Behind them, Mr. Zhang and Mr. Li were stunned. «Uh… did we sign the contract?»

Susan’s husband smiled. «Oh, Mr. Sterling already agreed. We’ll sign the contract today.»

«Really? Who was that girl just now?»

«She’s… Mr. Sterling’s wife. They sure have a lot of fun, this couple,» he said with a laugh.

Outside, Emily was fuming. «Why were you so upset?» Michael asked.

«I’m not upset! And you, earning money is tough, I get it. We’ll just find a new job, right? Jobs are hard to come by.»

«You’ll find one eventually. Did you forget what I used to do? If I have to, I can go back to my food truck.» She walked back into the hotel manager’s office. «Hey, manager, don’t blame him. This job? We’re quitting.»

A few days later, Emily was looking at a job posting online. «Mommy, is this a design you like?» Maya asked, pointing at the screen.

«Yes. But this Sterling Group requires at least a bachelor’s degree. I’m not sure if I can get in.»

«Mommy, give it a try! What if it works?»

Her phone rang. «Hello, Emily Lin? Your interview is at 10:30.»

«Oh, really? Can we reschedule?»

«Latest is 11, no exceptions.»

«Okay, okay, I’ll be right there!»

She rushed to the Sterling Enterprises tower, a massive skyscraper in midtown. As she got off the elevator, she bumped right into Tiffany Liu.

«Emily Lin. I can’t believe I ran into you here. Bad luck for you.»

«Is this where the interview is?» Emily asked, ignoring her.

«Yes. And I’m a senior project manager here. I’ll be on your interview panel.»

Emily’s heart sank. She went through the interview, feeling Tiffany’s hostile glare the whole time.

«Wow, you haven’t worked in seven years?» Tiffany sneered, looking at her resume. «You should stay home and take care of your kid like a good little housewife. Why are you here?»

«Looking after my child did take up my time, but she’s older now. Why can’t I do what I want to do?»

«Do what you want? This is Sterling Group, not some greasy spoon diner. All of your designs are from years ago. They’re worthless. It looks like this job isn’t happening for you. Take your things and get out.»

«Emily,» Tiffany added as she was leaving. «Don’t think meeting some new guy means anything. I can rise to the top, look at me. Even with Lowe Industries gone, I can still find a good job. That’s my network, something you’ll never have. You’re just a loser. And your daughter… she’s a burden.»

«Ah!» Emily slapped her, hard. «How dare you! You can say what you want about me, but you don’t get to talk about my daughter!»

A security guard pulled them apart. Tiffany was bleeding from a small cut on her forehead where she had hit a table corner.

«Dad, Mom used to be a great designer,» Maya was telling Michael at home, looking at old sketches.

«Really?» Michael said, looking at a drawing. «You and Mommy both have your own styles.»

Suddenly, his phone rang. «A fight? At the office?»

He rushed to the building’s infirmary to find Emily, Tiffany, and Jake Wu all there.

«You again, pretty boy,» Jake sneered at Michael. «Last time, bankrupting Lowe Industries was a fluke. My fiancée is now a manager at Sterling Group. If she doesn’t want you in, forget it.»

«You still dare to hit me?» Tiffany shrieked. «Wu Hao was right, you’re just trash.»

«You can dislike me, you can not acknowledge Maya, but why would you insult her?» Emily said to Jake.

«Emily, I don’t feel like hiding it anymore,» Jake started. «Maya, she’s actually not…»

«Hey, honey,» Tiffany interrupted, grabbing his arm.

«Cousin,» Michael said to the security chief, «you handle the rest. If money needs to be paid, pay it. If you need to file a lawsuit, file one.»

«You want to settle this with money, right?» Tiffany said. «Give me two hundred thousand, and it’s over.»

Just then, the head of the design department walked in. «Miss Liu, did you forget something? The company said Emily Lin was to be directly accepted. And as far as I remember, you were never officially hired as a manager. How did you get in here?»

«Who are you, really?» Tiffany stammered, looking at Michael.

«You two don’t deserve to know,» Michael said, leading Emily away.

As they got on the bus to go home, three young boys watched them from across the street.

«Big brother, second brother, hurry up!»

«Where’s the grown-up with that kid?» one asked the bus driver.

«Do you have money?» the driver grunted.

«Money? No.»

«No money, no ride. Get off.»

«I’ll pay for them,» a woman said from her seat. It was Emily.

The three boys scrambled onto the bus and rushed towards her. «Mommy! We finally found you!»

«Hey kids, you must be mistaken. This is my mommy, not your mommy,» Maya said, getting protective.

«We also have a little sister,» the tallest boy said. «Hi little sis, I’m your second brother, Ben. He’s your big brother, Leo. And this is your third brother, Noah.»

«Little sis really looks like me,» Noah said, flexing. «No wonder we’re siblings. We’ll look out for you. Can you protect us like when Daddy bullied Mommy before?» Maya asked.

