Ta-da-dak. Ta-da-dak.
A faint unpleasant noise was heard. Ashley glanced down to check the source of the sound. Grayson, sitting across from her, had one foot sticking out of the small, ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) round tea table and was shaking wildly. Ashley clicked her tongue in her mouth and furrowed her brow. Again... ... .
Grayson, who noticed Ashley’s frowning face and gaze, quickly stopped shaking his leg. Ashley said nothing as she watched her son, who smiled as if nothing had happened.
He had never had this habit, so why did it turn out like this?
Since Grayson’s specialty and lifestyle was imitating people around him, it was clear that this was also a habit that someone around him had. And that someone was most likely Dane Striker.
“Don’t be too hard on Grayson.”
Ashley, who had let out a short sigh after recalling Koi’s request, opened her mouth.
“Don’t act rudely.”
“Yes, Papa.”
Grayson’s reaction was the same as usual, even though he spoke in a more gentle tone than usual. Ashley felt a sense of doubt as she watched him smile and answer nonchalantly. Was it really right for him to listen to her?
However, the reason he was sitting here like this, enduring the jet lag, was not to suspect and monitor his son like usual. He decided not to mention it any more and changed the subject.
“You guys must have seen that article.”
Grayson hesitated when he directly brought up the main topic, but soon returned to his previous expression.
“Yes, unfortunately, the picture was taken. I’m sorry.”
So that’s why you came. Grayson soon realized why they were visiting. What should I say now...? As he was quickly racking his brain, Ashley opened his mouth.
“You don’t have to apologize.”
Grayson blinked at the quiet voice. If it had been before, he would have been angry and asked what was going on, but his attitude was so calm now.
“Aren’t you going to ask what’s going on?”
When Grayson asked curiously, Ashley responded indifferently.
“There’s no need to talk about your child’s sex life.”
This was also an unexpected reaction. When Grayson closed his mouth, Ashley stroked his chin with her second finger and thought for a moment.
〈Let’s go back and think slowly about what Grayson needs.〉
She tried to recall what Koi had said, but nothing came to mind.
I wonder if she knows best.
“......Ahem.”
Grayson straightened his posture again at the sound of a short cough. This time, it seemed like she was finally going to say something. As she waited with that thought, Ashley finally spoke.
“It seems like this has gotten quite noisy. Are you uncomfortable?”
“......Uh.”
Grayson’s eyes gradually widened. Ashley felt embarrassed when she saw her son’s reaction. Was I being too harsh?
Grayson resembled Dominique the most among Ashley’s children. As he grew up, it became a fact close to certainty, and even Bernice couldn’t deny it. That’s why Ashley sometimes felt goosebumps when she saw her son, thinking that her father had come back to life... ... .
Wasn’t it just a prejudice?
It was only natural that Grayson resembled him. It was his blood. Nathaniel also had traces of Dominique. His shadow remained in Stacy, Chase, Larien, and Bliss. It was just that it was particularly strong in Grayson.
〈But he’s our child.〉
She seemed to hear Koi whispering. Ashley felt cold sweat on her palms and clenched and unclenched her fists under the table. Grayson’s mind was confused as he watched him. Why is Papa doing that?
“Grayson.”
“Yes.”
After a long time, Ashley called him. Grayson immediately answered the quiet voice.
“The reporters will all be gone by tomorrow. I told Nathaniel to take action.”
“Uh... yes, thank you.”
Grayson greeted him, taken aback by the unexpected words. When the Miller children’s accidents got too heated, the family’s secretarial team would always take action to quietly quell them. However, it was unusual for Ashley to give instructions before the secretarial team could. And she even had Nathaniel do it.
Silence fell again. Suddenly, Ashley realized that it was very awkward to talk to her son. What kind of conversations had they had up until now?
“Ha.”
He sighed softly and looked at his son sitting across from him before speaking.
“So, do you need anything?”
Grayson finally accepted that he was sincere when the question was repeated earlier. It was still hard to believe.
“Did you come to check on me in case I was in trouble?”
