathan stopped her. “It was you,” he stated, not a question. “When he called before. You answered my phone, and then you deleted the log, didn’t you?”

Michael said he always called at night, Jonathan thought. But in the morning, my phone was always on the table. So before I went out for the day, Mom had the perfect opportunity to answer those calls for me!

Backed into a corner, Irene scrambled for an excuse. “I didn’t know it was Mike. I thought it was Teresa, harassing you again. That woman is obsessed with you, and she’ll never give up. I was only trying to protect you from—”

“Will you shut up already?” Jonathan snapped. His stare could’ve frozen hell over.

Irene pursed her lips. “Am I wrong? Teresa’s using Michael to get him to call you.”

A wave of profound exhaustion washed over Jonathan. He felt crushed. Then he said, “I was the one who made the call to his preschool today. The kid’s been dying to see me.

“Thanks to your crap, he thinks I don’t give a damn about him. I was ready to book a flight home, but listening to you… No. I’m not going back.”

If Irene kept acting like this, it felt like everything he’d done these days was for nothing.

Irene choked on her words. “I… I was just speculating. Let’s just go home.” She was desperate to get back.

Jonathan shook his head. “Forget it.” His face was blank, his eyes dark and unreadable. “And go back to what? The same three-ring circus? No. There’s no point until you can give me your word that you will stay out of my life.

“The second I see Teresa, you’ll be right back to accusing her of using our children to trap me. Isn’t that what you want to believe?”

Irene protested, feeling wronged. “How is it all my fault? It broke my heart to hear Michael crying like that, too.”

“Oh, now you care that Mike’s upset?” Jonathan’s eyebrow shot up. “You keep claiming Teresa’s manipulating me with the kids. You’re so convinced this is all Teresa’s trap.

“So tell me. If I go back now, I’m just walking into that trap, right? Why on earth would I do that? It’s a trap—your words.”

Irene was left speechless again. She never realized Jonathan could be this cutting with his words. The sound of Michael crying and calling for his dad echoed in her mind.

Irene was torn. Her heart bled for Michael, and she hated Teresa. She wanted to see her grandson, but she couldn’t stand the thought of Jonathan getting tangled up with Teresa.

Then, an idea hit her. “How about this? You go back and bring Michael here to live with us. I’ll take care of him.”

“Are you kidding me?” Jonathan let out a bitter laugh. “Teresa has full custody. I can’t do a single thing without her permission.”

Irene waved his words away as if they were smoke. “Don’t be ridiculous. You have money, and you have power. Are you telling me you can’t win a custody fight?”