Chapter 14 A New Son

• Despite the confusion in his mind, Rowan was still but a child after all. Then, he was reminded of his mother, Thea, who could be worried about him since he was gone for quite a while. At the thought of that, he scuttled toward the door and repeatedly knocked on it while whining helplessly. “Open the door and let me out of here! I should have known you guys weren’t good people. Let’s settle this man to man, devil! Release me! Stop locking me away like a coward! Oh, Mom, I miss you so much!”
• Standing outside the door, Gregory was about to console Rowan until he heard what the boy said next. No wonder Young Master Benedict has changed so much. It appears that he’s started to miss his mother again. Unfortunately, his mother is a mystery in the Jennings Manor.
• ……
• In the meantime, ‘Benedict’ and his family were enjoying their meal with some simple dishes and soup on the fifth floor at Tangerine Sea. At that moment, the boy glanced across the appetizing and aromatic dishes on the table, yet he somehow frowned in disapproval as he preferred something blander.
• “Why aren’t you eating?” Noticing Benedict’s unresponsiveness, Catherine asked, “I thought you said you were hungry, or do you not like my cooking?”
• Benedict pursed his lips and picked up a drumstick before taking his first bite. Soon, a spicy taste swept through his tongue and instantly numbed it. “Wow! This is spicy!”
• Upon forcing himself to swallow the chicken, the boy stuck out his tongue with his cheeks turning scarlet. Soon, Thea poured Benedict a glass of water and chuckled at him. “Spicy? You used to complain that Grandma’s cooking isn’t as spicy as the ones in the restaurant.”
• Benedict paused as he was drinking. So that boy, whose name is Rowan, can take spicy food, can’t he?
• “Well, that’s because your cooking is much better than usual this time.”
• Catherine was happy to hear Benedict’s compliment as she gladly placed a few more drumsticks on the boy’s plate. “Come on. Eat more since you like them so much. I’ll cook a few other dishes for you whenever I’m…”
• A bitter look flashed across Benedict’s face as he bashfully smiled and said, “Thank you, Grandma.”
• “Aw, you’re unusually kind and courteous, my boy.”
• Benedict smiled bashfully in response.
• “Alright, finish your meal now. If it’s too spicy, you could have some soup instead.”
• “Okay.”
• While the family finished their meal happily, Benedict tried his best to hide his cover. Nevertheless, as soon as he left the dining table, he quickly grabbed himself a glass of water to rinse his mouth in order to wash away the unfavorable taste in his mouth.
• As Thea and Catherine were busy putting away the dishes, Benedict somehow found a warm sense of belonging in the family that the Jennings Family lacked, even though their house was not even as big as a bathroom at the Jennings Manor.
• ……
• Since Benedict’s father wouldn’t usually coax him so patiently like Thea, the family began to grow on the boy. During bedtime, Benedict put on Rowan’s pajamas and proceeded to go to bed. Despite the pair of fitting pajamas, he seemed especially rigid. After all, he was used to sleeping alone, so his heart nervously beat non-stop as he hoped he wouldn’t blow his cover.
• Thea habitually rubbed the boy’s head and asked, “What bedtime story should I tell you?”
• “Oh, are you going to tell me another bedtime story again?” Benedict’s face came out of the blanket as he blinked.
• “Are you tired of bedtime stories?”
• “Oh, no. Of course not.” Benedict was afraid his reaction would cause her to misunderstand, so he quickly added, “I like all the stories you tell me.”
• Thea was touched by her son’s heartwarming words. Aw! This is my one and only darling boy who never fails to touch my heart. “Okay, we’ll continue the story about the city mouse and the country mouse that we left off earlier, alright?”
• “Alright.” Benedict scratched his head and moved further into Thea’s arms, with his face slowly blushing. Hearing Thea’s soothing voice, he felt as if that was the happiest moment in his life. Just before he was about to fall asleep, he held Thea’s shirt hem and asked, “Are you going to help design Young Master Benedict’s little birthday villa?” Deep down, he still hoped he could meet her even after returning home.
• “I don’t think so,” Thea positioned the boy’s head on her biceps and replied with a gentle voice.
• Upon hearing the lady’s reply, Benedict was no longer sleepy as his eyes widened in surprise. “Why? I thought you were appointed to take on the job.”
• Although Thea was unwilling to talk about work, Benedict seemed reluctant to change the subject. Thus, she helplessly explained, “Well, that’s because I made the little prince’s father unhappy, so he got angry and kicked me out of the project.”
• Upon hearing Thea, Benedict had his eyes filled with rage and dismay. How could Father replace my designer without my permission? Fine, I mustn’t let Miss Stratford suffer from this injustice.
• The next morning, Thea woke up early to make everyone breakfast just as Benedict got up not long after that, which was surprising to himself because he knew he would have slept in if it was in the Jennings Manor. Soon, Thea’s cell phone rang on the headboard, whereupon Benedict was about to pick it up and informed Thea about it. However, he caught a glimpse of the caller’s identity and swallowed his words because he knew that number familiarly. It’s Mr. Johns.
• In the meantime, Rowan hid in the toilet, crouching down while calling Thea with Gregory’s phone that he stole from him. I left my phone in Mommy’s bag last night, so I have no choice but to borrow Mr. Johns’ outdated phone. Ugh! This device is as heavy as a rock, but thankfully, it can still serve its purpose.
• After multiple attempts, Rowan’s calls went unanswered as he pouted in disappointment. On the verge of disappointment, his phone call was eventually picked up by someone. His eyes then lit up slightly before he went on and explained, “Mom, I didn’t mean to stay out the whole night last night, but I was kidnapped, so…”
• “I’m sorry, but this is not Miss Stratford. She’s unavailable at the moment because she is now busy in the kitchen.” Benedict cleared his throat and probingly asked, “A-Are you her son, Rowan Stratford?”
• Rowan’s eyes dilated in horror when he heard that voice. Sliding down the closed stool, he fixed his eyes on the screen in disbelief, only to realize he was indeed calling Thea’s number. In that instant, he appeared to be seen with a nervous expression while restlessly fanning his face with his hands. Soon, tears welled up in his eyes just when he asked, “Who are you? Why are you in my house?” I have only just been away from home for one night, and Mom didn’t go on looking for me. Instead, there is now another boy in the house. Am I my mother’s abandoned child now?
• “I’m from the Jennings Family, and my name is Benedict Jennings.” Benedict calmly said, “It was your mom who took me home.”
• Rowan angrily paced back and forth in the bathroom. “I want you to leave my home right now! Right away! You will stay away from my mother!”
• “That’s a wish I cannot grant.”
• “How could you…”
• “Miss Stratford is calling me for breakfast. See you.” Benedict hung up the call as soon as he finished his words.
• Rowan’s eyes turned red as he seemed like an abandoned child. Frustrated, he refused to give up and called back the number while gritting his teeth. “Sorry, the number you have called is out of service at the moment.” Despite his desperate attempt to reach Benedict, all he could hear was just the sound of recording because Benedict had already blocked his number.