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 Mnie, 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. Once your sones back, I hope you''ll reflect on yourself. Don''t cause any trouble and set a good example for him. Don''t let him follow in your footsteps and be a good-for-nothing man."


    As I listened to Carol''s straightforward and critical words, I silently gave her a thumbs-up. That was precisely what I had wanted to say, but it wasn''t easy for me to express those sentiments directly. She had taken the words right out of my mouth.


    "I''m telling you, Chloe has been deeply concerned about this. She''s thought about every detail, so there are some things I need to say upfront."


    "Go on." It was Arton who spoke this time.


    "Listen carefully." Carol continued without reservation. "The child is timid, so be careful at home in the future. You might scare him out of his wits."? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    As she spoke, I silently gave her a thumbs-up again. I loved what Carol was saying.


    "He was born prematurely and needs a lot of care. And you, Arton, should never show your angry side in front of the child. He may be small, but he''s smart. You won''t just scare him for a short while. It might have a big impact on him. The environment shapes the child, so think about this carefully. If you want him to take after you, you can teach him all the bad things you know. After all, I can''t interfere as an outsider."


    "I won''t." He asserted earnestly.


    "Also, no smoking or drinking. Any kind of wrongdoing is forbidden in front of the little boy. His mother is erratic and behaves poorly already. Don''t let the child inherit any of her bad traits. Take good care of him and nurture him well. He had a sad start in life, but he''s very smart."


    Arton looked at me. Just as Donovan finished changing, he came out, saying, "The youngdy is right. We''ll definitely educate the child properly. He''s our family''s hope. You''re a great benefactor to us, Ms. Chloe."


    I quickly stood up, smiled, and said, "There''s no need to thank me. If you take good care of the child, that will be thanks enough. Children aren''t born bad; it''s just a matter of proper education. We can talk more after we bring the child back here. Shall we head out together?"


    Surprisingly, all four members of the Reese family wanted toe with me. I didn''t stop them.


    We returned to Myra''s house. Johnson, who had been called back by Myra, was already there.


    At that moment, the little one woke up in Myra''s arms. He held a milk bottle and drank hungrily.


    But when he saw the room full of


    people, he forgot to drink and stared around with wide eyes. Finally, his eyes settled on my face. Grinning, he tossed the milk bottle aside, burbling and saying, "Mama" as he stretched his arms out toward me.


    I smiled and picked him up. He nuzzled against my face, expressing his excitement. Somehow, the child had developed a particr familiarity with me that was hard to believe. He had managed to melt my heart.


    Donovan forgot to exchange pleasantries with anyone as his eyes were fixed on the little one. He seemed to be itching to pick him up immediately.


    I brought Charlie over, pointing to Donovan and telling him, "Look, this is Grandpa."


    Charlie grinned. His hand was still in my hair. He gnawed on me asionally and drooled on my face, but he kept looking at the members of the Reese family.


    Donovan stepped up, his mouth twitching, seemingly unsure of what to say.


    I handed Charlie over to Donovan, but the little one was still shy. He turned his head and reached for me.


    But he wanted to sneak a peek at the others, and his expression amused everyone.