"BOO HOO, I’m going to tell my mom you hit me, BOO HOO..." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"Go tell her. I want to see if she’ll discipline you after finding out what you did!" Adrian Desmond said.

"You hit me! I don’t like you anymore!"

"..."

"Mom, help! Your husband is going to beat me to death... BOO HOO... This is so scary!"

Adrian Desmond had initially wanted to spank her a few more times, but the fury in his heart was extinguished by his daughter’s tears; the fire simply couldn’t keep burning.

"You’re hopeless! Just like your mom, all you know how to do is cry!"

"HMPH!"

Adrian Desmond picked up his daughter. Looking at her face, Curly sniffled softly a couple of times, and tears welled up instantly. A few teardrops trickled silently down her cheeks, making her look utterly pitiful and wronged.

Her expression was both pitiful and heart-wrenchingly endearing.

Adrian Desmond still wanted to maintain his stern fatherly demeanor and teach her a proper lesson, but seeing her cry, he found he couldn’t bring himself to be strict anymore.

Forget it. I’ll let Sienna Johnson continue to play the role of the stern mother.

"I barely tapped you, and you’re already giving me this look. Your mom gives me attitude, and now you give me attitude."

"..."

"Come on, let Daddy wipe your tears." Adrian Desmond pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped the tears from her face.

"HMPH!" Curly was still sulking.

"Still throwing a tantrum? When we get home, I’ll let your mom deal with you!" Adrian Desmond threatened.

Curly sniffed and retorted defiantly, "When we get home, I’ll let Mom deal with you!"

Adrian Desmond snorted, then said meaningfully, "I’m the one who disciplines your mom!"

"You’re lying! You’re most afraid of my mom; you wouldn’t dare hit her!" Curly tilted her head up, an ’I know everything’ expression on her face.

Adrian Desmond laughed. "When you’re asleep at night, I whip her with a thick whip!"

"What thick whip? I’ve never seen one."

"Adrian Desmond!"

A woman’s furious, exasperated voice came from behind. Adrian Desmond recognized it as Sienna Johnson’s. He covered his eyes with his hand. It’s over. She must have heard what I just said.

Curly tattled, "Mom, when I’m asleep, does Dad really whip you with a thick whip?"

Sienna Johnson gnashed her teeth. If it weren’t for the fact that everyone around was Adrian’s subordinate and she needed to preserve his dignity, she would grab a thick whip and thrash him right now. Thrash this scoundrel to death! This man is becoming more and more unrestrained with his words! He dares to say anything! Curly is only five! How could he say such vulgar things to her?

"The child has been found. Let’s go home," Adrian Desmond said, trying to gloss over the incident.

Sienna Johnson glanced at her daughter. Just as she was about to ask something, she noticed the little boy sitting on the ground beside them.

"Curly, who is he?"

"His name is Ernest Turner. He was kidnapped by bad guys. I saved him."

Adrian Desmond and Sienna Johnson exchanged a look, neither saying much. Adrian Desmond said to 004, "Take him away quietly. Don’t alert anyone else."

"Yes, Sixth Master."

Sienna Johnson frowned at her filthy daughter. Curly feared nothing and no one—except Sienna Johnson.

The moment she saw the disapproving look in Sienna Johnson’s eyes, Curly immediately behaved herself. She stood there, blinking her large, innocent eyes, a gaze that could melt even the coldest heart.

Sienna Johnson picked blades of grass from her daughter’s hair and clothes. Her dress was torn and ruined.

"Your allowance for this month is completely revoked!" Sienna Johnson announced her daughter’s punishment.

Withholding her allowance was more effective than any corporal punishment; after all, Curly was quite fond of money.

"No!"

"Hmm?" Sienna Johnson stared at Curly. Curly shrank her neck and immediately quieted down.

"Fine, deduct it, deduct it... a small price to pay to avert disaster..." Curly finally mumbled, still reluctant. "I did a good deed, and you don’t even praise me."

It wasn’t convenient to talk there, so Sienna Johnson couldn’t say much more to Curly. In any case, the main purpose of their visit had been achieved, and the group prepared to leave.

Hearing they were leaving, Elliot Carpenter personally came after Adrian Desmond.

"Adrian, I’ve been looking for you. Where did you run off to?" Elliot Carpenter asked.

"Curly was running around earlier and got lost. I went to find her," Adrian Desmond explained.

Elliot Carpenter’s gaze paused on Curly’s face. Held in her father’s arms, Curly, not wanting anyone to see her dirty face, buried her head into Adrian Desmond’s chest.

Melanie Carpenter watched this all, burning with jealousy. However much I hate Sienna Johnson, that’s how much I despise her daughter, Curly!

"Sixth Brother, you rarely visit. Please stay for a meal before you go," Melanie Carpenter invited warmly.

"Dad, I want to go home!" Curly whined coquettishly.

"Alright." Adrian Desmond agreed, then said to Elliot Carpenter, "Uncle, I’ll come to see you another time."

"Adrian, please stay. A man only has one sixtieth birthday in his life. Consider it fulfilling a small wish for Dad," the man with the square-shaped face said.

"And you are?"

Gerald Powell extended his hand and introduced himself to Adrian Desmond. "Hello, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gerald Powell, and I am your uncle’s adopted son."

Elliot Carpenter looked at Gerald Powell with satisfaction and said to Adrian Desmond, "For all these years, it’s thanks to Gerald’s care. Otherwise, I don’t know if I would have survived to see you all again."

"Dad, we’re family. Why would you say something like that? It makes us sound like strangers," Gerald Powell said filially.

Adrian Desmond looked at Gerald Powell, intrigued by this suddenly appeared adopted son of Elliot Carpenter. So, for all these years, this man has been taking care of Uncle Elliot. Why didn’t he inform me or Melanie that Uncle Elliot was still alive? Thinking this, Adrian Desmond asked directly, "Have you been the one looking after my uncle all these years?"

"Yes."

"I’d really like to know, why didn’t you inform me or Melanie Carpenter that my uncle was still alive?"

"...At that time, my adoptive father’s condition was critical; we didn’t even know if he would survive till the next day. Moreover, your circumstances back then weren’t suitable for you to take care of him. That’s why it was delayed until now."

"It’s all thanks to Gerald; otherwise, I would have been dead long ago." Elliot Carpenter looked at Gerald Powell with gratitude, truly seeing him as his savior.

Gerald Powell was very enthusiastic and well-spoken. He grabbed Adrian Desmond’s arm and began to lead him inside. "Adrian, come on. It’s our first time meeting as brothers; let’s go have a couple of drinks."

Adrian Desmond turned to look at Sienna Johnson, who nodded at him. The group, which had been about to leave, all ended up staying.

The birthday banquet ended, and the customers gradually left.

With most of the Desmond and Carpenter family members gone, the family banquet with just a few of them felt much more subdued and quiet.

At a long table, Elliot Carpenter presided from the main seat. Adrian Desmond was on his right, and Gerald Powell on his left. Melanie Carpenter sat beside Gerald, while Sienna Johnson and her daughter were next to Adrian. Paige Desmond was seated opposite them.

Elliot Carpenter raised his glass, his tone full of the sentiment that family harmony is paramount. "Today is my birthday, but the birthday itself isn’t what’s important. The main thing is to use this occasion for everyone to gather. No matter what has happened in the past, you must remember: we are family. Even if bones are broken, we are still connected by sinew."