Chapter 546

He sent one of his men to get food, but the only place still open nearby was a burger joint, so the man returned with a pile of fried chicken, burgers, and sodas.
Hubert wrinkled his nose at the sight of the food.
“This is all junk food!”
Theodore felt a surge of pride. His son was so responsible about his health.
“Well
“Mom, we don’t want to eat this unhealthy food either,” Hubert announced into the phone, “but since they already bought it for us, we can’t let it go to waste. So, we’ll just have a little bit.”
Before Penelope could respond, Hubert grabbed two large burgers, handed one to Kristin, and took a huge bite out of his own.
Afraid her mom would scold her, Kristin mumbled into the phone, “This burger isn’t even that good!”
Then she took a massive bite, her eyes lighting up with delight.
“Yeah, it’s super greasy. I still prefer the healthy meals Mom makes for me,” Hubert added, taking another enormous bite and shaking his head in feigned displeasure.
Theodore couldn’t help but chuckle. His son was a complex little guy—a bit of a stuffy old man, always bossing people around and worrying, with a sharp tongue that made him hard to approach. But he was also a clever little boy, mischievous yet adorable, fiercely protective of his sister, and incredibly responsible.
Meeting him for the first time, Theodore felt a wave of pride. That’s my boy.
Hamilton nudged Theodore with his elbow. “So, how does it feel to be a dad?”
A smug look crept onto Theodore’s face. “It’s great.”
“That great?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Of course I don’t, you idiot!”
Hamilton’s ex-wife had cheated on him, and the daughter she’d had wasn’t his. His current girlfriend was divorced and had a daughter of her own, who also wasn’t his. He didn’t have any kids. Who was he supposed to be a dad to?
Penelope and Natalie arrived soon after. The two children immediately ran into their mothers’ arms.
The women were terrified, holding their children tightly. It took a long while for their pounding hearts to finally settle. But they each had their own problems to face, and they had to brace themselves for what was next.
Penelope told Hubert to take Kristin back to the car while she went to talk to Theodore.
He was leaning against the alley wall, smoking. The alley was dimly lit, and the ember of his cigarette flared and faded in the darkness mirroring the flickering in her heart.
This was the first time in six years she had truly faced him. “Th-thank you,” she managed.
He didn’t speak, just took several deep drags from his cigarette.
“If you can’t take proper care of Hubert, then give him to me.”
“Of course I can take care of him.”
“Then how do you explain what happened tonight?”
“I
It was true she had been careless. “It was just an accident.”
“An accident like this could have gotten Hubert seriously hurt!”
“I told you I can take care of him! You don’t need to worry about it!”
“He’s my son!”
“And Julian is my son! If you insist on taking Hubert, then give me Julian!” “Don’t you dare!”
“You… you’re going too far
Penelope started to cry. She had spent the entire day searching for her son, sick with worry and utterly exhausted. To finally find him, only to be accused and berated was too much. And Theodore’s cold tone was more than she could bear.
Seeing her tears, Theodore cursed under his breath, threw his cigarette to the ground and crushed its viciously with his heel before turning to leave.
He walked out of the alley, and she followed.
It wasn’t a long alley, and they weren’t far apart, but it felt as if they were walking in
two separate worlds that would never merge again.
Just as they stepped out, Hubert ran towards them in a panic.
“That bad man took Natalie and Kristin! Mom, you have to save them!”