Chapter 16

"Actually, I…" Ollie hesitantly attempted to explain.

"Miles, where did you get those clothes you are wearing?" Catelyn asked abruptly, interjecting him.

Ollie's eyes widened, and he felt his heart drop to his stomach when he realized she was suspecting the clothes he was wearing.

Catelyn circled to the boy's back and flipped his collar outward, only to find the Banpoint label. It was a french children-wear luxury brand that emphasized on both modesty and glamor.

Ollie cursed inwardly when Catelyn slowly bent down and asked, "Did Jamie Mason buy this for you?"

"Jamie Mason?" He thought, 'That's probably the man I saw Catelyn arguing with.'

"Yeah, that's him," he said.

"That's weird. He was just scolding you earlier, so why would he buy you clothes now?" Catelyn was confused as to how it could happen within the short period she went to retrieve the model.

Ollie's eyes darted away. "I…don't know what he's thinking as well."

"Whatever. At least he's willing to fulfill some responsibility as a father." Catelyn scanned him from head to toe and decided not to be bothered by it after confirming he was her son. "Anything else happened while I was gone?"

Ollie opened his pick lips slightly and said, "Nothing, but I'm a bit hungry."

"Grandma should have dinner ready by now. Let's go home, or we're going to miss the bus." She lifted him with one arm and hurried over to the nearest bus station.

The sudden proximity and the feeling of his feet leaving the ground had Ollie frowning, but soon, he relaxed at the warmth that he had never felt before.

Could this be what a mother's embrace felt like?

Catelyn smelt like gardenia, just like Maia, but Catelyn's scent was better and more natural, so he preferred her.

The boy, who was usually very composed, started blushing.

"Aren't you going to hug me back?" Catelyn teased.

Ollie hesitated. "Can I?"

He had been taught the manners of a gentleman, and he often acted appropriately. On top of that, he was cold by nature and rarely approached others.

"Why not? Don't you usually hug me back?" Catelyn said, wondering if her son was too hungry to the point he was acting weird like a quiet, wary boy.

Ollie collected himself and reached out both of his arms before carefully wrapping them around Catelyn's neck. His heart was overwhelmed by emotions as he had never imagined he would have a taste of motherly love from a woman he did not know.

His lips curled into a content smile as he muttered, "Mommy…"

"Yes?"

"Nothing, I just suddenly feel like calling you." Ollie cocked his head to the side and leaned against Catelyn's shoulder. As he tightened his arms around her neck, he suddenly felt extremely envious of that boy called Miles.

If only Miles would replace him and remain in Mason Estate forever…

Ollie shook his head at the thought. As Cedrick's son, there were responsibilities that he was expected to bear. For the time being, however, he simply wanted to be the little baby in his mother's arms.

It was stolen time.

…

The night fell as a car raced toward the majestic Mason Estate.

The engraved gate opened, followed by the faint squeaking sound, and a line of guards in uniform stood by the entrance with their heads bowed respectfully to welcome their young master home.

The car stopped and Albert opened the car door with a smile. "Young Master, we're home."

Miles had kept his eyes out for the landscapes and the best route to escape along the way, but to his surprise, the car headed toward more and more remote areas until it was halfway up a mountain.

He knew that this was not where Jamie lived and concluded that he had been kidnapped. However, when he saw the outdoor swimming pool, the fountain, the gigantic statue, and also the boundless sports arena, he realized that this place was as grand as a palace.

Miles sat upright and wondered why these people had abducted him.

Seeing that Miles would not get up, Albert bent down to pick him up with a gentle smile. "Alright, Young Master, don't be angry. How about Grandpa Albert carry you inside?"

"Don't think that I'll trust you simply because of that, you kidnapper!" Miles glared at him with wide eyes.

Albert was amused by Miles's expression and said, "Young Master, I remember that these weren't the clothes you wore when you headed out…"

Miles did not want to listen to what he was saying and lifted his chin, only to notice the golden wordings on top of the high arched entrance that read, [Mason Estate.]

The font was powerful and intimidating.

Miles's eyes widened in shock. Though he had not been in contact with anyone from the Mason family, he had done some research on the family tree after learning that he was a Mason as well.

Mason Estate was the place where the head of the Mason family lived, and as far as relations went, Miles was supposed to refer to the owner of this place as his grandfather. Rumors had it that the owner was cruel and was commonly referred to as the Hades of the entrepreneur world.

"Why did you bring me here?" Shivering, a chilling thought crossed Miles's mind.

Could it be that Jamie was so enraged that he sent Miles here to die?

He missed Catelyn. It had always been him and Catelyn against the world since he was born, and without him, his mother would be devastated.

What should he do?

Albert looked at Miles with disbelief before placing his palm on Miles's forehead to check his temperature.

'Thank God he's not running a fever,' he thought. 'Still…'

"Young Master, do you not remember? This is your home."

Albert could not help but wonder what Cedrick could have done that his son could not recognize his own home.

"My house? Are you kidding? This isn't my house…" Without Catelyn, even the grandest palace was merely a cold house. Miles was both terrified and frustrated, but there was simply a more pressing issue, and that was…

He needed to go to the washroom, and he had been holding it in for a very long time.

Miles wiggled out of Albert's embrace, and since Albert was too old to hold him, Miles swiftly turned and hopped out of his restraint.

Despite his short legs, Miles ran fast and disappeared from Albert's sight within a blink of an eye, without giving Albert a chance to catch up with him.

…

By the time Cedrick finished his tasteless date with Maia, it was already nine at night. Inside the racing car, Eason tensed with both his hands on the steering wheel while he stole peeks at Cedrick through the rear-view mirror.

Cedrick's expression darkened at the thought that his son defied him, and in a cold voice, he growled, "Where's that brat?"

Eason faked confusion and responded innocently, "Master Cedrick, didn't you place an order to not go after Young Master?"

The look in Cedrick's eyes darkened, and the car was instantly filled with a suffocating atmosphere. "So all of you simply let a three-year-old roam free out there?"

"Ahem." Eason cleared his throat. Had the atmosphere not been this tense, he would have burst out laughing. He knew that Cedrick was only harsh outwardly, but though he said that he did not care about his son, he still cared for him from the bottom of his heart.