He'll make a good boyfriend to mommy!

Leanor stroked her son’s head and smiled sadly. 

"Well, didn't I tell you? Mommy didn't know who your daddy was back then, so we won't be looking for him, okay?"

She chose not to lie to him. Young as he was, he deserved the truth about his father, so she offered it to him without pretense.

Liam set his hands on his hips, his small frame brimming with resolve. "Mommy, I heard that pet fathers are very popular nowadays. Just wait and see…I'm going to find someone to back you up next time!"

He wasn't joking. He had heard about pet fathers and he believed that was what his mother needed. 

Leanor couldn't help but smile, how could her young son be so smart? 

 "No, Mommy doesn't need you to look for a pet father. I can protect myself, and I can protect you."

Liam pursed his lips, clearly unwilling to abandon the scheme brewing in his mind.

"Mommy still has some work to finish," Leanor said, leading him toward her office. "I'll ask Miss Winslow to take you out for a bite, alright?"

She turned to her assistant with an appreciative look. 

"Liam hasn't eaten anything since noon. Would you mind taking him out for a snack? He loves fresh chicken bread."

"Of course! Leave it to me," Winslow replied, offering Liam a warm smile. "There’s a fantastic bakery just down the street!"

She was happy to be with him. He was a very handsome boy and she loved the compliments she got the first time she was with him. 

"Go on then," Leanor urged, pushing him gently forward to meet Winslow. 

"I might have to work late tonight, so make sure you eat well. Don't go hungry."

Liam gave a solemn nod. "Okay, Mommy. I'll bring some chocolate bread back for you."

"I'll be waiting for it." Leanor smiled, giving his head one last gentle pat. She was impressed he knew the type of bread she loved. 

As soon as they left Leanor’s office, Liana entered, "How did it go, Leanor?"

"I know Mrs. Thompson," Leanor said directly. "And she didn't come here with good intentions. She came specifically to confront me."

Liana frowned, visibly baffled. "What do you mean? Why would she target you?"

Leanor let out a slow, tired breath. "She’s the woman from my past, the one who plotted with my ex-husband to drive me away. Now, she’s the current Mrs. Thompson."

"What? Her?" Liana gasped, her expression darkening with sympathy. 

"Leanor, I'm so sorry. I had no idea you'd have to face the Thompson family so soon after coming back. Did she cause a scene?"

"I returned to this city knowing I'd run into them sooner or later," Leanor said, her tone steady. "It was bound to happen eventually. I came prepared."

"Are you doing all of this for Liam?" Liana asked softly.

"Yes. Right now, he is my only priority. As long as I focus on him, past resentments don't matter."

"You're a strong mother," Liana said, pausing to consider options. 

"Maybe I should assign another designer to her project instead."

"She won't allow it," Leanor replied calmly. "She demanded me because she wants to make things difficult. She didn't leave any specific requirements, which means she wants me to handle the entire design from scratch. Regardless of her motives, I'll do my job."

Though Leanor looked youthful enough to pass for a recent graduate, her calm, composed demeanor reflected a maturity far beyond her years.

"Alright," Liana said with a nod. "Prepare the draft and run it by me first. I'll present it to Mrs. Thompson myself. If she has feedback, we can adjust from there."

"Understood."

"Do your best," Liana encouraged.

Leanor offered a brief, quiet smile. "I will."

As soon as Liana stepped out, Leanor found herself unable to focus. 

The thought of designing fine jewelry for a woman she utterly despised stifled her creative drive. 

For the first time, her inspiration evaporated completely, replaced by the memory of Erica's malicious smile.

Winslow held Liam’s hand as they walked along the pavement. 

Unlike most children his age, he didn't dart around or cause trouble. 

He stepped carefully, adhered strictly to traffic rules, and stayed right by her side—a level of discipline that left Winslow genuinely impressed.

She thought of her own three-year-old nephew, whose parents had to spend all day chasing after him, cleaning up his constant messes, and keeping him from dashing wildly into the street. 

Liam was an entirely different story.

As they walked, Liam paused and looked up at a striking, very tall building in front of him. 

"Miss Winslow," he asked, pointing at the structure, "whose house is that?"

A look of genuine admiration crossed Winslow's face. 

"That belongs to the wealthiest man in our city."

"What does the wealthiest man look like?" the boy asked, his interest instantly piqued.

Winslow smiled down at him. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes!" He wondered if the richest man sleeps in the house too. 

