Quinton swung open the door to the restroom, only to find Baber, whose hands were sopping wet and whose small face was contorted in disgust.
âAdrianâ spoke in a voice filled with guilt. âIâm sorry! I didnât mean to! I accidentally tripped my brother, and he fell. His hands landed straight in the toilet.â
Quinton was speechless.
Kids really did have a knack for getting into trouble when you took your eyes off them for even a second.
After seeing Baber hold up his hands in distaste, Quinton couldnât help but find the situation both amusing and pitiful. He reassured him. âItâs okay. A quick wash, and your hands will be clean again.
Come on, Iâll take you to the sink.â
Baber, who was quite the neat freak, felt uncomfortable all over because his hands had made contact with toilet water. He nodded quickly and followed Quinton to wash his hands.
By the time Quinton had helped Baber wash his hands and turned back around, âAdrianâ was nowhere to be found.
Quintonâs brow furrowed in worry. There was trouble brewing.
Meanwhile, the real Adrian was being held by Sophia in another room.
Adrian didnât like this woman holding him at all. His face was a picture of rejection, and he was stubbornly struggling. âPut me down!â
Sophia hugged him a bit tighter and chided him. âTristan, stop fussing. Your dad and I have important business here today. You need to behave.â
Despite Sophiaâs gentle tone, Adrian still found her extremely annoying.
âI donât want to be held. Itâs too hot.â
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Sophia frowned in displeasure. âWhere is it hot? The air conditioning is on! Youâre just making things up!â
Adrian scowled, and his eyebrows twisted in distaste. âI feel warm, and I donât want to be held. Let me go!â
Sophia was growing impatient with the child. âTristan! Canât you justâ¦â
âIf he doesnât want to be held, just let him down. Let him sit wherever he wants.â
The handsome man in a wheelchair, who had been sitting nearby, spoke up, his tone neither warm nor cold.
Sophiaâs face stiffened, but she had no choice but to let go of the child in her arms.
She had only wanted to put on a show of being a caring mother in front of the man. She didnât even like holding this child, who was never warm to her.
However, as soon as âTristanâ was released, he scampered over to the man and raised his little arms.
âDaddy, pick me up!â
Without hesitation, Mareusâ picked up his son and placed him on his lap, gently wrapping his arms around him.
Seeing this made Sophiaâs face turn as sour as a lemon. She forced a laugh and feigned annoyance.
âTristan, you said you were hot. So Mommy holding you is hot, but Daddy holding you isnât?â
âTristanâ looked up at the woman he didnât like and snorted. âHmph! Youâre not my mommy!â
âYou⦠youâ¦â Sophiaâs face stiffened. She was unable to muster a smile. âMarcus, arenât you going to say something to him? He used to just refuse to call me mommy, but now heâs outright denying that Iâm his mother! After all Iâve done for him, this is how he repays me?â
Marcus glanced at a crestfallen Sophia, showing no compassion in his eyes. âIf you respected the childâs wishes more often, he would be willing to call you mother.â
Sophia looked hurt. âMarcus, are you saying that I donât respect our childâs wishes? As a mother, I canât just spoil him, I have to discipline him. Heâs as sweet as a kitten in front of you, but a wildcat with me.
Am I supposed to just let him run wild?â
Marcus looked annoyed. âEnough! Weâre here to take care of business. If you have any complaints, we can discuss them when we get home. For now, please donât argue with the child. Youâll scare him.â
In Marcusâs eyes, Sophia saw no trace of concern or love. She felt hurt and resentment, but she knew this was not the place to make a scene. She had to be careful not to ruin her fatherâs chances of getting a good price for his land at the auction.