Chapter 1 Chapter 1

"It is this court's decision that the defendant, Ezekiel Clark, is found guilty of the charges of murder and fund-raising fraud, and will be sentenced to death two years from now." Thunk! Following the sound of the gavel striking against the sound block, Ezekiel's fate was sealed. Catelyn stood up abruptly from the audience stand. Tears gathered in her amber-colored eyes but stubbornly refused to fall as she stared anxiously at Ezekiel. "Dad…" She went up in an attempt to speak to Ezekiel, and it felt like there was a lump in her throat. Dressed in the prisoner's white uniform, Ezekiel was dragged along the way by a few prison guards. He looked worn, without a trace of his previous spirit. He appeared as though he had aged, and even his sideburns had started to turn gray. "Cat, believe me—I am not a murderer. All these are false accusations; my enemies are framing me!" Catelyn's heart ached at this. She believed with all her heart that her kind father could not possibly be a murderer. With tears pooling in her eyes, she hoarsely croaked, "Don't worry, Dad, I'll find a way to overturn your case and get you out!" When the guard saw Catelyn in his way, he pulled her away impatiently. "This isn't time for your visit. The prisoner needs to return to the prison." As though all strength was drained from her body, Catelyn stumbled and fell to the ground. The skin on her wrist tore, but despite the pain, she could not shed a tear when she still had to find a way to save her father. 'I… That's right! I'll go find Jamie Mason! He's my fiancé, and he must have ways to handle this!' She thought to herself before dialing Jamie in tears like he was her lifeline. "You're begging me to save your dad? Don't be so naïve, Catelyn. The arrangement between us was based on your father's financial status. Now, with him going to prison and the Clark family announcing bankruptcy, why should I help him?" Though they were physically apart and only connected by a phone call, Jamie's words stabbed Catelyn in the heart like countless knives. She bit her lower lip so hard that she could draw blood. With a trembling voice, she asked, "The entire community knows about the union between the Clarks and Masons, and even if you want to withdraw from the arrangement, you still need to at least act your place! Aren't you afraid of ruining the Mason family's reputation?""Well, that is something I need to pay attention to," Jamie responded carelessly. "Since you asked nicely, I'll give you a chance. Come to the Four-Seasons Hotel tonight at nine, and if you can satisfy me, I might consider your proposal." Catelyn gritted her teeth as blood rushed toward her head. "You're rubbing salt into our wound!" He sneered in contempt, "The ball is in your court now." The tears Catelyn tried so hard to keep at bay the whole day finally cascaded down her cheeks, her defenses finally crumbling at that moment. Jamie made it clear that he would not be marrying her yet still asked her to keep him company in a hotel, which meant that he wanted her to be his secret lover. Regardless, what would happen to her father if she refused to go? All her fair-weather friends pretended to not know her with what was happening to her father, and amid her despair, Catelyn decided to dance with the devil. When she arrived at a specific room in Four-Seasons Hotel, she knocked on the door and realized the door was not locked. She pushed the door open with a trembling hand and stepped into the darkness. Catelyn pursed her lips, her lashes fluttering as she feebly called out, "Jamie? I came as you asked. You—mmpfh!" Before she could finish, a shadow ran by before her. The man grabbed onto Catelyn's wrists with both his hands before she had the chance to react and pinned them on each side of her head against the door. "No. Jamie, calm down…" Terrified at the abruptness, she shivered uncontrollably, but the man had completely lost his senses. … Beep, beep! An unknown period had passed, and Catelyn was woken by the sound of notification from her phone. She struggled to move her body and slowly clenched her fists. For a moment, she desperately wanted to kill that wretched fiancé of hers, even if it would cost her life. Alas, Catelyn then remembered that her father was still in prison, waiting for her to get him out. She took her phone miserably, and a message popped into her sight that read, [Cat, hurry back. Your dad got into a car accident on his way back to prison, and we don't know if he's going to live!] Her blood froze the moment she saw the message, and she immediately sat up. Without a care for anything else, she frantically put on her clothes before stumbling outside. 'Why would he be in a car accident? He was fine just now!' fretted Catelyn anxiously. As she was leaving, a breeze lifted the curtains, and the pearl white moonlight shone onto the bed through it, bringing light to the man's face. He had an aquiline nose, seductively thin lips, and stern features. Everything was put together delicately like the work of God himself, and even when the man was asleep, his brows furrowed out of habit. It was a face that resembled Jamie in some way, but he was not Jamie Mason.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Two months later, in a hospital… "Congratulations." The doctor handed the ultrasound scan result to Catelyn. "You're eight weeks pregnant!" Catelyn paled as though she had been struck by lightning. Refusing to accept it, she asked, "Could there be a mistake, Doctor?""The sample of your urine shows that you are positive, and there couldn't possibly be a mistake," the doctor answered firmly. "Besides, your insomnia and postponed menstruation couldn't be faked, could they?" Catelyn's mind went blank, her hands shivering as she grabbed onto the scan result. She got pregnant, under the circumstances of her family's decline and the Mason family's withdrawal from the arranged marriage. It was from that time with Jamie two months ago… It was Jamie's child. The doctor seemed to be used to this sort of situation and reminded her kindly, "If you choose to do an abortion, I suggest that you do so as early as possible. Nonetheless, you're having twins, which rarely happens, so it's best to discuss with the father whether to keep them or otherwise." … Catelyn did not even remember how she left the hospital. Two months ago, her father was involved in a car accident, and the car fell into the river with him in it. Jamie took her that night but did not help the Clark family afterward. Instinctively, she knew that Jamie's response to this would be to have her get an abortion, but she was responsible for two lives. Hope, however frail, rose within her as she was reluctant to take away these two lives. However, when she arrived on the cruise ship Jamie was on and saw all the beautiful women on deck clinging onto the men, her heart froze. "Master Jamie, here comes your fiancé," one of the men teased inside the private room. Jamie shoved the young model in his arms away as his lips curled into a sarcastic sneer. "Catelyn Clark?""Mason, come outside for a bit. There's something I need to talk to you about." Catelyn forced herself to look away from the filthy sight before her and stood there expressionlessly like a statue. Jamie lifted an eyebrow and teased, "Say whatever you have to say here!" Catelyn bit her lip wordlessly and stared at him. Jamie smirked and mused to himself, 'This woman was so aggressive that night from two months ago, and now she is playing innocent?' The man next to him, who was enjoying the drama, whistled in Catelyn's direction with a mysterious smile. "Miss Clark, are you trying to borrow money from Master Jamie because your family went bankrupt? It's okay if he doesn't want to, I will. But let's get those clothes of yours off, huh? It's just a hot day to wear so many layers…" As he spoke, he came over to tug at Catelyn's clothes. The horrifying memories from two months ago flashed before her eyes, and she was instantly overwhelmed by the urge to vomit. "Uurgh—!" As the man's hand moved toward her, Catelyn vomited at his chest with no regard to her appearance and instantly caused a mess. "Was that on purpose?!" Furious, the man moved to slap her. Catelyn was already weak from the pregnancy and had no means to dodge the assault. She closed her eyes to brace herself for the slap, when Jamie stood up abruptly to stop the man before dragging Catelyn toward the deck angrily. When they arrived on the deck, he flung her toward the handrail, which shot sharp pain up her back. "Are you pregnant?" Jamie glanced at Catelyn's stomach and gritted out. Catelyn felt as though he was crushing the bones on her wrist, yet she managed to squeeze a stubborn reply, "No.""No?" He narrowed his eyes, before continuing in a sarcastic, cold tone, "You're just a lady without a penny to your name, and my wife has to be a lady from a powerful family. If I find out that you are secretly pregnant with my child, you should know the consequences." 'Consequences?' she scoffed. 'I must have been blind to have agreed to marry him in the first place!' Regret, anger, and frustration rose within her, and she took out a hundred-dollar bill before throwing it at Jamie's face furiously. "Have you ever seen a client who hires a prostitute to keep the baby? Here's your tip, and keep it! That's all you're worth! You disgust me, Jamie Mason!" When she was done, Catelyn left the cruise ship without a second glance at Jamie's darkened expression before starting to wander on the street. What could she do from here onward? Should she truly get rid of the twins? Crystal-like tears slid down her cheeks, knowing she did not have the heart to even do that. She did not grow up with a mother, her father having raised her on his own. Though her stepmother treated her fine, it was not the same. At this moment, the gods ironically saw fit to make her pregnant when her father went missing. Catelyn sat on a branch in the square dazedly for a long while. As she stared at the moving crowd walking past her in joy, anxiety, or no emotion at all, she slowly came to a decision. As she got up, a commercial popped up on the large screen in the square. The female anchor held the microphone, and in a clear voice, she said, "This just came in: Mason Group has launched their newest gardenia perfume named No. 520! "Regarding the concept behind it, the designer claims that it was specifically designed for a woman who appeared in Room 520, who also loved the scent of gardenias…" Following the anchor's introduction, the screen switched to a demonstration of No. 520, the gardenia perfume, and the package was incredibly glorious. 'No. 520. It's a date that symbolizes 'I love you' in some cultures. How romantic…' pondered Catelyn. She thought back to the time when she was still the princess of the Clark Family. She would have bought this perfume for the creative concept behind it, because she had loved gardenia flowers since she was young. The symbolism of the flower was to stay strong and be patient, and her father even went the length to collect all kinds of perfume made with the gardenia scent from around the world. At this moment, however, she could no longer afford her favorite GrandExtrait Gardenia perfume, and could only use a cheap shampoo that smelled like it. She wiped her tears away miserably before getting up and heading to the closest clinic without hesitation. The sun shone through the branches of the trees. Her shadow stretched underneath the light, and each step she took felt draining. … By the time she was out of the hospital, Catelyn's face was already as pale as a ghost. She dragged her exhausted body and headed toward home. The sky was turning dark, and as the cold wind blew, she could barely stand. Screech! A black Bagatti Veiron stopped abruptly at the side of the road. Jamie's face appeared before her, and the rage on his face showed how much he wanted to swallow Catelyn alive. With a copy of the medical record in his hand, he took a few strides before he stood right before her. She widened her eyes and subconsciously moved to run. "Catelyn Clark! You're pregnant with my child!" Jamie grabbed her wrist from behind furiously. "How dare you lie to me?" Catelyn could not breathe for a moment, but she then retorted callously, "I didn't lie to you; I got an abortion." "W—What?" Jamie stared at her in disbelief. Catelyn gritted her teeth and took out a receipt for the surgery from her purse, before handing it to him despite the pain in her chest. "Here's the proof. If you don't believe me, you can go ahead to check with the clinic stated here!" Jamie looked at the name on the receipt and the surgery stated on it, and was instantly stunned. 'Isn't she supposed to threaten me with the child?' he thought to himself. "Jamie Mason, the Clark family might have gone bankrupt, but my family doesn't owe you anything, and neither do I! We're going to go our separate ways from now onward, so don't come looking for me ever again. Goodbye!" Steeling herself while Jamie was still dazed, Catelyn fought back her tears and ran away, leaving him standing alone, unable to recover.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Four years later, in BrightGene Group's design department… The company fell into mayhem as everyone fought over the chance to design the mansion for the Mason family's young master. The Mason family was the head of the top four families in Sapphire City, and as the young master's four-year-old birthday approached, many of his relatives sent him gifts. Some gave him cruise ships, some put companies under his names, and others offered stock or funds as gifts. Naturally, there were a few who bought him grand mansions. The order that BrightGene Group received this time was to design the interior of the young master's mansion. "Enough!" Anne, the manager of the design department, slammed her palm onto her desk. "What's the point of all this arguing? Look at Catelyn doing her job: designing whatever she has been assigned to and never fighting over anything! Does fighting make this more interesting to you people?" Everyone quieted down, and Catelyn felt speechless, so she was merely spacing out. It was the day her son started going to kindergarten, and she was worried that he might not be able to handle it. "Don't think that this is an easy task," Anne continued. "The young master of the Mason family has never shown his face before in public, so who knows what he likes? If he doesn't like the design, there might even be a chance that he destroys your career path altogether out of rage!""…" Everyone realized that taking the opportunity meant that they would be working with a sleeping tiger. "I'll be submitting a list to the client. Anyone who wishes to join can apply for it with me over here." The crowd that was arguing earlier scattered, leaving behind only a few designers who were confident with their skills. Anne nodded and placed those people's names to the list. When she saw Catelyn sitting still, she added, "Catelyn, why don't you try this out as well?" Catelyn was slightly hesitant. "I have quite a lot of things to deal with at home lately, so I'm afraid I might drag everyone down…""You won't be the head designer, so you'll just be in the team for the headcount." Anne moved her hand and added Catelyn's name to the list as well, before submitting it to the butler that served the young Master Mason. Catelyn did not doubt what Anne said because she had never been assigned any great task throughout her four-year employment in BrightGene. Suddenly, her phone on the desk started ringing. Catelyn noticed that it came from the kindergarten and, thinking something must have happened to her son, hurried over to Anne to ask for the day off, before rushing toward Golden Sun Kindergarten, where she found out that her son, Miles Clark had run out. Anxious, Catelyn was about to call the police when— "Big kitty!" an innocent, cool voice came from the café located across from Golden Sun Kindergarten. Dressed in a charming denim jacket with black pants and shoes, Miles's delicate features were enhanced by his short hair, and his dark eyes were glittering as he appeared with a backpack on his back. He was waving at Catelyn excitedly, and when she finally spotted her son, Catelyn sighed in relief. She went over to take Miles's backpack from him before pursing her lips and lecturing him with resignation, "This is your first day at school. Didn't I tell you to listen to the teacher? Do you know how worried we are if you run off like that?" Miles immediately puffed his cheeks and said, "You can't say that. You promised to send me off to school, but in the end, it was Grandma who came with me!" Catelyn smiled faintly. "I'm busy at work and went to the office at seven in the morning, but your school doesn't start until nine…""Then I don't want to go to school. I want to be with you." Miles stared intently at her, doe-eyed. "I already know all the stuff they teach in kindergarten, anyway. It's like eating something, spitting it out, and eating it again. It's meaningless." As he spoke, Catelyn flicked her finger at his forehead. "Ouch!" Pained, he puffed his cheeks and sulked. "You made everyone worried by running off, and you still think you're in the right? Do you prefer I send you to a boarding school?" Miles sighed a long breath and said, "Fine, I agree to go to kindergarten, but you have to drop me off and pick me up every day, or I won't stay put. You know those teachers won't be able to keep me in check." 'This troublemaker is negotiating with me now?' Catelyn thought. However, she had to admit that her son was indeed very intelligent. There were countless ideas in that little head of his, and his innocent-looking face only helped him get his way, so she did not doubt he would be able to run from kindergarten. Four years ago, she bribed the nurse into forging a fake receipt for abortion to fool Jamie, but she did not anticipate that she would fall and go into early labor when she was eight months pregnant. Because of that, her other child never made it to the world. A lump formed in her throat and she felt bad for Miles. "Deal. Can you come back to the school with me now?" Meanwhile… On the roadside, a Bens was parked quietly under a tree. The dark-body car was stylish and unique, and inside the car window, a young boy sat quietly with a stern expression. The boy could not be over four years old, but with his lips pursed, he appeared mature and cold in ways that could not have been possible for his age. He happened to spot Catelyn and Miles, and when Miles turned around to make faces at Catelyn, the boy narrowed his dark eyes. That child looked exactly like him.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

