The One He Dismissed Became The One He Died For novel Chapter 96

The little boy paused, his adorable face twisting into a serious frown. "—creepy weirdo."

Nathan hated children on a good day, and having his romantic setup interrupted made him furious. "Whose wild brat is this? Get the hell out of here!"

Startled by the shouting, Toby shrank behind Claire.

She shot Nathan a warning look. "He's just a child. There's no need to yell."

"So what if he's a kid? He's a little bastard with zero manners!" Nathan roared.

"If the children of the Zimmerman family lack manners, the Langford household must be a true paragon of etiquette."

The terrifyingly cold voice drifted from behind the screen as Miles stepped into view.

"Toby. Come here."

His sharp gaze swept across the table, locking onto the open business contract sitting in front of Claire.

The ice in his eyes deepened, and a deeply cynical smirk touched his lips.

Of course. She was always angling for a deal.

"Uncle Miles..." Toby didn't want to leave Claire's side, but the incredibly dark look in his uncle's eyes scared him. He quickly scurried over and grabbed Miles's leg.

The second Nathan saw Miles, he practically scrambled out of his chair in a blind panic.

"Mr. Zimmerman! I—I had no idea! This is all a huge misunderstanding..."

Nathan bowed so low he practically snapped in half, desperately trying to do damage control. "I was blind! I'm the one with no manners, it's my fault!"

He wanted to slap himself across the face.

He shot Claire a venomous glare. This bitch definitely knew the kid belonged to the Zimmermans! She deliberately set me up to look like an idiot.

Miranda Zimmerman stepped out, crossing her arms. She radiated pure corporate dominance. "My son's upbringing is none of your concern. Furthermore, the Zimmerman family will no longer concern itself with any future partnerships involving Langford Construction."

The rejection was swift, absolute, and merciless.

Inside the sleek black SUV, the heater was running on full blast.

Toby sat next to Miranda, pouting as he stared out the rain-streaked window.

"I didn't even get to say goodbye to Goddess Claire! Uncle Miles is so mean! I don't like him anymore."

"Toby, behave," Miranda gently reprimanded.

The little boy's lip quivered. Looking genuinely upset, he buried his face in his mother's lap and refused to speak.

Miranda had already picked up on the palpable shift in the dynamic between her brother and Claire.

She glanced out the window, casually remarking, "The Azure Pavilion is quite out of the way. With rain this heavy, she's not going to be able to hail a cab."

Miles kept his eyes locked firmly on the road ahead. His voice was absolute ice.

"That has nothing to do with me."