Chapter 203
Hotel, suite.
Joseph sat in the bathtub playing with bubble bath foam together with Samuel.
"Daddy, your face looks a bit dark," Samuel asked softly.
Michael stood by the bathtub, looking helplessly at the two little guys.
Nora had gone back to the Thomas family and wouldn't let him follow.
He was assigned to watch the kids at the hotel.
Samuel was fine, he didn't mind him, but Joseph seemed to have a bit of a cold, with snot bubbles that never stopped.
For the germaphobic Mr. Smith, this was pure torture.
"Samuel, Joseph, you're not two or three-year-old babies anymore. You need to learn to bathe yourselves, right?" Michael asked.
Samuel nodded.
Joseph looked at his fingers and counted, "Uncle Michael, I'm five years old, not a two or three-year-old baby anymore."
"Good, then wash yourselves clean, and I'll check later."
"Okay." Joseph nodded foolishly, looking quite happy.
The hotel doorbell rang.
Michael thought Nora had returned and, as if granted amnesty, quickly ran over.
But outside the door wasn't Nora, but Veda.
"Michael." Veda looked somewhat nervous, "Sorry for disturbing you so late."
"How did you find this place?" Michael frowned.
He had the hotel keep everything confidential, and this hotel didn't belong to the Smith Group either, but was under Unity Realty.
With Veda's abilities, she shouldn't have been able to find her way here.
"Joseph's phone watch has GPS, so..." Veda said softly. Seeing Michael's expression darken, she quickly spoke again, "I absolutely didn't tell my mom or dad."
"What do you want? Or are you here to pick up the kid?" Michael didn't want to talk much with Veda.
"No, I'm actually surprised you're willing to look after the kid for me." Veda said softly.
She had thought Michael looked down on Joseph.
"I'm surprised too, because it was an accident." Michael said with a dark expression.
He only wanted to look after Samuel, not an extra burden.
"Michael, listen to me, apologize to Dad, give in a little, okay?" Veda nervously clasped her hands.
She was in a difficult position now, caught between her own mother and brother on one side, and Michael on the other.
"I'm in the wrong?" Michael frowned.
"No." Veda took a deep breath and looked around, "Michael, Dad was very angry tonight and brought Ralph Cook to the house to discuss things..."
Veda was basically here to tip him off, "You know, Ralph was Grandpa's personal lawyer when he was alive, specifically handling shares and wills."
Michael had already guessed that Nolan was about to make his move.
"If Dad uses legal means to take back the shares, you'll be in a very passive position at the company." Veda was somewhat worried about Michael, "Also, I advise you not to get too close to Nora. You should fire her."
Michael looked at Veda with a dark expression.
"I don't know what my mom is plotting either. Someone like Nora, covered in scandals, will only make your situation more passive. Helping her does you no good." Veda really couldn't understand.
"The Clark family met with Dad again tonight, and now they're not even avoiding reporters anymore. They talked about your engagement with Aria right in front of reporters." Veda also knew that Nolan was forcing Michael to obediently comply.
If he obediently agreed to the marriage alliance with the Clark family, Nolan wouldn't make a move.
But if Michael refused, Nolan would definitely take away the shares that belonged to Michael.
"Do your parents know you came to tell me all this?" Michael said in a low voice.
Veda quickly shook her head, "Michael, don't say that, he's our dad."
Veda was in such a difficult position. She really hoped the family could be harmonious.
But now everyone in the family was like arrows drawn tight on a bowstring, ready to go off at any moment.
"Michael, I really don't want our family to become enemies." Veda's voice choked up a bit.
Michael frowned and after a long silence said, "We can never become a real family in the true sense. Don't be so naive."
Luna was a mistress, and the person who killed his mother. Family?
What a joke.
Veda's eyes reddened, knowing Michael had always been sensitive about her mother being a mistress who rose to power, "Sorry."
"Are you taking Joseph back?" Michael's tone wasn't as cold anymore.
Veda thought about it, "I've troubled you. I'll take him back."
Michael said nothing.
Bathroom.
Samuel and Joseph, each wrapped in bath towels, walked out barefoot, bouncing on the carpet.
"Uncle Michael, I washed myself in the bath!" Joseph shouted happily.
Veda looked at Joseph in surprise. Was this the same Joseph who couldn't take care of himself at home, who still wet the bed at five years old?
She almost didn't recognize her own son.
After just a few days with Michael and Jasper, Joseph had learned to bathe himself.
"Mommy." Joseph saw Veda and instantly quieted down, calling out to his mother with a wronged voice.
"Joseph, your mommy is here to pick you up." Samuel said softly to comfort him.
Joseph looked at Samuel, then at Veda, "Samuel, will you always play with me?"
Samuel nodded, "Yes."
Veda stood at the door, somewhat ashamed as she looked away.
She didn't like Samuel, and personal grudges were indeed mixed in.
Before, she had always suspected Samuel was Mason and Nora's illegitimate child, but seeing how smart Samuel was, he couldn't possibly be that bastard Mason's kid.
"Joseph, time to go home." Veda waved to Joseph.
Joseph didn't want to leave, but he did miss his mommy, "Mommy, will you still yell at me when you're drunk?"
Veda was stumped by the question.
"Children aren't meant to be blamed and cursed at. If you choose to give birth to him, you need to be responsible for him." Michael reminded Veda in a low voice.
Veda nodded, "I will."
Holding Joseph's hand, Veda wanted to leave with her head down.
"About things at home..." Michael walked them to the door, "Don't get involved, don't participate. No matter what happens, just pretend you don't know."
Veda froze for a moment and looked up at Michael.
In that instant, she felt Michael was no longer so distant and cold, but rather gave her the feeling of having a big brother.
Actually, since childhood, both Veda and James had been afraid of Michael.
Veda both respected and feared Michael.
Moreover, this brother was too distant.
And too cold.
"There's one more thing." Veda suddenly remembered, "Michael, Dad had James contact Nora's birth mother today, the nanny from that switched-at-birth case back then. He might make a move against Nora."
Michael's expression darkened. He turned back into the room, put on his coat, picked up Samuel who was still trying hard to dry his hair, changed his clothes, and left directly with him.
"Daddy, where are we going?" Samuel asked softly.
"To find your mommy."
Michael was worried about Nora.