“You’re lucky you weren’t beaten to death. You must have a death wish to dare to provoke a


    mentally ill person with aggressive tendencies,” the officer reprimanded the man sternly. The man


    seemed visibly terrified and stopped shouting.


    Ewan looked at Steven and respectfully said, “Mr. Lincoln, it’s time to


    Steven reached for my hand, whispering, “Stephie, let’s go home.” However, I couldn’t understand


    why I felt inexplicably annoyed.


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    go home.”


    At the door, the girl’s family arrived to pick her up, and their well–off appearance put me at


    ease.


    “Goodbye, Miss, Mister. Until next time.” The girl waved. The man who came to pick her up looked


    authoritative and respectable.


    “Thank you both for this,” the man said politely.


    “You’re wee,” I replied with a polite smile.


    Steven looked at him warily and shielded me behind him.


    The man nced at Steven with a smile. “Well, I won’t disturb you any longer.” But Steven still


    seemed protective even when everyone was gone.


    Sighing, I ushered him into the car.


    On the way back, Steven fell asleep against the window.


    I found myself gazing at Steven, feeling a bit lost in thought. His quiet demeanor was truly


    mesmerizing.


    “Mrs. Lincoln, I apologize for the fright. Mr. Lincoln rarely has episodes unless provoked,” Ewan


    exined.


    I stayed quiet until we got home. After giving Steven cold medicine and helping him sleep, I finally


    breathed a sigh of relief.


    “Ewan, how long have you known Steven?” I asked as we left the room.


    “I’ve known him since he was 14 years old. That was the year the Lincoln family found him,” Ewan


    replied.


    “And back then…” I was curious about what Steven was like as a teenager.


    “He was exceptional,” Ewan remarked with a hint of nostalgia. “But being too exceptional is a


    curse in high society.”


    Ewan had a point.


    After a moment of contemtion, I gently asked, “When was he diagnosed with his condition?


    “At 19 years old, he went through a traumatic experience,” Ewan mentioned, leading me to a r small


    attic room filled with Steve’s memorabilia–including photos, certificates, and trophies.


    Astonished, I stood frozen in the room filled with his awards and certificates.


    These were collected by Mr. Andy. He loved Mr. Lincoln dearly when he was alive, but his affection


    was tempered,” Ewan exined. He pointed out each item. “This one’s from when Mr. Lincoln


    joined the advanced sses.”


    Looking at the young man in the photos, I suddenly felt a headacheing on.


    It all felt so familiar.


    The young man in the photos had a radiant smile. At that time, Steve was truly pure and


    wless.


    Holding his trophy, he definitely stood out in the crowd.


    “A double degree?” ncing at Steven’s certificate, I was momentarily surprised, but then it all fell


    into ce.


    He entered university at just 14 years old, so it wasn’t surprising that he had finished both degrees


    by the age of 20 years old.


    Despite his young age, Steven excelled in multiple subjects with a perfect 4.0 CGPA, inevitably


    sparking jealousy among his peers.


    “What’s this?” In the far corner, I spotted a group photo taken at the orphanage.


    “This is a photo taken when Mr. Lincoln was admitted to the advanced sses. It was a


    farewell from the orphanage,” Ewan exined proudly.


    The pride on his face suggested that he regarded Steven as his own child.


    As I carefully examined the photo, I could still discern some familiar faces despite the changes that


    came with age.


    In the corner of thest row, I spotted Stephany’s ssmate, Howard Zachman, whom I had met at


    the ss reunion.


    It appeared that Howard hadn’t been adopted before Steven astonished the entire city of Huma with


    his brilliance.


    “Was it only after Steven’s brilliance made waves during the Genius Showdown that the Lincoln


    family found him?” I asked as I suspected there to be a conspiracy behind all this.


    “Not quite,” Ewan confessed truthfully.


    “The Lincoln family knew about Mr. Lincoln all along. But it wasn’t until Mr. Lincoln Senior gave his


    approval that anyone dared to bring him back. Only after Mr. Lincoln’s brilliance caught the city’s


    attention did Mr. Lincoln Senior allow us to officially recognize him as part of the family.”