?Chapter 1288:


    And because he was so “reasonable,” he never bent the rules for anyone.


    “Mommy, can youe too?” Nina asked with a tentative nce.


    Freya nodded and walked with her.


    As it turned out, Nina hadn’t just fallen behind—she’d barely done a thing.


    When Ellis saw she hadn’t even touched half her assignments, the air around him seemed to turn cold. He sat back with his legs crossed, his long fingers flipping through her pages. His lips formed a hard line, and he said nothing.


    Nina hated when he went silent like that.


    “Care to exin why you didn’t even finish your favorite subject, drawing?” Ellis asked, his voice low and unreadable. “You were the one who begged to take it up.”<fnb371> Updates are released by find?novel</fnb371>


    “I was ying with Nick and Jerome,” Nina admitted quietly, staring down at her fingers.


    Ellis raised an eyebrow, just opening his mouth to respond when Nina’s eyes started to fill, and she sniffled, “Daddy, I was wrong.”


    “Nice try,” Ellis said tly, seeing right through her act.


    “Daddy!” Nina started to panic now that her usual tricks were failing.


    Ellis leaned back, clearly waiting to see what else she’de up with.


    Freya stood quietly nearby, watching everything unfold.


    That was when Jesse walked in.


    Nina’s eyes lit up like fireworks.


    But Ellis caught on immediately. His voice cut through the tension, deep and sure. “Not this time. No one’s getting you out of it.”


    “It’s my fault for not watching her. If someone needs to be punished, it should be me,” Jesse said, stepping forward.


    Jesse used to keep a close eye on Nina every single day, hovering like a hawk. But once he saw how much genuine fun she was having, he just let her be.


    After all, it wasn’t every day she met someone she genuinely liked.


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    “Nina’s punishment can be lifted. I’ll sleep by myself from now on,” Jesse offered, his tone light and casual. “I won’t get in your way anymore.”


    Ellis stared at him for a long moment. So Jesse had been doing it deliberately this whole time?


    When Ellis didn’t answer, Jesse pressed further. “Well? Deal?”


    “Go reflect on your actions for three hours over there.” Ellis shot him down without a flicker ofpromise. When it came to discipline, he didn’t barter.


    Jesse stood there, stunned. Even after that offer, he was still turned down?


    “Still standing here? Want me to make it six hours instead?” Ellis’s voice rose, calm butmanding.


    The kids shuffled off obediently.


    As he walked away, Jesse nced back at his father onest time.


    Freya, who had quietly watched the whole exchange, finally turned to ask, “So who exactly is this Jerome Nina’s so obsessed with?”


    n had mentioned him once before, but she hadn’t pushed for details. It was the first time Nina had ever skipped out on her studies just to y. Usually, she was the picture of focus when it came to anything academic.


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