«Of course! Your third brother has nothing but strength!»

«Stop, kids,» Emily said, bewildered. «Maybe you should consider how I feel about this.»

«Dad, what’s going on?» Leo asked Michael. «When we went missing, you weren’t worried at all. You’re too careless. But it’s not too late. Your sons have finally found you.»

Emily stared at Michael. The bus driver was getting impatient. «Hey lady, are these kids with you? Are you trafficking them or something?»

«Third brother, don’t get angry. The driver said we should avoid trouble,» Ben whispered.

«Oh no, Daddy’s gone!» Noah realized Michael had slipped off the bus at the last stop.

Should I just take them to a DNA testing center? Emily thought, her head spinning. That night, she dreamed again. There are three more inside… where are you taking my child? It felt so real.

The next day, her phone rang. «Hello? Is this Emily Lin? You’ve been hired by Sterling Group’s design team. Your starting salary is $15,000 a month, no internship period. You can start the day after tomorrow.»

«Me? I really got hired?»

«Yes. Thank you.»

«Mom, you got in!» Maya cheered.

«Fifteen thousand?» Emily looked at Michael. «Wow, you have a magic mouth. How are you always so right?»

«You and Maya are my lucky stars,» he said with a smile.

A few days later, Michael received a call. «Mr. Sterling, you donated 10 million dollars to Kaihong Elementary for equipment upgrades. The principal has invited you to see the school’s development.»

«Alright, got it. Pick me up later.»

That same morning, Emily was taking Maya to enroll at that very same school.

«What brand are your clothes?» the admissions officer, Mr. Huang, asked snootily. «Are they designer?»

«Oh, no, just from a regular store.»

«What do you do? What about your husband?»

«I’m a trainee designer. My husband, he… works from home. Basically unemployed.»

«A trainee and an unemployed guy. Take these papers back. I’m not accepting your child.»

«But everything’s complete. Why not?»

«I said no. Leave.»

Just then, a lavishly dressed woman swept in. «Mr. Huang, I’m here to enroll my son.»

«Mrs. Wang! You’re here! I’ll do it right now!»

«Mr. Huang, they don’t even have the right paperwork. How can they enroll?» Emily protested.

«Who are you? My husband is a shareholder in this school,» Mrs. Wang sniffed.

«I heard Kaihong School never admits based on status. Aren’t you afraid I’ll report you?»

«You? Who do you think you are? Get out of here, you poor trash!» Mrs. Wang shoved Emily, who stumbled. Maya fell to the ground.

«Are you okay?» Emily cried, rushing to her daughter.

«Apologize,» a small voice said. It was Maya. «I’m telling you to apologize.»

«How dare you bully my son? Get them out of here!» Mrs. Wang shrieked at Mr. Huang.

«Let’s go, Mom,» Maya said, her eyes tearing up. «I don’t want to go to school here.»

«No way,» Emily said, her voice shaking with anger. «We did nothing wrong. Why should we leave?» She confronted Mrs. Wang. «My daughter is precious to me. I wouldn’t even scold her, but you push her to the ground? You apologize. Now.»

«Let go of me!» Mrs. Wang yelled, trying to slap Emily.

Suddenly, three figures blurred past them. «Let go of my mom!» a voice yelled. It was Leo, Ben, and Noah. «You witch, you dare hit her? I’ll beat you to death!» Noah shouted.

«Four against one, how brave,» Mrs. Wang’s son sneered. «Let’s have a real one-on-one.»

«Fine!» Noah yelled back. «Come on, I’ll fight you!»

Just as chaos erupted, Michael Sterling walked in with the school’s principal.

«Dad!» Maya cried. «It’s bad, Mom’s fighting again!»

The principal turned pale. «Mr. Sterling… isn’t there just one child?» he stammered, looking at the four kids now surrounding Emily. «Who are you?» Michael asked Mrs. Wang, his voice like ice.

«How dare you hit me!» she shrieked.

«If I find out my wife and my child have a single scratch on them, you’ll pay for it,» Michael said.

«Principal, do something!» Mrs. Wang demanded. «My husband invested in this school!»

The principal looked at Michael, then at her. «Mr. Huang, you’re fired. Mrs. Wang, your husband is no longer a shareholder. Now, get out.»

Mrs. Wang and her son were escorted out, dumbfounded.

«Why is the principal so respectful to them? Who are you?» Emily asked Michael.

«Mrs. Sterling, he is…» the principal began.

«Alright, I won’t hide it from you anymore,» Michael said, putting an arm around her. «I’m your husband. After Maya called me, I reported the incident to the education authorities. The principal was worried it would go viral online, so he was… extra polite.»

«So that’s how it is,» Emily said, still suspicious.

Dad lies without even batting an eye, Leo thought. Mom’s completely under his spell.

That night, they took the three boys home. «Dad, Mom, can we keep them?» Maya pleaded.

