Chapter 61 Custody Awarded

On the day the closure report for the Columbus explosion case was released, Mu Xin was on the third floor of the Morris Building, holding a video conference with Rick Joy.

The draft design for the hotel had already reached its fourth version, and the opinions of the three designers were not quite aligned.

Rick felt the building should be more understated, Marwan Al-Sayed insisted on adding details to the facade, and Wendell Burnette was stuck in the middle, trying to mediate.

Mu Xin listened to them argue for over half an hour before finally making the call: "You all need to reach a consensus first. If you can't, then vote. Two to one, the minority follows the majority."

After hanging up, Mu Xin picked up his cup of coffee, which had already gone cold, took a sip, and his phone rang.

Jessica's voice came from the other end of the line: "The Catherine Mitchell case was officially closed today."

"It was an accidental explosion caused by aging gas pipes. The official report states that human factors have been ruled out."

"The fire department's report has been filed, and the insurance company has initiated the claims process."

"What about Lily?" Mu Xin asked.

"Lily is currently being looked after by her grandmother. Catherine's parents live in the suburbs of Columbus."

"The old lady is over seventy and in poor health. It's a struggle for her to take care of herself, let alone an eight-year-old child."

"What about John?"

"John went to the courthouse this morning." Jessica's voice lowered slightly.

"He submitted documents confirming his status as the biological father, along with a DNA test report."

"The court has accepted the filing, and the hearing can be scheduled as early as next week."

"Although Ohio law leans towards the mother, after the mother's passing, the biological father is the first-priority guardian."

"Can you be there for the hearing?" Mu Xin asked.

"I have prepared all the legal documents," Jessica said, "in the capacity of John's personal legal counsel."

"As long as the judge isn't biased, there won't be any issues with this case."

"That's good." Mu Xin hung up the phone.

A week later, Jessica called from Columbus.

"We won." There was an irrepressible excitement in her voice, "The judge ruled that custody of Lily goes to John, effective immediately."

"The grandmother didn't object; her lawyer didn't even argue against it in court."

"The old lady knows herself that she can't take care of this child."

"How is John doing?" Mu Xin asked.

"He cried outside the courthouse. Seeing him like that made my heart ache. He has finally waited for this day."

"What was Lily's reaction?"

"Lily doesn't really recognize him." Jessica sighed, "She's only eight and hasn't seen her father in over four years."

"The court specifically arranged for a child psychologist to be present to help facilitate some interaction between them."

"John was very careful and didn't rush to have Lily call him 'Dad.' Lily was a bit scared at first, but she slowly relaxed later on."

"John, a man who is a special forces soldier out in the world, is completely vulnerable in front of his daughter."

"Bring them to Oxford Town this afternoon," Mu Xin said. "I've already arranged the house."

The house Mu Xin arranged for John and his daughter was on the east side of Oxford Town, not far from Miami University. It was a two-story detached villa with a small but well-kept yard.

Victoria Winters asked him over the phone if it should be billed to the company, but Mu Xin said no, and that it should be under his personal name.

At four in the afternoon, a battered Chevrolet pulled up to the villa. The car was a temporary rental by Jessica; John didn't have a car, so he used the salary Mu Xin had advanced him to rent one and drove for nearly two hours from Columbus.

Mu Xin stood at the doorway, watching the car come to a slow stop. John got out first, then led a little girl out from the safety seat in the back.

Lily Mitchell was small and thin, wearing a light blue dress. Her hair was tied into two pigtails, and her face still carried a bit of baby fat.

She stood by the car door, gripping John's hand tightly, looking timidly at the strange house before her, and then glancing at Mu Xin standing in the doorway.

"Lily, this is the Uncle Mu I told you about." John crouched down, his voice soft as if afraid to startle her. "He is Dad's friend, and he helped us find this house."

Lily didn't speak; she just glanced at Mu Xin and then buried her face in John's arm.

Mu Xin smiled but didn't walk over, just standing at the door and saying:

"It's all set up inside, and there's food in the fridge. Jessica has arrived as well and is heating up pizza in the kitchen. Come on in, let's have dinner first."

John stood up, looked at Mu Xin, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just nodded.

He took Lily's hand and walked into the house.

Mu Xin stood at the door, watching John crouch down to help Lily take off her shoes, his movements clumsy but careful, and felt a complicated emotion in his heart.

After wandering the streets for so many years, barely able to take care of himself, he now had to take care of an eight-year-old daughter.

It wasn't that he didn't know how; it was just that it had been too long.

Jessica was heating pizza in the kitchen, and Victoria Winters was helping set the table. Mu Xin sat on the sofa in the living room, watching John take Lily on a tour of the house.

Lily had initially shrunk behind John, but then she saw her room, which Mu Xin had had decorated: pink sheets, a pile of plush toys, and a brand-new set of art supplies on the desk.

Her eyes lit up. She let go of John's hand, walked over slowly, and picked up a plush rabbit, hugging it to her chest.

John stood at the doorway of the room, his eyes reddening as he watched his daughter's back. He turned his head away, wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, and then turned back toward the living room.

"Mr. Mu," John's voice was a bit hoarse, "thank you."

"No need to thank me." Mu Xin leaned back on the sofa, holding a can of Coke.

"The house was purchased, not rented."

"Consider it an advance. You'll be working here from now on, and it will be deducted from your salary until it's paid off."

John was stunned for a moment, then smiled—a smile from the heart, filled with gratitude.

"Alright," he replied. "How much will be deducted?"

"Haven't calculated it yet." Mu Xin took a sip of Coke. "I'll let you know once Victoria Winters figures it out."

"But rest assured, it won't be too cheap." Mu Xin shrugged.

John nodded without speaking. He knew Mu Xin wasn't talking about the house, but about Lily's custody, this lawsuit, and everything else.

During the meal, Lily sat next to John, Jessica sat opposite them, and Victoria Winters sat next to Mu Xin. The five of them gathered around the dining table, on which were three boxes of pizza, a plate of salad, and a few bottles of Coke.

Lily didn't dare speak much at first, just eating her pizza quietly and occasionally stealing a glance at Mu Xin.

Mu Xin noticed her looking at him and smiled at her. Lily immediately lowered her head, pretending nothing had happened.

"Lily," Mu Xin put down his pizza and wiped his hands. "Do you like to draw?"

Lily looked up, glanced at him, and then looked at John.

John nodded at her, and only then did she whisper, "Yes."

"I put a set of art supplies on the desk in your room," Mu Xin said. "Over two hundred colors; that should be enough to keep you drawing for a while."

Lily's eyes lit up again, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, though she still didn't smile.

"Mr. Mu, regarding Lily's school..." John put down his pizza and looked at Mu Xin.

"Victoria Winters." Mu Xin tilted his head.

Victoria Winters picked up a folder from a chair nearby, opened it, and read:

"Columbus Academy, one of the top three private schools in Ohio, covering everything from kindergarten to high school."

"The tuition for the 2025-2026 school year is sixty-three thousand one hundred dollars, including boarding."

John's fingers trembled slightly. When he was wandering the streets, he didn't even have five dollars in his pocket.

"I've already spoken with Martin," Mu Xin said. "The owner of Crawford Building Materials. He knows people on the board of Columbus Academy and will help handle the enrollment process."

"No exams, no letters of recommendation, direct admission."

"He is the Governor's man, so there absolutely won't be any problems."

"Mr. Mu, this is too..." John's voice trembled.

"Too what?" Mu Xin interrupted him. "Too expensive? Too much trouble? Or too much?"