Ashley frowned again at her son who asked without hiding his surprised expression. Then she wanted to complain, asking why I came all the way here, but instead he said something else.
“Yeah, Koi said he wanted to give me a gift and I thought it would be better to check the situation myself.”
He didn’t say that he came all the way here because he was swayed by Koi’s persuasion. He was already deeply troubled by what he had seen with his own eyes.
“There’s a little problem.”
Grayson said with a smile. He couldn’t miss this opportunity, even though he didn’t know what kind of change in his mind it was. Ashley stared at her son with a serious expression. After hearing Grayson’s words, he soon made a dumbfounded expression.
“That’s all?”
“Yes, it’s nothing?”
Grayson said with another smile.
“But it’s a big problem for me.”
Ashley stared at Grayson’s face for a moment before looking away.
“Okay, I’ll tell the chief. Is there anything else you need?”
“Nothing right now. Thank you for listening.”
Grayson finished politely. Up until this point, Ashley had taught him the same attitude and words. Looking at him like this, his son didn’t seem to have changed at all.
But if what I saw was right... ... .
“Grayson.”
“Yes, Papa.”
To his quiet call, he answered immediately this time as well. Surprisingly, Ashley didn’t continue right away, but just looked at his son’s face for a while. As if he was choosing what to say.
Grayson waited for him to open his mouth, puzzled by the unfamiliar behavior. After a strange silence, Ashley spoke.
“I have something to tell you.”
Knock, knock, and Dane opened the door a moment later. He glanced at Ashley standing in front of the door and Grayson behind him, then stepped aside.
“Ash, Grayson. Did you finish talking?”
Ashley nodded expressionlessly at Koi’s question, and Grayson smiled as usual. Koi hugged Dane with a regretful face and patted his back.
“It was nice to meet you, Dane. I’m sorry I came late when you must be tired.”
“No, it was nice to meet you too.”
To his surprise, Dane smiled and greeted him warmly. Grayson looked around the room through the open door and immediately knew why. There was an unwrapped gift box on the bed.
It had to be Darling’s stuff again.
It was rare for Dane’s face to relax like that. “What on earth did he buy me? I have to find out and use it as a reference next time,” he said, as Koi released his arms and looked up at him.
“Please take good care of Grayson.”
Koi then looked back at Grayson with eyes full of love. Dane, who saw that face, thought of all the compliments Koi had been giving him just now.
How can you say that your children are like angels when their nicknames are all Satan, a rascal, a pervert, a crazy dog, a con artist, and a poisoned marshmallow?
Dane, who had thought of the nicknames of the six Miller siblings he had seen in an article, shook his head. Koi, who had been busy hugging Grayson, said goodbye to his son and looked back at Dane.
“You don’t have to come out. We’re going to go now, so take a rest.”
Ashley seemed to have the same thought, so she nodded briefly and turned around. Dane didn’t follow her, but simply waved and went into the room.
“Wait a minute!”
At that moment, Grayson, who had been left alone in the hallway, suddenly barged into Dane’s room. He passed by Dane, who frowned and said, and headed straight for the bed. He looked inside the box and spoke out loud.
“Cat clothes?”
While he was stunned by the ridiculous gift, Dane, who had come in behind him, smiled broadly and took out a cute dress.
“Yes, a luxury cat suit from France. I made it all by hand.”
He smiled and took out the dress and a small crown, muttering contentedly.
“I like Koi. Your daddy is not so great though.”
Dane looked back at Darling, who was lying asleep on the cushion, and put the gift back in the box. After bathing the cat over the weekend, he put on new clothes and started humming to himself at the thought of taking lots of pictures.
“What did your dad say? Wasn’t there anything?”
“Oh.”
Grayson finally cleared his throat when the attention returned to him.
“Yes. He asked me if I needed anything.”
Dane, who was organizing boxes, stopped. His eyes were wide as he turned his head.
“You, no way.......”
Grayson nodded confidently, looking at the expectant face.
“I told you to let us volunteer together instead of separately. Starting tomorrow, we’ll be together!”
At that moment, the veins in Dane’s temples stood out.
“Hey, you idiot!”
