"If there’s anything, say it slowly." Vincent rarely saw Caden so agitated and out of control, so he became serious, crouching down to look at Caden eye-to-eye, but kept holding the phone with his other hand.
Caden couldn’t quite explain why he felt so anxious, but he just sensed that something was off.
If something seems off, tell an adult.
That’s what the teacher taught them.
Caden said earnestly, "Dad, the sweet treats Aunt Cindy brought today were actually sent by Aunt Tawny to the company for Mom. She was supposed to bring them for us to eat together..."
He didn’t even notice that he had effortlessly called her ’Mom.’
However, Vincent’s reaction after hearing him was unexpectedly calm.
He raised an eyebrow, although he didn’t speak immediately, his expression clearly suggested "That’s it?"
"I understand," Vincent countered, "You were so anxious just to tell me about this?"
Caden was a bit bewildered, "Dad..."
Vincent said lightly, "Your Aunt Cindy just mentioned it on the phone."
Only then did Caden notice that Vincent’s phone was still on a call with Cindy Lynn.
"Caden, I’m sorry." Cindy’s voice came through the phone, evidently having heard Caden’s words, her tone was consistently gentle, exuding some helplessness, "I didn’t make it clear earlier, the sweet treats were from the fridge. I thought they were from home, assuming Vincent had sent them, so I brought them along..."
Caden clenched his little fists, suddenly raising his voice to correct her, "Not home, my home!"
Aunt Cindy always seemed to say things that could easily be misunderstood...
"Caden!" Vincent reprimanded sternly, "What’s with that attitude?"
On the other end of the phone, Cindy quickly comforted, "It’s okay, Vincent, Caden has always been meticulous, it’s me who wasn’t clear."
"..." Caden pressed his little lips tightly.
He couldn’t explain why he suddenly got angry.
"Caden, apologize to Aunt Cindy." Vincent said softly, his voice not loud, but commanding.
"...I’m sorry, Aunt Cindy." Caden apologized in a low voice.
"It’s okay, sweetheart, how could Aunt Cindy be mad at you?"
Lin Cindy’s voice was very gentle.
The word ’sweetheart’ sounded nice, but Caden inexplicably thought of Tanya Sinclair calling him ’sweetheart.’
Caden hung his head, sulkily turned, and walked away.
Vincent watched his son’s figure, frowning slightly. He straightened up, didn’t enter the living room, but returned to the terrace, took a cigarette from his pocket, and bit it at the corner of his mouth.
"Is Caden mad at me?" Cindy’s somewhat guilty voice slowly came through.
Vincent tilted his head slightly, the phone pinned to his neck side, freeing his hand to light the cigarette.
"Don’t mind him." Vincent’s tone was indifferent.
He thought it was something important; it was just Cindy delivering the sweet treats Tanya Sinclair had brought. In the end, the kids ate them anyway, so who brought them didn’t really matter, did it?
Vincent recalled his own trip to the research department, ending up in vain, his eyes turning cold.
Moreover, who knows if Tanya Sinclair deliberately left the treats outside for show, unwilling to come in and see him?
Vincent took a deep drag from the cigarette, his handsome face shadowed as if it could drip water.
He never realized before, give Tanya Sinclair an inch and she takes a mile!
"Vincent, sending out the notice today to let me use the equipment first probably made Ms. Tanya unhappy. I won’t go to Westgard Pharmaceuticals on Saturday. I’ll let Ms. Tanya take the proposal I’ve prepared. It shouldn’t matter to write her name instead." Cindy said considerately, "As long as the company benefits in the end, and I can help you, it’s alright."
Cindy’s refusal to compete, her continuous patience and concession, only made Tanya Sinclair’s recent actions seem increasingly unreasonable!
Vincent squeezed out the mostly smoked cigarette on a ring of stones beneath the potted plant.
"Why let her do anything? Since it’s your effort, you should take what’s due to you." Vincent looked at the boundless night, speaking slowly, "As for Tanya Sinclair’s side, don’t worry..."
Tanya Sinclair was deep in her work, when suddenly she heard a knocking.
Three quick knocks, followed by a two-second wait, and when no door opening was heard, another three knocks.
Such an adorable way of knocking made Tanya Sinclair smile.
She got up to open the door.
Sure enough, standing in the doorway was Caden, holding a thick programming book. Tanya took a glance at the cover; it was at least a master’s level professional book.
Caden a bit awkwardly scratched his head.
"There’s something I don’t understand, can I ask you?"
Tanya smiled, "Of course, sweetheart, Mom always has time for you."
Curiously, when she called him sweetheart, it felt very comforting to him.
Tanya let Caden in, he sat on the small sofa, and she sat beside him, patiently explaining the parts he didn’t understand, occasionally writing down clear thoughts on paper.
She knew Caden was smart enough to grasp much through self-learning, so she wasn’t teaching him the final result, but the underlying logic, Caden was quick to grasp and soon able to draw inferences from it.
"Amazing, my sweetheart." Tanya couldn’t help kissing his forehead, "Mom is proud of you."
Caden froze for a moment, unlike Joy, he didn’t like physical contact. Usually, when Dad praised him, it just involved a pat on the head.
Tanya suddenly kissed him, making Caden’s ears warm, he uneasily twisted to the side, but not too far.
"Don’t kiss me suddenly..." Caden said, then felt he was being too cold, added, "Dad never does that."
Tanya found him adorable, her heart softening.
"Alright, next time when Mom wants to kiss you, I’ll let you know first."
That logic didn’t seem right.
Caden wanted to refuse, but looking at Tanya smiling like a flower...
Since she returned home, it was like she’d never smiled so happily...
Caden pressed his lips, couldn’t bring himself to say words of refusal.
Never mind, let her be.
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Caden hesitated, then quietly asked, "Tonight, are you still going to sleep in the study?"
These past days, he’d seen Dad come out alone from the bedroom every morning.
Tanya’s smiling lips stalled momentarily, then returned to normal.
"Yes, Mom has an important project, but it’ll be done by Saturday."
Caden looked up at her, his eyes bright, "After it’s done on Saturday, will you sleep in the bedroom with Dad?"
"..." Tanya didn’t know how to answer.
After Saturday, she wouldn’t stay in this home...
With one thing following another upon waking, she hadn’t had time to calmly consider how to explain to the kids her divorce with Vincent...
Even though the divorce is an adult matter, the two kids are indeed her and Vincent’s flesh and blood.
Tanya thought carefully, just as she was about to speak, Caden keenly noticed the suitcase behind the bookshelf.
He ran over, reaching out to feel it.
This suitcase he’d seen in the storeroom before, his Dad said it belonged to Mom, at that time it was covered in dust, but now it’s spotless!
Caden suddenly had a bad premonition.
He slowly turned around, looking with a complex gaze at Tanya who had already stood up from the sofa.
Caden pressed his lips, quietly asked: "...Are you leaving? You don’t want Dad anymore, is that it?"