"Alright, I'll show you once we get to the bakery."

She guided him across the street to the bakery, which featured a cozy seating area inside. 

After ordering a selection of chicken bread and settling into a booth, Liam immediately returned to the topic.

"Miss Winslow, tell me! What does the richest person look like?"

"Why are you so curious about him?" she teased gently.

Liam puffed out his chest, his expression full of grand ambition. 

"Because I’m going to be the richest person in the future!"

That was not entirely true, he needed a strong pet father for his mother. 

Winslow stifled a laugh, though a soft chuckle escaped her. "You're still just a little boy!"

"Are you doubting me?" Liam asked, puffing his cheeks. 

"I'm serious! I'm going to make a lot of money so Mommy won't have to work so hard anymore."

Impressed by his earnestness and knowing how unusually bright he was, Winslow nodded sincerely.

 "I believe you. I'm sure you'll grow up to be the wealthiest person around."

She only said that to make him agree, she admired that he had such a big dream at such an age.

She smiled playfully. "As for what he looks like... surprisingly, he actually looks quite a bit like you!"

She had tried to make sense out of it but couldn't. How could Liam look like the richest man? 

“And he's not only the richest man in the city, he's also the richest man in the world!” She declared happily.

"Really? Let me see!" Liam became eager. How could the richest man look like him? 

Winslow pulled up a photo on her phone, zoomed in, and handed it across the table.

She had downloaded that photo online to be sure she didn't make a mistake when she had seen Liam that day. 

Set against a dark, moody backdrop, the image captured a man leaning back casually on a leather sofa. 

He was mature, quiet, and possessed an effortless, formidable presence. 

His features were remarkably refined, paired with dark eyes that pierced straight through the camera lens—intimidating, calculating, and brilliant.

Liam's eyes widened. 

The man in the picture matched the exact image he had built in his mind of what a father should look like.

Winslow studied the boy's face, then glanced down at the screen, murmuring in surprise, "The resemblance really is uncanny... Little Liam, where is your daddy?"

She wondered how his daddy would feel knowing his son looked so much like someone else…a powerful man. 

Liam stared at the photograph, his lips pouting slightly. "I don't have a daddy."

His mind was filled with different tricks on how he could meet this man. 

Winslow's heart twinged with sympathy. 

How could such a brilliant child not have a father? Has Designer Morgan really been raising him all on her own?

She really pitied Leanor.

Liam continued to stare at the screen. "Miss Winslow, is this man married?"

"Um... from what I know but there's no news about that so I believe he isn't married."

"Does he have a girlfriend?"

"I don't think so," Winslow recalled from various gossip articles. "Not according to the news."

Liam looked up, his expression entirely serious. 

"Do you think my mommy could be his girlfriend?"

He didn't want this man as his pet father, he wanted him for his mom. 

Winslow blinked, caught completely off guard. She spewed out her hot chocolate drink and wiped her mouth, carefully wiping Liam's shirt. 

But he was unbothered as that wasn't part of his plans and a little burn will not kill him. 

"Sorry?" Winslow stared at the little boy. 

"My mommy is very beautiful, and he is very handsome," Liam declared with complete logic. 

"I think they should get married."

Beautiful women to beautiful men! 

"Well... Liam, it's probably best not to dwell on ideas like that," Winslow gently advised.

"Why?" Liam frowned. "Do you think my mommy isn't good enough for him?"

His mommy was the best woman he knew, how could she not be good enough for the richest man? 

"No, no, absolutely not! That's not what I meant." Winslow said quickly. 

"I just mean... he lives in a very different world from us."

That was the simplest explanation she could give to an inquisitive kid. 

"Which world? Mars?" Liam stared at Winslow puzzled. He wondered how he could reach Mars to get the richest man for his mom. 

Winslow could not hold back her laughter. 

"The world we live in has different social classes—there are upper-class families, and then there are ordinary people like us. He sits at the very top of that upper-class world. Do you understand?"

She really hoped he would understand her explanation. 

Liam blinked his large eyes in further confusion. The subtle mechanics of social hierarchy meant nothing to him. 

All he knew was that he was intensely drawn to the man in the photo and he wanted him for his mother. 

"Miss Winslow," Liam asked, "what's his

name?"

"His name is Daemon," she answered, sipping her chocolate drink. 

.

"Daemon..." Liam repeated the name, that was a very powerful name and he liked it. 

"I think he'll make a great boyfriend for Mommy.”