Halfway through dinner, Sam suddenly remembered something. "Hey Mom, can you take me to the amusement park tomorrow?"
"Sam, tomorrow's a school day," Melinda replied, looking puzzled.
Lately, Melinda had been taking a lot of time off work, and rumors were spreading at the office.
"I can go after school, just like last time," Sam said, looking at her with hopeful eyes.
Melinda hesitated, feeling a bit conflicted. "How about we wait until the weekend, Sam?"
"But..." Sam's face fell, and he looked down, disappointed.
Seeing this, Raymond spoke up. "Hey Sam, how about I take you tomorrow?"
"Really?" Sam's eyes lit up as he looked up at Raymond.
"Sure thing," Raymond nodded with a smile.
"Awesome!" Sam jumped up excitedly. "Mom, you can go to work. I'll have fun with Mr. Thomas."
Melinda watched their interaction, a troubling thought creeping into her mind. Could this be... a trap set by Raymond?
Sam continued eating happily.
Luckily, Melinda had bought enough spaghetti today; otherwise, it wouldn't have been enough for the three of them.
After dinner, Raymond took Sam downstairs for a walk, leaving Melinda to clean up.
Once she finished the chores, Melinda sat on the couch, lost in thought. The warm scene made her feel a sense of family happiness.
But soon, an indescribable feeling surged within her. Emily's words echoed in her ears. She closed her eyes, trying to shake off the images in her mind.
Her body trembled involuntarily. The thought of intimacy made her feel sick to her stomach.
This was why she had never married—psychological aversion and physical trauma.
Just then, she heard the sound of the door unlocking.
Melinda took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
She looked at Sam running in, a gentle smile appearing on her face.
"Sam, you're back?" she asked softly, her eyes full of affection.
"Mom, look!" Sam proudly held up a bottle of her favorite drink. "I got this for you."
"You went out to buy something?" Melinda asked, surprised.
"I was thirsty, so Mr. Thomas took me to get some water. I remembered you like this drink, so I got one for you," Sam explained.
Melinda looked up at Raymond, grateful. "Thanks, Mr. Thomas."
"Mom, it's so hot. I want to take a bath," Sam mumbled.
"Okay, I'll run the bath for you. Go find your pajamas," Melinda said softly.
Sam hopped off to his room, and Melinda turned to Raymond. "Mr. Thomas, it's late. You should head home."
Raymond's gaze lingered on her face, a hint of charm in his eyes. "I want to stay a bit longer."
"Don't think you can take advantage of me," Melinda said warily. She wasn't going to fall for his tricks again.
Raymond smirked at her cautious expression.
He knew he shouldn't push her today. "Alright, I'll leave now."
With that, he turned and left.
Melinda sighed in relief and went to prepare Sam's bath.
Meanwhile, William, feeling down after being turned down by Melinda, was scrolling through his phone when he saw Melinda's latest post. He instinctively liked it.
Suddenly, something caught his eye. In the photo, Sam was swinging his legs, eating spaghetti, his delicate features already showing.
William was stunned, his eyes widening. What was going on? He saw Raymond's resemblance in Sam's face.
He quickly grabbed his phone, searching through his photos. He remembered having a childhood photo with Raymond saved.
After a while, he found it. Raymond had his arm around him, smiling brightly.
The resemblance between Raymond and Sam was undeniable.
William was shocked. How could Sam look so much like Raymond as a child? A complex mix of emotions, including jealousy, surged within him.
Was this a sign from above?
Regardless of Sam's connection to Raymond, William didn't care. He loved Melinda, and that was enough.
The next morning, William went to the lab to find Melinda.
But she wasn't in her office. Her assistant, Aurelia, approached him.
"Where's Melinda?" he asked urgently.
"Ms. Sharp went to Mr. Thomas's office."
Without a word, William rushed to the Thomas Group building.
He barged into the CEO's office without knocking. "Raymond, I'm here to see Melinda."
William didn't even acknowledge Raymond.
Raymond was furious and was about to speak.
"Melinda, you go ahead. I need to talk to Raymond," William said, signaling Melinda to leave.
Raymond looked puzzled.
Melinda hesitated but nodded, thinking it was normal for them to have a private conversation.
After she left, the atmosphere in the large office grew tense.
William turned sharply, his piercing eyes fixed on Raymond. "Are you serious about Melinda, or are you just playing around?"
Raymond's expression hardened. He had never seen William so serious.
Taking a deep breath, Raymond met his gaze. "I'm serious."
"Are you sure? It's not because of her father?" William asked, skeptical.
Raymond paused before speaking slowly. "William, I admit, I approached her initially because of her father. But over time, I've fallen in love with her. It has nothing to do with anyone else."
William scrutinized him, trying to gauge his sincerity.
"Can you accept Sam? Treat him as your own son?"
After a moment, Raymond nodded, still cautious.
"I will," Raymond replied firmly, his eyes showing determination.
William nodded again, but his gaze remained intense. "If you marry her and she doesn't want more children, will you agree?"
"I will," Raymond's voice was steady and resolute.
"Raymond, you know our relationship since childhood. I've never asked you for anything, but this time, I'm asking you to protect her, care for her, and love her for life. If you ever hurt her, I'll take her back."
William gave him a long, hard look before turning to the window, a bitter smile on his face.