"I want buffalo wings," commanded the boy in the Bens to his chauffeur. A troubled expression appeared on the chauffeur's face, as the order he received was to wait for Master Cedrick with the young master. "But Master Cedrick said he'll be here soon, Young Master. You—""Five minutes." The boy raised his arm and pointed at his watch. "If I don't see the buffalo wings, you'll go to Grandpa Albert to get your last salary." The expression on the man's face instantly transformed from troubled to fear. He knew that the young master never went back on his word. "Stay here, Young Master, and don't go anywhere. I'll be back right away!" the chauffeur reminded him hastily before he carefully locked the door and rushed toward the nearest restaurant. What he did not realize was that the boy in the vehicle had unlocked the car with ease after he was gone, and stared intently at the mother and son who walked past him. His heart throbbed as though something was about to happen. The boy followed them quietly and maintained a suitable distance until he saw them entering a place called Golden Sun Kindergarten. He desperately wanted to follow them inside, but he noticed the guards at the gate, and his eyes narrowed with his fringe canopying his brows. After looking around, he swiftly found a corner to hide. … Five minutes later, at a corner two streets away from Golden Sun Kindergarten, the driver finally got the buffalo wings his young master wanted. "Young Master, here's you…" Thuck! Before he could finish his sentence, a crack formed on the chauffeur's expression as he internally panicked, rambling, 'What am I looking at? Why is there no one inside the car, when the young master is supposed to be here? Oh, no… Where is Young Master?!' Dropping the buffalo wings, the driver frantically searched around. Time ticked by, and despite looking everywhere in the street, he could not find the boy. Coincidentally, the phone in his pocket rang. Despair overwhelmed him when he saw the number on the screen and trembled when he stammered, "Master… Master Cedrick?" … Screech! A black Porsche arrived at the spot where Ollie had gone missing. The engine was turned off, and the door was pushed open. A pair of expensive leather shoes landed on the ground before a man's majestic figure appeared. His features were defined and impressive with undeniably sharp, brooding eyes. He was dressed in a slim-fitting suit without a single crease on its surface, and following his appearance, even the air seemed to thin out. "Where is he?" Cedrick questioned coldly, his voice seductively hoarse like the sound of a cello. "F—Forgive me, Master Cedrick." The man gave himself a punch on the head and explained with a pale face and shivering arms, "Young Master asked me to get buffalo wings, and he was gone by the time I got back…""Could he have been abducted?" one of the bodyguards suggested. "But the young master's whereabouts have always been confidential!" Noticing that he was being suspected, the driver shook his head frantically. "It's not me! I really don't know anything…" Cedrick glanced at the car and noticed that the car door was undamaged without any trace of being forced open. All the items and Ollie's belongings in the backseat were in place tidily, true to the boy's habit. It was very likely that he got out of the car on his own. Beside Cedrick, his private bodyguard, Eason scrawled worriedly. "Master Cedrick, I've done my inspection, and this spot happens to be a blind spot for the local surveillance, so Young Master could have gone in any direction…" Cedrick's eagle-like eyes darted everywhere before spotting a piece of candy wrapper on the road toward Golden Sun Kindergarten. It belonged to the luxurious candy that Ollie enjoyed, and it was rarely found in Sapphire City. Cedrick narrowed his eyes.

