Chapter 280
Kingsley exhaled heavily, his tone thick with impatience. “Let her be. Someone else will take care of her.”
Shane hesitated for a moment. “Ms. Talmadge is no match for Mrs. Neville.”
“If someone is hell-bent on jumping into a fire, do you think you can stop them?” Kingsley fired back.
Shane fell silent for a few seconds before answering, “Understood, Mr. Sherwood.”
The next morning, Kingsley wrapped up a meeting, swung by his office to grab his coat, and marched straight out the door.
Xavier trailed closely behind him, knowing exactly what was happening. It was time to pick up Seven.
Kingsley shot him a sideways glance, his tone laced with a faint, playful edge. “The little guy is fiercely protective of Jules. He even warned me not to mess with him. I wonder when he’ll start defending me like that.”
Xavier fought back a smile, offering a gentle comfort. “It will happen naturally as you spend more time together. Kids are incredibly innocent. Their love is the most genuine thing there is.”
Kingsley recalled that sweet, piping little voice from the night before, and his lips curved upward once more. “Lucy raised him well,” he said genuinely.
“Absolutely,” Xavier chimed in immediately.
“Miss Lynwood never badmouthed anyone in front of the kid, which is why Seven has managed to stay so pure and sweet.”
Kingsley’s gaze suddenly snapped toward Xavier, his tone laced with probing curiosity. “You seem to know her better than I do. Did you two know each other before?”
“You must be joking, Mr. Sherwood,” Xavier replied. His expression remained calm, but a note of caution bled into his voice.
“I don’t know Miss Lynwood at all. I only met her after I became your executive assistant.”
Despite his smooth delivery, a quiet ripple of unease washed over his heart.
Kingsley didn’t press the issue any further. He just turned and kept walking.
The car pulled up outside Seven’s extracurricular center. The nanny was waiting just outside the classroom. When she saw Kingsley approaching, she immediately stood up to greet him.
“Mr. Sherwood, are you here to pick up Seven?”
“Yes, I’m waiting for him to finish up so I can take him out for lunch.”
Kingsley offered a rare, detailed explanation before adding,
“I’ll give Lucy a call to let her know.”
As he spoke, he pulled out his phone and stepped to the side. The call actually connected smoothly, which caught him slightly off guard. He half expected to be blocked again.
Lucy had just walked a client out. She glanced at the caller ID, her brows knitting together as she answered.
Kingsley’s voice immediately floated through the receiver. “I’d like to take Seven out for a meal. Is that okay?”
“If I said no, would you actually listen?” Lucy snapped back, her tone thick with annoyance.
Kingsley’s voice remained soft and steady. “It’s right around lunchtime. As soon as we’re done eating, I’ll take him straight home.”
“What is even the point of this phone call?” Lucy demanded, hanging up before he could respond.
Listening to the busy signal buzzing in his ear, Kingsley muttered under his breath, “If I listened to everything you said, he probably wouldnt even be calling me Uncle right now.
Right on cue, the door to Seven’s classroom swung open. The classroom door swung open, and the kids came streaming out in a chaotic, excited blur.
Seven spotted his nanny by the door instantly. A bright smile broke across his little face, and he obediently handed over his tiny backpack.
He turned his head and caught sight of Kingsley walking toward them. His eyes lit
up, and he called out in a crisp, happy voice, “Uncle Kingsley!”
Kingsley naturally dropped to a crouch, bringing himself eye-levet with the boy. “hele is going to take you to get some really good food, and then I’ll take you straight home, okay?”
Seven tilted his little head and
looked at him with utmost seriousness. “But we have to tell Mom first. can’t just go off with other people or eat with them. Mom would be so worried.”