Love at First Sight? Mr. Harrison Has Been Scheming All Along-Chapter 221: "Daddy, wait...

The other parents nearby glanced over.

In most people’s eyes, it was only natural for a child to take their father’s surname.

Even an ordinary man would be unwilling to have his child take their mother’s surname.

They never would have imagined that someone of Sean Harrison’s status would be so progressive in his thinking.

However, a parent nearby still whispered, "But doesn’t everything online say Sean Harrison isn’t married?"

Rory Linden’s hand tightened around Leo Linden’s.

Her first instinct was to grab her son and get out of this hornet’s nest immediately.

But she knew, deep down, that she couldn’t leave yet.

If Sean Harrison’s official status remained "unmarried"...

Even if the other parents didn’t say anything now, once they thought it over, they would definitely start gossiping behind their backs.

Children overhear adults talking, and if some ugly words reached Leo Linden’s ears...

Even if Leo didn’t know the negative connotations of the word "illegitimate" before, the malice of other children would soon teach him.

Sean Harrison looked over calmly. "I don’t publicize my family life because I don’t want the people I love to be targeted by those with ill intentions. What happened today was my oversight. It won’t happen again."

It was an explanation everyone could accept.

Many wealthy people rarely disclose information about their spouses and children.

Ever since a famous kidnapping case decades ago, the media has always obscured the faces of celebrities’ children in photos.

The man’s single sentence made everything seem reasonable.

Upon hearing Sean Harrison’s words, one parent immediately said, "Don’t worry, none of us will say a word about this."

Sean Harrison said, "Thank you."

This was just an ordinary private kindergarten. The parents here would normally never have a chance to meet Sean Harrison.

Now that they had the chance, everyone naturally wanted to get on his good side.

With one person speaking up, the others chimed in, "That’s right. We owe you for saving the children with your money today, President Harrison. We’ll definitely keep this confidential for you."

Sean Harrison thanked them again. "Thank you. And from this day forward, I will also contribute to the kindergarten’s security."

The crowd dispersed amid a chorus of thanks.

Rory Linden led Sean Harrison to her car and asked, "Where’s your car? I can drive and follow you."

She felt her car wasn’t good enough and that Sean Harrison probably wouldn’t be comfortable in it.

"My driver already left. I don’t have a ride."

Sean Harrison just stood there beside the car.

For a man who was a CEO worth billions, the look on his face for a fleeting moment as he said that made him look like a lost puppy.

Rory Linden felt a little helpless. "Then I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble President Harrison to ride in my car."

She first placed Leo Linden in the child safety seat in the back, making sure the seatbelt was securely fastened before getting into the driver’s seat herself.

Once the three of them were settled, Rory Linden drove straight to Celestria University Affiliated Hospital.

In the car, Leo Linden said that another child had accidentally stepped on his hand and that his palm hurt.

After arriving at the hospital, in addition to a basic check-up, Rory Linden also arranged for Leo to get an X-ray of his hand.

A nurse took Leo Linden for the examination.

Rory Linden and Sean Harrison waited outside.

It was only then that Rory Linden spoke. "Thank you for today."

"Saving my own son is what I’m supposed to do. There’s no need to thank me for that." Sean Harrison looked at the woman beside him. "If it had been something else, I might not have been able to help. I’m actually glad it was this. In a way, I feel lucky."

"Lucky about what?"

"Lucky that while I may not have much, at least I have money."

Sean Harrison genuinely felt fortunate.

At least with his wealth, he could do something for Rory Linden and his son.

"I wasn’t talking about that. I was talking about what happened with the other parents. You’re not actually married, but you claimed to be for our sake."

Rory Linden continued, "But since you saved their children today, the parents probably won’t spread rumors. Not many more people will find out about this."

’Sean Harrison will move on eventually,’ Rory Linden thought.

’He’ll meet a suitable woman, get married, and have children of his own.’

"For that, I should be thanking you."

Seeing the surprise in her eyes, Sean Harrison explained, "After I said all that, everyone now thinks I’m not only successful in my career, but also a good man who always considers his wife. I actually ended up with a good reputation because of it."

Sean Harrison gave a slight, wry smile. "Only I know that I didn’t actually do anything. I just said a few pretty words."

’If I could do it all over again, if we had never separated, if I’d had a choice...’

’I would have gladly let our child take the Linden name.’

’I would have gladly let the whole world know I had a wife and that we had a wonderful son together.’

’But unfortunately, there are no ’what ifs’ in this world.’

’The woman I love doesn’t want to see me.’

’And my son doesn’t want to be close to me.’

Soon, Leo Linden came out of the examination room.

The nurse with him went straight to Rory Linden. "Dr. Linden, you’ll be able to pick up the X-ray in about ten minutes. I already saw the images on the computer. His hand is fine."

"Okay, thank you."

Rory Linden said her thanks.

The nurse smiled. "It’s nothing. You should take the little one to get a bite to eat. His stomach was rumbling just now."

Leo Linden couldn’t help but blush.

Only then did Rory Linden remember that her son probably hadn’t eaten yet.

She took Leo Linden’s hand. "Come on, I’ll take you to the hospital’s convenience store to get a snack, and then we’ll go to a restaurant for a proper meal."

Leo Linden nodded.

Just as the three of them were about to head to the convenience store...

"Dr. Linden," an intern hurried over with a few lab reports. "Are you busy right now? Could you help me take a look at this EKG and these other reports?"

Rory Linden instinctively took the reports.

Before she could say anything, Leo Linden’s stomach let out another loud RUMBLE.

The intern looked a little embarrassed and was about to take the reports back.

"I can take Leo."

Sean Harrison offered.

He extended a hand to Leo and asked, "Your mom is busy. Would you be willing to go get snacks with me?"

Leo Linden looked at Rory Linden.

His eyes asked for his mother’s permission.

Rory Linden said, "Go with him. Be careful and don’t run off."

Only after getting permission did Leo Linden take Sean Harrison’s hand.

It was the first time he had ever held his father’s hand, and he felt an indescribable mix of nervousness and unfamiliarity.

Sean Harrison felt the same.

He was afraid of squeezing too hard and hurting the boy, so he was careful with his strength. He smiled and said, "It’s different from holding your mom’s hand, isn’t it?"

Leo Linden shook his head slightly.

He didn’t speak, answering only in his heart.

’Dad’s hand isn’t as soft as Mom’s. The skin feels rougher, and his palm is much bigger.’

The two of them walked into the convenience store.

Sean Harrison picked up a small shopping basket and asked him, "What do you want to eat? Pick whatever you like."

Leo Linden’s selective mutism had improved, but he still felt nervous around Sean Harrison.

He walked around the aisles and only picked up a box of mini Oreo cookies.

"Just this one? You don’t want to look for anything else?"

It was the first time Sean Harrison had taken Leo shopping, and even if it was just for snacks, he hoped the boy would pick out a few more things.

Leo Linden shook his head slightly.

Sean Harrison wasn’t ready to give up. He asked, "How about some ice cream?"

It was so hot out. ’A kid would definitely want ice cream,’ he thought.

Leo Linden shook his head.

Realizing he really couldn’t persuade him, Sean Harrison grabbed two bottles of mineral water from the cooler and a shelf, then went to pay for them along with the Oreos.

They walked out of the convenience store with their items.

Sean Harrison walked ahead, holding the little boy’s hand.

They had barely taken two steps when he heard the boy’s small, squeaky voice. "Dad, wait..."

Before he had a chance to stop, the little hand in his went heavy.

Leo Linden had fallen.