Chapter 5 Chapter 5

Meanwhile, Catelyn brought Miles back to the kindergarten and fretted he would try to provoke the teacher on purpose. To her surprise, however, Miles's performance was perfect. He addressed all the teachers as 'pretty ladies' with a smile, his behavior as elegant as a high-born gentleman. Because of that, he enslaved the hearts of many easily, leaving all the teachers with nothing to say but praise him for how adorable he was. Miles sneakily winked at Catelyn with a smug look on his face, as though trying to tell her that he was fully capable of making people like him as long as he wanted to. Catelyn remained quiet with resignation. As soon as she settled the admission procedures, she hurried back to the office. She had only been out for an hour, and she might still be able to convince Anne to consider her working for a full day. With that thought in mind, Catelyn sped up, only to run into someone's warm, strong chest around the corner at the end of the street. Thump! She lost balance and stumbled to the side as her bag fell to the ground. She held onto the handrail to steady herself before she turned to look. It was a tall man with an athletic build. He strode away without stopping and even seemed to be moving faster. It was not that big of an issue to begin with, but the fact that he ignored her had provoked Catelyn. Her body acted before her brain, and she grabbed onto his wrist before he left. "Stop right there! You're just going to leave?" What she meant was that he at least needed to say something for bumping into others. Cedrick slowly turned and caught a whiff of the familiar scent of gardenias. His dark, brooding eyes instantly shone in response to it. Ever since he had the perfume department in his company manufacture a perfume with gardenia scent four years ago, countless women approached him smelling like gardenia flowers to get close to him. On the other hand, the scent on the woman before him was not as intense and smelled more like shampoo. It was faint, but it was still pleasant. Cedrick scanned the face before him and realized she resembled Maia in some ways. Instinctively, and not liking to be touched by random women, he spoke, "Let go." When Catelyn saw the man's face, her mind went blank. The features and especially the lips of the man looked dangerously similar to that of Jamie. More precisely, he looked more like her son, Miles. If Miles shared 50 percent of Jamie's look, then this man definitely shared over 60 percent of this man's features. Countless thoughts raced through Catelyn's mind as she stared dazedly at that face before muttering, "You look so much like this friend I used to know.""Are you going to say that it's your ex-boyfriend now?" Cedrick looked at her mockingly. "How do you know?" It was only after Catelyn had asked the question that she realized something was wrong. She was suspected of flirting with him. She bit her tongue in frustration and added, "You do look like my ex. It's the truth, but don't take this the wrong way! Whatever, just ignore what I said." With that, Catelyn moved to leave when the man reached out his long fingers toward her and lifted her chin. With a smirk on his face, he bent down, and his flawlessly handsome face got closer to her. Catelyn stared at the face that inched closer toward her, her lashes fluttering as she probed her hands against his chest nervously to put some distance between them. "What are you doing? I'm warning you, don't—!" The two were so close to one another that they could feel each other's breaths. Catelyn's long lashes quivered even more. Just when she thought that Cedrick was about to do something out of line, she heard his devilish, mocking voice from above, "If you want to seduce me, remember to change your perfume to No.520. I prefer that one." Catelyn's eyes widened and she shoved him away. "You're crazy!" She told him that she was not flirting! Cedrick looked away with a sneer and continued looking for his missing son, all while pulling out a piece of wet tissue from his bag to wipe each and every finger she touched, before throwing it into the bin. Catelyn's impression on the man went down the bin as he did so as well. Catelyn stared at him, gawking at him. "Is he a clean-freak or something?" she grumbled. … Ollie, who remained hidden in the corner, witnessed the interaction between Cedrick and Catelyn, and pursed his lips. For as long as he could remember, he had been referred to as the boy whose mother was unknown, and all of a sudden, there was a child who looked exactly like him. Was it a coincidence, or was there something else? Ollie dazedly thought about all the possibilities with a piece of candy in his mouth. Just when he was about to swallow it, he was picked up by the collar.

Chapter 6 Chapter 6

The candy was stuck in Ollie's throat. Instantly, Ollie's face turned a bruising red as his eyes frantically roved around. Cedrick picked Ollie out of the bush and placed him back on the ground. "Ahem!" Ollie coughed vigorously and opened his mouth to breathe, before finally swallowing the piece of candy. As soon as he looked up, he saw Cedrick's stern, cold expression. Ollie immediately put away any trace of childishness and lowered his head politely. "Father." Cedrick rarely disciplined Ollie and felt more responsibility than love toward the child. He lifted an eyebrow and questioned coldly, "Do you know how much time and energy I've wasted looking around for you?" Ollie lowered his head further. "I'm sorry.""I didn't come looking to hear that you're sorry. Why did you sneak out?" Ollie bit his lip while facing the towering figure before him, but he remained silent. "I'll take it that you simply did so for fun, but there won't be a next time.""…" Ollie kept quiet. Cedrick stared at Ollie's depressed state and scowled, before pulling at his own necktie. He could not stand seeing Ollie with his head bowed like all energy had been drained from him, because that made the boy appear nothing like Cedrick's kin. "What are you standing there for? Do you not know the way back?""I do…" Ollie clenched his fists and silently started walking toward the direction where the Bens was parked. When he got into the car, he glanced back in the direction of Golden Sun Kindergarten once again. He had taken note of the place and would find another chance to come back once again. Inside the car, the boy sat upright at the backseat with the mannerism of a high-born. Eason noticed the awkwardness in the atmosphere and rolled his eyes, before handing an iPad to Ollie. "Young Master, the mansion that Old Master gave you is ready for renovation. Here; these are the designers and the styles they are good at. Take a look and see which one you like." Ollie accepted the tablet with a lack of interest…until his face brightened up at the sight of the photo of one of the designers. "Uncle Eason, I can pick from any of the designers here?" He narrowed his big, doe eyes seriously. Eason nodded. "That's right.""Then, I want this lady!" Ollie passed the iPad over with his finger on the photo of a beautiful woman. When Eason went through the portfolio of the designer, he was troubled and went to Cedrick for permission. "Master Cedrick, the designer that the young master has chosen seems quite inexperienced…""Let him do as he pleases," Cedrick replied emotionlessly. He did not care much of how the interior of the mansion was designed. He simply saw this as an opportunity to train his son to think independently. … Back in BrightGene Group, Catelyn felt like she had been struck by lightning when she received notification that the young master of the Mason Family had assigned her as the head designer for the mansion. For a moment, she even doubted her ears. "Me?" Her eyes widened with disbelief. "Anne, stop teasing me…""Who has time to tease you? Here, this is the contact number of the person in charge on the client's side. Starting tomorrow, you'll be responsible for this project, and I'll assist you," said Anne, the manager, straightforwardly and did not appear to be provoked by the fact that Catelyn had taken the place of the head designer. Seeing that she was not joking, Catelyn did not proceed to refuse. After all, she was confident in her designing skills. Nonetheless, a few of her colleagues were envious. "I guess a barking dog never bites. She took over the position of the head designer without so much as saying a word. How many years does she think she has been working for BrightGene?""The young master probably didn't know much and simply picked out a face that he liked from the list.""Hah! Well, then Catelyn got it because she's pretty. Otherwise, why didn't the young master pick you?""Hmph! Just wait and see! Who knows if there might be mistakes when she designs the mansion? Let's hope that she won't need Manager Rossi cleaning up after her and end up causing more harm than gain!" Catelyn paid no mind to the gossiping of her jealous colleagues. The Mason family was the wealthiest family in Sapphire City, and the pay for designing the interior of one of their mansions was bound to be high. If she managed the project well, both Miles and she would not have to worry about money for the following year. With that in mind, determination set her ablaze as she immediately contacted the mansion's butler to arrange for a viewing session the next day.

Chapter 7 Chapter 7

The next day… A beautiful day it was as the sun shone brightly, but Catelyn felt slightly distracted somehow. She got into a taxi and went to the address provided by the butler. The enormous mansion was situated north of the city near a national park. There were not many residential estates open for sales around the area as the policies had limited the selling prices and had caused most developers to opt for retaining their real estate. The mansion before Catelyn ranged for over 300 meters with beautiful greenery, a football court, and even an outdoor swimming pool. It was the very definition of a grand mansion. Just as Catelyn looked around with the butler's supervision, the door to the second floor of the mansion was pulled open, and a tall figure stepped toward the balcony. Cedrick's attention was instantly drawn toward Catelyn, who was standing by the swimming pool, and he immediately frowned. "Why is she here?" Eason followed Cedrick's gaze and explained, "That's Miss Catelyn Clark, the designer Young Master has picked for the interior design of this mansion. Do you know her, Master Cedrick?" Cedrick rubbed his fingers thoughtfully with a cold expression. "Bring me her portfolio." 15 minutes later, Catelyn was informed by the servants that Mister Mason wished to see her. She froze for a brief moment before coming to realization. The 'Mister Mason' they referred to must be the Young Master Mason's father, the most talented member of the younger generation of the Mason family, Cedrick Mason. Rumors had it that he was ruthless, accomplishing the highest sales amount on a single day throughout the history of Mason Group. He was also known to be the person with the highest potential to become the next head of the Mason family. As far as bloodline went, Jamie was supposed to call him his uncle, but the Mason family placed distinct lines between their main bloodline and other collateral lines. The family that Jamie belonged to was merely one of the many collateral branches of the enormous Mason family tree, so he was hardly considered significant. Catelyn followed the servant to the second floor anxiously and pushed open the door, before stepping in slowly. She saw a lonesome, tall figure standing by the window with his back facing her. Though she could not see his face, she could sense the intimidating aura oozing from the man. At the same time, she felt somewhat familiar with him. "Catelyn Clark, female, twenty-four of age. An elite student that majored in architecture in Sapphire University, minored in jewelry design. You've once won the prize of the architectural design competition on campus and obtained a full scholarship two years in a row. Your professor referred to you as the female architect with the most potential amongst that intake, but you withdrew from school during the second semester of your second year for an unknown reason," the man's cold, husky voice echoed inside the room as he went through Catelyn's academic background. Catelyn bit her lip and the color began to fade from her face. She could have completed university with the help of her scholarship, but with the twins and all sorts of pressures she had to encounter, she could only choose to withdraw. Four years had passed, and all of a sudden, this man had brought it up once again. "Is there a problem, Mister Mason?" Catelyn asked politely, though she already had an idea of what was about to happen. "Why would I let a woman, who hasn't even graduated from university, design a mansion that's worth over a billion?" The man still had not turned around, but his towering height was intimidating enough to scare people. Catelyn clenched her fists and said, "Academic qualification isn't everything; I'm confident that I have sufficient experience. Besides, BrightGene is supported by the Atherton Family with countless brilliant designers. We're all about teamwork, and I believe that we'll be able to deliver a design that satisfies you.""I trust BrightGene. However…" The man paused. Shortly after, Catelyn saw the man turn around steadily, revealing a face that shocked her senseless. It was the man she bumped into on the streets the day before! That man was Cedrick, the father of Young Master Mason!

