Chapter 131 Exposing the Lie
- “Rebuild the system?” Hendrik echoed, eyes narrowing as he took in the kid’s faintly guilty look. In the end, he’s just a child. Whether he’s lying or not—it’s obvious at a glance. Hendrik stood, walked over with a smile, and bent down to the little guy. “But I remember you already rebuilt it last time. I heard…the IT department’s already using it.” “Uh…” The lie got smashed right on the spot. The little guy turned, awkward and twitchy, eyes spinning fast—yet still couldn’t find a solid comeback. Crap, crap! He’s definitely been hanging around this man too long. Even his IQ took a hit! Hendrik’s gaze softened. Suddenly, he felt the kid was just like him. Too much going on in that head. Loves to show off, a little pretentious. And Jovienne really had some skills—she passed his genes to their kid whole and intact. The little guy could tell what he was thinking, but he had no time to dig deeper. A wise man knows when to retreat. If you can’t win, run. First priority: get himself out of here. “I’ve been out too long. Jovienne will be worried. I gotta go.” He quickly came up with what he thought was a very convincing excuse, then bolted. But before his foot even touched down, he was scooped into an embrace. He went weightless. The man’s strong arms held him up by the butt, which made him super uncomfortable. “Hey! Put me down!” His small legs kicked wildly, trying to break free. “It’s late. Let’s grab dinner together.” Hendrik smiled, carrying him toward the door, not wanting to waste a second. Even his tone was—unusually calm. And gentle. The little guy froze for a beat. Did this man change his stripes? He didn’t even want to settle accounts?! Fake. Has to be fake. He pressed his lips together and squirmed harder, the urge to escape spiking. “Jovienne’s waiting for me at home! Put me down, now!” “Then I’ll have someone bring her here to join us.” Hendrik’s mouth curled a fraction, clearly not planning to set the kid down. He’d thought that after their last honest, father-son talk, they’d made peace. At least the resistance shouldn’t still be this strong. But reality turned out completely different. “No!” the little guy shot back, cutting him off without hesitation. He’s been praying they don’t spend time together. If he gave in to the man’s wishes, wouldn’t he be pushing Jovienne into the fire pit again? No way. Absolutely not. “So you want to be alone with me?” Hendrik knew exactly what was running through his head, and teased him on purpose. “True, we’ve never had a father-son dinner—just us two.” “No, I don’t!” The little guy puffed up, saying no with his mouth, while his cheeks warmed against his will. He was shy. Ever since he was small, whenever he saw kids his age with their dads, he’d burn with envy. But to keep from hurting Jovienne, he’d always acted like he couldn’t care less. Over time, everyone around him assumed he didn’t need a dad to grow up happy—just like his name suggested. They didn’t know that deep down, he’d always been starving for a father’s love. Seeing the boy drift into thought, Hendrik lifted a brow. He let the smile fade and asked quietly, “Then tell me—what’s your real reason for coming here?” “…” Looks like there’s no dodging this topic. The little guy gave up and played it blunt. “I came to settle a score with you.” “Settle a score?” Hendrik blinked, thrown. He didn’t remember owing the kid anything. “Go on, what are you trying to settle?” “Are you planning to use those trashy outlets to force yourself and Jovienne together?” He was terrified she’d be taken from him. When he said it, his voice caught a little. His stubborn, prickly act didn’t mean he truly hated Hendrik. Didn’t he also long for a man who’d hold up the sky for Jovienne and Leonard? But he couldn’t trust this man. He was scared.