Chapter 368

Chapter 368:

“Sir, could you be my dad?” the boy asked, his eyes wide and filled with an aching desire for family. “I promise I’ll be good. I won’t cause trouble.”

“Freddy, come here now.” The staff member took the boy’s hand. “This gentleman isn’t here to adopt anyone. He’s here to speak with the director.”

Freddy’s eyes welled up with tears, but he gripped Aiden’s hand tightly, refusing to let go. The yearning for family and love pulsed through him. “You look too young to have children, sir. Please, take me with you.”

For a moment, Aiden was caught off guard, his mind drifting to a memory of a younger Janice, whose face seemed to blend with Freddy’s.

He wondered if she, too, had looked at adults with such a sad, pleading expression, just like this boy.

“Freddy, come over here!” The staff member gave Aiden a look of regret, silently apologizing for the situation.

She couldn’t fault Freddy. After all, she had been with these kids since they were small, watching them grow and understanding the emotional pull they felt.

These kids often saw their friends taken by adults to start new lives with families.

In that kind of situation, their desire for family became really strong. That was probably why Freddy went up to Aiden and asked him to take him away.

“No, I want to stay with him,” Freddy insisted.

In his desperate pull, he accidentally snapped the bracelet on Aiden’s wrist.

The beads flew in all directions, scattering across the floor. Freddy froze, panic washing over him as he realized what had happened, unsure of what to do next.

Aiden’s heart tightened as he watched the bracelet break. A sharp pain hit his chest, reminding him of the moment Janice left.

This was the sting of losing something precious.

“I’m so sorry, sir! I didn’t mean to do that.” Freddy quickly apologized. He crouched down, trying to gather the beads.

The tiny beads had scattered so widely it felt impossible to collect them all, no matter how hard he tried.

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“It’s okay,” Aiden replied, letting out a soft sigh. He reached out to ruffle Freddy’s hair, giving him a comforting smile. “I understand what you’re feeling. But I’m not here to adopt. You’re a wonderful kid, and I’m sure someone will take you home soon.”

“You’re not angry with me?” Freddy asked in a small voice, looking up at Aiden with uncertainty.

Aiden shook his head and then turned to the staff member. “Please take care of him. I’ll go find Glenn now.”

“I truly apologize, sir,” the staff member said, her voice filled with regret. “How much did your bracelet cost? I’ll make sure to pay you back.”

“There’s no need,” Aiden replied, his gaze drifting back to the beads scattered across the floor. “Maybe this is life’s way of reminding me that some things, once lost, can never be brought back.”

Braylen stared at Aiden, taken aback by his response. The man standing before him felt unfamiliar, almost as if he were someone entirely new.

Braylen had never seen Aiden display such gentleness toward a boy before. That bracelet had been a part of him for years, something he fidgeted with whenever he was troubled. It had become second nature to him.

But now, Aiden was letting it go, as if it held no meaning at all.

Could it be that Janice leaving him had affected him so deeply that it completely changed who he was?

A short while later, Aiden reached the director’s office. He told Braylen to stand guard outside and entered alone.

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