Chapter 8 Chapter 8

"I don't trust you," commented Cedrick, opening his thin lips while staring at her with his eagle-like eyes. He could still smell the faint scent of gardenias from her body, and he had to admit that he was drawn. The few words had Catelyn clenching her fists to the point that her knuckles were turning white. "I get it, I'll withdraw from this project. Don't worry about it, Mister Mason." She forced herself to straighten up her back, knowing perfectly well that there was no point to argue. Cedrick was surprised that she agreed that quickly. "It's my son who chose you, and it's me who fired you. I trust that you know how to explain?" Ollie had already been distant, so he did not wish to create conflict with his son over such small matters. Catelyn did not look away and stared directly into his eyes. "I'll tell Young Master that I'm not feeling well and, therefore, will not be able to manage the project.""You may go now.""Alright." Catelyn turned to leave without hesitation, but she soon realized that she felt wronged when she arrived at the door. She summoned her courage and gritted her teeth before saying, "Mister Mason, don't you think it's too shallow to judge a person's talent by their academic qualification?" Eason instantly started sweating at her words, thinking, 'Is Miss Clark here accursing Master Cedrick for discriminating those who didn't achieve much academically? How bold!' "I'm not shallow with others, just with you," sneered Cedrick. Catelyn clenched her fists as anger rose within her. Was it because she said that he resembled Jamie the day before? It was just the truth! What possessed him that made him so narcissistic, thinking that anyone should want to approach him on purpose? Rage overtook her face and she was about to explode, but at the same time, she realized why her son, Miles looked so much like this man before her. Jamie was his relative, so it made sense that they resembled one another. Right after she left, Cedrick's phone rang. He picked it up to realize that it was the head butler of Mason Estate, Albert. Albert's voice was both calming and polite. "Master Cedrick, Young Master has been depressed ever since he was brought home today." Albert had worked in the Mason Estate for years and had long surpassed the status of an ordinary servant. Naturally, he saw the young master as his own family as well. "Ignore him, he's just throwing a tantrum." Cedrick did not think much of his son's behavior. After a brief pause, Albert added gingerly, "But during meal time just now, Young Master has suddenly started asking about her mother again…" Cedrick's expression instantly darkened, and Albert could even sense his intimidating aura through the phone. "Didn't I say that no one is allowed to mention that woman in Mason Estate?""Young Master is still a young boy. It's natural for him to be curious when he sees that other kids have mothers.""If he asks again, tell him that his mother died during childbirth. There isn't such a woman in this world anymore." Cedrick tugged at his necktie impatiently and hung up. On the other end of the line, Albert was rendered speechless. He sighed in resignation and placed the phone back in place with a conflicted mind. The young master was abandoned outside the doors of Mason Estate. His background was a mystery, and no one knew who his mother was. Throughout the years, Cedrick had satisfied all material needs of his son, but in the end, children were sensitive beings that needed companionship and love from their parents. Because he could not figure out who laid out the trap that resulted in an illegitimate child, Cedrick had been frustrated, along with the fact that he lacked patience toward children. The young master, in the end, had never been truly happy. Thump! Inside the spacious playroom, Ollie, amid eavesdropping on the entire conversation with his head against the door, accidentally bumped his forehead and immediately scowled in pain. The old phone that Albert used had a severe issue of sound leakage, so he left the door unlocked on purpose and heard the entire conversation between Albert and his father. As he had anticipated, his father did not intend on telling him his mother's true identity and even plotted to lie and tell him that his mother was dead. Why would they lie to him? Albert heard the sound that came from the playroom and anxiously turned around.

Chapter 9 Chapter 9

Ollie steadily returned to the wooden desk and sat behind it. There were even a few essential oil diffusers that oozed a pleasant scent capable of calming a person's nerves. When Albert opened the door, he happened to see Ollie bending to pick up a glass from the floor. The boy had soft, pale skin, but always pursed his lips in a manner that did not match his age. When he saw Albert walking in, he simply asked in a calm tone, "Something you need, Grandpa Albert?" Albert felt defeated, because Ollie had learned from the best and was as intimidating as his father. "Nothing, just wanted to check with you to see what you'd like for lunch, Young Master.""Whatever you arrange," replied Ollie with his lips pursed, still from hearing what Cedrick had said. Albert seemed to have sensed something and looked at the boy endearingly. "Young Master, Eason told me that you've assigned a female designer to renovate your new mansion?" Ollie's lips curled into a faint smile at the mention of Catelyn. "Mmhm." If his father would not tell him where his mother was, he would start from Catelyn and get to the bottom of it. Ollie was dead-set on this matter. "Then let me take you there in a few days to check on the progress.""Alright. Thank you, Grandpa Albert." Albert felt touched at how understanding and obedient Ollie was. At the same time, he wondered what kind of mother would be so heartless to abandon the boy for four years without even visiting afterward. … Catelyn did not mourn over the fact that she had lost the project. After work, she carried on and went to pick Miles up from school. As soon as Miles saw her, he puffed his cheeks and hurried over to stiff her. Catelyn watched Miles in confusion and asked, "Miles, what are you doing?""Checking!" Miles moved around swiftly and said, "Grandma said you accepted a big project to design a mansion for some other kid. I'm checking if you've hugged or kissed that kid!" Catelyn could not decide if she wanted to laugh or cry. She knew that her child did not like it when she came into contact with another man, but she did not expect him to be this possessive. "Well, then, have you found anything?""Hmph." Miles did not smell the scent of other children on her and crossed his arms at his chest, shaking his head. Catelyn decided not to tell him about losing the project to avoid making him worry. The two took the bus back home, and when Catelyn changed her shoes at the porch, she saw Stella coming out of the kitchen wearing an apron and winked at her. "Well? Was Young Master Mason's mansion enormous? How will they calculate the designing fee? Is it per square meter, or will there be a full price? The Masons are famous, so they have to be generous. Once we climb our way up…" Stella paused to wink at Catelyn again with a smile. "Oh, right, have you met with Master Mason? Is he handsome? See if you can get into a relationship with him, and we might just become wealthy again.""Mom…" Catelyn gave her a look. She did not want to talk about work and could only warn Stella not to mention this in front of Miles. However, Miles had already overheard their conversation, and his expression instantly darkened in response. He slammed his palm against the table with a stern expression and deadpanned, "What relationship? I haven't got to inspect that old Mason guy yet, so I can't be sure if he is worthy to be with Big Kitty. Grandma, stop trying to matchmake senselessly.""…" Stella quieted down and thought, 'Master Mason isn't even thirty yet, and that's the golden age of a man! Why is Miles calling him an old guy?!'

Chapter 10 Chapter 10

After a moment of awkward silence, Stella hurried over to hug Miles and attempted to convince him, saying, "Miles, think about it: If Mommy marries into a wealthy family, you'll be a high-born! Not only can you stay in a big house, but you'll have a lot of toys, too.""I'm not a three-year-old anymore. I don't need a big house nor a lot of toys." Miles wiggled his way out of Stella's arms before moving the chair across Catelyn, gesturing her to come with a flattering expression on his soft, round face. "Sit here, Big Kitty, I want a hug.""Tsk! This little troublemaker is so hard to impress. Don't forget that I'm the one who kept you company when it was thundering a few days ago when your mom was away on a business trip!" Stella pretended to be offended. Catelyn bent down to hold Miles and rubbed her cheek against his. Miles had always been afraid of thunder and would always need someone with him to calm down when the sky rumbled. "Were you scared that night during the thunderstorm?" An awkward yet slightly frustrated expression appeared on his face. He would not fear any longer once he grew up, so he replied smugly, "Soon, I'll be a man!" Catelyn rubbed his hair. "Of course, it's only a matter of time. Come eat, and once you're done, Mommy will bathe you.""Remember to send me off to school tomorrow, or I'm going to be mad." Miles wanted to be with his mother every hour of the day, but with him going to school and her working, they shared less and less time together. "Don't worry, I'll try my best to fulfill my promise. Let's go shopping for some clothes tomorrow as well. Since you've started school, you ought to dress better." Miles lifted his chin smugly. "My presence is what makes the clothes better." Catelyn could not help but laugh. "This kid really is nothing like his dad." The sudden remarks jogged Catelyn's memories about Jamie. Despite not seeing him for four years, Jamie's playboy mannerism had caused him to appear in entertainment magazines every once in a while, with gossip between him and different actresses. Recently, Catelyn even heard that he was getting close with a certain lady from the Atherton family. Catelyn chuckled but did not say anything in response. When Stella saw Catelyn's expression, she realized she had misspoken. "Buy me something when the two of you go shopping for clothes tomorrow. I need to go play poker, and those friends of mine said that I look too old-school. They don't know that I used to be Missus Clark who can get whatever she wants, and they should consider it an honor that I'm even playing with them!" Stella was not Catelyn's mother; she was, in fact, the second wife Ezekiel had married. She could not get used to the change after the Clark family declared bankruptcy, so she helped Catelyn take care of the child and go out shopping, or even play poker when she had the time. Catelyn could empathize. After all, Stella had enjoyed her life for so many years. It would have been unreasonable to ask that she start over again. … The next day, Catelyn informed Anne ahead of time and got off work to take Miles shopping, and the two went straight to a shopping mall with a grand interior. The lights were blinding with countless things for the eyes to feast upon. When a set of racing car models caught Miles's attention, Catelyn bought it without hesitation. She had not been able to give her son a complete family, so she could only make up for it with all her love. The saleswoman in the mall was enslaved by how adorable Miles was and gave him a pair of free sunglasses. Miles was wearing his denim jacket, and under the light, the denim and sunglasses created a brilliant contrast. With his chubby cheeks and silky, white skin, he appeared even more adorable. The mother-and-son pair walked hand in hand and were instantly the center of attention inside the mall.

