Chapter 76 I Want To Celebrate My Son's Birthday

Chapter 76 I Want To Celebrate My Son's Birthday
“Unbelievable, Maisie! It’s like half a store got moved into your house.” Bonnie exclaimed, her eyes shining as she shook Ariana’s shoulders.
“What's he doing in my house again,” Ariana muttered under her breath.
Her steps stopped right at the threshold of her bedroom. Beside her, Bonnie’s eyes widened in shock. The small living room was now filled with expensive toys that gleamed under the light.
In one corner, four tall birthday cakes stood neatly arranged on a table, each topped with candles shaped like the numbers one through four.
“Is today Lucas’s birthday?” Bonnie whispered.
Ariana’s gaze hardened at the row of cakes. “No. He doesn’t even know Lucas’s birth date,” she replied.
“Then why is he suddenly doing all this?”
Lorne’s voice broke Ariana’s focus as he reported to Christian. “I’m very sorry, sir. None of the children in this village, or the residents are willing to come despite our invitation.”
“All right, it’s fine. It seems they’re still very wary of me.”
“Lucas, what are you doing over there?” Ariana called. Her son was sitting on the floor, chattering excitedly, a stark contrast to how he usually behaved around strangers.
Christian and Ariana were not standing far apart. When Lucas heard her voice, he turned. “I finally have this toy car, Mom!”
“This is amazing, Lucas won’t need to go to the toy store anymore,” Toby chimed in. He was there as well, busy unpacking a large box filled with robot toys.
“You’re awake?” Christian curved his lips into a faint smile. As he stepped closer, Ariana instinctively stepped back. “You’re being too cold.” He stopped, his expression turning wounded and did not force himself to close the distance any further.
“This isn’t Lucas’s birthday. What exactly is your intention, Mr. Matheus?” Ariana’s voice hardened, each word pressed with demand.
“That’s true. But today is the day you’re leaving.” Christian lifted his wristwatch in front of his eyes. “I just wanted to celebrate our son’s missed birthday.”
Ariana did not smile. “Stop saying that. He's not your son. He's my son,” she said, her voice low and icy.
“How long are you going to keep hating me like this?”
“Take back all your expensive things. We don’t need them.” Ariana walked past Christian without even glancing at him. She scooped Lucas into her arms, then took a toy from his small hands and handed it to Lorne.
“It’s been a while, Lorne. Please don’t waste your money on strangers like us,” Ariana said, her voice rougher now.
Lorne adjusted his glasses and looked at Ariana’s short hair. “Ariana, I mean, ma’am. You don’t need to feel burdened. Mr. Christian personally chose all these toys for Young Master Lucas.”
Lucas looked up at his mother, his innocent eyes glistening. “Mom, isn’t it wrong to refuse something that’s given sincerely?”
Ariana froze. She forced a small smile for her son. “Of course, sweetheart. But that only applies to people we know. Not strangers like that gentleman.” Her gaze stabbed back at Christian, who was still standing there motionless.
“You really are something, Ariana,” Christian muttered. His tone dropped, edged with danger.
“I’m sorry if my honesty hurts you,” Ariana replied sarcastically. “This house is already full of things from David. Including the toys my husband bought for our son.” She then lowered her head slightly, offering a polite gesture filled with insult. “Please take your things back.”
The patience Christian had maintained since waking up on the cold floor that morning shattered instantly. Jealousy burned in his chest at hearing David referred to as husband and father. His jaw tightened, the veins in his neck standing out.
“You’re really rejecting everything I’ve given?” Christian asked, his sharp gaze seeming to pierce through Ariana.
“Yes. We don’t need it.”
Christian fell silent for a moment, then turned to Lorne without expression. “Order them to throw all of this into the trash right now.”
Ariana’s eyes widened. She looked up again. “Have you lost your mind? Those things are very expensive! You could give them to other children.”
Christian crossed his arms arrogantly. “No one is allowed to have those things except Lucas. If he won’t accept them, then no one else is allowed to touch them.” He gave another command. “Throw everything away. Leave nothing.”
“Yes, sir.”
Suddenly, the sound of soft sobbing filled the air. Lucas rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, pulling Ariana’s focus toward him. Panic began to creep into her expression.
“Are you hurt? Why are you crying?” Ariana asked gently, wiping her son’s cheeks.
“No. I’m just sad to see them being thrown away,” Lucas answered hoarsely. “I won’t talk anymore if it makes you sad, Mom.”
Ariana’s chest tightened at his words. Especially when several large men began entering her home, ready to carry the boxes of toys out into the snow.
Ariana clenched her teeth. She stared at Christian’s arrogant face, which showed not a trace of regret.
“Stop!” Ariana shouted.
All movement in the room froze instantly. Christian’s men stood still, exchanging confused glances.
Ariana steadied her ragged breathing before speaking again, then turned to Christian. “Don’t throw them away. I’ll accept them.”
Christian broke into a wide smile. He gestured for his men to step back. “Finally, you’ve made a wise decision, Ariana,” Christian said with satisfaction. Without warning, he stepped forward and took Lucas from Ariana’s arms.
She froze, unable to react as she saw the joyful expression on Lucas’s face while being held by his biological father.
“Do you want to play with me?” Christian asked Lucas, carrying him toward the pile of toys. Toby followed behind, holding onto the edge of Christian’s coat.
“What a despicable man,” Ariana muttered.

“You made the wrong move. That was reckless, Mac. This is going to become a serious problem.”
At Sterling & Strathmore, the atmosphere was tense.
Cedric’s wife sat in her wheelchair, holding the cooperation contract documents with Crownbridge Group.
“That’s impossible. I’ve thought it through carefully,” Cedric replied, his voice filled with pride. “This move cannot fail.”
“This asset penalty clause trap is what you call a wise decision?” she pressed, her voice rising. “Explain the benefit for our company.”
Cedric racked his brain, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation. “It’s just a formality. The point is, he won’t notice it.”
“This is too risky.” His wife slammed the documents onto the table. “Do you really think you can touch Crownbridge Group with such cheap deceit?”
“Of course. You don’t need to worry so much. My son and I aren't directly targeting a major defeat for Christian Matheus. This will only cause them minor losses.”
“You’re completely wrong. Christian Matheus isn’t someone who would overlook even the smallest mistake.”
“You just recovered. Don’t jump straight into work,” Cedric whispered gently, stroking her hand. “I did all of this for the sake of our company’s progress.”
His wife still shook her head, her weak eyes sharp. “The Matheus family isn’t our opponent, Mac.”
Cedric smiled mysteriously. He stood up, then showed a tablet containing stolen confidential data from Christian’s project.
“Look this! The Matheus family will be destroyed soon. Why are you so afraid?”