«Alright, we’ll take them home for now,» Michael agreed. «I’ll investigate them later.»

The next few weeks were a whirlwind of family life. The boys were chaotic but loving. One morning, as Emily was leaving for her new job at Sterling Group, the four kids lined up.

«Good morning, universe champion super mom!»

«Beautiful mom, let me present today’s outfit for you!»

«Graceful princess, let me get your toothpaste ready!»

«My sweet mom, I want to give you a heart! My love for you will never change!»

Emily laughed, overwhelmed. «Okay, the kids are all yours,» she said to Michael as she left.

«Mr. Sterling,» Susan said, watching them from the car. «These kids… where did you get them?»

A paternity test lay on the seat. Biological blood ties stronger than steel.

«By the way, Mr. Sterling, things are getting tense at the company. If you don’t return to the office soon, the old board members might start breaking the rules.»

«But going back risks exposure. And these three kids we picked up really have no one else.»

Later, Michael gathered the kids. «Alright, I have to tell you something. I’m actually a very wealthy man.»

«Really, Daddy?» Maya gasped.

«It’s true. Pretending to be poor was just to get close to your mom.»

«Daddy, I’ll help you win Mom over!» Noah declared.

«Is your wealth enough for all of us to split?» Leo asked pragmatically.

«Don’t worry, Dad. If you go before Mom, we’ll take care of her,» Ben added.

Michael sighed. «Susan, send the three of them to the police station. If necessary, a welfare center.»

«Dad, I’m sorry!» «Dad, I promise I’ll keep quiet!» «Dad, you’re so rich!» they all yelled at once.

He relented with a smile. «Alright, you little punks. Farewell, young masters and miss.» He took them to a sprawling mansion.

«Wow, this is what it feels like to be rich!» Maya exclaimed.

«Come on, let’s go shopping!»

As they were leaving a toy store, an elderly man in a chauffeur’s uniform was driving a golf cart through the parking garage. It was Arthur, Michael’s grandfather. «Hey, Grandpa’s got a car! Move out of the way!» he cackled, having snuck out again.

At that exact moment, Emily was driving into the garage to meet Michael and the kids. A red sports car ran a stop sign and swerved directly into her path. Emily slammed on her brakes, but the sports car clipped her bumper before screeching to a halt. Arthur, trying to avoid the collision, bumped his cart into the sports car.

«Oh my gosh, that scared me to death!» the driver of the sports car, a woman in designer clothes, yelled. «Are you blind?»

It was Linda, a famous international designer who had recently been hired as a team lead at Sterling Group.

«Hey, you ran a red light and now you want to start a fight?» Emily shot back.

«You two damaged my car! This will cost at least a million to fix! Are you two teaming up to scam me? A con artist and an old man?»

«Don’t you push it too far,» Emily warned.

«Oh no, my head hurts,» Arthur moaned, clutching his head. «Did I hit the ground?»

«What are you pretending for, old man?» Linda sneered.

«Miss, please, take me to the hospital,» Arthur pleaded.

«You’re not going anywhere until you pay for my car!»

«You said you’re a famous international designer, right?» Emily said, taking out her phone. «Let’s take a video of this and make it go viral. Here’s Linda, the famous designer, running red lights and attacking the elderly!»

«Don’t record me! You two, just you wait!» Linda snapped, then sped off.

Later that week, at a company gala, Emily saw Michael talking to Linda. «Finally, we meet,» Linda was saying.

«Sorry, I’m married. This might give my wife the wrong idea.»

«Married? To whom?»

«To me,» Emily said, walking up and taking Michael’s arm. «Honey, why are you so late?»

«You two got married? That’s impossible!» Linda gasped. «That loser Jake Wu promised to keep you under control.»

«You know Jake?» Emily asked.

«Let’s not talk about the past. I have a new family and kids now,» Michael said smoothly.

«You even had four kids?» Linda said, her eyes wide with shock. «Four? That’s impossible.»

«Why isn’t it possible?» Michael asked, watching her reaction carefully.

Just then, Arthur walked up. «Grandpa, let’s go. My head still hurts from that accident.»

«Don’t listen to this old man. He’s just making trouble,» Linda said.

«Linda, maybe you should get your eyes checked,» Michael said coldly. «Is this old geezer more important to you than me? I believe you don’t love me anymore. The young mistress of the Sterling family can only be me!» she declared dramatically.

«Alright, I’m back at the company,» Michael said into his phone. «You guys head back.» He turned to Emily. «You better think hard about how you’re going to explain this to me tonight.»

«If you don’t clear things up today, you’re no grandson of mine!» Arthur huffed at Michael after Emily had left with the kids.

«Xiaowei,» Arthur said, catching up to her. «Come stay with us tonight.»

«Grandpa, don’t keep her from her work,» Michael interjected. «Emily, get going. Remember to take Grandpa for a check-up.»