Chapter 11 Chapter 11

Catelyn arranged the model she had bought for Miles to be sent and patted her son on the head. "Wait here for Mommy, and don't wander around. I need to go to the washroom.""Yes, your majesty!" Miles did not want to take off his sunglasses and simply curtsied his mother. Amused, Catelyn turned and went to the washroom, only to bump into someone around the corner. "I'm sorry—!" An overwhelming scent of Grand Extrait Gardenia perfume attacked her, and because her nose happened to feel itchy at the time, she could not help but sneeze while apologizing. Though she managed to cover her mouth in time, she could not stop the splatter of her saliva. She blushed awkwardly and apologized once again, her lashes fluttering as she did. It had been so long since she smelt this perfume. Before the Clark family went bankrupt, this was her favorite because of how extravagant it was. At present, however, she preferred something more natural. "What's wrong with you? Can't you see where you're going?" Maia looked at the stain on her dress and barked mercilessly, "Do you know how much this dress—wait, Catelyn?" Catelyn pulled out a wet tissue to wipe her mouth and realized the woman before her was Maia. Dressed in the latest Gacci dress with her hand on a limited-edition purse from Hermis, her high heels made with crystal, Maia looked glorious covered in luxury brands. The Clark family was also one of the most powerful families in Sapphire City. Catelyn belonged to one of the collateral bloodlines, and Maia was a lady of the main bloodline. The two of them studied in the same class back in university. Though they were relatives, their relationship had been distant. Ever since Ezekiel disappeared, she had never seen anyone from her past social circle, knowing that no one would help and that most would rather rub salt onto her wound. Regardless, Catelyn did not expect to see Maia in this mall. Maia scanned Catelyn from head to toe, noticing that she was dressed incredibly plain with not one luxury item on her person. If Catelyn was to stand in a crowd, she would not stand out at all apart from the fact that she had a face that looked better than most. Maia instantly toned down on her aggressiveness and smiled graciously, before reaching out to hold Catelyn's hands. "I can't believe it's you. I've lost touch with you for the past four years! I heard that Jamie canceled the arrangement between you two. Are you doing alright?" Her tone was light as a feather, but though she did not make any sarcastic remarks about Catelyn's situation, her words were said with a sense of superiority. Catelyn had already gotten used to all these comments; she had heard things far worse than what Maia had said. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear carelessly and said, "I'm doing fine, thank you.""If you need help in any way, come find me. I won't turn you away!" 'Tsk! Speaking like I'm going to live like a stray dog without the help of the Clarks,' Catelyn mused to herself before her lips curled into a perfectly confident smile. "Sure. You can come to me for help as well, if you need anything." The smile on Maia's face froze. "You're funny. What could I possibly need your help with?""So do you need me to compensate for this dress?""It's fine, this only costs around a million. Even the amount I casually give off to charity will be more than that.""It's nice that you're doing charity. The old master of the Clark family must be overjoyed." Catelyn pointed at the washroom and continued, "I'm kind of in a hurry, so I'll go in first. Let's keep in touch." Maia watched as Catelyn left and snorted. Disgust filled her face instantly when she lowered her gaze at the dress she was wearing, thinking, 'How unlucky. It's kind of funny to see Catelyn Clark, the girl once referred to as the prettiest girl on campus, turning into a joke.'

Chapter 12 Chapter 12

While Catelyn and Maia ran into one another, Miles also happened upon a man he had not seen in years. Getting bored while waiting for his mother, he went over to the child department for a walk, but then he overheard a cringy conversation coming from past the rack. "Darling, do you think our baby is going to be a boy or a girl?" The man wrapped his arm around the woman's waist and in a seductive voice, he endearingly cooed, "I'm happy with either, as long as you're the mother.""That sweet tongue of yours!" The woman said while hitting the man's firm chest playfully. "The Mason family is developing swiftly right now, so my future mother-in-law would probably prefer a boy to inherit the family business…" Miles shivered and thought, 'Ew, grown-ups are so gross.' He curled his lips into a pout and moved to leave, only to accidentally see the faces of the couple through the gaps between clothes. He tripped and came close to losing balance. That man was Jamie Mason, his biological father. Ever since he could remember, he had asked about his father. Catelyn did not intend on lying to her, and with how intelligent Miles was, it did not take long for him to find out about Jamie. When he found out that Jamie had abandoned him, he bit his lip and decided he did not need the man either; Catelyn was enough for him. Miles rolled his eyes and pouted in contempt before trying to leave. All of a sudden, however, his phone started ringing. He slid open the screen and saw that it was a spam message, but the sound of the notification had caught the attention of Jamie and Louella Atherton. "Who's there?" Jamie, thinking someone was trying to take pictures of them, shoved the rack away to grab Miles by the arm, only to realize that it was a child. Miles's limbs were hardly that long to begin with, and despite the pain of being grabbed, he could not escape. "Let me go!" He was beginning to resent Jamie. "Jamie, this child…looks so much like you." Louella walked over slowly and felt dazed when she saw how much Miles resembled Jamie. Jamie seemed to have noticed as well and asked, "Whose child are you?" Miles clenched his fists as he thought back to Jamie's betrayal and abandoning Catelyn. He immediately put up an innocent expression like he had been wronged and said, "Daddy, you haven't given us any money for four years. Mommy is running out of options, so she sends me to find you…""Money?!" gasped Louella as her eyes widened in shock. Jamie tightened his grip around Miles's arm. "Say that again!""Mommy might only be a maid working for your family before, but do you have to be so heartless? You chased both of us out without caring to check on us, only to be together with this pretty lady. Now, I can't even afford to go to school! Pretty lady, we really can't survive like this…" whimpered Miles in a choked, soft voice while looking at them with tears in his eyes, not realizing the storm his words had raised between Louella and Jamie. The expression on Louella's face stiffened as she realized that this child could be Jamie's illegitimate child. She was one of the offspring of a collateral bloodline of the Atherton Family, but she had been in a position with wide influence in recent years and plenty of eligible bachelors were after her. She had picked Jamie out of her many pursuers, only to find out that he had an illegitimate child. "Louella, don't listen to him. I don't have a son this old nor did I screw around with maids." Jamie glared daggers at Miles and said, "This boy was sneaking around and is probably up to no good." As the veins on Jamie's head began to pop, he questioned Miles viciously, "Spill: who's your mom? What is she trying to accomplish by making you follow me to take pictures?""I said let go! You're hurting me!" Miles's wrist was hurting as his face stiffened coldly. He decided not to play the innocent card anymore. His resentment toward Jamie deepened as he internally growled, 'How frustrating! To think that I'm this old trash's son!' He lowered his head and bit down on Jamie's wrist. "Argh!" Jamie gasped and flung Miles to the side. Losing balance, Miles stumbled backward and Louella subconsciously moved to help him, but someone else beat her to it. It was Catelyn, who had just come back from the washroom. She held Miles steadily in her arms, concern etched onto her fair-skinned face as she checked her son. "Miles, are you hurt?" Her faint flowery scent surrounded Miles as he shook his head awkwardly. "I'm okay.""Catelyn?" When Jamie saw her, everything finally began to make sense, and he pointed at Miles furiously. "This is your kid? You never got rid of him?"

