Liam practically ran up the stairs, fearing that Victor would catch up to him. With his short legs bouncing off the stairs, he ran faster than Carolyn.
Carolyn, worried that he might fall, couldn't help but remind him, "Slow down."
"I'm fine, Mrs. Hastings. You be careful," Liam paused for a moment and suddenly noticed a sharp gaze looking at him. He quickly climbed two more steps.
Carolyn could tell that Liam was afraid of Victor. When they reached the room, she locked the door and comforted him gently, "Liam, don't be afraid. Victor is not a bad person, he won't harm you."
"I know, Uncle Victor has a cold demeanor. No wonder girls don't like him," Liam thought about Victor's cold temperament and believed that only a bad woman like Jessica could tolerate him.
After Carolyn left, Liam lay on the bed for a while unable to sleep, so he secretly took out his phone. It was then that he realized he had missed several calls from Sophia. He immediately video called her.
"Mummy, something big has happened."
Thinking that something had happened to him, Sophia asked anxiously, "What happened? Are you hurt? My phone ran out of battery earlier, so I couldn't—"
"I'm at that bad uncle's house!" Liam lowered his voice and trembled under the covers.
Sophia was puzzled. "Bad uncle?"
"It's the bad uncle who is engaged to Jessica. His mother picked me up and now I'm living at their house!" Liam was on the verge of tears.
Sophia was shocked, frozen in place. She trembled and said, "Victor Hastings?"
"Yes, his last name is Hastings, and Mrs. Hastings calls him Victor!" Liam nodded.
Sophia suddenly felt breathless and thought, 'What a coincidence! How did Liam end up living with that devil?'
Thinking about what Victor had done to her, Sophia was scared. Biting her lip, she asked, "Did he recognize you? Did he bully you?"
"He recognized me!" Liam's voice was filled with excitement.
Anxious, Sophia said, "You're at Hastings Villa, right? Stay there, I'm coming to rescue you!"
Although Sophia had only spent a few days with Victor, she knew exactly what kind of person he was. Anyone who offended him didn't have a good outcome, just like Sophia had experienced these past few days. Liam was still very young. If Victor really wanted to harm him, Liam wouldn't even have the strength to struggle!
Sophia panicked!
She couldn't afford to lose Liam!
Upon hearing that Sophia was coming, Liam quickly said, "Mommy, don't be afraid. Although he recognized me, he didn't bully me. And Mrs. Hastings has always protected me. When he looked at me menacingly today, he almost got beaten by Mrs. Hastings!" Liam's trembling voice contained a hint of joy and even a bit of relief.
Sophia, who had already been prepared to rush into Hastings Villa to save Liam, stopped in her tracks and asked in puzzlement, "Really?"
"Of course it's true. Mrs. Hastings really likes me. She only gives me good things to eat and not him. She just wanted to sleep with me because she was afraid I couldn't sleep alone, but I refused her." Liam listed all the good things Carolyn had done for him. He realized that as long as Carolyn was around, Victor wouldn't dare to bully him. Therefore, Liam felt safe at Hastings Villa, at least safer than at the bad woman Jessica's house.
Liam thought, 'Those two bad women didn't give me food to eat and locked me in a smelly little warehouse. They were especially mean!'
Sophia found it hard to believe that Victor, who held so much power at the company and in the Aadelha Group, would end up in such a situation when he got home. "Are you lying to me? He is the president of Aadelha Group!"
Liam said, "Mommy, just wait a moment."
He cautiously ran out of the bedroom, tiptoed to the top of the stairs, and took a quick glance downstairs, only to find Victor washing dishes in the kitchen. After taking a secret photo, Liam hurried back to his room.
"Mommy, did you see that? He's washing the utensils I used. Mrs. Hastings made him do it. He dares not bully me." Liam's sweet face was full of smiles.
Sophia enlarged the photo and took a few glances, and it seemed Victor was really washing dishes. However, she still couldn't rest assured. "I know you don't want me to worry, but Victor is not a good person. I'll come pick you up now."
"No, you can't." Liam quickly refused.
Sophia asked in confusion, "Why?"
Liam said, "He already knows that I caused trouble. He's investigating your information. I'm just a child, and Mrs. Hastings is protecting me. I can protect myself. However, if he finds out you're involved too, he will definitely bully you. Then how can I save you?"
Sophia thought carefully and realized that Liam was right. Victor had been treating her very badly lately. If Victor knew that Liam was her child, he would certainly be even worse to Liam. And as a mother, she didn't have the ability to protect Liam!
She felt so sorry for Liam and whispered, "I'm sorry, Liam. It's my fault for not being able to protect you."
"I'm fine. Mommy, don't be sad. You've tried hard enough. I'm a boy and I can take care of myself," said Liam in a soft and sweet voice, which was very pleasant to listen to.
Seeing his healing smile, Sophia felt very guilty and gently caressed Liam on the phone screen with her tender hand. "I will definitely help you find your daddy," she said.
"Okay," Liam nodded happily. Seeing that Sophia was so exhausted that she could barely keep her eyes open, he felt sorry for her and said, "Mommy, you should go home, take a shower and get a good sleep."
"Okay," Sophia hung up the phone.
Liam held his phone close, climbed out of bed, and stared blankly at the dark ceiling, thinking to himself, 'Mommy is really pitiful. She is busy earning money to support me while also finding time to help me find my daddy, who knows where he is.'
He turned and glanced at the closed door of his room, and suddenly heard a loud bang. His room door was opened!
Liam was frightened and quickly hid under the covers, sticking half of his head out to peek. He saw Victor turn on the light in the room and walk towards him. Liam was so scared that he buried his whole head under the covers.
He thought to himself, 'Oh no, the bad uncle is going to kill me and silence me. Mommy, help...'
"Get up," Victor said.
Liam was so scared that he wanted to cry. He heard the voice but still covered his ears and pretended to be asleep.
Victor said, "I heard you talking just now. Are you waiting for me to do it myself?"
Liam, curled up in a ball under the covers, said, "I'm asleep!"
Victor asked, "You're still able to talk while you're asleep?"
Liam froze. He quickly shut his mouth and ignored whatever Victor said, clutching the blanket tightly.
Victor reached out and pulled his blanket.
Liam cried, thinking to himself, 'The big bad guy is going to kill me and silence me!'
The little guy held onto his blanket tightly and refused to let go, but he was no match for Victor. In an instant, his blanket was pulled away and he rolled two rounds with the blanket, almost falling off the bed.