Their legs were blocked by the stairs, so Caden, being short, could not see. Tanya took advantage of this by viciously stomping on Vincent’s foot. Naturally, it hurt, but he didn’t dodge, only lowered his eyes to look at her, his peach blossom eyes filled with complex emotions. As if he couldn’t bear to part with her. But Tanya knew better than anyone, just how heartless he could be. He was merely skilled at feigning affection. Tanya shot Vincent a fierce look, worried about scaring Caden, she simply said, "Daddy is drunk and acting foolish." Vincent raised an eyebrow coldly, seeing Tanya was being pushed to her limits, even the corners of her eyes were tinged with anger. He slightly pursed his lips, and finally released the hold he had on her. Once free, the woman in his arms dashed away, dragging Caden upstairs without looking back. Caden turned back to look at him, confused, but Tanya only showed him an indifferent side profile, not even sparing a glance... Vincent narrowed his eyes. She’s really grown bold! He had indeed been drinking, but the alcohol wasn’t enough to make him lose control. The true cause of his loss of composure tonight was Tanya! ’Vincent, let’s divorce.’ Her cool, indifferent voice exploded in his mind again. Vincent’s large hand clenched at his side, the ceiling light cast a shadow on his pronounced brow bone, creating a dark shadow around his eyes. A cold laugh escaped Vincent’s throat. Did she forget how she used to cling to him relentlessly, unable to be driven away? Now that she got what she wanted, she wants a divorce? Even if there were a day for divorce, it should be him—Vincent Hawthorne—to call it! Vincent took a deep breath, raising a hand to press on his vaguely aching stomach. Just as he was about to head upstairs, his phone on the downstairs sofa rang first. Vincent glanced upstairs, then turned to head down and retrieve his phone first. No rush, the night was still long... Tanya walked into the room, intending to lock the door, but upon seeing Caden’s eager little face, she hesitated and gave up on the idea. She patted her son’s head, giving him a gentle smile, then walked over to Joy’s princess bed. Joy was sleeping drowsily there, her little face flushed, one hand resting outside the blanket, still bearing the mark of an IV needle. Just looking at her daughter’s pitiful state, Tanya’s heart ached. She checked Joy’s pulse, examined her eyes and little stomach. There was no major issue. She relaxed a little. "Caden, do you know Dr. Sullivan’s phone number?" Ian Sullivan had just treated Joy, and being a doctor, he would be best suited to explain Joy’s diagnosis. "I know!" Caden, who had been leaning on the bed edge, holding his sister’s hand with concern, immediately recited a string of numbers upon hearing Tanya’s question. Tanya called Ian Sullivan on her phone. Ian picked up quickly: "Hello, this is Ian Sullivan." "Dr. Sullivan, I’m..." almost saying Mrs. Hawthorne out of habit, the words caught in her throat, Tanya stopped herself, instead saying, "I’m Tanya Sinclair, Joy’s mom. I want to understand your diagnosis better." The differences in diagnosis between Eastern and Western medicine are significant, particularly because Western medicine relies more on modern equipment, which can sometimes be more precise. Ian, being astute, immediately detected the unusual introduction Tanya gave herself. He realized she disliked being called Mrs. Hawthorne and smoothly went along with it. "Joy’s mom, don’t worry too much. Joy has a naturally weak stomach. Foods that are normal for most kids can upset her stomach. Today was unusually severe, though, with accompanying bloating..." Ian paused, then shared his speculation, "One possibility is that someone slipped a small dose of laxative into her food." Tanya’s hand tightened on her phone. She had noticed something off when checking Joy herself but hadn’t been sure. Ian’s words clarified things for her. "I understand, thank you, Dr. Sullivan." "What’s wrong with my sister?" The moment Tanya put down her phone, Caden anxiously asked. Tanya nonchalantly reassured her son, "It’s nothing serious, she just ate something bad. It’s the weekend tomorrow and the day after; with some rest, she’ll be completely better by Monday." Caden frowned in confusion, "But how could she eat something bad? Aunt Tawny prepares all our meals according to the recipe... Could Joy have eaten something given by someone else?" Caden rested his chin on his hand, sighing like an old soul, "Looks like I’ll need to keep a closer eye on this greedy girl at school!" Looking at her sensible son, Tanya felt warmth in her heart. She saw the self-blame in Caden, too. Perhaps the Hawthornes had given him too much instruction, had too high expectations. He was only five but already learning to shoulder many responsibilities. "Sweetie, you’ve done very well. It’s the adults’ responsibility to protect you and your sister." Caden looked down at his shoelaces, murmuring, "I don’t need protection. Grandma and the others say I’m a genius. A genius has to take on more responsibilities; I need to care for my sister, and in the future, I want Zenith Group to become the best." That’s how they had taught him from a young age. Tanya’s chest ached sharply with sadness. What do they take her son for? A tool of the family? Official source is novel·fıre·net How much resentment must he have swallowed to become so understanding? She was a prodigy too, but her grandfather, Horace Sinclair, had taught her to hide her talents to prevent being used by malicious people! It wasn’t until she went to college, when she could control her life, that her grandfather allowed her to reveal her talents! Now, Tanya finally understood her grandfather’s good intentions. She fought back the sadness, pulling her son into her arms. "Sweetheart, Mom doesn’t want you to be a genius. I just want you to live a peaceful, healthy, and happy life." Tanya cupped Caden’s little face, smiling through tears, "Mom will protect you." "..." Caden’s eyes trembled, unable to understand the emotions in Tanya’s eyes, yet he felt a foreign warmth spreading through his heart. He instinctively reached out a little hand to gently touch Tanya’s face, and Tanya tilted her head slightly, placing her face into his palm. The love in her eyes was so abundant and gentle that Caden shyly withdrew his hand, taking a few steps toward his small bed before stopping. "Well..." He turned back, big eyes blinking at Tanya. Unable to hold it in, he quickly asked what was on his mind, "...Will you sneak away while I’m asleep?" Caden quickly denied it, "It’s not like I would miss you, I’m just asking..." "I won’t leave." Tanya softly interrupted his worry, her voice firm yet gentle, "Mom will stay with you tonight. I promise." Hearing her say this, Caden felt slightly reassured. He climbed into bed, covering himself up with his little blanket. Tanya went over to tuck him in, then walked out to the balcony with her phone, scrolling through her contacts for Joy’s teacher, Ms. Underwood’s number. The wind was strong on the balcony, blowing her hair messily. Tanya swept the strands from her eyes and saw a car parked outside the villa gate. In the moonlight, Vincent’s silhouette moved toward the car. The driver got out, courteously opening the rear car door for him. Tanya turned away indifferently. Heading out in the middle of the night, leaving behind a sick daughter, was something only a despicable man like Vincent would do. Yet, in the next moment, Vincent’s two messages popped up on her WeChat. Tanya expressionlessly clicked them open...