Zoey was startled when she heard the term of endearment, but she quickly warmed up to it. She let Michael hold her hand. She pursed her lips and asked in a soft voice, "What did the doctor say?" Michael hadn’t listened to what the doctor said, but he assumed it was nothing serious. Otherwise, he wouldn't be in the ward with only an IV drip."The doctor wants to keep me for observation," he told her. As Zoey's long-time friend, Michael was on her side. He knew she didn't want anything to do with her ex-husband anymore, so he played the role of an attentive and caring husband in front of Laurence. Michael didn’t mind addressing Zoey intimately. "I'm in pain, babe." He spoke in a weak and shaky voice. He leaned on Zoey as if she was his only lifeline. Laurence scowled at Michael. He found Michael repulsive before, but now he wanted to kill him. Michael felt a cold chill run through him.Zoey believed Michael. She furrowed her brows and asked, "Where does it hurt? Did you ask the

Teddy put on a straight face. He wasn’t bothered that he had been kidnapped. Even at the age of five, the child showed a remarkable ability to remain calm in the face of danger. "My mom hates you too." Laurence stopped to look at the child on the sofa. He chuckled and gave the kid a nod. "I know. So what?" Teddy fell silent. The boy didn't have better emotional control than an adult. He looked at his supposed biological dad blankly. "No wonder my mom hates you." Laurence looked at the child and reached out to squeeze his face. Teddy looked insulted. He was disgusted by Laurence's touch. He turned his face away from his grasp. The man was feeling cheeky. He clutched the boy's chin and locked eyes with him. Laurence said casually, "Even if you hate me, you have to stay here." Teddy couldn’t fight Laurence, so he remained still. The boy refused to talk. His mother would pick him up so he did not panic. A while later, Laurence lost interest and released his grip. He left a

Laurence stared at the sky silently for a long time. A while later, he put the child down. Teddy ran to the front door, but a burly bodyguard stopped him. The Scotts' residence had vast lawns in the front and back. It would probably take Teddy half an hour to run across the front lawn from the front door. There was also a winding path leading outside the gate. The estate was located in a remote mountain area, so it would be difficult to walk on foot.The bodyguard in black carried the child back. Teddy realized he couldn't escape, so he stopped the pointless attempts. He looked up at the man. His eyes were as cold and aloof as his father's. Laurence dropped his head to look at him. He said, "I thought you were better than that." Teddy was a child, after all. He wasn't as calm as he seemed, but he wasn't afraid to run. The boy knew that his biological father was cold and uncaring. The man was only using him to get what he wanted, so Teddy's attempts to manipulate him would no

Zoey hung up so quickly that it was clear to Laurence how ruthless she was on the other end of the phone. It was as if she didn't want the conversation to last another second longer.Laurence tossed his phone onto the table. He lowered his gaze to the child sitting across him. "Are you done eating?"Teddy wiped his mouth with a tissue, then cleaned his hands. "Yes."Laurence said, "Let's go. I'll see you out." He was so polite they didn't seem like father and son.Teddy hopped off the chair. He refused any help from Laurence. He didn't even want to hold his hand. He stood in front of him and looked up at the man towering over him. "Is my mom here?"Laurence said nothing. He lifted the child into his arms.Teddy didn't like Laurence holding him. The hand on his back felt as heavy as steel bars cast in concrete. He was only a five-year-old boy, after all. He couldn’t fight the strength of an adult man.He snapped angrily, "If you don't like me, why are you carrying me?"Laurence

Michael wasn’t convinced. He started the engine and said, “That gave me a shock. I thought he had hit you.”Zoey said nothing.Michael blabbered like he weren’t a foreigner. He was using this chance to practice the language. “What do you think he meant by that? It feels like he’s up to something, but he still returned Teddy.”He glanced at Zoey in the backseat.Zoey was doubtful, too. “What was it like at the Scott’s? Did anyone pick on you?”A biological father might not hurt his child. However, if anyone else in that family didn’t like the child, they could scheme in secret. Although Teddy was smart, he was no match for sleazy adults.Teddy thought about it and said, “No.”He clung tightly to his mother and curled his fingers around hers. “There was a granny who was very nice and gentle to me. I don’t hate her, Mommy.”Zoey remembered Mrs. Scott. She was a really nice person who never treated her cruelly. She had almost forgotten her. She relaxed a little, but then her heart