Chapter 5 Great-Grandson

Charles handed the toy back to the little boy. "What's your name? What's your purpose in approaching me?"

William impatiently smacked the back of Charles's head. "Is that how you talk to a child? Go stand over there!"

In an instant, his demeanor transformed completely. Facing the boy, he became the epitome of a kind-hearted grandfather. "What's your name, little one?"

"I'm Ethan," the child replied in his sweet, innocent voice.

William gleefully squeezed Ethan's tiny hand. "What a wonderful name! Did you get separated from your parents?"

Ethan blinked his watery eyes, his gaze lingering on Charles's face. The resemblance was unmistakable—this man looked just like him and his brother.

Could this really be a coincidence?

His mother had never told them anything about their father. He and his siblings had discussed it before, concluding that perhaps their father was a heartless man who had deeply hurt their mother, which explained why she despised him.

This man certainly looked like he could be a scumbag.

Could he be... their father?

The elderly gentleman seemed kind, not like a bad person. Perhaps he could go with them and learn more about the situation.

Ethan placed his hand behind his back and gently tapped the screen of his smartwatch a few times.

Perfect. He had just sent his brother a message through his watch

When his brother saw the message, he would know where Ethan was and what he was doing, so their mother wouldn't worry.

Now it was time to begin his performance.

Ethan tilted his chubby little face upward. "I... I don't have a dad, and I can't find my mom now."

Charles's brow furrowed. This child had been calling out "Mom, wait for me" just moments ago, which clearly indicated his mother was nearby.

Yet now his eyes clouded with just the right amount of panic. His acting skills were remarkably convincing.

Ethan lowered his eyelids, his small shoulders shrugging slightly as he continued his explanation. "We just returned from abroad. Mom said she needed to meet someone important and told me to wait here, but I ran too fast and got separated... I'm scared. Can I go home with you?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Of course you can, let's go home!"

Charles and William spoke simultaneously, delivering completely contradictory responses.

Ethan immediately adopted a frightened, pitiful expression, moving closer to William's leg and clinging to him. "He's so mean."

As expected, William's walking cane came down on Charles's back the next second. "You can be stern at the office if you must, but why intimidate a child?"

"Grandfather! This child's background is unknown. Someone has clearly orchestrated this. We should hand him over to the police..."

Ethan's eyes instantly reddened, large teardrops rolling down his cheeks.

William's rational thinking completely collapsed. He pulled Ethan closer to him and thumped his cane on the floor. "This child wants to come with me! We have a connection! I won't let anyone take him to the police station! Forget about Lumaria! How could anything be more important than my great-grandson! Ethan, right? I'll buy you candy. Let's go home first, and we'll find your mom later, okay?"

William poked Ethan's chubby cheek, delighting in its smooth softness.

Ethan secretly glanced at Charles's tense profile and deliberately snuggled deeper into William's embrace, timidly nodding. "Okay."

"No way." Charles pulled out his phone, his fingers swiftly moving across the screen. "I'm contacting airport security to make an announcement. If we can't find his mother within half an hour, we must report this to the police."

"You wouldn't dare! Charles, listen to me—this child is coming with me! If you so much as touch a hair on his head, I'll donate all my shares of the Windsor Group!" William abruptly stood up and took Ethan's small hand, heading toward the exit.

William was nearly livid. Ethan had made it clear he didn't want to go to the police station, yet Charles kept insisting on sending the child away!

Such a lack of compassion—no wonder children didn't like him! He deserved it!

Ethan walked alongside William, secretly glancing back at Charles. The man seemed highly suspicious of him.

Come on, he was just a child—what was there to be suspicious about?

With that cold personality, he was just like his brother!

No, that wasn't right—his brother was much nicer! If Charles didn't want to interact with him, then Ethan would do the opposite of what he wanted.

Ethan suddenly stopped walking. "William, could I go with Charles instead? I like him."

William's eyes lit up, and he immediately halted, turning to Charles with a raised chin. "Did you hear that? Even Ethan says so! You're coming with us! And don't forget to help find his mother! Look for her yourself—don't you dare hand Ethan over to the police!"

Charles observed the knowing glances between them, feeling his headache intensify.

He put away his phone and said coldly, "Do as you wish. But I warn you, Grandfather, don't be caught off guard when they deceive you."

Ethan secretly curled his lips into a small smile.

Mom always said that when dealing with aloof people, persistence was key.

William proudly marched toward the parking lot with Ethan's hand in his, muttering, "Lumaria is nothing compared to my precious great-grandson!"

Charles lagged behind, watching Ethan's stubborn cowlick bounce in the sunlight, feeling an increasingly cold sensation at the back of his neck.

Who was setting him up?

And how did they find a child who looked so much like him?

Meanwhile, Emily hurried out of the restroom, her eyes scanning the waiting area. Her heart sank when she saw only her oldest son, Jasper Johnson, holding the hand of her youngest daughter, Emma Johnson, with Ethan nowhere in sight.

"Jasper, where's Ethan?" she asked, her voice betraying her growing anxiety.