After some thought, I began, "Mr. Donovan, the reason I came today is to bring your grandson back to your family.”My statement was like a sudden thunderclap, shocking the old man and Annika into stunned silence. Donovan scrutinized me up and down, as if he wanted to see through me, trying to understand my intentions. It was as if he perceived me as a conniving woman using the child to extort them, and he was on high alert."What do you mean? Grandson? Where did this grandson come from?" Annika also wore a face of skepticism, finding it hard to believe what I said.I had to smile again and nod solemnly to assure them that they didn't mishear.Then I said, "Absolutely, without a doubt, he is your grandson. To be precise, he is Arton's son.""What?"Donovan stood up suddenly while looking at me.It was obvious that he now considered me the child's mother.Carol couldn't stand it anymore and spoke sharply to the old man, "Mr. Donovan, please calm down. Chloe is here to discuss
I wasn't sure what Donovan meant. Annika quickly dialed a number, and her expression mirrored Donovan's, inscrutable—filled with joy, excitement, and a hint of nervousness. Her hand that was holding the phone was shaking.Once the call connected, Annika's voice sounded somewhat unsettled as she spoke into the phone, "Arton, where are you? Come back home immediately!"A deep voice echoed from the phone, "What's wrong? Did something happen to Mom and Dad?"Without elaborating, Annika urged, "Just come back as soon as you can!"I could see that Annika was anxious. Meanwhile, Donovan still tightly held onto my phone, staring at the photos without blinking.Judging by his current expression, I was certain he liked Charlie.I moved closer and tried to take the phone, but he clutched it tighter, unwilling to let go. So, I approached him, gently sliding my fingers across the phone screen to show him more pictures.I overheard Annika making another call, presumably to her mother, urging
I looked at Georgina and said softly, "This matter is a bit complicated, and I'd like to wait until Arton comes back to explain it together. Would that be acceptable to you?"At that moment, Donovan cursed again, "This troublemaker, who knows what he's been up to out there? I'm telling you, these are the results of your indulgence!"Georgina glanced at her old partner, signaling him with her eyes. "Hold off on conclusions. Let's hear what Arton has to say. We shouldn't just believe the words of an outsider, right?""What outsider? The photos are right here. What other excuses do we need?" Donovan angrily said, "He's been out there for so long, but has he accomplished anything? Look at him; he's got nothing."I quickly explained, "Mr. Donovan, you really can't blame Arton for this. Arton himself had no idea about the existence of this child.""He doesn’t know?" My words stirred Donovan's displeasure, making him even more furious. "Is he stupid? Doesn't he know what he did himself?
I also turned my gaze toward Arton. I had seen pictures of this man, so I was sure that Charlie was his son.The Reese family's genetic traits were strong. It especially showed in those distinctive eyes they had.Arton's appearance was familiar to me, but his intense hostility was overwhelming. The moment I saw him, I recognized him from the photos, and I also remembered our encounter at Midnight Bar. He was the man I had asked for room numbers when I got lost in the corridor.His eyes had been fixed on me since he entered, showing caution, hostility, and suspicion.Annika looked at her brother, nudged him slightly, and hastily introduced us, "Arton, this is Ms. Chloe.”He remained silent, using his cunning eyes to scrutinize me up and down.I didn't stand up. Instead, I looked at him confidently and asked coldly, "Do you remember me, Mr. Arton?"Arton kept that dark expression on his face and didn't answer my question. However, it was clear that he was very wary of me.I ignor
Annika quickly grabbed the phone and exclaimed, "Dad... That’s Ms. Chloe's phone. What are you doing?"Donovan seemed to realize he had gone too far and remembered that it was my phone. He sneaked a glance at me.I observed the scene calmly and didn’t bother to offer any polite gestures or reassurances like “It's okay” or “It’s not a big deal.”I watched them coldly as a detached spectator. Annika kept apologizing to me."You don't need to apologize, Annika. I'll compensate her if the phone is broken. You don’t need to act like this in front of them!” Arton said protectively.I didn’t know why, but his actions comforted me. It was clear that Arton genuinely cared for his sister and tried to protect her.Arton looked displeased and glanced at me again. "Are you two the cause of this trouble? Explain it to me right now. Who are you two? Don't mention Melanie again. I don't know her."I looked at Arton coldly. "I used to be Melanie's sister-in-law. Now do you know who I am?"Sur
Annika quickly smiled and flattered me, nodding and bowing. "Yes, Ms. Chloe, please rest assured. If the kid really is my brother's son, I’ll do my best to raise him well. You can trust me.”"Dad, Annika, what are you talking about? What son? Where did this child come from?" Arton was utterly confused about what was going on.The elderly lady, who had been silent all along, looked thoughtful.Suddenly, she spoke, "You’re Ms. Chloe, aren’t you? You claim this child is my son's, and while he does resemble our family, we can't just take your word for it. If he is Arton’s son, Arton would know for sure. Please explain everything clearly to us. We’re not foolish, but there needs to be some basis in fact, right?"If my son feels that everything is right, then we can acknowledge that the child is his son. Otherwise, we can't just accept him without knowing if he really is a part of our family."I felt deflated when I heard what Georgina had to say. I hadn't expected her to say such thing
When I heard what Donovan said, I silently breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Arton, saying, "That depends on Mr. Arton.”Arton no longer looked at me with the hostility he had when he first came home.He appeared to be bewildered, helpless, and even pleading... A man in his thirties who had been accustomed to recklessness now looked like a child who had made a mistake. He glanced at his father helplessly.I looked at Georgina and asked, "What about you, Mrs. Georgina? Are you satisfied with the reasons I've given?"Her face paled. She turned to her son, saying, "Since he is really your child, let's bring him back as soon as possible."I looked at Arton again. Despite his imposing appearance, he said meekly, "Let's do what my mom said."Since they had all agreed to take Charlie back, I spoke again, "But there is one condition from the lady taking care of the little boy now…”Donovan immediately said, "Of course. Feel free to tell us whatever conditions they have. My famil
She seemed convinced that I would understand what she meant."Maybe the little guy has a connection with me," I remarked casually, though truth be told, I wasn't entirely sure.Carol gave Georgina a displeased look and said, "You're overthinking it, Mrs. Georgina. Chloe saved the child's life when he was only two months old, and she even broke her arm in the process."When Arton heard this, his eyes turned to me, filled with skepticism.Carol looked at him and told him how I had saved the child.Then she asked him, "What do you think about Melanie, Arton? You must know the terrible things she's done. Were you also involved in the incident at Midnight Bar?”Carol's relentless questioning made Arton gulp nervously. When he looked at me again, there was no more hostility in his eyes; all that remained was regret.Carol continued, "Considering your age and the unnecessary things you've gotten yourself involved in, we’re worried you won’t be able to take good care of the little boy.