Chapter 91: Late Regrets

"What have I done?" Emily whispered faintly after Louei's figure vanished from sight.

Her body slumped weakly to the floor. With hands shaking violently, she beat her own chest, trying to stifle the sudden tightness crushing her lungs.

"Stupid ... so stupid!" she cried out in a frustrated sob.

Meanwhile, Louei kept running through the darkness of the night. His sobs broke out, merging with the silence around him.

"Mommy’s mean ... Louei hates Mommy," he wailed piteously, his voice trembling as he ran.

Louei sat huddled in a deserted park, his face pale with fear of the darkening sky.

"Mommy, Louei’s scared," he whimpered softly, his voice nearly swallowed by the silence.

After sitting for several minutes, shivering in the bone chilling night air, the faint sound of hurried footsteps approached. Louei curled his body even smaller until a shadow stopped right in front of him.

"Hey, what are you doing here all alone?" Ethan asked. He immediately knelt down so he was eye-level with the small figure before him.

"Nice Uncle!" Louei exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise and relief.

Without hesitation, Louei threw himself into Ethan’s arms, pouring out all his fear and heartache to the man he considered his protector.

Ethan let out a long sigh, letting the boy soak his shirt with tears. His large, usually stiff hands moved slowly to rub Louei’s small back with a very gentle motion, as if afraid the fragile child would shatter if he pressed too hard.

Until now, Ethan had been known as a man with a heart as hard as stone. No business negotiation or threat could ever shake him. Yet, for some reason, this small, desperate hug managed to tear down his defenses. There was something about the way Louei’s body trembled that made his heart feel like it was being sliced by a blade.

"Shh, it’s okay ... Uncle is here," Ethan whispered, his heavy voice now softening, bringing a sense of calm that was foreign even to himself.

Louei was still sobbing, but the rubbing on his back slowly caused his racing breath to steady. Under the dim park lights, Ethan just remained silent, giving Louei the space to feel safe, even as a thousand questions began to surface in his mind about who Louei's mother really was.

"Why are you crying like this, hmm? Did someone hurt you?" Ethan asked softly, his eyes staring sharply into the darkness of the street, as if ready to face whoever had frightened the boy.

"Uncle?" Louei said between sobs, his voice still shaking uncontrollably.

"Tell me slowly," Ethan replied, gentle yet firm. He studied the small, tear stained face. "Who hurt you? Was that woman earlier really your mother?"

Louei shook his head slowly, causing Ethan’s brow to furrow deeply.

"So, she's not your mother?" Ethan asked to be sure, a hint of confusion and suspicion creeping into his mind.

Louei nodded slowly, a simple answer that instantly silenced Ethan. The man paused for a moment, trying to process the logic behind the confession of the little boy in his arms.

"You mean, that woman earlier ... she isn't your mother? Then, where is your biological mother?" Ethan asked, trying to coax more information out with a cautious tone.

Instead of answering, Louei buried his face deeper into Ethan’s chest. His voice sounded muffled and incredibly fragile as he whimpered, "Louei doesn't want to see Mama anymore. Mommy’s mean ... Louei hates Mommy. Papa doesn't love Louei either."

Ethan’s heart, which had already been aching, now felt as if it were being squeezed tight by the bitter reality the boy was facing. He began to understand the wound gaping in Louei’s heart. Ethan tightened his embrace, his jaw clenching in suppressed anger.

"Listen to me, Louei. Maybe your mother is just tired or had another reason for saying those things."

"No, Uncle!" Louei interrupted quickly. "Mommy forbade me from seeing Nice Uncle ever again."

Ethan’s breath hitched. He froze, then repeated the words in disbelief. "Your mother ... forbade you from ever seeing me again?"

An odd flash of emotion crossed Ethan’s eyes. Why was that woman so adamant about Louei not seeing him? It was as if his presence was a major threat, or perhaps there was a secret being intentionally hidden from him.

“That’s right, Nice Uncle.”

Ethan looked at Louei's face, which was still swollen from crying. "It’s late. I’ll take you home. Your mother must be very worried."

Hearing the word 'home,' Louei looked up with a look of pure terror. He gripped the collar of Ethan’s shirt tightly, shaking his head vigorously as tears began to fall again.

"No! Louei doesn't want to go home!" he cried out hysterically. "Mommy doesn't love Louei ... Louei wants to go with Nice Uncle. Please, Uncle ... don't throw Louei away."

Ethan was stunned. The honest plea from a small child who felt discarded hit his ego hard. He knew he should be rational and return the child to his mother, but seeing the small, trembling body, Ethan couldn't bring himself to do it. His heart of stone had truly melted.

"Alright," Ethan sighed finally, giving in to the situation. "You’re coming with me tonight. But only for tonight, understand?"

“I understand, Uncle!”

Ethan stood up while cradling Louei in his arms. He carried the boy toward his luxury black car parked not far from the park.

Throughout the journey, Louei didn't let go of his hug even for a second, until he finally fell fast asleep from the exhaustion of crying.

A short while later, the car pulled up in front of a grand mansion that felt cold and silent. Ethan got out carefully, trying not to wake his little guest.

"Welcome to my home, Louei," Ethan murmured softly as he stepped into the house that had previously been occupied only by silence.

The servants in the house were stunned to see their master who usually returned with a stiff face and an intimidating aura now carrying a small child with an incredibly soft expression.

"Prepare the guest room next to mine," Ethan ordered in a low voice. "And make sure it’s warm. He’s not feeling well."

On the other side of town, Emily was running through the streets, gasping for air. Her hair was a mess, and her face was wet with tears of regret. She had circled the area around the park countless times, screaming Louei’s name until her voice was hoarse, but only the silence of the night answered back.

"Louei! Honey, where are you?!" she screamed once more, her voice breaking in the darkness.

Emily collapsed on the side of the road, rubbing her cold fingers together. The thought of calling the police crossed her mind, but she immediately brushed it off. She was terrified. If she reported it, she would have to explain who she was, while everyone already thought she was dead.

"What should I do?" she said helplessly, cursing her own uncontrollable mouth.

Suddenly, she remembered something about her son's savior, the Nice Uncle.

“Ethan?” she whispered softly.