Chapter 351: Chapter 351: The Best Punishment
"Annie, this really is..." Although Old Master Hawthorne had already recognized Little Dumpling’s identity, he still looked eagerly at Ann Vaughn, needing to hear it directly to truly believe it.
Ann Vaughn had no intention of hiding it any longer and nodded slightly towards Kenny, who was looking at her.
Kenny, held by Old Master Hawthorne, tilted his small head, his soft, cute smile shining on his fair little face, "Are you the great-grandfather that Mommy often mentions to me?"
"Yes, yes!" Old Master Hawthorne nodded repeatedly, joy evident on his face, "I am your great-grandfather!"
"Hello, great-grandfather, my name is Jasper Vaughn, I’m three and a half years old, people close to me call me Kenny, great-grandfather can call me Kenny too." Kenny stepped down from Old Master Hawthorne’s embrace and performed a standard greeting etiquette.
Despite Little Dumpling’s round appearance, he carried his gentlemanly pride.
Before long, Old Master Hawthorne was so amused by Kenny that he could barely keep his eyes open, and the living room was filled with joyous laughter.
In stark contrast to this scene was Laura Quinn, standing aside in loneliness, being ignored by everyone.
She had always been arrogant, and although her face was somewhat pale, she struggled to maintain her image as a dignified lady, showing that she was enduring inner torment.
Watching Old Master Hawthorne teasing Kenny, Laura Quinn clenched her teeth, "Dad, this matter is not set yet, we should wait for thorough examination before recognizing whether this child belongs to the Hawthorne Family..."
"Laura." Old Master Hawthorne didn’t spare her a glance, with a heavier tone, "You’re quite different from when you first married Nathan. Are you ready to accept punishment for today’s mess you’ve created?"
Laura Quinn’s face immediately changed, her body swayed as if unable to stand steadily.
What did the old man mean? Was he hinting something to her?
Before Laura Quinn could figure it out, Old Master Hawthorne continued, "You’ll stay at the main house for a while; don’t come out until you’ve reflected adequately."
"Additionally," Cyrus Hawthorne, who had been silent for long, spoke with cool detachment, "the 10% Hawthorne Corp. shares under your name will be taken back, as a reminder to you. I hope you’ll be more prudent in your actions in the future."
He spoke the last two words quite heavily, surprising even Ann Vaughn, who was taken aback.
What does 10% of Hawthorne Corp. shares represent?
Power, money—even without working, a lifetime of luxury without worry.
Not to mention participating in shareholder meetings, interfering in company decisions or offering opinions—a large degree of authority.
Taking back Laura Quinn’s shares meant repossessing her rights to intervene in Hawthorne Group affairs; henceforth, no matter how arrogant she was, she had no real power.
"Cian, are you really going to treat Mom like this?" Tears appeared in Laura Quinn’s eyes as she painfully furrowed her brows.
"That’s my intention," Old Master Hawthorne stated, "You’ve held onto Nathan’s shares long enough, it’s time you returned them to Cian."
He ended there, saying no more.
Nathan Hawthorne was Cyrus’s father who had gone missing for nearly a decade right after Bella Hawthorne was born, disappearing abroad for business.
Out of pity for Laura Quinn having lost her husband shortly after marrying into the family, Old Master Hawthorne decided to take half of the 20% shares Nathan originally left for Cyrus and gave them to her, to help her establish herself in the Hawthorne family.
But Laura Quinn’s change began with acquiring those 10% shares.
She paid little attention to Cyrus as her son, never involving herself in his upbringing but frequently interfering with his personal decisions, dictating about his preferences, employing numerous tactics.
Cyrus, being fiercely independent, would not be swayed by her, thus growing more distant.
Upon hearing Old Master Hawthorne’s words, Laura Quinn understood that this matter was beyond negotiation, and continuing to make a fuss could only result in Old Master Hawthorne’s irritation towards her.
She angrily cast a glance at Ann Vaughn and stormed off with her bag.
Ann Vaughn, unjustly receiving a glare, was exasperated. Cyrus was the one punishing her by reclaiming her shares, not Ann Vaughn, so why glare at her?
Really picking on the easy target.
After Laura left, the living room returned to a harmonious and warm atmosphere.
Having just acquired such a beloved great-grandson, Old Master Hawthorne was eager to watch him constantly, not willing to let Ann Vaughn and Cyrus leave, so they decided to stay overnight.
Strangely enough...
Cyrus showed no surprise or bewilderment from beginning to end, as if he knew all along that Kenny was his son.
Did he truly know beforehand?
Ann Vaughn gloomily poked at the rice in her bowl with chopsticks, feeling a complex mix of emotions over her painstaking efforts at hiding being in vain.
If he still doesn’t change his dislike of children, what should she do?
Thinking this, Ann Vaughn glanced towards Cyrus’s direction, seeing him bent over seriously tying a bib for Kenny, his profile gentle and serene.
The warmth made Annie’s vision sway.
Meanwhile, the father and son sitting opposite Ann Vaughn had entirely different emotions.
"Mister, Kenny is already three and a half years old, he doesn’t need a bib!" Kenny puffed his little mouth slightly, trying to pull off the cute bib around his neck.
Cyrus held his small hand, a smile on his lips appearing warm to outsiders, "An older child learns not to cling to your mommy and lives independently from her, understand?"
"You want to drive Kenny away to monopolize my mommy, don’t you? Mommy is mine alone! You can’t claim her!"
"You want to compete with your father for a woman?"
"I don’t recognize you! Anyone trying to take my mommy is my enemy!"
"If you weren’t my son, you’d have been made into soup long ago."
Old Master Hawthorne, who heard the father-son conversation clearly: "..."
Curiously competing with a little child over affection, at their age.
Sensing Cyrus’s intentions, Kenny becomes alert like a little wolf on guard, keeping an eye on him even while eating, lest he takes Mommy away.
But Kenny miscalculated on his own part.
Kenny, placed "gently" into the children’s chair by Cyrus before dinner, watched helplessly as Mommy was taken away by The Archfiend.
Kenny: Don’t ask, asking will lead to sulking.
...
Second floor bedroom.
As soon as Ann Vaughn entered the room, Cyrus grasped her wrist, pressing her against the door panel.
His faint cool scent enveloped her from all directions within the tight space, as if attempting to enclose her in a net, trapping her firmly.
The room was unlit, darkness enveloped the vision, only the sound of their breaths, mixed with heartbeats, resonated intermittently.
The man’s long legs assertively wedged between hers, effortlessly eliminating any gaps between them, sealing them closely.