Chapter 21



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Joseph heard someone calling him and glanced over. He was startled to see the girl waving at him, she looked familiar.

Noah took the opportunity to slip out of her arms and took off running, he could only chase after him.

Hayden was covering his face and suddenly felt someone grab his calf. He looked down and met a pair of big teary eyes. The boy was hugging one of his legs with an excited look on his face.

“Sir! We’ve met.” Stella stood near the table and blinked as she stared at Joseph with a pair of big dark eyes.

Joseph thought for a while and only then was he able to recall the image of the reckless girl who bumped into him at the airport. A soft light appeared in his eyes as he realized it was the same girl.

“Where do you two know each other from?” Hayden was still stunned.

“This is the gentleman who gave me the chocolates that day, Mommy!”. Stella turned around and explained with sparkling eyes: “What a coincidence to have seen the gentleman here – did you know this gentleman too, Mommy?”.

Hearing her question, Hayden’s gaze froze and he replied, “He’s…Mommy’s boss at the company.”

Joseph stepped to the side of the table and asked with little superiority, “So this is your daughter?”

“Yes.”

Hearing her answer, Joseph had an inexplicable feeling. Had she really married and had children? Then he turned away from the topic of conversation and asked, “How’s your hand?”

That question was exactly what Hayden had been dreading. Then he steeled himself and stammered as he dragged Noah out from under the table and moved it to his forehead as his shield, “It’s, it’s not fully recovered yet. I can’t use him at all now.”

“Then take a longer break. You don’t have to come to work so soon.”

Hayden was surprised by Joseph’s words. When had he become such a carefree person?

“My mother’s hand has already recovered! She’ll be able to go to work starting tomorrow.” Stella suddenly interjected.

“Stella Downey!” Hayden glared at her for exposing her.

Joseph, however, did not take her words seriously and treated her as childish nonsense. Then he changed the subject, “I have to thank you for saving Noah, I didn’t have time to pay you a visit at the hospital. But now that I’m free, it turns out you’ve already been discharged. I had wanted to thank you in person with Noah.”

“That’s okay.” Hayden shook his head, “Now that you’ve given me a break, I’ll take it as a thank you. Besides, it’s my duty as an employee to see to the safety of my clients.”

“The break is a separate thing.” Joseph glanced at Stella out of the corner of his eye and his gaze suddenly turned serious, “Don’t forget about the bet. I don’t plan to extend the three-month deadline.”

At his words, there was a change in Hayden’s expression. What the hell, wouldn’t that mean he would be wasting his time during his break? The good feelings he had for Joseph vanished instantly. That man was really good at making others uncomfortable.

Without waiting for Hayden to react, Joseph motioned Noah over. “Come on, Noah. Don’t bother them while they’re eating lunch.” However, as if facing an enemy, Noah gripped Hayden’s arm tightly and glared at him with hostility.

“Noah!” Joseph frowned.

The little boy’s stubborn look was exactly the same as Joseph’s, who stood in front of him. Seeing them at loggerheads, Hayden quickly rose to mediate the dispute. “Sit down here if you don’t mind. There are four seats after all.”

The staff had arranged a large table for her, since the restaurant wasn’t crowded, and she hadn’t expected to find it useful at the moment.

Seeing that Noah had no intention of leaving, Joseph could only sit dejectedly. His aggrieved look was exceptionally amused in Hayden’s eyes. She hadn’t expected the ST Group President to actually have a soft spot.

Stella was impatient to make Joseph stay and held out the chair for him. “You sit here, sir. I’ll get the fruits.” As she was about to leave, she looked at Noah and invited him earnestly, “Do you want to come with me too, Noah?”

Beholding Stella’s cheerful, sympathetic look, Noah hesitated for a moment. Then he let go of Hayden’s arm and followed her. He wanted to get along with Miss Downey’s daughter.

Joseph was greatly surprised, however, that Noah was really willing to get along with the girl. His beloved son had always had an arrogant and unapproachable personality and had no friends his own age. I had tried to get him to hang out with his friends’ children, but he refused to pay attention to any of them. Noah’s mild autism had always bothered him.

“Your daughter is outgoing.”

“You mean Stella?” Hayden smiled, “She’s a devil, sometimes I don’t even know how many naughty ideas she has in her head. But she still gets along with kids her age, they should both be fine with each other, so you don’t have to worry, Mr. Beckham.”

At first Joseph wanted to explain that it was none of his business, but desisted. “You don’t have to be so polite. Noah really likes you, if you’re that attentive, he’ll lose his temper.” Then she lowered her head to order more dishes and handed the menu to the waiter.

The two children returned with the fruit. Seeing that the dishes were not yet served, they went to the children’s corner to play on the slide. The view there was good and the place where the children were was basically within their line of sight, so both parents were relieved.

It was rare to have that leisurely atmosphere and after chatting for a while, Hayden felt that Joseph didn’t seem as superior as at his workplace and their conversation was relaxed. Having remembered Noah losing his temper back then, he casually asked, “Ah, yes, is it congenital for Noah to be unable to speak? Is it because his mother was in poor health?”

Hearing that, Joseph’s serene look suddenly became suddenly somber. His eyes drifted from the children’s corner to her and there was alertness followed by aloofness.

“I’m sorry.” Hayden was startled by his gaze and immediately realized he had crossed the line. Then she hastened to explain, “I was just wondering.”

Joseph gave him a cold stare and replied impolitely, “You asked too many questions. You should keep more out of other people’s business.”

Hearing that, Hayden clenched his fingers anxiously under the table with an embarrassed look on his face. Compared to the uncomfortable feeling he had, he regretted the blunder he had made. No one should randomly ask a parent about their child’s disability, especially an arrogant parent like Joseph.

After that a silence fell between them.

Because of his words, Joseph’s eyes glazed over slightly as he looked at the children from afar. The reason Noah could not speak was not some congenital disease. At two years old he was able to speak many full sentences and was smarter than any child his age.

Had it not been because he was not well cared for and nearly lost his life to a high fever, he would not have become this way. He had visited countless doctors over the years and they all came to the same conclusion: since Noah’s vocal cords were not injured, he must be the one who was resisting speech.

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