The head of the orphanage wore a troubled smile, twisting his head to glance at the little boy sitting on the single bed, then looking over to the child nestled in Joshua's arms.
After a moment of consideration, he began, "Both of these kids, they're on the autism spectrum. They've been left here since they were very young, without much love and care, which has affected them psychologically."
"What did you say? He's autistic?" Joshua's expression turned serious, his gaze briefly landing on the little boy trembling in his embrace.
Struck with disbelief and shaken by the news, Joshua asked, "How old was he when he was left at the orphanage?"
"He was found in the woods right in front of the orphanage. When we found him, he was just a little over a month old," the headmaster explained truthfully.
A little over a month old?
Those words hit Joshua like a freight train, his grip around the child involuntarily tightening.
He couldn't believe Susan could be so heartless, to abandon her child when he was just a month old!
He thought, at the very least, she would wait until the child was a year old before leaving him at the orphanage!
But no, she couldn't wait to get rid of him as soon as he was born!
Meaning, the child was over two years old now, and Susan had only looked after him for a little over a month!
What kind of a heartless woman could abandon her own child?
"Did Susan, the child's mother, ever come to see him? Did the orphanage ever allow her to take him back?" Joshua asked further.
"You mean, the woman who was just taken away by the police, is the child's biological mother?" The headmaster seemed even more surprised than Joshua.
But it took Susan more than two years to show up, and she barely visited, which led the headmaster to believe she was indeed interested in adoption, not a family reunion.
Joshua understood then, Susan was only using the child to manipulate him, to threaten him for her own gain, which is why she returned to the orphanage.
She never really cared for the child!
"Alright, I understand," Joshua said, his demeanor as authoritative as it was in his business, addressing the headmaster, "I'll be taking the child with me today. Please start the paperwork as soon as you can."
"Mr. Whitman, are you planning to adopt the child?" the headmaster asked, a hint of hope in his voice.
As the head of the orphanage, his greatest wish was for each child to find a warm and loving home.
"I am his biological father. My child was taken from me, and I've only just found him," Joshua stated.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet (Thalassa and Elowen)
Is this the end of the story...
Thanks for completing this beautiful story May you always prosper....
Waiting to hear how the grandfather behaves going forwards. Thanks for updating...
This story is splendid. Thanks so much....
I find Hertha extremely childish.poor Alaric one woman is childish the other one is domineering and a liar.poor guy.please get the Thalassa and Lysander story back...
Crossing my fingers. Thanks so kuch...
Please remove the inappropriate ads on here I don’t want to see them I just want to read this amazing story thank you....
Oh thanks for this beautiful novel updates. At last the man's legs are healed....
Hertha needs to tell Alaric everything and quit giving a hard time ....
Hertha is being childish.thanks for the updates...