Chapter 6
Luky gently patted Dylan’s head and said, “Because Uncle Stephen likes that pretty lady.”
In the evening, whenstephen retumed home, Layla kept a stem face and gave him the cold shoulder,
Stephen ignored hertoo. It wasn’t until bedtime that Layla, with a touch of irritation, asked, “So, how’s that kid’s foot from today?
Detecting the concem in her voice, Stephen replied, “He’s line.” There was a faint smile on his lips as he lay down.
The next day, Stephen once again brought Dylan to Layla
Layla, who was trying to keep her cool, was speechless.
“Do you want to die, Stephen?” she hissed through gritted teeth.
Dylan was holding his Galactic Defenders toy. He was frightened to tears by Layla’s lead mice. “Daddy went to work.”
Laylaclenched her fists and angrily pounded the bed. “Go cry somewhere else. You’re so annoying. Just like your dad.”
Poor Dylan stood by the door, crying loudly. The noise lept Layla from her sleep, and in her frustration, she got out of bed..
The stormed out wearing her silk pajamas. Her hair was in disarray.
shut up”
Η
Tenified, Dylan covered his mouth, but his tears continued to stream down his face.
Layla glanced at the back of his feet. Noticing that the glass shards from yesterday hadn’t hurt him, she beckoned him with a wave. “Let’s go to the living room.”
Dylan, who was still sobbing, obediently followed Hiseyes were filled with fear as he looked at Layla
Laylasat cross–legged in the spot where Robert often meditated. She mimicked his postupe but with less formality. “How old are you?“.
“I’ll be four aftercutting a cake,” Dyan answered.
Layla rolled her eyes in her mind. It tomed out that the scene she had witnessed at the OB–GYN Live years ago was actually Stephen attending to the birth of this child
“What’s your name?” she asked
“Dylan Sampson,” he answered, still scared.
Layla took a deep breath and mumbled, “So you’re not a Yates.”
Soon, the maid prepared breakfast, and Layla got up. “Come and ear.”
Dylan, with small steps, haried to catch up with Layla.
At Murray Group, Stephen was busy at work when Lucy called him. “Stephen, why did you send Dylan back to Murray Estate? Layla’s going to be mad at you again.”
Stephenchuckled. “Don’t worry. She may be fierce and arogant, but she hasher limits.” He had sent Dylan back to give Layla a hint to unravel the misunderstanding herself.
Lucy sighed. “You should go home and check on them.
“Lucy, with your health in its current state, you can’t take care of Dylan. Whether you have the surgery or not, he’ll need to be under my care sooner or later. Layla will have to interact with him eventually.
“So let them spend time together for now. Let Dylan give Layla a hard time and test her patience
Back at Murray Estate, Layla was at her wit’s end.
Covering her ears, she shouted, “Stop crying already!”
She was thoroughly exasperated by Dylan’s constant crying, “Don’t think i won’t hit you. I’ve even hit Stephen before, so I’m not scared of a lad like you.”
Dylan was scared by Layla’s threats. When he was scared, his first reaction was to cry.
“I want to watch Galactic Defenders,” he said.
Layla closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Pointing at the TV, she instructed the maid, “Tumit on and play Commander Spark.”
“No, I don’t want to watch Commander Spal. He always gets defeated. I want to watch Commander Hamptent”
How dare he say Commander Spark was no good?
Layla decided to have a serious debate with the little kid in front of her, “Commander Spark was my childhood hero. When he first came out, Commander Hampton
wasn’t even on the scene.
“How dare you think Commander Spark is weald Let me tell you. Commander Sparkcould easily take down Commander Hampton.”
Since it was about his hero, Dylan countreed, “No, Commander Hampton is the best,”
Layla mgurdbark, “Commander Hampton isn’t as cool as Commander Spark.”
“No, Commurder Hampton cool.
The argument over the characters of Galactic Defenders confined in the living room rentually, the young Dylan couldn’t outmatch Layta as she was an adult, He
Chapter
22
was forced to spend the entire aftemoon beside Layla watching Commander Spark
When Stephen called home, he asked the maid if Layla and Dylan were getting along well. All he heard on the other end was
is the sounds of their argument.
He chuckded softly. “Seems like they’re having fun.”
When he got home that afternoon, a distressed Dylan ran to him while crying. “Daddy, Layla scared me.‘
Layla, not addressed as “aunt,” leaned back against the couch. With her hand propped up, she looked at Dylan. “Finally, you’ve said something I wanted to hear.”
“Uncle Stephen, let’s go to the store and buy Commander Hampton. I want him to beat Commander Spark”
Layla beard this and was not having it.
“Let’s get Commander Spark, I don’t believe my Commander Spark will lose to your little commander Hampton.”
Stephen had barely been home for five minutes when Layla draped herself on his arm.
Glancing at Dylan, she deliberately said, “Honey, come with me to buy Commander Spark
She forgot her dislike for Stephen. For the first time in years, she willingly linked arms with him, though it was only to spite a little kid.
Stephen looked at her profoundly. “Why are you arguing with a child, Layla?”
“I’ve never lost at anything from childhood until now. My childhood hero can’t lose either.”
With that, Layla dragged Stephen off to the store.
Since her cards were frozen and she had no cash, she had to let Stephen pay.
At the toy section of the store, Stephen held Layla’s hand with one arm and Dylan’s hand with the other. They resembled a family of three shopping together.
“I want this, Stephen. Buy it for me,” Layla demanded while pointing at a toy.
Meanwhile, Dylan pointed in another direction. “Uncle Stephen, Commander Hampton is over there.”
“Buy this for me first.” Layla clung to Stephen’s arm and refused to let go.
“I want Commander Hampton.
Stephen turned to look at the young lady with her brows furrowed. At this moment, Layla was no longer the arrogant rich lady but a childlike girl. She was eagerly seeking something she wanted.
It reminded him of when she was a child. Her bedroom was overflowing with toys, and she wanted more but had no place to put them. She would cuddle up to him and, with a soft, pleading tone, ask him, “Stephen, can I keep my toys in your room?”
“We’ll get Commander Spark first, then we’ll buy Commander Hampton.” Stephen finally did something to make Layla happy.
On the way back, Layla happily played around with Dylan in the backseat while Stephen drove. Stephen occasionally glanced at them. He smiled faintly.
As night fell, the city lights illuminated the dark
Alight rain cleansed the earth. Neon lights flickered and cast a spectrum of colors through the glistening raindrops.
A modest Rolls–Royce Phantom drove along the road. As he felt the breeze, Stephen said to the woman in the backseat, “Layla, Dylan’s mom is about to have surgery Can he stay with us for a while?”
Upon heating that, Dylan Jonked nervously at Layla. He hadn’t forgotten that the pretty lady in front of him disliked him.
