Cayden had one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding his cigarette between his fingers. Instead of extending his hand out the window to flick the ashes away, he did so to beckon his son over.
Zachary went to his father without a clue.
“Do you think she'll become your mother just because you want her to be?” questioned Cayden while staring intently at Zachary.
At first, the boy did not understand what Cayden meant, so he scratched his head confusedly. When Zachary finally got it, he lowered his head and pouted disappointedly. “I guess that means she's unwilling to be our mother.”
Cayden furrowed his eyebrows as he watched Zachary walk away with downcast eyes. Then, he looked into the distance and parted his lips slightly to take a drag.
With no child blocking its way any longer, the black Land Rover moved forward.
When Zachary reached the living room, he slumped miserably onto the couch and flung off his slippers.
“What's going on? Why the sad face?” Kendrick finally came out of hiding and obviously had no idea what had happened. Has the hard-to-pull-off plan failed?
“Ms. Ery's not interested in being our mother at all,” replied Zachary in a heartbreaking tone before tears began to roll down his cheeks.
The boy spoke as if he had been orphaned.
According to his logic as an adult, Kendrick assumed that Avery was still mad at Cayden. They're still giving each other the cold shoulders? If even the plan can't bring them back together, it means Cayden's a horrible boyfriend or just a horrible man in general. Would it kill him to admit that he was wrong?
“Crying isn't going to help. If you want somebody to blame, blame your father. That man's as cold as ice!” Kendrick did not have to work, so he always thought about how to kill his time. However, he did not have to do so that day because he had decided to help solve Cayden's family problem.
Zachary looked at Kendrick as if his uncle was his savior, making the man feel the weight of his responsibility.
“Do you know where Avery lives?” Kendrick planned to drop Zachary off at Avery's house because he did not think she would leave the boy outside.
“Ms. Ery moved to a new place, and I've never been there.”
“That's okay. I'm going to ask around, and when I find her, I'll send you over. We can't depend on your father, so it's all on you now,” stated Kendrick before taking out his phone.
Zachary gulped before informing, “Ms. Ery's on a blind date.”
Upon hearing that, Kendrick immediately stopped dialing. “What? Who told you that?”
“Daddy did...”
Suddenly, the two heard the sound of a car driving in, and they looked outside.
Parked at the gate to the Moore residence was a black Bentley RV, from which Xavier stepped out.
The man walked inside and nodded at Kendrick before shifting his attention to Zachary. “Where would you like to go for fun today, Mr. Zachary? Just tell me, and I'll get you there.”
Kendrick thought for two seconds after hearing Xavier and gestured to his nephew.
“Well... I want to...” Zachary deliberately spoke slowly so that he had enough time to guess what Kendrick was trying to tell him. “I want to visit Ms. Ery.”
“About that...” Xavier seemed troubled because he was unsure how to respond to the boy.
Before he arrived at the scene, Xavier had received a call from Cayden, who had ordered, “When you're done with your work, head over to the Moore residence to pick up Rory and Zachary. Take them anywhere they want to go for fun.”
Xavier knew the family well. The children grew up with neither their mother nor great-grandmother. Their grandmother was the only female relative they had, but the woman cared more about her fashion events than her grandchildren. She would rather spend time with the other socialites than with Zachary and Rory. Boss is cold toward everyone, no matter if they're family or not. Even though the man loves his children, he doesn't know how to express it.
Xavier only cast his work aside right after he got the order because he knew Cayden rarely compromised to care for the children.
Even though Xavier believed it would be better for Cayden to spend time with the children instead of asking him to do it, he was glad that his boss had finally taken the first step to becoming a better father after five years. After all, it would be unreasonable for him to expect the unqualified father to improve so much in such a short time.
Since Cayden had only ordered him to take the children out for fun but said nothing about visiting Avery, Xavier thought it would be okay to take them to the woman. After all, Avery was the only woman who caught Boss' eyes after so many years.
After some thought, Xavier responded cautiously, “Of course, you can go see Ms. Avery. But have you guys agreed on where to meet?”
Zachary shook his head pitifully before looking at Kendrick with puppy-dog eyes to beg for help.
Kendrick beckoned Xavier over so that he could whisper into the man's ear. “You know how my brother is, right? He's cold and difficult to get along with. Avery and Cayden recently had a fight, and my brother refused to apologize. That's why they're giving each other the silent treatment.”
Xavier's eyes widened in surprise when he heard Kendrick. Boss and Ms. Rumpley are giving each other the silent treatment? Mr. Kendrick sounded as if he's met Ms. Rumpley before. So does that mean Boss has introduced her to the family already? Not only did she get the approval of the children but also the entire Moore family, huh? If Ms. Rumpley is giving Boss the cold shoulders, and he refuses to apologize, then I think I know what I have to do as his subordinate.
“Got it.” Xavier nodded at Kendrick before shifting his attention back to Zachary. “It'd be my pleasure to send you to meet with Ms. Avery.”
“But I don't know where she is. She went on a blind date.” Zachary scratched his head troubledly again.
When he heard that, Xavier was completely stunned. Ms. Rumpley went on a blind date just because she and Boss are at odds with each other?
However, he knew what to do to help the situation. After all, the man would not have become an assistant if he did not have problem-solving capabilities.
Xavier called Cecelia, and as soon as the woman picked up, he questioned straightforwardly, “Where's Avery Rumpley from your team right now?”
“I don't know because she took the day off,” replied Cecelia honestly. “What's wrong?”
Instead of answering that question, Xavier ordered, “Do whatever you can to find out where she is. I need her specific location. Call me when you have the information.” When the man finished his sentence, he hung up.
Meanwhile, at a fancy restaurant, Brodie took a seat and asked the waiter to get him a menu.
While Avery and the man were going through the menu, her phone suddenly rang. “Sorry, I need to take this.”
“It's fine. Go ahead.” Brodie was an easy-going person.
Avery answered the phone call, and Cecelia voiced, “Where are you, Ery? We have an emergency here, so I need to know where you are right now. You don't have to come to work; I just need your location so that I can ask someone to deliver a flash drive to you.”
Avery did not think having someone deliver her a flash drive would disrupt her blind date, so she decided to tell Cecelia her location as requested.
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