William sighed heavily, "This has gotta be against the family code, right? If the Stirlings find out my dad has been keeping the truth under wraps, they're gonna blame him for sure. Uncle Leopold's the head honcho, and he's bound to take it out on my dad, enforce the family code."
Skyler scratched his head, "I don't think Leopold would do that. You're seeing the glass as half empty. Plus, he's putty in Angel's hands, and if she's not on board, he won't budge."
William grimaced, "As if he listens to Mom. He's always picking fights with her, getting under her skin. Why else would she bail on him and leave?"
Skyler was taken aback, "That's all Geoffrey's fault. He drove a wedge between them. Leopold's really into Angel, and she's got a soft spot for him, too."
William furrowed his brow, "Mom's got a soft spot for my dad as well."
Skyler heaved a sigh, "I'm not exactly Team Mom and Dad myself because they're no good. But Leopold's a decent guy, not a villain. Why not give him a chance to be your dad?"
"No way." William pouted, "I only want my real dad. Ever since those creeps snatched me from the hospital, he's not my dad anymore."
Skyler was troubled and thought, “Poor Leopold. If only he knew Liam was still alive, he'd be over the moon.”
"Alright, keep mulling it over." replied Skyler.
William slumped back onto the couch, "Skyler, how about we keep listening to those spooky tunes?"
Skyler waved him off, "Nah, let's call it a night. I'm not getting anything from it, and it's messing with my sleep."
"Okay." William nodded and retreated to his room.
Feeling peckish, Skyler headed downstairs to the kitchen for a snack. To his surprise, he ran into Leopold, who was whipping up some beef stew for Aurelia, and she had a craving for his home-cooked specialty.
The aroma hit Skyler, and he swallowed hard, "Leopold, that stew smells amazing."
Leopold could tell he was hungry, "I'll get some for you too."
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