Chapter 865

 865:
Dustin chuckled, shaking his head. “Well, well. This kid’s got a lot of fire in him.”
Still, both men knew better than to push too hard. Forcing answers out of a child wouldn’t get them far.
Collin looked over at Dustin after a pause. “Take him to the sofa. I’ll talk to him once he’s calmed down.”
Before Dustin could respond, Zander shouted, “I’m not talking to you! You’re a bad guy!”
Dustin’s brow twitched. He drew in a slow breath, clearly trying to stay patient. “Listen, kid. I heard what you said downstairs. You came here looking for Collin, didn’t you? Well, here he is. Speak now, or we’ll call the police. Then you’ll be answering questions down at the station.” Though he mostly meant it to scare him, the words struck a real nerve. Zander’s face lost some color.
The idea of being taken to the police station sent a chill down his spine. “I didn’t do anything wrong! You can’t call the police on me!” Zander yelled, trying to sound brave.
Dustin didn’t let up. “You barged into our company and caused a scene. People couldn’t even work. Why shouldn’t we report you? You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that—standing up to Collin. But once you leave here, ask around. No one in Grester dares to mess with the founder of CR Corporation.”
He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. “Didn’t your dad ever teach you that?”
Zander’s face twisted with clear irritation. “I don’t have a dad! And I don’t need one! Dads just cause trouble!”
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Then he shot a glare at both men. “And you two are no better!” Despite his fierce tone, the softness of his features made his anger seem more pouty than powerful.
Collin and Dustin had faced tougher storms. A child’s tantrum wasn’t going to shake them.
Still, Zander’s words landed like tiny pebbles in still water—rippling just enough to leave an effect.
Dustin glanced at Collin, a weight behind his stare. Collin met his gaze and understood at once.
There was no father in sight. Earlier, Dustin had steered clear of asking about the child’s mother, hoping instead to uncover the boy’s father. Now, with that answer hanging plainly between the lines, the truth felt even more probable—this little guy had to be Collin’s son.
Still, the mystery deepened. Who had brought this boy into the world? Collin had insisted he had only ever been with Linsey, so then, where had this child come from?
Pushing for answers now felt wrong. Collin made the conscious choice to stay quiet, realizing that bringing up something so sensitive could cut deeper than intended. The absence of a father was already a heavy weight for a child to carry. He didn’t want to add salt to that wound.
Leaning in, Collin asked in a voice gentler than usual, “Did you come all the way here just to see me?”
Chin held high and eyes blazing with purpose, Zander replied, “You bet I did! I came to challenge you, you mean man!”
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