Chapter 13 Chapter 13

Catelyn never expected to run into Jamie once again after avoiding him for four years. She subconsciously tightened her arms around Miles and said, "He's my son. He has nothing to do with you at all.""Hilarious! You plotted to give birth to my son in secret, and now you have him here to take photos of me out of the blue. Who knows what you are after? Are you after money or status? Just get it over with already.""Miss Clark, am I right?" Louella stood forward, her eyes filled with motherly love as she stroked her belly gently, as though declaring her ownership. "I can give you money but probably not the position as Missus Mason. I'm also pregnant with Jamie's child, you see." She then glanced at Miles sincerely and continued, "The child is innocent, so please stop using him as a tool to hurt Jamie. We won't blame you for what happened today, but hopefully, you'll be more mindful in educating your son so that he doesn't step foot on the wrong path. As for the alimony, we'll make up for it without missing a buck." She spoke with a graceful tone, as though Catelyn was the one who had done something unforgivable. "I'll say this one last time: this is just a coincidence. My child is a Clark, and we don't need your money." Catelyn paused thoughtfully before curling her lips into an elegant smile as she looked at Louella. "Miss Atherton, seeing how much you care for my son, let me give you some gentle advice. You have really bad taste.""You—""This guy has so many exes that they can form a nation, and he enjoys kicking people when they're down. He loves your background, not you as a person. Even if you two get married, he's going to keep screwing around. Technically, he's just a bottomless pit." Miles listened to his mother and beamed, before nodding with a smile. "That's right, pretty lady! Everyone is desperate to climb out of the pit, so you should hurry on and kick this trash of an old man away." Louella was stunned, and Jamie had been rendered speechless as his expression darkened. … Meanwhile, inside a grand European restaurant on the fifth floor of the same shopping mall, soothing jazz music danced in the atmosphere, and the air was filled with a faint scent of natural flowers. Cedrick sat up straight by the window with Ollie sitting across from him. The two rarely shared meals together on the same table in restaurants, and their faces were as similar as though they were clones. Maia returned after cleaning up her dress and found the father and son in their usual silence. "What took you so long?" Cedrick lifted an eyebrow in a slightly impatient manner. "I ran into this crazy woman on my way to the washroom, and she almost ruined my dress." Maia cast him an apologetic smile before wrapping her arms around his and sweetly saying, "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting when I've promised to take Ollie out today…" Cedrick was busy with work most of the time, and she had only managed to see him with Ollie as an excuse. Ollie moved his delicate lips and said politely, "It's fine, Aunt Maia. You should focus on getting closer with my father, just ignore me.""Ollie is such a sweet boy! If only I can be his mother… I'd give him the entire world," Maia commented shyly, thinking that the meaning behind her words had been obvious. However, Cedrick remained cold and expressionless like an iceberg as he simply called the waiter over to order. Maia, of course, did not feel defeated. They had been engaged for four years, and she had been the only woman who could be by his side. She believed that someday, she would become the rightful Missus Mason. She then remembered Ollie, and the light in her eyes dimmed. Who was his mother, anyway? "Ollie, what would you like to eat?" asked Maia smilingly. "Steak with tomato sauce," Ollie answered politely and straightened his back. He was too short and needed to extend his arm to grab the tissue. As he did, he happened to glance outside the window and spotted Catelyn, Miles, and the others downstairs, and it looked as though they were in trouble. Cedrick noticed that Ollie was staring downstairs and lifted his gaze lazily in the same direction. From where he was seated, he could only see Catelyn and Jamie with the building standing in the way. Realizing both of them staring at the floor below, Maia looked over curiously and saw Catelyn's face. "Her again?" Cedrick clenched his jaw slightly. "You know her?""She's the one I bumped into on the way to the washroom," Maia explained, chuckling. "Her name is Catelyn Clark, the daughter of Ezekiel, one of our collateral lines. They went bankrupt a few years back, and her fiancé, Jamie, broke up with her. There, that's Jamie—the man standing next to her. He probably calls you uncle…""Jamie Mason?" Cedrick repeated the name. As the wealthiest family in Sapphire City, the Mason family branched out to an enormous network. While they could recognize members of the main bloodline, collateral lines were completely in disorder, but he did remember seeing that name on the family book. "The one who likes messing around with celebrities?""Yeah, that's him." Maia appeared a bit shy as she continued, "I thought that Catelyn has lost contact with him ever since their arrangement came to an end, but who would've thought that the two of them would be seen like that in public. I wonder if she's going to Jamie for money. If the paparazzi manage to snap a photo of that, they're probably going to end up in the newspaper again…" Contempt filled Cedrick's eyes after hearing what Maia had to say. Displeased by Maia's comment, Ollie pursed his lips and said, "I don't think that pretty lady is as hateful as you say she is, Aunt Maia. Can there be a misunderstanding?"

Chapter 14 Chapter 14

"You aren't even four yet. What do you know about how horrible human hearts could be?" Cedrick glanced over at Ollie coldly as he began to ooze an intimidating aura. Usually, Ollie would have stopped arguing with his father, but for some reason, he was upset that Cedrick had belittled Catelyn. His expression darkened as he raised his innocent voice in a challenging manner, "Father, you can't simply reject that lady because of a few words some outsider says.""Outsider?" Maia's hands that held her cutlery froze as she thought, 'Did Ollie just refer to her as an outsider? Does he know that I'm going to be his future stepmother?' Cedrick, not expecting Ollie would talk to him like that for a strange woman, interrogated, "Who's that woman to you?" Ollie shook his head and said sincerely, "She's the designer I chose to design my birthday mansion.""And you are arguing with me over a mere designer?" In Mason Estate, Cedrick held absolute power, and no one, not even Ollie, could challenge him. Ollie bit on his lower lip and noticed from the corner of his eyes that Catelyn and Miles had stopped talking to Jamie and were about to leave. He set down his cutleries elegantly with stubborn eyes and said, "I'm sorry, Father, I shouldn't have argued with you. I'm full; may I be excused?" Cedrick narrowed his eyes as his expression darkened. The steak had only just come out of the kitchen, and the boy had only cut a small piece out of the beautifully heart-shaped steak, yet he claimed to be full? "Ollie, are you trying to protest by refusing to eat?" Cedrick questioned coldly, and his voice pierced through the air in a horrifying manner. Downstairs, Miles and Catelyn were already moving toward the exit. Ollie lowered his arms by the sides of his body and clenched his fists before meeting Cedrick's eyes fearlessly. "No, I'm really full." As the father and son had a standoff, Maia smiled and tried to ease the tension. "Master Cedrick, kids don't develop much of an appetite. They usually don't eat much, and Ollie—""Did I ask you to explain his actions for him?" Cedrick interrupted her with a dark expression. Maia immediately turned red in embarrassment. "It's my fault, Father, so please don't blame Aunt Maia. I won't interrupt your date any longer and will be taking my leave now," Ollie said hastily before slipping down the soft couch and running out of the door without looking back. Maia was stunned. She had been engaged to Cedrick for years and watched as Ollie grew up, but never had she ever seen the child standing up against his father…not to mention ignoring Cedrick and running off. "Where are you going, Ollie?" Maia mistook the boy's action as a protest toward his father and hurriedly commanded the bodyguards standing by the side, "What are you all doing, just standing over there? Hurry up and go get the young master back!""Stop!" Cedrick scanned the bodyguards and said, "No one goes after him!" Startled by how intimidating the man was, Maia shivered. "But he's just a child! What happens if he runs into danger or kidnappers—" Personally, she had preferred to spend time alone with Cedrick, but Ollie was his only son, and their marriage arrangement would suffer should anything happen to the boy. "If he has the guts to run, then he should be ready to suffer whatever consequences that follow." With a stone-cold mask on his defined features, Cedrick picked up the cutleries elegantly. "Didn't you say that the steak here is great? Now that the courses are up, let's eat." Maia awkwardly silenced herself. Cedrick was a cold, majestic, devilish, and elegant man altogether. He was a legend of the Mason family and was her fiancé, too. Without Ollie around as the third wheel, she even started to feel even more excited about the date.

Chapter 15 Chapter 15

Downstairs, Catelyn took Miles's hand as they made their leave. Miles took off his sunglasses to reveal his crystal-like eyes burning with anger. "That trash is so hateful," he deadpanned. "Big Kitty, don't fall in love with him.""I don't like him to begin with.""He's definitely going to torture me if the two of you date each other." Then, Miles changed his tone and said while clinging to her leg, "For the health and safety of your baby, stay away from him, okay?""…" Catelyn was at a loss for words. Perhaps it was because Miles grew up without a father that he had always been sensitive; he even resented any man that approached Catelyn despite their age. Since they had just accidentally run into Jamie, it was natural that he would be worried about her getting back together with Jamie and neglecting him. "He has no sense of responsibility and has so many mistresses. I'm far more sweet and polite than him. I have great looks and a greater personality, and I can fend off a gangster or scold a mistress. I'll be a good boy and take care of you from now on, so please don't take him, okay?" Catelyn's heart melted as she lowered her head to plant a kiss on Miles's forehead. "I won't date him, I only care about you. Happy now?" Miles was very much satisfied and instantly shook off the negative emotions that haunted him. He pointed at his cheek happily and said, "I'll give you permission to kiss here as well.""I have lipstick on now! How about I give you a kiss once I remove it at home?" Miles immediately praised his mother sweetly, "I prefer you when you don't put any makeup on, you look more refreshing and enchanting that way." Catelyn was instantly at loss for words. "Where did you learn that line?""From the internet," Miles replied smugly. "…" Catelyn contemplated whether she needed to restrict her son's access to the internet. She had no idea what sort of things he had been browsing, and she felt as though she was being teased. Most importantly, her son was not even four-year-old and could barely recognize most words. In the corner, Ollie kept an appropriate distance from the two of them. He saw Catelyn lowering her head to kiss Miles on the forehead and Miles asking to be picked up, and his heart was instantly filled with envy. If only he had a mother as well… Could he be begging for attention in his mother's arms? A lump formed in his throat. It was unfortunate that his father refused to tell him who his mother was and forbade him from asking too much about it. Suddenly, Catelyn turned around from not far away, and Ollie immediately froze. He turned to hide himself behind a jewelry display counter as his heart threatened to jump out of his throat. He was not sure why he was hiding, but perhaps it was because he despised what he was doing at the moment. He was following and spying on them like a thief, only to find even the faintest comfort in others' happiness. Catelyn went to the storage unit to retrieve the race car model she had placed there earlier on, but for some reason, the key card had stopped working, so she had to seek help from the staff there. Miles listened to Catelyn obediently and waited for her to return by the door with his hands holding her purse. After a while, Catelyn still had not come out, and Miles was beginning to feel the urge to use the washroom. At the same time, he was worried that he might miss Catelyn coming out if he ran off too far. He looked around and scanned through the greenery across the street. There was a whole forest of trees there, and he could relieve himself there… Miles cleared his throat, and like a swift little monkey, he darted through the crowd, all the while turning back to look at the door every once in a while. Finally, as he was about to walk into the bushes… Screech! The sound of a car stopping to a halt rang in his ear abruptly, and a Bugatti Veyron stopped right next to him. The door to the car pushed open, and Albert looked at Miles worriedly before sighing a breath of relief. "Thank God you're alright, Young Master! The bodyguards said you ran out, and I was so worried…" Miles stared warily at Albert and the towering bodyguards before he warily said, "What do you want?""To bring you home, of course." Knowing that the young master felt wronged and frustrated from the fight he had with his father, Albert tried to appease his emotions gently. "Don't blame your father. He might say mean things, but he means well.""Father?" Miles then thought, 'Could it be that old trash Jamie Mason?' However, Miles had not seen any of these people before him, so they could also be kidnappers. 'Do kidnappers drive fancy cars and kidnap people in broad daylight now?' he thought. "Don't come here! I'm going to call for help if you move any closer—mmph!" Before he could finish, Albert dragged Miles straight into the car. The young master could be stubborn when he was in the mood, so Albert decided to just bring him back first. The car drove off and disappeared into the distance, leaving nothing behind but a puff of smoke and a beige woman's purse on the ground. Ollie slowly stepped out of the shadow he had been hiding under. He recognized the car that took Miles; it was the spare vehicle of Mason Estate. It appeared that Albert had mistaken Miles as Ollie and brought him back to Mason Estate. Ollie scanned the perimeter carefully before rushing over to pick up the purse from the ground. He could still catch a whiff of a milky scent, most likely from Miles, around the spot, mixed with the faint flowery scent of gardenia from Catelyn. Ollie felt immersed with the scent, and he simply felt addicted to it. He took the bag with him and went back to the mall, intending to give it back to Catelyn. "I'm sorry, Miles. Something happened, and it took me some time." Catelyn hurried her way back to the exit and instinctively took Ollie's hand. Ollie stared at his hand that was held by Catelyn, and a bold idea appeared inside his head. "It's okay, I didn't wait long," he said politely. However, as soon as he said that, he saw Catelyn's expression darkening. Her glittering seemingly zeroed in on him entirely. "You…" Ollie immediately became anxious and tense. Could Catelyn have noticed his true identity? Could she tell them apart when not even Grandpa Albert could tell the difference? His heart thumped as though he was facing off a horrible enemy.

