Chapter 216
It took a good while before Kingsley finally replied: [Wait until I finish the work at hand p>
Peter quickly struck while the iron was hot: [You better hurry up! Lucy is already on break, and I have reliable intel that she’s planning a vacation p>
Kingsley didn’t reply to this message he already knew about it. He was even more aware that the eyesore, Jules, would be tagging along.
When Peter didn’t get a response, he couldn’t help but ask one more thing: [Kingsley, once you’re done, rush over there. Maybe you’ll make some progress.] Four days later, on a tropical island in the Dominican Republic, the sun was blazing. Lucy and the nanny lay on lounge chairs under a parasol, chatting idly. Not far away on the beach, Jules was playing in the sand with Seven.
Seven, wearing tiny swim trunks, sat squarely on the sand. Clutching a plastic shovel in his small hand, he dug vigorously-right onto Jules’s leg.
“Jules, your leg is almost covered by the sand!” the little boy shouted, looking up with eyes full of laughter.
Jules lay back with his hands behind his head, relaxed. He smiled and replied, “It’s okay. Cover my other leg too p>
“Okay!” Seven agreed crisply, then added, “But you’ll get so dirty this way p>
“I’m not afraid of getting dirty,” Jules said, his eyes filled with mirth and his tone gentle. “We can wash it off in the sea later p>
Seven nodded vigorously, waving his shovel even more happily. “Then I want to go wash too p>
The climate in the Dominican Republic was at its most pleasant, and the beach was bustling with vacationers.
Jules had already gotten up from the beach chair and was taking Seven to play in the shallow water.
The little guy sat in a colorful swim ring, paddling the water surface lightly with his chubby little hands, splashing tiny droplets everywhere.
Kingsley’s gaze locked onto Jules immediately—the man’s floral shirt and beach shorts were truly an eyesore.
But when his disdainful gaze swept to the little boy beside Jules, his mind went blank, thunderstruck.
Beside him, Xavier noticed too. He blinked uncertainly at first, then lowered his voice in excitement. Mr. Sherwood. That child that child looks exactly like you p>
Kingsley didn’t respond. His eyes were glued to Seven.
At that moment, the little boy raised
his arms, asking Jules for a hug.
Jules bent down and scooped him
into his arms Ther
second
Seven pressed his small face
.n
against Jules’s cheek and planted a kiss.
The child beamed, his eyes crinkling with pure joy.
A storm of emotions raged in Kingsley’s chest, tearing his composure to shreds in an instant.
The child… wasn’t he aborted long ago? Then what was this little creature acting so spoiled in Jules’s arms?
His expression shifted from initial shock to hurt, then sparked with a trace of incredulous joy, only to be quickly wrapped in layers of anger and heartache.
How much had he missed? Just seeing how intimate the child was with Jules told him they had long established a deep bond.
His feet felt like they were filled with lead; he couldn’t move a single step.
Kingsley’s lips moved slightly, but his throat felt blocked, and not a single word came out.
A gnawing, consuming ache settled in his chest, so heavy and suffocating it felt like drowning.