Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Finally, they got to the main point. Jasper hid his displeasure, speaking in a calm tone. “His name is Sean. Evian and I are planning to adopt him. From now on, he will be our son. Sean, this is your Uncle Alexander and Aunt Isabella. Say hello.”

Just as Sean was about to stand up and speak timidly, David interrupted him, wearing a grim expression. “Hold on. We haven’t talked about this yet.”

Sean’s face turned pale, and he sat back down with his head hanging low.

Feeling a pang of sympathy for the child, Selena suggested, “Perhaps we should let Sean go out and play.”

They should avoid discussing adult matters in front of a child.

“It’s okay.” Jasper, however, didn’t seem too concerned about the child’s emotional state.

David, who had been struggling to contain his frustration, finally spoke up. “I’ll be blunt. Evie is only thirty and still young enough to have children. You brought the child back and told us about the adoption without even giving us a heads-up. Is this how things are done in the Lawson family?”

Paula responded, “You can’t blame us for this. Ever since Evie’s health was affected by complications during her first labor, the doctors have said it would be difficult for her to conceive again. We can’t just sit around and waste time…”

Nine years ago, Evian had a stillborn child and has been unable to conceive since. However, the Quirks believed that with advancements in medicine, there was still a chance for Evian, who was still young, to have a child. They hadn’t expected the Lawsons to show up with an adopted child.

Evian’s eyes immediately welled up with tears.

Are they that eager? Is Jasper dying and the Lawson family line about to end?

Isabella, enjoying her fruit, dished out harsh inner remarks.

The Quirks, who were controlling their anger, almost laughed out loud when they heard that. Even the emotional Evian was left speechless.

Coughing lightly, Alexander held Isabella’s arm and said, “It’s almost time for dinner, so go easy on the fruits.”

He then turned to Jasper. “What’s the rush? Even if you think there’s no hope, you shouldn’t have chosen a child his age.”

Isabella placed her fork down, inwardly praising Alexander. Wow, you’ve grasped the crux of the matter!

Alexander was stunned. So there’s really an issue?

David and Selena were also taken aback. What?

Evian shuddered, looking at Isabella in astonishment.

Before Jasper could speak, Alexander spoke. “What’s so special about this child? Why did you choose him?”

Paula and Jasper’s faces stiffened, and the former immediately laughed drily. “He happens to be nine years old and looks somewhat similar to Jasper and Evie. I thought it might be fate, so…”

Both David and Selena turned to scrutinize Sean. He does look like Jasper and Evie.

Evian only got more upset upon hearing that, her eyes brimming with tears.

For some unknown reason, Sean lowered his head even more, appearing guilty.

Isabella was shocked. Holy moly! Sean is Jasper’s biological son! Evian didn’t give birth to him, so that means he’s the child of Jasper with another woman! And now Jasper’s forcing Evian to raise Sean? How could he have the audacity to say such things? How shameless!

Hearing that, the Quirks were all dumbfounded, staring at Paula, Jasper, and Sean in disbelief.

Evian, on the other hand, looked at Isabella in confusion, wondering why Isabella knew.

They even pressured Evian to conceal the child’s origins, insisting on the adoption and warning her against revealing the truth. They claimed that if the Quirks found out, it would surely cause discord between the families. As if that wasn’t outrageous enough, they told Evian she could only blame herself for not being able to conceive, arguing that they had no choice but to try and continue the family line. Seriously, who do they think they are? A royal family needing an heir? I can’t believe Evian actually listened to them. Good heavens. What did she do to deserve this? Why is she enduring such injustice?

The Quirks were utterly astounded. As they looked at Evian, their eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

Evian, disheartened, almost burst into tears.

Alexander’s face turned ashen when he finally understood what was going on.

The Lawsons were still clueless as to why the Quirks were looking at them with grave expressions.

Alexander spoke up, his voice icy. “What about the child’s biological parents? Who are they? Have you investigated thoroughly? If you haven’t, I will. If he is about to become part of my family, his background needs to be clear.”

Jasper and Paula’s faces turned pale, and their reactions snapped David and Selena back to their senses.

What Isabella said was true!

They were so angry that they almost beat the Lawsons up.

“This child is mine.” Jasper didn’t bother denying and admitted without hesitation, knowing Alexander was fully capable of finding out the child’s origins.

Upon seeing how unapologetic Jasper behaved, David slammed the table with his hand, startling the butler who had just approached to set the table.

After all, David rarely lost his temper since his retirement.

The butler set down the plate, already contemplating fetching a weapon for David to use.

Jasper’s face was pale from fright, yet he bit the bullet and said, “I didn’t do anything to wrong Evian. My ex-girlfriend gave birth to the child without my consent.”

Paula hastily explained, “Yes, please don’t be upset. We only just found out about this child’s existence. Everyone knows how the marriage between our two families happened. Now that Evie can’t have children, and we found a descendant of our family, we thought of adopting this child. The child’s biological mother has disappeared without a trace, it won’t affect Evie’s position in our family.”

Selena’s face flushed red with anger. “So, you’re saying that my daughter should be grateful for the opportunity to help your son and his ex-girlfriend raise their illegitimate child?”

“Think about it this way: Evie will have a son without having to bear the pressure of childbirth. Once legal procedures are completed, he’ll become her biological child,” Paula continued.

Selena was so upset that she was at a loss for words. This is just too unfair! So this is what happened to Evie! It’s our fault for raising her to be too gentle. She probably didn’t know how to handle this, which was why she wanted to come home.

With that in mind, Selena stopped caring about the child’s feelings and said straightforwardly, “I’ll be clear. We don’t agree.”

With a stern face, David agreed with his wife’s statement.

Alexander remained silent and turned to see Isabella enjoying her meal.

Is she really that hungry?

However, seeing her eating so heartily while listening to the gossip, he felt hungry too, and picked up his cutleries.

I can only handle matters with a clear head after filling my stomach.

Things were rather intense, so none of them paid attention to Alexander and Isabella, who were eating away.

Paula’s expression soured, while Jasper didn’t dare talk back to the Quirks despite his displeasure. He could only vent his frustration on the weak-willed Evian. “Evian, what do you think? You weren’t against the idea, right?”

“Yeah, you’re not going to chase my only grandson out, right?” Paula tried guilt-tripping Evian, too.

“Enough,” David said, his anger surging. “Evian, whatever you decide, we will always have your back. No one can push you around!”

Jasper and Paula’s expressions faltered when they heard that.

“Dad, I…” Evian panicked, glancing at Sean.

Though Sean had been well-behaved under her care and Jasper’s apparent indifference toward the child offered her some relief, she still felt a lingering discomfort. If it were any other child, she believed she could embrace the role of a foster mother, but not this one.

After all, even Sean’s name sounded like Sienna, the name of Jasper’s ex-girlfriend.

“Evian!” Jasper called out, his voice carrying a threatening edge.

Evian became even more flustered, seeking help from her parents. “I don’t know what I should do! Mom, Dad, what are your thoughts?”

Both David and Selena were filled with disappointment. Evian might be good-natured, but she was never a pushover. How did she become so weak and indecisive after getting married?

Alexander put down his fork and let out a sigh, contemplating stepping in for his sister. I’ll never allow this child to become a part of our family.

He was about to speak when he heard Isabella’s inner voice roaring. D*mn! Why is she even hesitating? They’re practically humiliating her! Why hasn’t she decided to divorce him already? What is she waiting for?