Chapter 10
The Love that Never Really Dies
An hour later, Matteo arrived at the Hilton hotel.
Even though he was smart for his age, he was still a kid, so it took some time for him to arrive at his
destination. Thankfully, he quickly spotted a car in the hotel parking lot that was the same one the
men in black had driven when they took his mother away from the hospital. His heart skipping a
beat in excitement, he made his way to the hotel lobby.
"Hi, pretty lady! Id like to ask who that car outside belongs to?â The receptionist, a young woman,
lowered her head to see an adorable five-year-old boy standing on his tiptoes and peeking over the
counter.
With a fluffy head of dark hair and large, curious eyes, he looked like a handsome young
protagonist from a Disney animation. Isn't... Isn't this lan, the young boy who lives in our hotel's
penthouse suite? She stammered, âMr. I-lan? Why are... you here? Weren't you just at the
restaurant?â
Huh? Mr. lan? Matteo quickly picked up that something was off. So, he pulled a tall stool over and
climbed onto it, resting his elbows on the reception counter as he smiled brightly at the young
woman whose cheeks went red. âThat's right! I just came out for a minute. Oh, do you know who
the car outside belongs to, miss?
" âDoesn't it belong to your family? Your fatherâs staff was driving it when he came home just now,â
she replied, confused. Matteo beamed; his chubby cheeks becoming round. âOkay! Thank you,
pretty lady. I'll be going now!" âWhere are you going? It's too dangerous for you to be alone. Let me
walk you back to the restaurant, or your father is going to panic if he can't find you.â
The receptionist scrambled out of her seat, worried that the boy might get lost if he left the hotel
premises. But Matteo wasn't about to let that happen. She had recognized him as âMr. lanâ, and he
wanted to see for himself what the real Mr. lan looked like. During class yesterday, his teacher had
shown them a photo of a kid who was transferring to their preschool.
The kid in the photo looked like Matteo, but his name was âlan.â When he got home and hacked
into the preschool principal's computer to search for more information about lan, the registered
address was the penthouse suite of the very Hilton hotel that Matteo was currently at.
He sprinted faster than a spooked bunny and left the receptionist in the dust, making his way to the
hotel's restaurant on the fourth floor. lan was sitting like the perfect gentleman in the middle of the
fancy restaurant, dressed in a small, tailored suit and a napkin tucked into his collar.
He ignored the food in front of him; his expression one of impatience as he asked his father's
assistant, âMr. Scott, when can we go home?â lan and Matteo were completely different children.
Even though their physical features looked alike, their temperaments, personalities, and even their
speech patterns were opposites.
if Matteo was a refreshing ball of sunshine, then lan was a mini Arctic Ocean just like his father, or
maybe worse. lan was not talkative, and he didn't like being around other people because of his
antisocial personality. He had been raised by Sebastian to act prim and proper at all times. There
wasn't a single trace of naivety or immaturity that should be found in a normal five-year-old. âTsk,
so that's Mr. lan? I really do look like him. But is he always as uptight like an old man?â
Matteo mumbled to himself, feeling sorry for the other boy. âWe can't go home yet, lan. We came
here to look for a cure for your father's illness. Don't you want your father to be cured?â Luke told
lan. The young boy was silent for a few moments. It was obvious that he still cared for his father
greatly. âThen the woman whom he brought along today is supposed to cure him?â
âSort of?â Luke laughed awkwardly, trying to give him the vaguest answer possible. lan knitted his
eyebrows together and finally picked up his fork and knife, digging into his food. âIf that's the case,
then tell him not to be so mean to her!â Luke nearly choked on his food. A few feet away, Matteo
stiffened up in shock.
What? Who dares to be mean to Mommy? Unforgivable! Whipping around, Matteo marched all the
way to the penthouse suite, tiny fists clenched by his sides. A few minutes later, the guards standing
outside of the suite saw a tiny figure walked out of the elevator and was heading towards them with
a stern look on his face.
For a moment, they broke out in a cold sweat. âWelcome back, Mr. lan.â âMmm.â Matteo was not an
acting prodigy, but he did his best to mimic lan's uptight attitude. âWhere's Daddy?"
âMr. Hayes just left. But he said to tell you that if you came back early, you should go inside and
rest, and that he'd return very soon.â The guards didn't harbor a single ounce of suspicion towards
Matteo as they hurriedly told him where his motherâs bully had gone before opening the door for
the boy to enter the suite.
Matteo stepped inside the penthouse suite, taking in his unfamiliar surroundings. The living room
was nearly as large as a town square, decorated with expensive-looking furniture fit for
royalty. Where's Mommy?
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