Everett was taken aback by his sonâs sudden affection. It took a few seconds before he gathered
himself and held the boyâs small hand tightly in his own.
âMr. Tumer will be okay. Once he wakes up, I take you to the hospital to see him, he said.
Langston nodded, looking somewhat surprised at Everettâs formality.
âWhy⦠donât you insist that I call you dad?â Langston asked. He had imagined all sorts of scenarios
before coming back to the country. He thought Everett might force him to call him âdadâ, or that Everett
might despise him, or even deny his paternity. He had seen it all in TV dramas.
But none of his predictions had come true.
Everett, this soâcalled âdeadbeat dad, had not pressured him into doing anything he didnât want to do,
nor had he questioned his identity. Instead, he welcomed him home and provided excellent care.
âWhen you feel comfortable calling me that, you will, Everett said. He disliked anything forced, as it
wouldnât be genuine.
Even though he had manipulated Dorothy in the past, he had still left the final decision up to her. If she
hadnât sought him out, he wouldnât have used his money and power to coerce her.
âArenât you afraid Iâm trying to swindle you? Or that Iâm not your kid at all? Langston asked, tilting his
head, pouring out all his doubts.
Everett squatted down, bringing his eyes level with Langstonâs. He reached out and pinched the boyâs
cheek. âIf you managed to get into the Lopez Corporationâs servers, then you should know that money
isnât a big deal to me
As for the second question, all he had to do was look at Langstonâs face and he had his answer.
Everett didnât have a twin brother or anything of the sort. The mere fact that Langston bore such a
striking resemblance to him provided the answer. Even in the unlikely scenario that Langston wasnât his
biological child, their resemblance seemed like a twist of fate in its own right.
However, he suddenly remembered something Heather had said to him. She had claimed that
Langston was her child.
It sounded absurd, but given his motherâs favoritism towards Heather, it wasnât entirely impossible..
âLangston, would you be willing to tell me something about your mom?â Everett asked cautiously. He
was afraid of provoking the boyâs
resentment.
Sure enough, the moment he mentioned it, Langstonâs defenses went up.
âNo! Mommy said I canât!â
Everett realized that a direct approach wasnât going to work.
He thought for a moment, then smiled. âHow about this, you can ask me one question, and I promise
not to lie. Anything you want to ask. Then you tell me what your momâs last name is.â
Langston shook his head. âNo!â
Everett shrugged. âAlright then,â
He was about to get up when Langston suddenly grabbed him. âI canât tell you my momâs last name,
but I can tell you the second letter
in it.â
âThat works!â Everett agreed immediately and squatted back down. âAsk your question.â
Langston thought hard, then in a serious tone asked, âWhy did you have me and then not take
responsibility?â
Everett paused, then answered solemnly, âI swear, I didnât know you existed.â
Langston was clearly not expecting that answer.
âNow can you tell me, whatâs the second letter in your mornâs last name?â
Langston pouted. âItâs âaâ
Everett froze. âYour momâs last name wouldnât happen to be Sanchez, would it?â
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