Waylenâs jaw dropped in shock.
He stood there staring at his father in astonishment until the cigarette between his fingers started burning his skin; that was when he recovered his senses and quickly put it out.
There was total silence in the study as both men looked at each other.
They just didnât know what to say to each other.
After a while, Korbyn broke the silence by saying, âWaylen, you and Cecilia both have both experienced a tumultuous emotional life, but looks like it didnât get in your way of becoming parents! Look at Rena! And now your sisterâs pregnant again!â
Still shell-shocked, Waylen didnât respond until quite a while later.
âDad, what did you just say?â
Korbyn repeated his words in an impatient tone.
But Waylen was still so shaken by the news his father had just given him that he reached out into the ashtray and took out the cigarette butt he had thrown there and lit it again.
When Korbyn didnât get any respond from his son, he teased him by saying, âEven if you siblings go on to have many more children, you donât need to be so frugal.
Iâm sure we can afford to raise more.
â
âHe has a rather strong reproductive capacity!â Waylen sneered, referring to Mark.
Korbyn shrugged and stood up.
âIâm sure youâre not bad either, Waylen,â he said, patting him on the shoulder.
âFind a timing to tell Rena about this.
I know itâs not easy for her to get stuck in such an awkward situation.
Donât take it out on her, okay?â
âHow dare I?â Waylen chuckled.
Then they left the study and went downstairs together.
It was already time for dinner, and the family had gathered together.
Waylen constantly stole glances at Cecilia as his mind focused on nothing else but the sticky situation at hand.
Cecilia lowered her head when she noticed his glances.
Before long, Rena had also noticed.
After dinner, when she got in the car with Waylen, she complained bitterly, âCecilia is going through a lot in her marriage.
Why are you still so merciless enough to keep glancing at her like that?â
Though he was in a bad mood, Waylen had no choice but to be gentle with Rena.
He fastened the seat belt for her and said, âAm I merciless? This is how Iâve always been since childhood.
â
Rena didnât say anything in response.
Waylen gently touched her belly and went on in a softer tone, âI guess itâs because youâve compared my attitude towards you with how I behave to her, and thatâs why you think Iâm harsh.
You have to remember that Iâm her brother, but Iâm your husband.
My behavior depends on the relationship I have with the individual Iâm interacting with.
â
âAnd by the way, remember Iâve always told you that youâre constantly being jealous of Cecilia? Yes, you are,â he added teasingly.
Rena couldnât stand his cheekiness.