Meanwhile, Carmen was using Michael for ‘business’ while children were lining up for a photo with him; each photo op cost 50 bucks.
Michael was reluctant to show his face for ‘business’, but Carmen had become so good at it that her little bag was bulging with all the money she was collecting in secret.
Hope was recording accounts; Ashton was in charge of maintaining order; and Maisie was in charge of taking pictures since she had a good eye for it. This tenacious yet illegal team continued to grow stronger even though they had been banned a few times—they even managed to hire several new employees with very clear internal division of responsibilities.
The kindergarten had turned a blind eye toward their illegal activities since Carmen was the class representative and was very authoritative; ever since her popular dad went on ‘Where Are We Going, Dad?’, her popularity grew tremendously. Now, everyone called him ‘Daddy Taylor’.
The kindergarten teachers had repeatedly told Sophia that her daughter had the potential to be a leader—she was especially good at managing people, and her role as the class representative had the children behaving very obediently. Evidently, she had some strong genes.
Cooper realized that the children would come over to his side after they were done with Michael. He knew the flat fee for a picture was 50 bucks; he thought that he’d be worth 25 bucks at the very least, but he was actually a freebie.
Derek brought the nervous, skittish Albert to Michael as the young boy excitedly asked for a photo with ‘Daddy Taylor’.
He even dreamed of having a father like Taylor; his parents were always so busy with their work that they rarely talked to Albert.
When Carmen saw Albert, she pouted and said disapprovingly, “I don’t like him because he lifted my friends’ skirt! Daddy, don’t take pictures with naughty children!”
Albert scurried behind Derek and felt upset. Meanwhile, Sophia quickly chipped in and said, “It’s okay, let him take a picture just this once! Look, Al has already changed and doesn’t lift peoples’ skirts anymore. In the future, you can’t bully Al!”
Albert quickly nodded. He was a good boy and hadn’t caused any trouble lately.
Carmen pouted and said reluctantly, “Well… I won’t give you a discount, though!”
She took Albert’s 50 bucks into her pocket and glowered at him, looking as though Albert had defiled her father.
“Go on.”
Derek picked up Albert and placed him into Michael’s arms while Maisie took their photo.
As soon as the picture was taken, Carmen urged hastily and said, “Hurry down once you are done. There’s extra charges for extra time.”
Albert jumped up in excitement as Derek carried him to Cooper.
Cooper felt that the child seemed familiar when he saw Albert. He asked Derek, “Whose child is this?”
Derek replied straightforwardly, “This is Alex’s only son, Albert.”
He knew that Cooper would never take out his anger on Albert because of who his father was.
Sure enough, Cooper did not and even carried Albert into his arms for a photo.
After getting his photo taken with Cooper, he left happily together with Derek.
Meanwhile, Cooper stared at Albert and sighed.
“What are you sighing about?”
All of a sudden, Anna spoke up as she sat beside Cooper.
Cooper replied, “I’m just lamenting at how the once glorious Mitchell Family has fallen apart and I’m mostly responsible for it.”
If he hadn’t faked his death to escape, the Michell Family wouldn’t be in this current state.
That fateful year, he didn’t leave because the Michel Family was rich—it was just a way for him to escape reality.
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