Chapter 750

At eight o'clock that evening, Carl drove Stewart back to Pearbrook Mansion. Vernon was with him. Bringing the boy back was, of course, something Briony had agreed to. Until Xenia woke up, Stewart would be temporarily responsible for both Neonova Syndicate and Vernon.

Stewart hadn't told Vernon the whole truth, but he suspected the boy had already guessed most of it. When Stewart had picked him up from the Cooper estate, he'd noticed Vernon's eyes were red, as if he'd been crying in secret. Looking at the boy, Stewart couldn't help but see a reflection of his own childhood, and his heart went out to him. Xenia had always left Vernon in the care of nannies and a team of tutors, meaning the boy had rarely experienced the warmth of a real family.

Hearing the car pull up, Briony came out with her two children. The back door opened, and Stewart stepped out first, with Vernon following close behind.

Just as he found his footing, a bright, childish voice called out.

"Daddy~!"

Little Nina was the first to react, running toward Stewart with her arms outstretched. He bent down, scooped her up, and swung her through the air. She shrieked with laughter, a sound like tinkling bells that echoed in the yard.

Stewart held his daughter close. “Did you miss Daddy?"

"Yes~!" Little Nina wrapped her small arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek. Stewart's eyes crinkled with a smile, his heart full.

Vernon stood frozen in place, watching the scene with a touch of envy in his eyes. Briony approached, holding Mario's hand.

Seeing her, Vernon's hands clenched unconsciously at his sides. He remembered that Briony didn't like him...

"Vernon, welcome to our home," Briony said crouching down to his level. She gently ruffled his hair, a soft smile on her face, "I'm sorry. had a misunderstanding with mother before, and I took it out on you. Can you forgive me?"

Vernon stared at her, completely stunned. He looked utterly bewildered by her kindness. After a long moment, he blinked, then nodded, quickly shaking his head. "It's okay, ma'am. I wasn't mad at you."

Briony then turned to her son. “Mario, this is Vernon. Why don't you say hello?"

Mario extended his hand. “Hello, my name is Mario." It was a very cool, formal introduction.

Vernon looked at this little boy who bore a striking resemblance to Stewart and shook his offered hand. "Hello, I'm Vernon."

Though they were just children, their introductions had the strange air of a business meeting, making Stewart and Briony exchange amused glances.

Stewart set his daughter down. “Little Nina, say hello to Vernon."

Little Nina took a step forward and cleared her throat, as if preparing a grand introduction. But as she got closer, her dark eyes lit up, "Wow! Vernon you're so handsome Even more handsome than our little Mario!"

Mario looked personally offended.

Vernon, in turn, was captivated by Little Nina's adorable, doll-like face. She was the prettiest girl he had ever seen. The compliment, however, seemed to supercharge Little Nina's social butterfly instincts.

She took Vernon's hand, her words tumbling out in a rush. "Do you like living here? I hope you do! Mario has a lot of cool toys we can all play with! Do you want to see them?"