Chapter 5

In the room

The boy held a photo album and had just flipped through a few pages.

In the photo album, there were many pictures, with elegant captions written beside them.

"Owen’s Full Moon Celebration", "Owen’s First Birthday", "Owen Turns Two"...

The entire photo album was used by Elianna to record every little detail since her son's birth.

He stared absentmindedly, his fingers gliding over each photo, until his gaze landed on the last photo on the final page.

"Owen is five years old now."

The photograph showed a woman with soft makeup holding a boy in her arms. The boy wore a thick winter coat, his rosy cheeks giving him a doll-like appearance—porcelain-perfect and fragile.

Zack’s breath hitched.

The boy in the photo had his face.

He stared at the photo, looking at it again and again, hardly able to believe it.

"Owen!"

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed outside the door, followed by a woman’s soft, affectionate call.

Zack was startled and suddenly stood up, his hand involuntarily loosened, and the photo album accidentally fell onto the floor.

The door flew open.

Elianna rushed in, her worried gaze darting around the room before settling on Zack.

"Owen?"

She walked over, cupped his face, and kissed his chubby cheek.

Zack's shoulders shrank for a moment, instinctively wanting to break free.

He has always been somewhat introverted since he was a child, and besides his father, Zack does not like anyone touching him.

However, when the woman's warm fingertips touched his cheek, his hand froze, unable to move, especially when he saw the woman's eyes filled with affection, he couldn't resist, and inexplicably yearned for this warmth.

He looked at Elianna, gazing at such a strange yet delicate face, and couldn't help but feel a sense of closeness, without any rejection.

Elianna exclaimed with concern, "Owen, Edwin said you weren’t eating properly. What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

She pressed a hand to his forehead, checking for a fever. Finding none, she sighed in relief. Her heart eased slightly.

Zack remained in a daze.

Last night, Spencer brought him to this unfamiliar place. He went missing for a whole day and night, yet the Kensington family still hasn't noticed or come to look for him.

What puzzled him the most was that in such a large estate, everyone, from top to bottom, called him "young master," but he didn't know any of them and he was not the "young master Owen" they referred to. However, they didn't even realize that they had mistaken him for someone else.

And now, this beautiful woman—Owen’s supposed mother—looked at him with the same mistaken conviction.

Was she really his mother?

So, she also mistook him for her own son?

Edwin walked in and asked, "Ms. Elianna, shall I prepare dinner?"

Elianna said, "Yes, please. I’m starving."

After finishing speaking, she turned to Zack and said, "Sweetie, let’s eat together, okay?"

Zack found himself nodding before he could think it through.

An hour later,

Elianna brought Zack to the restaurant.

Albert, Master Carrington went downstairs and as soon as he saw his precious grandson, he reached out his hand to pick him up and said, "Ah, Owen! My good boy. Come to me!"

Zack's face turned cold as he shrunk into Elianna's arms.

Albert was shocked: "What’s this? My little Owen doesn’t want old papa anymore?"

Elianna felt a little sorry and said, "He had a fright last night. He’s probably still shaken."

Albert: "A fright? What happened?"

Elianna said, "I heard the servant say that he snuck out of the house and was brought back by someone from the Vale family."

Regarding the unpleasantness with the Vale family last night, Elianna didn't mention a word, only coldly saying, "What a small world, I never expected to go to Aetheria to celebrate Master Vale's birthday, only to encounter that person!"

Albert paused for a moment and immediately realized, "Joseph?"

In his arms, Zack heard the name and looked up with a puzzled expression, raising his head in confusion.

His father? How did this woman know Joseph?

Albert slammed the table in anger and exclaimed, "That bastard dares show his face in Bryston? If he so much as breathes near my family, I’ll—"

Elianna said, "Grandfather, I don’t need you to intervene. But I do need your promise—keep Owen safe. Joseph must never learn of his existence."

She instinctively held the little dumpling in her arms tightly, saying, "I can’t lose Owen."

If, back then, that baby hadn't died, Owen would have had a brother to grow up with, and wouldn't have been so lonely.

Zack lifted his head and suddenly noticed a tear sliding down the woman's face, landing right on his forehead. He seemed to sense her sadness and couldn't help but reach out his hand, gently embracing her shoulder.

***

The Executive suite

Joseph had just reached the door when he heard a sharp crash coming from the room, as if something porcelain had broken.

He pushed open the door and walked in, while Livia was bending over, tidying up the debris on the floor.

Owen stood still and said angrily, "I do not eat! I want to go home! I want my mommy!"

As soon as Owen saw the door open, his eyes lit up and he immediately ran towards the entrance.

However, as he barely reached the door, he suddenly saw a man standing at the door like a solid wall. Owen immediately recognized him—he was the same guy from yesterday who had been mean to him and had ordered his henchmen to "kidnap" him!

Owen pushed him, but the man remained completely motionless.

The next second, Joseph grabbed the back of his collar and lifted him up.

In an instant, Owen froze like a kitten held by the back of its neck, not daring to move, but still defiantly saying, "You big bully! Let me go!"

Elvis, closely following behind, was startled when he saw the small bundle of fur that looked like it was about to explode: "What happened to the young master?"

In my memory, the young master was brought up with strict etiquette since childhood. Although he may not have regarded others highly, he never dared to show disrespect towards Joseph.

For Zack, Joseph had an absolute intimidating power.

Livia tidied up the broken pieces of the bowl, walked over, and anxiously said, "He’s been acting strange ever since yesterday—rambling about his mother and claiming he doesn’t know any of us."

Elvis sighed, feeling somewhat reluctant.

The young master had asked about his mother's matter more than once, but no one in the Kensington family dared to tell him the truth. Over time, he stopped asking.

Joseph squatted down in front of him, took his little hand, pulled him into his arms, and interrogated, "Who am I?"

Owen froze, looking at the man's gloomy expression, and simply shook his head.

Joseph squinted his eyes and asked again, "Who am I?"

Owen instinctively took a step back as the man tightly gripped his hand, the veins on the back of his hand bulging, indicating that he was somewhat angry!

Elvis reminded, "Young master, he’s your father!"

Owen’s lower lip quivered. "I don’t have a dad, my mommy said my daddy died a long time ago!"