Chapter 16 Chapter 16

"Actually, I…" Ollie hesitantly attempted to explain. "Miles, where did you get those clothes you are wearing?" Catelyn asked abruptly, interjecting him. Ollie's eyes widened, and he felt his heart drop to his stomach when he realized she was suspecting the clothes he was wearing. Catelyn circled to the boy's back and flipped his collar outward, only to find the Banpoint label. It was a french children-wear luxury brand that emphasized on both modesty and glamor. Ollie cursed inwardly when Catelyn slowly bent down and asked, "Did Jamie Mason buy this for you?""Jamie Mason?" He thought, 'That's probably the man I saw Catelyn arguing with.' "Yeah, that's him," he said. "That's weird. He was just scolding you earlier, so why would he buy you clothes now?" Catelyn was confused as to how it could happen within the short period she went to retrieve the model. Ollie's eyes darted away. "I…don't know what he's thinking as well.""Whatever. At least he's willing to fulfill some responsibility as a father." Catelyn scanned him from head to toe and decided not to be bothered by it after confirming he was her son. "Anything else happened while I was gone?" Ollie opened his pick lips slightly and said, "Nothing, but I'm a bit hungry.""Grandma should have dinner ready by now. Let's go home, or we're going to miss the bus." She lifted him with one arm and hurried over to the nearest bus station. The sudden proximity and the feeling of his feet leaving the ground had Ollie frowning, but soon, he relaxed at the warmth that he had never felt before. Could this be what a mother's embrace felt like? Catelyn smelt like gardenia, just like Maia, but Catelyn's scent was better and more natural, so he preferred her. The boy, who was usually very composed, started blushing. "Aren't you going to hug me back?" Catelyn teased. Ollie hesitated. "Can I?" He had been taught the manners of a gentleman, and he often acted appropriately. On top of that, he was cold by nature and rarely approached others. "Why not? Don't you usually hug me back?" Catelyn said, wondering if her son was too hungry to the point he was acting weird like a quiet, wary boy. Ollie collected himself and reached out both of his arms before carefully wrapping them around Catelyn's neck. His heart was overwhelmed by emotions as he had never imagined he would have a taste of motherly love from a woman he did not know. His lips curled into a content smile as he muttered, "Mommy…""Yes?""Nothing, I just suddenly feel like calling you." Ollie cocked his head to the side and leaned against Catelyn's shoulder. As he tightened his arms around her neck, he suddenly felt extremely envious of that boy called Miles. If only Miles would replace him and remain in Mason Estate forever… Ollie shook his head at the thought. As Cedrick's son, there were responsibilities that he was expected to bear. For the time being, however, he simply wanted to be the little baby in his mother's arms. It was stolen time. … The night fell as a car raced toward the majestic Mason Estate. The engraved gate opened, followed by the faint squeaking sound, and a line of guards in uniform stood by the entrance with their heads bowed respectfully to welcome their young master home. The car stopped and Albert opened the car door with a smile. "Young Master, we're home." Miles had kept his eyes out for the landscapes and the best route to escape along the way, but to his surprise, the car headed toward more and more remote areas until it was halfway up a mountain. He knew that this was not where Jamie lived and concluded that he had been kidnapped. However, when he saw the outdoor swimming pool, the fountain, the gigantic statue, and also the boundless sports arena, he realized that this place was as grand as a palace. Miles sat upright and wondered why these people had abducted him. Seeing that Miles would not get up, Albert bent down to pick him up with a gentle smile. "Alright, Young Master, don't be angry. How about Grandpa Albert carry you inside?""Don't think that I'll trust you simply because of that, you kidnapper!" Miles glared at him with wide eyes. Albert was amused by Miles's expression and said, "Young Master, I remember that these weren't the clothes you wore when you headed out…" Miles did not want to listen to what he was saying and lifted his chin, only to notice the golden wordings on top of the high arched entrance that read, [Mason Estate.] The font was powerful and intimidating. Miles's eyes widened in shock. Though he had not been in contact with anyone from the Mason family, he had done some research on the family tree after learning that he was a Mason as well. Mason Estate was the place where the head of the Mason family lived, and as far as relations went, Miles was supposed to refer to the owner of this place as his grandfather. Rumors had it that the owner was cruel and was commonly referred to as the Hades of the entrepreneur world. "Why did you bring me here?" Shivering, a chilling thought crossed Miles's mind. Could it be that Jamie was so enraged that he sent Miles here to die? He missed Catelyn. It had always been him and Catelyn against the world since he was born, and without him, his mother would be devastated. What should he do? Albert looked at Miles with disbelief before placing his palm on Miles's forehead to check his temperature. 'Thank God he's not running a fever,' he thought. 'Still…' "Young Master, do you not remember? This is your home." Albert could not help but wonder what Cedrick could have done that his son could not recognize his own home. "My house? Are you kidding? This isn't my house…" Without Catelyn, even the grandest palace was merely a cold house. Miles was both terrified and frustrated, but there was simply a more pressing issue, and that was… He needed to go to the washroom, and he had been holding it in for a very long time. Miles wiggled out of Albert's embrace, and since Albert was too old to hold him, Miles swiftly turned and hopped out of his restraint. Despite his short legs, Miles ran fast and disappeared from Albert's sight within a blink of an eye, without giving Albert a chance to catch up with him. … By the time Cedrick finished his tasteless date with Maia, it was already nine at night. Inside the racing car, Eason tensed with both his hands on the steering wheel while he stole peeks at Cedrick through the rear-view mirror. Cedrick's expression darkened at the thought that his son defied him, and in a cold voice, he growled, "Where's that brat?" Eason faked confusion and responded innocently, "Master Cedrick, didn't you place an order to not go after Young Master?" The look in Cedrick's eyes darkened, and the car was instantly filled with a suffocating atmosphere. "So all of you simply let a three-year-old roam free out there?""Ahem." Eason cleared his throat. Had the atmosphere not been this tense, he would have burst out laughing. He knew that Cedrick was only harsh outwardly, but though he said that he did not care about his son, he still cared for him from the bottom of his heart.

