?


    "Okay," Wilhelm answered.


    He epted the bowl and took a couple of sips, then looked up at Gabriel and asked, "Daddy, where''s Mommy?"


    Upon seeing the cautious look in Wilhelm''s eyes, aplex expression crossed Gabriel''s face.


    He crouched down to the boy''s level and said gently, "Wil, from now on, you''ll live with Daddy. Is that okay?" Wilhelm froze, tears welling up in his eyes. "Daddy, does that mean you don''t want Mommy anymore?" Jane''s words echoed in his mind that Gabriel had a bad woman outside and didn''t want them anymore.


    Now that his father didn''t want his mother, it wouldn''t be long before he didn''t want him either, especially if he had a child with that bad woman. Gabriel sighed and spoke softly. "Wil, this is an adult matter that you won''t understand. Daddy isn''t abandoning Mommy. We''re just going to live separately. But no matter what, both of us love you very much."


    "You''re lying!" Wilhelm cried, throwing the bowl to the floor, where it shattered into pieces.


    He burst into tears and ran toward the door. "You''re a bad daddy! You''ve found a bad woman outside, and once you have a child with her, you won''t want me anymore! I want to see Mommy-I don''t want you!"


    The floor was littered with ceramic shards, and Gabriel worried that Wilhelm might hurt himself. He quickly scooped the boy up in his arms and carried him out of the room.


    "Wil, listen to Daddy. I will never stop loving you," he reassured him.


    Wilhelm refused to stop crying and struggling, demanding to see Jane.


    After a long, fruitless attempt tofort him, Gabriel reluctantly decided to have someone contact Jane.


    Before long, one of his assistants approached hesitantly. "Mr. Hackett, Ms. Wilkie fell down the stairs at the hospital and broke her leg. She''s being treated now and can''te."


    Gabriel pressed his lips into a tight line. "Understood."


    He turned to look at Wilhelm, still sniffling on the sofa, and called over a maid.


    "Keep an eye on Wilhelm. If he''s hungry, prepare him something to eat, but don''t let him sneak out," he instructed.


    Gabriel suspected that, given


    Wilhelm''s current state, the boy might try to run away to find Jane. He couldn''t allow Wilhelm to return to her, only to be used as leverage again.


    "Yes, sir," the maid replied.


    After giving these instructions, Gabriel went to his study to work.


    Not long after, Raymond arrived with Wren.


    As they stepped into the house, they saw Wilhelm sitting on the sofa, his eyes red and puffy from crying.


    Wren rushed to his side. "Wil, what''s wrong? Why are you crying so much? Where''s your dad?"


    Upon seeing Wren, Wilhelm''s tears began to flow again.


    He threw his arms around her and sobbed. "Grandma, Daddy doesn''t want Mommy anymore! I want to see Mommy! Daddy won''t let me!"


    Seeing Wilhelm in such a state broke


    Wren''s heart. She fumbled to wipe away his tears,forting him "There, there, don''t cry. I''ll talk to your daddy, okay?"


    "Really?" Wilhelm looked up at her with hopeful eyes.


    Wren''s heart melted due to the tear tracks on his cheeks. She quickly nodded. "Of course, sweetheart."


    As she spoke, Gabriel entered the living room.


    He nced briefly at Wren soothing Wilhelm, then turned his attention to Raymond. "Let''s discuss this in the study."


    "Ah, yes, of course," Raymond replied nervously, rubbing his hands together.


    He had never thought highly of


    Gabriel, dismissing him as someone who lived off his wife. But now, Gabriel had risen to be a sessful entrepreneur, while Raymond''s ownpany was on the verge of bankruptcy, forcing him to seek help. His feelings wereplicated, to say the least.