Chapter 10
At Sylvia’s residence, after sending Liam off, she brought Isabel inside and spent the better half of the day coaxing her. No matter what she did, the kid continued pouting and was in a dismal mood.
Sylvia was running out of ideas.
It was right then that Isabel’s phone rang. Liam was calling.
She immediately picked up the call.
Sylvia could not tell what was said on the other end of the phone, but a wide smile quickly surfaced on the kid’s face and she immediately beamed with joy.
She was chanting repeatedly, “Okay, okay, let’s meet tomorrow!”
Sylvia was clueless.
Shortly after, Isabel hung up the phone and jumped into Sylvia's arms while exclaiming enthusiastically, "Mommy, Brother will pick me up tomorrow, and we will play at his house! He told me that there is no need to worry because he won’t let them find out that I’m your dear daughter and that I’m his sister.”
Sylvia was shocked by this piece of information.
She never expected Liam to take such an approach.
Perhaps things would turn out fine. Considering their combined wit, the old madam probably would not discover Isabel’s true identity.
Isabel was already hopping up and down with excitement.
There was not much Sylvia could say or do by this point. She could only put Isabel to bed so that she could get enough rest for the next morning.
…
The next morning, the two bodyguards who always accompanied Liam arrived.
Sylvia spoke to Isabel briefly before sending her to the car.
The car quickly drove out of the neighborhood and arrived at the Carters' in less than half an hour.
Isabel's eyes widened as she curiously surveyed her new surroundings.
So, this was where her brother lived.
Soon, she saw Liam standing by the door.
Liam was wearing a neat little suit and stood like a mighty statue. A faint smile appeared on his face when he saw Isabel.
He had been waiting for her arrival.
"Brother!" Isabel immediately lunged at him.
Liam nearly fell over.
The endearing scene made the old butler and the other servants nearby chuckle merrily.
The little girl strongly insisted on calling him brother. Being the ball of joy and passion that she was, it was no surprise that she got along so well with the usually lonesome Liam.
After the two regained their footing, Liam brought Isabel to the living room.
Inside the living room, Isabel saw an old lady sitting on the couch. She was a plainly dressed aged lady with beads of silver hair draping down her neck while she seemed to always wear a kindly expression.
Liam introduced, “Isabel, this is Grandma."
Isabel’s eyes folded into crescent moons as she greeted politely, "Hello, Grandma. My name is Isabel."
Madam Carter was immediately enamored by her eyes that turned into crescents when she smiled.
Not only were her eyes beautiful, but her chubby, plump cheeks also reminded her of Liam’s. Anyone who was none the wiser would assume the two were siblings.
Considering that Isabel was her favorite great-grandson’s best friend, she had all the reason in the world to shower Isabel with affection.
“Hi there! Come over and let Grandma hug you." She put the teacup in her hands down and stretched out her arms towards Isabel.
Isabel looked at Liam quizzically.
He nodded at her.
Before long, Isabel found herself within the arms of the old madam.
She was like a tiny bolster, and her body produced such a sweet, milky fragrance.
The old madam simply could not get enough of hugging her.
It was right then when the sounds of footsteps trotting came from outside the door.
"Grandma, I’m here to see Liam.” Odell entered.
The old madam frowned and reluctantly let go of Isabel.
Isabel turned her head around to inspect the newcomer. She was greeted with the sight of a tall and handsome man in a suit.
Her eyes glowed until she remembered that this handsome man was the evil man who had left her mother behind.
Then, she puffed up her cheeks and looked at him.
Odell exchanged a glance with her as well.
He noted that the child was roughly the same height as Liam, but she was slightly chubbier than him. This was especially notable in her plump, round cheeks. Furthermore, her eyes were also shaped like two large saucers.
Although he was unsure of the strange hostility the girl displayed toward him, he did feel a strange sort of familiarity with her.
He even felt an urge to hug her.
Odell grinned. "Why are you staring at me?"
His voice was low, and one could sense his authority concealed underneath his casual tone.
Isabel resisted the urge to jump at this person and bite him. Then, she answered curtly, “Because you’re terribly handsome.”
Odell's mouth twitched slightly. He was not sure how to respond to this sudden compliment.
Madam Carter was amused by this exchanged and laughed heartily. She proceeded to introduce them, “Odell, this is Isabel. She is Liam’s best friend.”
Then, she said to Isabel, “Isabel, he is Liam’s father."
Isabel greeted Odell with a slight reservation, "Hello, sir."
Odell nodded to her and turned to Madam Carter, "Grandma, I'll take them out to play so that you can have time for yourself at home.”
Madam Carter answered, "Okay."
This was when Liam suddenly interjected, "I don’t want to go out. I want to play with her at home."
Odell threatened in a harsh tone, "You want to say that again?"
Liam pursed his lips.
Madam Carter told Liam, “Liam, be a good boy and go out with your dad.” This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.
Liam kept a frown on his face and remained silent.
Madam Carter sighed.
She was very fond of Isabel and was sad to see her go. However, she did not want to drive any further distance between Odell and Liam.
She turned to Isabel, “Isabel, why don’t you go have fun with Liam and his dad? Don’t be shy. Just treat Master Carter as a member of your family.”
Isabel shot Odell a dark look. She would never want to share family relations with such an awful person.
However, it was clear that Liam had not much choice.
She had to compromise in the end. “Okay, Great-grandma.”
…
Half an hour later, in a famous amusement park in Westchester City.
Odell bought them VIP tickets and brought the kids in. Isabel zoomed around the park and dragged Liam with her everywhere she went. She was like a kite detached from its string.
They finally had enough after trying nearly all of the attractions in the park.
Isabel's face was beet red from the heat and adrenaline, and the bangs on her forehead were soaked with sweat.
Liam was also sweating profusely.
Odell, who had been sitting and waiting for the large part of the day, produced a clean handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to them.
Liam took it and wiped Isabel's face with it.
She thanked him tenderly, "Thank you, bro."
"You're welcome."
This time, Isabel took the handkerchief and wiped away his sweat with it.
Liam’s lips curled into a wide grin.
Isabel said with a smile, “You’re welcome.”
The two kids were lost in their world, and it was as despite being next to them, Odell did not exist at all.
After she was done with the handkerchief, she turned to Odell.
She returned the handkerchief to him and said to him, “Thank you for your handkerchief, scary uncle.”
Odell pulled a face and told her, "You're welcome."
Although the girl had been calling him "scary uncle" all day, Liam had gradually softened up to him throughout the day and the girl’s tone had also become noticeably friendlier.
After giving the two some water, Odell was about to bring them to leave the amusement park.
As soon as they let the entrance, a petite figure approached them.
“Odell!” It was Tara who was all dressed up. She went up and wrapped herself around Odell’s arm.