Chapter 721: Chapter 721: You Don’t Need to Come Anymore
"Uncle Joyce, did Kenny accidentally do something wrong that made Mommy upset?" Little Dumpling’s hands twisted tighter, tears welling up in his eyes as his small voice spoke with caution.
"Daddy won’t let me use the phone, and I can’t find Mommy. Uncle Joyce, can you help me tell Mommy that Kenny knows he was wrong and won’t upset her anymore? Please, ask her not to abandon Kenny."
As he spoke, a large patch of tears soaked Mark Joyce’s shoulder, and the waning cry in his ears neared hoarseness.
"Young Master, you mustn’t cry, it’s not good for your eyes..." Mark Joyce awkwardly cradled Kenny to comfort him, not knowing how to console him.
He had seen Ann Vaughn’s resolve with his own eyes that day. She didn’t even care about the young master, how could she possibly answer his call?
The young master’s wish to find his mommy was destined not to be fulfilled.
After crying for a long while, weak from it all, Little Dumpling’s cries gradually faded, his small body occasionally heaving.
Even Mark Joyce, who usually disliked children, felt a pang of heartache.
Leaving her child and husband in pursuit of true love, Miss Vaughn truly is a cruel one.
Mark Joyce was about to put Kenny back in bed when a pair of strong arms took over, holding the sobbing dumpling with familiar ease, a large hand gently patting his back in solace.
"President Hawthorne." Seeing this, Mark Joyce quietly exited the hospital room.
"Stop crying." Cyrus Hawthorne pulled out a tissue, gently wiping away the traces of tears on Little Dumpling’s face, his narrow eyes slightly somber, "You still have Daddy."
Hearing this, Little Dumpling hiccuped a sob, feeling utterly devastated, "I don’t want you, your embrace is hard, not like Mommy’s soft and fragrant arms."
Cyrus Hawthorne: "..."
"How could Mommy not want me? Even if she doesn’t want you, she would never abandon me!" Little Dumpling wailed desperately, thrashing in Cyrus Hawthorne’s arms, "She said I’m more precious than you, she would take me even if running for her life!"
Cyrus Hawthorne: "?"
"Let me go! I want to find Mommy! I want to see Mommy, waah—"
Little Dumpling’s show of willful cuteness could make one’s heart burst, but his tantrums were equally destructive.
Cyrus Hawthorne’s temple veins jumped with restraint, his narrow eyes darkening almost to ink, ready reprimands stopped by Little Dumpling’s reddened eyes, softening his heart.
"You’ll only see her if you get better, or do you want her to worry after seeing you?"
Little Dumpling pursed his lips, the tears in his eyes falling like a storm, "When can I get better?"
"The more you cry, the slower you recover," Cyrus said calmly.
The tears in Little Dumpling’s eyes immediately receded. He raised a small hand to wipe his eyes, "I’m not crying. It’s just that the weather is bad today, and the rain is pouring, soaking in."
Cyrus Hawthorne’s thin lips twitched, a trace of helplessness flashing in his narrow eyes.
Crying took effort too, and after crying for so long, Little Dumpling fell asleep from exhaustion as soon as he lay on the bed.
Cyrus Hawthorne tucked him in, and as he stood up, the phone on the table vibrated.
He glanced at the caller ID, his narrow eyes deepening, then picked it up and stepped out of the hospital room.
"In a few days, I’ll personally come to pick Kenny up for Marinia." As soon as the call connected, Ian Vaughn’s straightforward voice came through.
Cyrus Hawthorne chuckled lightly with detachment, "Even with a signed divorce agreement, what do you think the chance of you guys getting Kenny’s custody from me is?"
"Zero." Ian Vaughn had no doubt about his means and power, "But if you consider Kenny’s personal preference, the chance is ninety percent. Your love for Kenny is no less than Sweetie’s for him."
That’s the reason Ian Vaughn had no reservations speaking frankly to him.
Though Laura Quinn was at fault, it wasn’t without his responsibility.
Cyrus Hawthorne’s thin eyelids slightly lifted, the arc of his eyes cold and indifferent, "There’s no need for you to come."
"Why?"
"Let the one who left Kenny come to get him." With a chilling phrasing, Cyrus Hawthorne grimly ended the call, his face intensely icy.
At that moment, Mark Joyce returned to the hospital with new clothes and daily necessities for Kenny from Villa No. 8, an indescribable awkwardness on his face.
Seeing Cyrus Hawthorne leaning against the window, a lit cigarette between his fingers shrouding his silhouette in smoke, Mark Joyce was startled, "President Hawthorne, you need to quit smoking and drinking. You can’t smoke now!"
If President Hawthorne kept neglecting his health like this, his time could be halved in a month...
Besides, it had been a long time since anyone had seen President Hawthorne smoke.
Except in moments of extreme distress.
Yet the man ignored the admonition, his lips parting gently, the rising white mist blurring his sharply defined face, adding a hint of roguish charm.
Mark Joyce, feeling anxious, suddenly recalled something he had seen at Villa No. 8, and with a sudden inspiration, he said, "President Hawthorne, I saw the gift Little Master prepared for you. However, I didn’t dare take it without your permission."
Cyrus, who had no idea what was happening at Villa No. 8, was now constantly by Kenny’s side.
At the mention of Kenny, a wave of emotion finally stirred in the man’s ice-cold eyes, "Mm."
...
Ian relayed Cyrus Hawthorne’s exact words to Ann Vaughn for her to make the decision.
"I’ll accompany you to pick up Kenny later. With me there, if he dares to make things difficult for you, he will have to think twice." Ian Vaughn’s tone then was so harsh it left a sense of concern within him.
Ann Vaughn stayed silent for a while, then shook her head, "No, Uncle. Don’t worry. He won’t make things difficult for me."
Even as she said that, she couldn’t be sure that Cyrus wouldn’t make things difficult for her.
On that day at the airport, when he looked at her, it was like a blizzard of coldness pierced her to the bone, as though she were a stranger to him...
A dense ache rose in Ann Vaughn’s heart, making breathing painful.
Seeing her persistence, Ian Vaughn could only go along with her decision, "I’ll have the Imperial Capital Police Department keep a twenty-four-hour watch at the hospital. You don’t need to worry about Laura Quinn as a threat."
If Laura Quinn dared to make a move, the secret she tried to hide would inevitably be ripped open by him.
A warmth welled up in Ann Vaughn’s eyes, "Thank you, Uncle. You’re the best!"
"Sweetie." Ian Vaughn was quite pleased with this compliment but couldn’t help worrying, "Are you only going to the Imperial Capital to pick up Kenny, or do you have other plans?"
Ann Vaughn pursed her lips against the bitter taste, her delicate and fair face filled with confusion, "I don’t know."