Chapter 359

Chapter 359
Mateo’s POV
This afternoon, Hattie and I strolled leisurely through the back garden, our affection for each other on full display. I could feel eyes watching us, and glancing up, I caught Milo, Stella, and Serena standing on the balcony. Those twins had always shown a strange fixation with me that I couldn't quite understand.
When dinner time arrived, I had barely taken my seat when I noticed Milo deliberately choosing the chair to my left. Stella approached cautiously, her delicate voice both gentle and determined as she asked, "May I sit on your right?" The elders who witnessed this merely teased about it being fate. Serena, naturally wanting to be near her children, sat beside Stella.
I noticed Milo seemed distracted as he picked at his food. Serena asked him with concern, "Doesn't it suit your taste?"
He shook his head in denial. "It's not that," he mumbled before quickly lowering his head and shoveling food into his mouth.
Seeing his demeanor, I felt compelled to look after the little guy. I picked up some dishes and placed them on his plate, attempting to lighten the mood with a small joke: "You need to eat more at your age, or you'll end up a short guy that no one wants."
His wounded expression made me instantly regret my bluntness. Stella also frowned slightly, seemingly displeased with my joke about her brother. The boy was actually tall for his age—just significantly shorter than me. I quickly tried to recover: "I'm just kidding. Eat up." Instinctively, I reached out and ruffled his hair as a friendly gesture.
To my surprise, Milo suddenly turned serious. "You can't touch me. You can't touch my head."
I furrowed my brow, confused by this change. Previously, he hadn't minded my closeness—he'd even seemed to enjoy it. Tonight he'd deliberately chosen to sit next to me at dinner, making his sudden shift in attitude perplexing.
I glanced at Serena, noticing how she pressed her lips together, seemingly preferring not to get involved in our interaction. Stella spoke softly to her brother, "Milo, don't be like that."
Given the situation, I decided to respect the boy's wishes. "Alright, I won't touch you," I said casually, trying to be accommodating while still praising him. "Little man."
What surprised me was Milo's next demand: "Just promising isn't enough, unless... I get to touch you back."
I saw Serena's brow furrow as she called out to him: "Milo." She seemed concerned that the child was being too extreme.
But I didn't mind these small matters—I actually found it amusing. "It's fine, you can touch me," I said, hunching down to make it easier for him to reach my head. I sincerely apologized: "It was wrong of me to touch your body without your permission."
I watched as Milo stared intensely at my head with a concentration that was almost comical. Stella secretly leaned forward, as if she were observing something important. I reassured Milo again: "It's okay."
He took a deep breath, then reached out his hand. When his fingers touched my hair, I felt him tug slightly—just enough to cause a twinge of pain. I winced, looking up at him to find his face flushed red. The next moment, he hurriedly stood up from his seat, announcing he was full.
Stella immediately followed suit: "I'll go back to keep Milo company," and trailed after her brother away from the table.
The twins' behavior was certainly strange, but children are often unpredictable, so I didn't dwell on it.
Hattie watched them leave, then leaned in to whisper, "Do you really like those twins?"
"What makes you say that?" I asked.
"You're so gentle with them," Hattie explained. "Especially with the little girl. The way she looks at you is so intense."
I teased her: "Am I not gentle with you?"
"That's different," she replied shyly. "I'm your girlfriend."
I chuckled. "They're kids." After a moment of reflection, I added, "That little girl, her eyes are just like mine, especially that gray color. I've rarely met anyone with the same eyes as mine since I was a child."
"Do you like children?" she continued.
"They're alright," I answered casually.
Hattie suddenly said with bashfulness: "If you like them, I could give you..."
Knowing where she was heading, I quickly interrupted: "Sweetheart, eat more. You need to be healthy first before thinking about having children."
She immediately blushed deeper.
I noticed Serena could probably hear our conversation, but she showed no discomfort, quietly eating her dinner and occasionally glancing in the direction the twins had gone, seemingly concerned about them.
After dinner, Patricia called me away to discuss some business matters, and I left the dining table.