Chapter 114: Clancy in England

Clancy returned to England and called Selen immediately he touched down, he wanted to see the triplets immediately before their official school resumption the following week.

As he made his way to her estate, the kids excitedly anticipated another familiar place in their new environment.

Clancy arrived at her estate later that afternoon, calling Selen just as his car entered the property gates. Since he visited them every single day back in Spain, Selen knew that keeping his routine intact was completely natural for the children.

The triplets ran out onto the grass the moment they saw Clancy step out of his vehicle, their earlier school anxieties completely forgotten as David and Daniel dragged him toward the garden to show him the outdoor maze.

Even Diana walked out onto the patio with Sarah, a soft smile on her face as Clancy knelt down to greet her gently, ensuring her coat was zipped tightly against the cold air.

Watching them together from the window of her office, Selen saw how seamlessly the kids transitioned into their usual routine with their father, completely unaffected by the geographic move from Madrid to Kent.

Clancy spent about three hours playing with the boys and talking quietly with Diana about her drawings.

Before he left, he walked over to the patio where Selen was standing with a shawl draped over her shoulders. She had just called it a day and ushered the kids inside the house before it became more chilly than it already was.

"My parents told me you came to the mansion", Clancy said as he waved a final goodbye to the kids, his eyes scanning her face with that familiar, intense look.

"They told me you cleared out your things from my room, and that my mother apologized to you," he said. "We settled our accounts, Clancy", Selen replied calmly, keeping her arms crossed.

"I accepted their apologies for my own peace and for the sake of the children. We are square, but we are separate. I am focused entirely on getting the triplets ready for school next week" she said clearly.

Clancy nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. "Patrick is tracking the logistics for the school transport to ensure their security is locked down" Clancy said, changing the topic.

"I can handle everything myself", Selen said evenly, making it clear that she wanted to handle all of her affairs by herself. "Safe travels back to the city, Clancy," she said.

He did not push her further, turning to wave goodbye to the triplets who hovered at the top of the staircase before climbing back into his car and his car drove away.

The visit had been smooth, but the calm did not last long. Less than two hours after Clancy left the property, Selen’s cell phone rang, it was Newton.

"Clancy was just at your house, was he not?" Newton asked, bypassing any greeting.

Selen sat down at her study desk in her bedroom, a wave of confusion hitting her since the visit was entirely expected given his daily presence in Spain.

"Yes, Newton. He came to see the triplets. They are resuming school on Monday, and he wanted to spend time with them before their routine starts. It was a standard visit." She cleared up. "But how do you even know he was here?" she asked him.

"Daniel mentioned it", Newton replied, his tone tight with frustration. "I called to check in on them an hour ago, and Daniel was so excited about the garden maze that he blurted out everything their father did with them today.

Selen, I am stuck all the way here in Madrid trying to finalize my business contracts, while he is conveniently using those kids as an excuse to be right down the road from your estate, playing the perfect family man on a Friday afternoon" he said harshly with lots of jealousy clear in his tone.

"Newton, please calm down", Selen said. "Clancy has a legal right to see Diana, David, and Daniel, and you know he saw them every single day back in Spain.

I cannot legally or reasonably deny him access to his children just because we relocated to England. He did not even come inside the house, he stayed in the garden with the triplets the entire time" she said.

"He knows exactly what he is doing", Newton said, his frustration vibrating through the phone line. "He knows I am miles away in Madrid, and now he is using his parental rights to maintain a constant presence around you.

It is incredibly frustrating to be stuck here while he gets to show up on a Friday afternoon. To him, the kids are just the perfect excuse to stay close to you" he said.

"I am not going to deny them their father just to score points in your rivalry with Clancy. I already chose to be with you, and I told you that explicitly before I left Madrid. If you cannot trust my word or my commitment to our relationship just because their father maintains his regular contact with them, then we have a much bigger problem than Clancy’s proximity" she said to him.

The line went quiet for a moment as Newton processed her sharp reprimand. He let out a long, frustrated breath, the heavy exhaustion of the long distance evident in his voice.

"I trust you, Selen. It is him I do not trust. He has immense influence in the UK, and it feels like he is going to use every single angle to keep himself between us. I hate being completely out of the loop while he has direct access to your environment" he said.

His tone was much calmer now. "He does not have access to my life, Newton", Selen corrected him gently.

"The boundaries are entirely mine, and I enforce them strictly. I have a grueling schedule next week with the National Gallery committee, and the triplets are starting an entirely new school on Monday morning." she said.

"My current projects will be finalized soon", Newton said, his tone shifting into a determined resolve. "I am moving my travel itinerary up. I am not waiting until the end of the new month to see you and the kids. I will be in Kent sooner than I told you the last time, Selen". He announced.