Chapter 45

Damon left his mother in a hurry without answering her unspoken question. But he knew his mother would put two and two together and come up with her conclusion.

That should keep his mother preoccupied while he executes the rest of his plans for tonight. But he would need his wife and his son to do that.

"Where did you find him?" He asked as he followed James along the hallway. For now, his priority was to see his son and ensure his safety. "Is he okay?"

Suddenly, he could not help but feel a bit worried about the boy as he quickened his pace. He could not deny that he liked the boy. 

Oliver reminded him so much of him when he was young. Although he had never thought of becoming a father, he was starting to like it.

"The staff found him in the kitchen, eating ice cream," James told him as they continued their path toward one of the busiest rooms in the mansion.

He could not help the feeling of relief that washed over him. Maybe that was how his father felt when he and Dale bumped into trouble. 

"It seems he had wandered to the kitchen while searching for his mother," James explained further as they finally walked to the bustling room.

On the long counter, he found his son scooping a large portion of the delicious treat, enjoying himself, probably unaware that people were already searching for his whereabouts.

"Hey, Oliver. I thought I told you to wait in your room." He sat beside his young boy.

He could not help but smile at the little boy beside him as he tried to look guilty. But, of course, he could see through his act. 

"Nelly took too long to come back, so I tried to look for her and Mom, but I could not find them, and I ended up here." Oliver shrugged his shoulder to make his point before putting his hands down on his lap.

"That is fine. I am just glad that you are okay." David tapped the boy on the head, slightly messing up his hair.

He meant every word as he looked into a similar pair of eyes. He could not help but wonder if he died even before he had the chance to know he had a son.

It was a thought that he had no answer. But it somehow brought a chill in his heart. But he was grateful he was just in time to save his son.

"Can I finish my ice cream before we go?" The boy asked. 

"Sure, but hurry up. We don't want your Mom to start looking for you." Then, Damon fixed the napkin on his son's chest to prevent the ice cream from ruining his beautiful suit.

Without a doubt, his son took many of his features, looking dashing in his tailor-made suit. He could already foresee that girls would be lining up for his attention.

When he nodded, Oliver smiled before returning to the bowl, digging another spoonful of the creamy sweet. 

"You want some. Taste it. It is delicious." The little boy offered to him as he shoved the spoon near his mouth, leaving him no choice but to open his mouth and have a taste.

"Yeah, it is. How did you know that this is my favorite." Damon said after letting the cold cream melt in his mouth. "I think this is the best flavor there is."

"It is. Mine too." The boy responded cheerfully, seemingly sharing the same opinion as him.

After a few more scoops and a few last licks, the boy finally let go of his spoon, removing the napkin stuck on his neckline.

"I like riding in your car, too," Oliver said out of the blue as he jumped out of the stool and waved at him. "Let's go. I don't want Mom to look for us."

The boy beckoned him to follow, seemingly impatient for them to find his mother. He believed his son took that trait from his mother.

Truthfully, he was looking forward to getting to know his son more. What else would he discover about this young boy? What were their other similarities?

What were his talents, hobbies, and interests?

"Why? What will your Mom do?" Suddenly, his interest shifted to the woman who gave this boy life. How did she raise his son? What kind of a mother was she?

"Well..." The boy stopped as if thinking before turning to look at him. "You don't want to see when she is mad." His son said, looking serious about it.

Now, that had piqued his curiosity even more. Was Jules strict? Did she discipline their son with an iron hand? But so far, he had not seen any sign of abuse in the kid.

Nevertheless, he believed it was still too early to tell. He barely knew the woman he married and his son. But he would ensure to find out everything about their past, up to the last detail.

"Oh! Why is that?" But before he could ask him more about it. He had to stop on his track.

"Oops! My shoelace is loose." His son bent down, kneeling on the floor as he fixed the lace on his shoe.

Simultaneously, he seemed to stumble into an unexpected scene that had caught his attention.

"I'll just check on something, Oliver. Follow me when you finish tying your shoes." He told his son, leaving him to walk further to the source of the commotion.

"Jules, do you have time to talk?" He heard a familiar voice with a demanding tone. "I believe I deserve an explanation." 

He could tell it was supposed to be a private conversation, but as much as he did not want to interfere. He could not help himself as he turned the corner and confronted them.

"I don't think this is the time and place for your reunion, Dale." His eyes focused directly on his wife, but his words went straight to his brother.

He could tell his wife was shocked to see him, but his brother seemed unfazed. On the other hand, Dale seemed to be fuming when his brother saw him.

"Jules, we have been looking for you." But he had no plan of fueling the fire by giving him attention as he diverted his attention to his wife.

"Mom, there you are." It was like clockwork. His son suddenly appeared to extinguish the brewing fire. Oliver ran toward his mother, hugging her by the waist.

"Mom?" His brother looked like someone poured a bucket of ice over his head. His eyes narrowed in confusion, but it did diffuse the anger.

On the other hand, he did not like that his wife and brother were secretly meeting and talking. It did not feel right. He did not like it.

"Dale." He called his brother's attention as he moved closer to his wife, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "I believe it is about time you meet our son."

He could feel the tension in the room. He could sense how the woman beside him cowered in her spot. He noticed how his brother seemed to break down before him. But he did not care. 

The sooner his brother realized the reality of their situation, the better it was for all of them. Besides, he could not help but stake a claim on her, somewhat marking his territory.