Love at First Sight? Mr. Harrison Has Been Scheming All Along-Chapter 261: "I’m More Handsome, Younger, and More Competitive Than You?
When Leo said this, the entire room fell briefly silent.
In the little boy’s eyes, it was just about choosing three owners for a pet.
Only the adults knew the true meaning behind it.
Why did the mechanical dog have three owners, not two or four?
One of the reasons was to accommodate a family of three.
Seeing Rory not answer, Leo tilted his head and asked, "Mom, is... is it not okay?"
"Of course it is."
Rory immediately replied with a smile.
Today was Leo’s birthday. The gift was from Sean, and the request wasn’t unreasonable at all.
"Okay! Then let’s have Dad help later. We’ll all be Bianca’s owners!"
Leo’s eyes crinkled with joy, his happiness written all over his face.
Rory’s heart softened.
’If it weren’t for that accident back then, Leo would have definitely had a happy childhood.’
Rory glanced at the kitchen and said with a smile, "Alright, it’s time to eat."
"Okay!"
Leo happily skipped to the kitchen to get the bowls and utensils.
Sean also came over to help.
Seeing Sean standing by with nothing to do, Rory said, "I just put Leo’s cake in the fridge. Can you help get it out?"
"Mm."
Sean readily helped.
The first part of dinner was blowing out the candles.
The candles were lit.
The home AI assistant helped turn off the lights.
As the lights went out, the four small candles on the cake became the only source of light in the room.
The faint candlelight illuminated only a small area around the dining table.
There was Leo, and beside him, Rory and Sean.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you~"
Amid the sounds of the "Happy Birthday" song, Leo clasped his hands in front of his chest, closed his eyes to make a wish, and then blew out the candles before him.
"Happy birthday!"
Rory wished her son a happy birthday as she got up to turn on the lights.
As the lights came on, Leo first looked at Rory, then at Sean beside him.
"What’s wrong?"
Sean asked him with a smile.
"Dad... when are you leaving?" Leo’s small hands gripped the edge of the table nervously. "Can you leave after we finish the cake?"
Leo wasn’t sure how long Sean could stay.
It was his birthday, and he wanted his dad to stay a little longer.
"I was thinking of staying through dinner and leaving after you go to sleep," Sean asked him gently. "Is that okay?"
Leo looked at Rory. "Is that okay, Mom?"
"Of course. Dad came over today to be with you, so of course he should stay until you go to sleep."
Rory picked up the cake knife and began to cut the cake.
Only then did Leo turn to Sean and nod. "Okay!"
The little boy’s voice was tender, his tone light and cheerful.
-
When dinner ended, Rory got up to clear the dishes. "I’ll get it," Sean said.
"It’s fine. It’s just a small thing, I can do it."
Rory didn’t stop what she was doing.
Five years was a long time, so long that she had almost forgotten what it was like to be with Sean.
To her, the man here now was no different from a guest.
"There’s no such thing as big chores or small chores."
Sean picked up the remaining dishes from the table and said as he walked to the kitchen, "It’s my first time eating here. I have to leave a good impression if I want a chance to be invited again."
Rory watched him.
She felt a complicated mix of emotions.
Before today, she had never imagined a scenario where she would be having a meal at home with him.
But...
Throughout dinner, Leo had been overjoyed, constantly discussing the mechanical dog with Sean.
He was curious about what else the mechanical dog could do, curious about its internal structure, and curious about how it was made.
Sean did his best to answer all his questions.
Rory increasingly felt that, even if just for her son’s sake, perhaps she should consider yielding a little.
"Rory."
His voice broke her out of her thoughts.
"Could you help push my sleeve up a little more? Thanks."
Sean lifted his left arm slightly, gesturing for her to help him.
Both of the man’s hands were wet. His left sleeve was now slipping down, almost to the face of his watch.
Rory looked at the man’s expensive watch and said, "Why don’t I just—"
"No need, I’ll wash them."
As if afraid she would take away his right to do the chore, Sean pulled his hand back to continue washing the dishes.
Before his hand could reach the sink, she caught his sleeve.
Rory didn’t just push the sleeve up; she pulled it down and then carefully folded it up, layer by layer.
They hadn’t seen each other in five years, but his physique had barely changed.
The revealed half of his forearm was lean and strong, with clear muscle definition.
Rory kept folding this sleeve until it reached his elbow, then stopped.
It had been a long time since they had been together so peacefully.
"Thanks." Sean extended his arm slightly. "The right one, too..."
Rory didn’t object, rolling his right sleeve up to his elbow as well.
Her fingertips were cool, making every touch especially distinct.
Sean finished washing the last plate and placed it on the drying rack...
DING DONG.
The doorbell rang.
Rory slid open the kitchen’s sliding door, about to go out.
But Leo had already run to open the door.
Immediately after, the little boy’s cheerful voice rang out, "Mr. Sterling!"
"Leo, happy birthday!"
Ryan Sterling’s voice followed.
Rory walked to the entryway and saw Ryan standing at the door, holding a LEGO bag.
Ryan didn’t really know what Leo liked, so to be safe, he always chose LEGO, a gift you couldn’t go wrong with.
When Ryan saw Rory walk over, he hurriedly said, "Ms. Rory, I had something to do today and got back late. Have you guys...?"
He stopped mid-sentence, his gaze shifting to the space behind Rory.
Rory turned her head.
Sean was walking over just then.
For a second, the atmosphere became awkward.
Leo was the first to break the silence, calling out behind him, "Bianca, come here!"
The mechanical dog’s little paws went TAP TAP TAP on the smooth floor as it ran over.
Leo said with a smile, "Look, this is the present Dad gave me."
"Isn’t this... that concept product from before?"
Ryan also knew about the mechanical dog.
It was a concept product released by Stellar Group last year that had garnered a lot of attention, but it supposedly hadn’t been released to the public yet.
"That’s right. It’s not on the market yet. I gave one to my son first."
Sean’s emphasis fell on the last two words: "my son."
He said it deliberately, to remind the other man of their relationship.
"Look, look! It can sit and shake hands."
Leo couldn’t wait to show Ryan.
Rory felt it was inappropriate to leave Ryan standing at the door, so she said, "Mr. Sterling, would you like to come in and sit down?"
"...No, that’s okay. I’ll leave after giving Leo his gift."
Ryan didn’t have the courage to go inside.
’Inside was a happy family of three. What would he be if he stayed?’
"Wait a moment, Mr. Sterling. If you don’t mind, let me cut a slice of Leo’s cake for you."
Rory turned and went back inside to cut the cake.
Leo sat on the floor, playing with the mechanical dog.
For a brief moment, only Sean and Ryan were left in the entryway.
Sean leaned against the doorframe and said flatly:
"Thanks for teaching Leo how to skateboard. You’re graduating soon, right? If you don’t have a suitable job lined up, you can have your uncle give me a call."
Ryan’s lips curled into a sarcastic smile. "Is this President Harrison’s way of admitting that I’m more handsome, younger, and more of a threat than you are?"
