Chapter 124

Chapter 124:

“Darling… you’re so bad!” Adrian said, noticing Stella didn’t respond. He poked her ankle with his little finger, like a kitten trying to get attention.

It was so cute that, despite her earlier frustration, Stella’s irritation quickly faded. Her precious son always had a way of lifting her mood, no matter how upset she was.

Stella knelt down, gently holding his tiny finger, and sighed softly. “Alright, I won’t say anything about Uncle Tristan anymore, okay?”

“Uncle Tristan is a good man! Darling, you can’t be mad at him!” Adrian replied passionately.

The way he said it made it clear—Adrian was fully on Tristan’s side, even defending him! Stella was surprised.

When had her son become so attached to Tristan? She hadn’t even noticed their bond forming.

Stella rubbed her forehead. At this point, she didn’t dare speak poorly of Tristan in front of Adrian anymore.

She worried that her son might actually turn against her in defense of Tristan’s kindness.

“Go wash up, Adrian. After that, we’ll have breakfast and I’ll take you to school,” Stella said, trying to move the morning along.

“Okay!” Adrian agreed, but not before picking up one of his racing cars to bring with him into the bathroom.

Stella watched him run off and shook her head. Kids loved their toys, and she knew that.

But during their years abroad, she hadn’t been able to provide Adrian with anything like what Tristan had gifted him.

Stella had never bought such expensive toys for Adrian, let alone an entire pile like this.

Most of their money had gone to living expenses, and there wasn’t much left over for luxuries like high-end toys. And now, seeing how much Adrian adored Tristan’s gifts, it pained her.

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Adrian’s excitement for the toys only highlighted something Stella had been trying to ignore: her son longed for a father.

No matter how much love she showered on him, there was always a gap she couldn’t fill. The bond Adrian had formed with Tristan after just a short time together revealed a deep need for fatherly affection.

As Stella prepared breakfast, the weight of her thoughts pressed down on her. Maybe she had been wrong to think she could do it all on her own.

She had provided for Adrian financially and emotionally, but a father’s presence was something she couldn’t replace.

Meanwhile, Emily, who had been woken by the noise, stepped into the living room and was immediately struck by the chaotic mess of toy wrappers scattered everywhere.

“Are you kidding me? Who did all this?” Emily exclaimed, her sleepiness quickly vanishing.

“Didn’t you say last night that you were going to sell these toys? What happened?” Emily asked, scanning the room full of unwrapped toys.

“Godmother!” Adrian shouted, his voice still full of toothpaste bubbles. He emerged from the bathroom holding his toothbrush in one hand and his toy car in the other. “Look at my racing car! Isn’t it cool?”

Emily crouched down, eyeing the car. “Oh my! So, it was you who unwrapped all the toys!” She laughed. “Adrian, if you wanted to tear everything open, you could’ve at least kept the boxes neat! How am I supposed to sell them now?”

But Adrian, who had been happily showing off his toy, suddenly frowned. “Who said we’re selling them? These are my toys from Uncle Tristan! I’m not giving them to anyone!”

With his firm declaration, Adrian accidentally sprayed some of his toothpaste foam onto Emily’s face.

“Hey! You can tell me what you want without spitting on me!” Emily wiped the bubbles away, half-laughing, half-annoyed.

Ignoring her, Adrian marched back to the bathroom, clutching his toy car tightly. Before leaving, he issued a command: “These are my toys! Don’t touch them, or I’ll be mad!”

His little stomps echoed as he left, leaving Stella and Emily standing in awkward silence.

Emily turned to Stella, shaking her head. “You know, Stella, I think it’s best if you just forget about selling these toys.

They’re already opened and not in great condition. You might as well take it as another favor you owe Tristan. After all, you’ve owed him plenty over the years. What’s one more?”

Her tone was casual, as if owing Tristan yet another favor was no big deal.

Stella rolled her eyes. “You heartless woman!” she said, though there was a hint of amusement in her voice.

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