Chapter 17 Chapter 17

"You were having dinner with Miss Clark, and we couldn't be too far away from you, so we didn't send anyone after Young Master. Of course, I've contacted Albert to bring him home." Cedrick looked up to find Eason's mouth twitching as though stifling his laughter. "Are you laughing at me?" asked Cedrick. "No, I—""Your bonus for this month will be reduced by half." The amusement on Eason's face faded and was replaced by devastation. "Master Cedrick…""Keep talking and you'll lose all of it." Cedrick stared at him, leaving no room for questioning. "…" Eason realized how easily an employee would suffer when their boss was this hard to please. Soon, their car arrived at Mason Estate as well. The lights in Mason Estate shone brightly during the night, making it appear as though it was still daytime. Under the moon, the sparkling lights on the trees made a perfect contrast that formed a unique scene. When Albert heard the sound of the car's engine turned off from the garage, he stood by the door to Ollie's room and asked the servant anxiously. "Hurry, Master Cedrick is back. Is the Young Master ready yet?""Yes, he is," said the servant before pushing Miles, who was dressed in silk pajamas, outside. Miles's eyes were filled with anger for being moved around like he was a toy. Half an hour ago, he was taken to the washroom by force for a bath and a change of clothes. Albert threw all his clothes away after noticing how rough the materials of his t-shirt were and forced him to wear silk pajamas that fitted perfectly to the skin like a soft layer of body lotion. He had to admit that the pajamas fitted perfectly, but the color was just too dull. The pajama was pitch-black and made him look old. The maid helped to dry his hair gently with a towel before casually styling his hair into a slight curl. Miles looked exceptionally fair after the bath, and with how delicate his features were, Albert's heart melted when Miles glared at him with his cheeks puffed. 'Young Master is so adorable,' mused Albert to himself. He took Miles's hand and led him downstairs while advising sincerely, "Young Master, Master Cedrick will be back soon. Whatever happened between you before, you have to take the initiative to apologize, okay?""Unbelievable." Miles snorted before spotting a towering male figure before him. Cedrick strode into the hall and removed his jacket; the servants took it respectfully and handed it onto the rack. When he looked up, his eyes happened to meet with Miles' eyes which were filled with surprise. Miles's jaw dropped as he pointed at Cedrick with disbelief. How…could this man look so much like him? "You—""I, what?" Cedrick sank into the couch and pursed his lips in displeasure. "Is that something you should be doing to your senior? Come here." Cedrick decided that he could not let it slip if his three-year-old son had started developing the courage to defy him in public…but Miles stood still. Cedrick simply looked too much like him that he felt intense fear for the unknown. To conceal the fact that he was afraid, Miles glanced at Cedrick with his arms across his chest to act prideful. "Then why don't you know you should take care of your young?""…" Everyone gasped at the boy's words. It was no different than pulling a tiger's tail! "Stop messing around, Young Master! Master Cedrick is your father, and his words are absolute. Hurry over there and apologize, and let bygones be bygones," Albert whispered. Like a proud little prince, Miles said, "My words are absolute as well. If anyone should move, it should be him." The next moment, Cedrick, who was sitting on the couch, stood up abruptly. The spacious hall instantly felt cramped, and even the atmosphere was beginning to tense. Cedrick narrowed his eyes as he stared at Miles. "What did you just say?" Attacked by the intimidating aura that approached him, Miles came close to taking a step back, but soon puffed his chest to hide his fear and pretended to be calm by probing his hands by his waist. "I was doing just fine walking on the street when you guys abducted me. What are you trying to do? Let me tell you, if you refuse to let me go, I am going to call the police and report you for abducting and abusing children!" Everyone gasped once again. "Very well. Since you've already accused me of abuse, isn't it a waste not to do it?" Cedrick let out an enraged laugh as though he heard something incredibly hilarious. "Albert, take him to the prayer hall. He'll stay there until he admits his mistake." Panicked, Albert immediately tried to dissuade him, saying, "Young Master, Master Cedrick really is angry. Hurry up and say you're sorry!""I'm angry, too." Miles sneered, his eyes widened in anger. "Don't think that I'll be scared of you simply because you look like me and are my senior, you big demon. Dream on!" Everyone, including Cedrick, Albert, and the servants, were rendered speechless, baffled as to what could have possessed the young master to act out. Could it be that he had been suppressed by Cedrick for too long and finally exploded to become this rebellious? It was the first time that Cedrick's authority in the Mason Estate was challenged, and he was so enraged that the veins on his forehead began to pop. "You've become this unruly after only a few hours out there? Ollie Mason, if I don't discipline you, are you going to assume that you have the say in what happens here in Mason Estate from now on?""Who's Ollie Mason? I'm not—mmph!" Miles widened his eyes in shock and tried to explain in flushed cheeks, but before he could get the words out, Albert lifted him up and placed a hand over his mouth. Miles widened his dark eyes and silently asked Albert to let go. "My apologies, Master Cedrick, it's my fault for not taking better care of Young Master. He's probably not in the right state of mind after being traumatized out there, and that's why he's saying all these things. I'll take him to the prayer hall." Albert's forehead was already covered in a thin layer of sweat, and his heart threatened to jump out of his throat. He would much rather take the boy to the room to calm himself than to have him here arguing with his father. "Mmph!" Miles kicked his legs in the air frantically, but Albert held him tight. Unable to escape no matter how hard he tried, he was taken straight to the prayer hall. The prayer hall was one of the rooms near the stairs on the third floor. The inside of the room was decorated with black, white, and gray. It appeared deserted, but the servants kept it clean until there was not a speck of dust in sight. The air was refreshing with a pleasant scent, and there were a few books and items on the glass coffee table. On the wall across was a gigantic portrait painting of a boy. The boy was dressed in middle-age knight armor with a charming helmet on his head. He held a long sword that pointed toward the ground, and his hair was combed back tidily. His eyes were brooding dark, and his posture was perfect like an elegant high-born. Miles froze. Was that him? No… It was a boy that looked exactly like him!

Chapter 18 Chapter 18

Though Miles had countless thoughts of doubt, as a child, he immediately turned his attention to the thought of how worried his mother would be after he had been gone for so long. Shaking away the thoughts that swarmed his mind, he ran toward the door and banged on it furiously, causing the door to squeak as he yelled, "Open the door, let me out! I knew you guys are terrible people! "Come and fight me, you big demon! What kind of man are you to lock me up like this?! "Mommy…I—I miss you…" On the other side of the door, Albert choked on the words he meant to say to calm the boy. 'It seems that the young master misses his mother again. This certainly explains his behavior today, but…it's unfortunate that the identity of his mother was an unresolved mystery here in Mason Estate,' he solemnly thought to himself. … In Ocean Path Residence, on the fifth floor of the building, the family gathered around the table with only a few casual dishes. Ollie looked at the dishes and noticed how spicy they were from the red color and the enticing scent. However, he scowled wordlessly at the sight because he usually preferred milder flavors. "Why aren't you eating?" Noticing that he did not even move, Stella asked, "Didn't you say you're hungry? Do you think Grandma's cooking isn't good enough now?" Ollie pursed his lips and ate one piece of fishcake; the spiciness of the seasoning instantly spread on his tongue. "It's spicy…" He forced himself to swallow it and poked out his tongue. Noticing how flushed he was, Catelyn immediately poured him a glass of warm water and chuckled. "This is spicy? You always say that Grandma's cooking isn't spicy enough compared to that restaurant out the street." Ollie paused mid-way as he was sipping the water, thinking, 'Does this boy Miles like spicy food?' "I guess Grandma's cooking improved." Stella beamed at the praise and started piling food on Ollie's plate. "Eat more if you like it! Grandma will cook more for you whenever I don't have poker games planned…" A troubled expression appeared on Ollie's face, but it faded shortly after as he smiled shyly. "Thank you, Grandma.""Oh, my! Why is Miles so polite today?" The shy smile on Ollie's face simply deepened. "Alright, dig in. If it's too spicy, just drink more soup!""Alright." The meal ended in cheerful conversations and laughter. Ollie tried his best not to look odd, but he had to drink a glass of cold water as soon as he was done before washing out his mouth as well to ease the pain in his stomach. He watched as Catelyn and Stella tidied up the table and realized that though it was a house smaller than the bathroom in Mason Estate, it was filled with a kind of warmth that did not exist in Mason Estate. His father would never fawn over him like Catelyn did. Ollie felt even more inclined to stay. At night, it was customary for Catelyn to tuck her son into bed. After his bath, Ollie put on Miles' pajamas, which fitted perfectly, and laid on the bed with his entire body tensed. He used to sleep alone and had a hard time getting used to having someone next to him. His heart throbbed hard, and he could only pray that it would not expose him of his true identity. Catelyn patted him on the head out of habit and asked, "Which story would you like to hear tonight?""You are going to tell me stories?" Ollie's big, dark eyes peeked from the blanket and blinked with anticipation. "Do you not want to hear it tonight?""I do." Scared that she would misunderstand, he blurted out, "I like whatever story you tell." His words warmed Catelyn's heart. This was her son. They depended on one another, and he always found a way to move her without even trying. "Let's continue on the story of the City Rat and Country Rat from the night before, then?""Okay." Ollie nodded, before leaning toward Catelyn's arms sneakily with a pink flush on his face. He drifted off to sleep while listening to her gentle voice and felt so happy that he could drown in it. As he was about to fall asleep, he grabbed onto Catelyn's sleeve and asked longingly, "Will you be designing Young Master Mason's mansion?" That way, he would still be able to see her even if he returned to Mason Estate. "Probably not," she answered in a soft voice as she adjusted her blanket. Ollie instantly lost all urges to sleep and widened his eyes. "Why not? Didn't they assign you?" Catelyn did not want to discuss work with her son, but since Ollie would not give up, she could only explain, "I accidentally crossed the young master's dad, so when the king gets mad, his servants suffer…" Ollie's eyes were instantly filled with anger and despair when he realized that his father had changed his designer without telling him. He refused to let Catelyn suffer in any way. The next day, Catelyn woke up early to make everyone breakfast. Ollie woke up as well shortly after she did as he never slept in back in Mason Estate. Suddenly, Catelyn's phone on the nightstand started ringing. Ollie picked it up and instinctively wanted to bring it over to Catelyn, but then he swallowed the words as soon as he saw the caller ID. He knew that number all too well. It was Albert's. On the other end, Miles hid inside the washroom and was calling Catelyn with the phone he stole from Albert. He had no other way because he left his phone in Catelyn's purse and could only borrow Albert's. Albert's phone was ancient; black and heavy like a brick. Luckily, he could still use it to make the phone call. The phone kept ringing and no one picked up. He pouted, but just as he was about to give up, someone answered the phone. Miles beamed and immediately started blurting out his explanation, "Big Kitty, I didn't mean to not go home! Someone abducted me…""Sorry, but I'm not Miss Clark. She's in the kitchen now and cannot answer your call." Ollie cleared his throat and asked gingerly, "Are you… Miss Clark's son, Miles Clark?" Miles's eyes widened in shock and slipped down the toilet, before checking on the screen in disbelief. It was, no doubt, Catelyn's number. His face tensed and his eyes began to turn red. He fanned himself with his palm and asked, "Who are you? Why are you at my home?" He had only been missing for a night. Not only did Catelyn not look for him, but there was another man in his house? Was Catelyn abandoning him? "It's Mason, Ollie Mason," Ollie introduced himself steadily. "Your mommy took me home." Miles paced back and forth in frustration inside the washroom. "Get out of my house right now! You don't get to be close to my mom!""I'm afraid I can't comply.""You—""Miss Clark is calling me for breakfast now. Goodbye." With that, Ollie ended the call. Miles's eyes reddened like an abandoned puppy. Biting his lip, he tried dialing the number once more, but— "Sorry, the number you're calling is unavailable." A robotic voice reminded Miles over and over again that Ollie had blocked this number.