CHAPTER 34: CHAPTER 34: IS THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF GAME FUN?

Two adults, one child.

Big hand holding little hand.

Adrian Lockwood and Chloe Lynch each holding a bouncing Miles Lockwood’s hand.

As if yesterday was repeating.

In Serena Sinclair’s mind, she couldn’t help but recall the scene from Miles Lockwood’s birthday.

Seeing Serena Sinclair, the two adults and one child stopped simultaneously.

Adrian Lockwood’s smile froze on his face, a flash of embarrassment in his eyes, "Serena, what on earth is going on? Weren’t you the one who said you wouldn’t come?"

Serena Sinclair remained silent.

Chloe Lynch beside her already had a face full of anxiety and guilt, "Serena, I’m sorry... Miles called and invited me, and President Lockwood also said you weren’t coming, so I followed along. Otherwise, shall I take off my T-shirt and give it to you?"

"No need!"

Serena looked at Miles Lockwood making faces at her from behind Chloe Lynch, "Is the ’Wolf is coming’ game fun?"

Miles Lockwood continued his antics, not taking it seriously at all.

Serena wasn’t angry at all, her expression calm, "Miles, next time the wolf comes, there won’t be any kind-hearted farmer to help you."

What wolf?

What kind-hearted farmer?

He didn’t care at all.

He only knew that among all the moms here today, Aunt Chloe was the youngest and prettiest.

"Aunt Chloe, don’t pay attention to her! Let me show you my little pony..."

Miles Lockwood said loudly, reaching out to pull Chloe Lynch’s hand.

But even until he turned into the playground, Serena Sinclair didn’t follow.

Upon turning back, he saw Serena’s rapidly departing figure.

Grandma said, Mom isn’t destined to be a princess, but she has the ailments of a princess, and shouldn’t be indulged!

Aunt said, all the money Mom spends is earned by Dad, she’s not even as good as the housekeeper.

He’s different; he’s the little young master of The Lockwood Family.

Except for Dad, no one should try to control him!

Including her!

Humph!

He didn’t care at all.

Miles Lockwood scrunched his nose in anger, pulling Chloe Lynch into the event.

Sitting in the taxi heading back to the company, Serena Sinclair looked blankly at the high-rise buildings flashing past the window, her expression dazed.

She opened her phone, and from top to bottom, her album was full of Miles Lockwood.

The plump little baby in swaddling clothes.

The tottering toddler learning to talk.

Drawing pictures.

Building blocks.

Sweetly calling ’Mom’.

But in the blink of an eye, he already knew how to play tricks on her.

Ever since she saw Chloe Lynch, Serena Sinclair had realized.

Miles Lockwood did it on purpose.

The housekeepers were all people she’d coordinated with for several years.

Without telling her about Adrian Lockwood, but in matters concerning Miles Lockwood, even after leaving, she was meticulous.

The messages in the WeChat group, the housekeepers would see them, and over the weekend would certainly ensure Miles completed his drawings.

On Sunday night, after Miles fell asleep, the housekeeper would certainly check his school bag, pack the necessary items and the T-shirt and shorts for changing.

Knowing for certain the drawing wasn’t in the school bag, Teacher Tina would definitely call her.

Miles deliberately took the drawing out of his school bag in the morning.

Just so she would see Chloe Lynch when she arrived at kindergarten.

This way she would get angry.

Best if she gets mad to death, allowing Chloe Lynch to become his new mom.

Wasn’t it said that human nature at its start is inherently good?

Holding Miles’s little hand, she taught him word by word to recite the Three Character Classic that he’d memorized, was it all taught to the dog’s belly?

She thought she didn’t care anymore.

But thinking about Miles’s little intelligence being used for such matters.

Serena Sinclair still felt a pang of pain in her heart.

Gritting her teeth, she emptied the album and cleared the recycling bin.

The taxi stopped, Serena Sinclair bowed her head, got off, and walked with a stern face into the elevator.

"Stu..."

A few steps away from the exclusive elevator for the president, Wyatt Hawthorne’s call of ’senior’ hadn’t even left his mouth before seeing Serena with a cold expression entering the elevator.

A flash of surprise passed.

Wyatt Hawthorne raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement rising in his eyes.

This Serena Sinclair, was just like back at the Aethelgard University campus, when he caught up to approach her.

Cold as ice.

As if nothing in the world mattered to her.

With more earthly aura than the cold ’her’ from the phone.

With more familiarity than the her accompanying 2S at the villa.

Returning to the president’s office, Wyatt dialed the secretary’s line, "Let the new arrival in project design, Serena Sinclair, come to my office."

The secretary placed a call to the project front desk.

The front desk transferred the call to Serena Sinclair’s office phone.

More than ten minutes later, Serena followed the president’s special assistant Ryan Rhodes, nervously knocking on Wyatt’s office door.

"Come in."

The cold, deep voice sounded.

Serena turned back, seeing Ryan Rhodes signaling her to enter.

Serena pushed open the door.

Behind the desk, Wyatt, signing documents briskly, looked up, "Have a seat first."

Wyatt’s office is located on the top floor of Hawthorne Tower.

With 270° panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows, the entire Aethelgard seemed to lie at his feet.

Serena took just one glance before quickly retracting her gaze, choosing the sofa furthest from the windows in the reception area.

Ryan Rhodes brought coffee and pastries.

After closing the door, the office quieted down.

Serena spoke nervously, "President Hawthorne, you were looking for me... is there something?"

"What, can’t I look for you if there’s nothing?"

Before entering, the aura of the aloof boss dissipated in a second.

Speaking again, Wyatt returned to being the warm, friendly junior from the Hillcrest Villa.

Serena said nothing.

Wyatt finished signing documents, pressing the intercom, "Done signing, come take them away."

Ryan Rhodes returned to take the documents.

Wyatt stood up, phone in hand, walking to sit on the sofa.

He opened the album and turned the phone towards Serena.

In the photo, 2S lay weakly on the carpet, like a custom-made funny cat pillow from a certain online shop.

Still in a long shape.

"What’s wrong with it?"

Serena was startled.

Wyatt chuckled, "I said it’s lovesick, would you believe it?"

Serena paused.

Just then Wyatt was already calling a video.

After a few rings, a deep, steady voice sounded through the phone, "Young Master..."

"Call that..."

The word ’rascal’ stuck at the lip.

Wyatt corrected himself, "Where’s 2S? Has it come to life?"

"The doctor checked, said there’s no issue with its stomach... Mimi? Mimi? Meow..."

Footsteps.

Accompanied by gruff imitations of a cat meowing.

Wyatt turned the phone around, showing Serena the glowing titanium cat eyes.

Clack!

The lights came on.

The phone screen followed suit.

Inside the third-floor media room, between the massage chair and the wall, lay a debilitated 2S, powerless.

Visibly despondent.

Clearly a cat.

But Serena clearly saw pitiful grievance from those sparkling big eyes.

"Orange... Orange..."

Calling softly, Serena quietly asked, "What’s wrong with you?"

"Meow..."

The faint whimpering of a meow.

Weakly.

The orange cat approached.

The screen was covered with warm yellow stripes, turning into a blob of blackness.

The orange cat on the other side rubbed before retreating, even more aggrieved, "Meow, meow..."

Slightly furrowing her brow, Serena’s eyes were filled with concern.

Looking to Wyatt cautiously, "Wyatt, could you..."

The Serena calling Wyatt intermittently in his dream.

And the Serena watching him eagerly now.

The two faces overlapped.

Wyatt sat upright, clearing his throat, "...Sure."