Chapter 9
"Daddy." The boy's voice choked with emotion as his little legs ran as fast as they could, throwing himself straight into William's arms.
William reached out and caught his son securely, gently patting his back. "Good boy."
His deep voice took on a touch of tenderness, creating what appeared to be a heartwarming father-son scene.
In the shadows, they hadn't noticed that a pair of eyes secretly watched every moment.
The instant those eyes saw the boy's face clearly, they filled with shock.
William gently picked up the boy and held him in his arms.
"Why didn't you come back to see me?" Aiden Brown's voice carried a hint of sulkiness, his eyes showing stubborn determination.
William looked down with a slight smile.
Though he couldn't see Aiden's face clearly, he knew his son's personality well.
"Aiden, I'll come back to be with you in a while."
"It's a promise." Aiden was an extremely understanding child who knew William's position was unusual.
So after William made his promise, he couldn't wait to make up with him.
But this child's intuition was still quite sharp.
"Daddy, your eyes..."
He hesitated, but William casually patted his shoulder.
"This is only temporary. Everything will be fine."
"Okay."
Hearing this, Aiden didn't ask anything more, just sat quietly in his arms, his round eyes looking around the courtyard.
William held his small body, his thoughts drifting back to the past.
Back then, due to internal family turmoil and numerous matters, even though William wanted to search for Emily's whereabouts, he was held back.
This delay turned out badly - Emily disappeared without a trace, leaving him only with a baby who had stopped breathing.
The baby's features were seventy percent similar to his - anyone could tell this was his child.
That day, William had all the renowned pediatricians in Emerald City brought over. Working together, they saved him.
But Aiden was born weak, so after the family situation stabilized, William devoted enormous attention to him, wanting to take him everywhere.
So Aiden was extremely close to him.
Between father and son, there was no coldness or distance, only warm affection.
Once, his tattoos had scared Aiden into crying, so William had them removed.
"Daddy..."
His men had tactfully left, leaving only father and son talking quietly in the courtyard. Aiden wiped his tears from time to time, while William listened patiently, occasionally saying a few words with indulgent affection.
Oscar, hiding in the shadows, hadn't expected William to have such a tender side.
Aiden stayed in William's arms for a long time before reluctantly letting go.
William touched his head and said softly, "I still need to recover here. I'll come see you in a while."
Hearing this, Aiden nodded, his eyes inadvertently catching a glimmer of light from the shadows.
"Okay, Daddy. But I need to use the restroom now. Can you point me in the right direction?"
Aiden had already discovered that William couldn't see, but he didn't make a fuss, just calmly stated what he needed.
"Go to the right..."
With William's directions, Aiden found the restroom quickly and accurately.
Since his legs weren't working well, William just sat in the courtyard, quietly waiting for Aiden to come out.
"Who are you?"
In a place he couldn't see, two children asked in unison.
One had a cold expression, the other frowned.
But when they looked at each other, the curiosity in their eyes couldn't be stopped.
"I'm Oscar." He spoke tentatively, his eyes gleaming.
Aiden froze, his tone hesitant. "I'm Aiden. That man outside is my dad. But why do you look so much like me?"
Clearly, Oscar wasn't the only one who noticed the problem.
Aiden had also realized something unusual was going on.
After he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence.
Oscar leaned forward half a step, his gaze locked directly on Aiden's face, his frown deepening.
The earlier caution gave way to a composure beyond his years, making him look even more like William.
Oscar replied, "I don't know why we look exactly alike, but I've been with my mommy since I was little. I've never seen my dad."
Aiden's heart tightened, his small hands clenching unconsciously.
He had grown up in the Brown Mansion, with only William for company.
The word "mother" was just a vague symbol to him.
Hearing Oscar mention it now, intense longing surged in his eyes, and his voice softened. "What's your mommy like?"
Hearing this, Oscar's eyes flickered.
But their similar faces and slightly different experiences made him sense that this person might have an unusual connection to him.
Seeing the genuine hope in his eyes, Oscar's cold little face softened a bit, though his heart remained guarded. "My mommy is resting inside. Did your dad bring you here?"
He had already overheard the entire conversation between Aiden and William from the shadows, so this question was just a test.
"No, no, I came on my own." Aiden rubbed his hands together somewhat awkwardly, his face flushing slightly, embarrassed to admit he missed William.
Fortunately, this response was enough to make Oscar trust him a bit more.
"Do you have any other brothers or sisters?" After his shyness faded, Aiden's expression became serious, looking at Oscar with curiosity.
Both children were very smart - exceptionally intelligent, even.
Oscar had taught himself computer-related knowledge from a young age and had actually created some things.
As for Aiden, he received elite education in the Brown family and was no less capable.
"I have a sister named Nina," Oscar spoke frankly, looking up at Aiden.
"You look almost exactly like me. We must be real brothers. Something's not right here - we need to figure this out." He directly broke through this barrier, earning Aiden's trust and agreement.
Aiden's eyes lit up, not expecting Oscar's thoughts to match his own.
He quickly agreed, "I think so too. Something definitely got mixed up. I want to find my mommy. I've never had a mommy."
His tone carried unmistakable hurt.
All his life, he'd watched other kids have mothers who loved them, and he envied them.
Now that his mother might be right here, he didn't want to miss this chance for anything.