Chapter 6

Joseph's eyes turned cold and sinister, as he raised his hand and clenched it into a tight fist.

Owen thought that the big bully was going to hit him, so he closed his eyes tightly and curled up into a ball.

But Joseph hesitated. As he looked at the boy's pale face, tightly shut eyes, and trembling lashes, his heart softened. Slowly, he unclenched his fist, reached out, and gently cradled the back of Owen's neck, pulling him into a tender embrace.

How could he bear to hurt him?

Owen was his only son.

Five years ago, when he carried this child out of the ruins, he momentarily stopped breathing. Rushed to the hospital, Owen had narrowly escaped death.

Joseph still vividly remembered the moment when a nurse bathed the newborn and held him close. His weak cries filled the room, his tiny mouth still smeared with traces of formula.

Just born, the little guy already had a thick head of hair. When he opened his watery eyes, he looked as beautiful and adorable as an angel descending to earth.

Joseph never liked children.

But family? That was different.

That day, for the first time, Joseph understood the joy and weight of fatherhood.

Since then, Zack had been raised without a mother, and Joseph had vowed to give him the best of everything. Strict yet indulgent, he poured all his love into the boy.

Livia said, "Zack had a fever recently. It finally subsided last night. He might still be delirious when he says such nonsense…"

Halfway through her words, she suddenly began to cough violently.

Livia coughed, her face turning pale. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief, and Joseph faintly noticed some dried blood stains on it.

She coughed up blood again.

Elvis walked nervously over and said, "Ms. Wyndham, are you alright?"

Livia said, "I’m fine…"

Joseph said gently, "Get some rest. Tomorrow morning, I’ll take you to see Dr. Carrington."

Livia has been weak and fragile since childhood. When she was just born, she was diagnosed with heart failure and had extremely poor immune system.

The doctor asserted that she would not live to be ten years old.

However, the miracle did happen.

Twenty-five years have passed in the blink of an eye, but her body deteriorated day by day.

A while ago, Zack had a fever and infected her. Whenever she coughed, she couldn't stop coughing up blood, and her heart couldn't handle it at all.

The doctor said that if the situation continued to develop in this way, the only option would be a heart transplant. However, it is difficult to find a donor, and even if the transplant surgery is successful, the life expectancy would only be five to ten years.

In this season, the temperature difference in Sylphora is extreme. However, Bryston has a warm climate, with spring-like weather all year round, which is very suitable for recuperation.

Joseph also heard that Dr. Carrington, the youngest professor in the Intensive Care Unit, also resided in Bryston. Therefore, taking advantage of the opportunity to travel to Aetheria for business, he brought Livia along and planned to visit Dr. Carrington for medical advice.

Dr. Carrington, a protégé of the legendary Alistair Keaton, was known for miraculous recoveries that bordered on the supernatural.

Yet, years ago, she had retired from medicine and turned to business.

He sent her over a dozen emails in the past, but they all went unanswered, with no sign of any response.

Desperate, he had enlisted the help of her senior, Professor Zayne Wellington, to arrange a meeting.

Livia’s life depended on it.

Owen heard the words and, to his surprise, widened his eyes.

Dr. Carrington?

That’s my last name too!

Joseph lowered his head and said to Owen, "Tomorrow, I won’t be here. Elvis will look after you. Stay in your room and don’t wander off. Do you understand?"

Owen stuck out his tongue and stopped struggling, saying, "Okay…"

But his mischievous mind was already racing. If this big villain was leaving, it was the perfect chance to sneak home. Otherwise, Mommy would definitely spank him for running away!

***

The next morning,

Professor Wellington arranged to meet Joseph at his house.

As soon as it got light, Joseph set off with Livia.

At nine o’clock,

Elvis knocked on the door, a waiter behind him with breakfast.

"Young master, are you awake?"

From inside the door came Owen's childish voice, but with a muffled tone: "I’m hungry! Where’s breakfast?"

Elvis smiled knowingly, "I knew you’d be starving. Breakfast is ready!"

After saying that, he pushed open the door and walked in. The waiter followed closely behind, placing the breakfast from the food cart one by one on the dining table.

Elvis looked around and walked to the bedroom door, only to see a human-shaped lump on the bed. Owen's childish voice rang out again, "I’m hungry! Where’s breakfast?"

Elvis hesitated for a moment and immediately responded, "Time to wake up, lazybones. Breakfast is here!"

He waited quietly at the door for a while, but there was no movement inside the blanket.

After a while, and then another while.

Elvis furrowed his brow in doubt and tentatively called out, "Young master?"

Still no response.

He was about to walk over and lift the blanket, but the next second, he heard that childish voice again, echoing like a tape recorder: "I’m hungry! Where’s breakfast?"

Elvis suddenly realized something was wrong. He rushed over with a quick step, lifted the blanket, but only saw a pillow placed underneath. On the pillow, there was a toy teddy bear with recording and playback functions. Just as he was lost in thought, the toy teddy bear made a sound again, saying, "I’m hungry! Where’s breakfast?"

Elvis grabbed the teddy bear, his handsome face turning red!

Damn it!

Optical illusion!

He was fooled!

Elvis quickly looked around, checked once, and the entire room was empty, he shouted in alarm!

Oh no! The young master has gone missing again!

Meanwhile, the waiter pushed the food cart away. At that moment, Owen had already disappeared without a trace, hiding inside the soft fabric underneath the cart. He secretly lifted the curtain and made a ghostly face towards Elvis.

Elvis turned his head back, pondering over what was wrong. Throughout the night, this room was constantly guarded, and a fly couldn't escape.

Could it be...

Elvis suddenly remembered the delivery cart that the waiter had pushed!

When he rushed to the door in a hurry, the waiter had already pushed the food cart into the elevator.

"Wait!"

The waiter heard the sound of drinking and looked outside suspiciously. At that moment, the elevator door slowly closed.

Owen quickly and agilely climbed out of the dining car, which startled her: "Ah!"

“Shh!” Owen warned, putting a finger to his lips. As soon as the elevator reached the ground floor, he darted out.

The waiter shouted behind, "Stop that child! He’s the young master of the Kensington family!"

However, by the time everyone realized and chased after, it was already too late!

Owen ran to the roadside and got into a taxi that was waiting for passengers. He closed the door and instructed the driver, "To the Carrington Manor on Silverlake Road!"

Elvis chased all the way to the hotel entrance, but only saw the scene of the taxi leaving gracefully!

He tapped his forehead, took out his phone, and his fingers were trembling until he dialed Joseph's number.

The phone was in the middle of a conversation.

Elvis ended the phone call nervously.

At this critical moment, he dared not make a phone call to report. If Mr. Kensington found out, he would think he had lost the young master again and would definitely fire him!

No!

He had to chase the young master back!

Elvis hailed another taxi and said to the driver, "Follow that car! License plate 998JJ!"