---
Lucian was walking when he heard a commotion. At first, he intended to ignore it. But something tugged at his chest, urging him to stop.
When he turned, he saw a woman raising her hand to slap a boy who stood silently with his head down. Without thinking, Lucian moved. He stepped forward quickly and caught the woman's wrist in mid-air, holding it firmly in place.
Charlie, bracing himself for the sting of the slap, waited… but when nothing came, he slowly lifted his head. His eyes locked with Lucian's.
Both of them froze.
Lucian's eyes widened, his grip faltering. He dropped the woman's hand in shock. Charlie's expression mirrored his—surprise, confusion, almost disbelief.
This man… he looks so much like me, Charlie thought.
Penelope scoffed, looking between them. "Ah, so you must be his father?"
The word struck them both like lightning.
"Father? Impossible…" Charlie thought, stunned.
"Son?! What is this woman even talking about? Can't two people look alike anymore?" Lucian thought, equally unsettled.
Penelope sneered. "So you're the one who sent your son to steal my necklace. Look—it's even broken!"
Lucian's jaw tightened as he turned his gaze on her. "Ma'am, this must be a misunderstanding. How much is the necklace worth?"
She snorted. "Hah, and how could you possibly afford this?"
"If you tell me the amount, I'll take care of it," Lucian replied flatly.
"Since you're so eager to know—it's worth 3.5 million dollars."
"Alright." Lucian pulled out his phone without hesitation. "Your account number."
Penelope smirked and rattled off the digits: "2024334590."
A beep echoed from her phone. She glanced down.
"Four… four million?!" She stared at him in disbelief. "How—"
But Lucian ignored her and simply dragged Charlie away from the scene.
---
After they had walked a while, Lucian stopped and turned to him.
"Hey, kid—"
"My name is Charlie," the boy interrupted.
Lucian arched a brow. "Alright then, Charlie. Where are your parents?"
Charlie's eyes sharpened. "First, sir, I don't disclose my parents' information to strangers. Second, what happened back there was a misunderstanding—I just bumped into her and she started accusing me. Third… thank you for stepping in. I appreciate it."
Lucian studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. You're welcome."
Charlie gave a small bow. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way."
"You sure you know your way around here?" Lucian asked.
"Yes," Charlie replied. "My uncle gave me a full tour. And even if I get lost, I can always call my butler."
Lucian's brows lifted slightly. "Wait—you have a butler? Does that mean…"
"Yeah," Charlie said casually, "my parents are super rich."
"Then why did you let that woman bully you?"
Charlie gave a faint smile. "Hmm… I prefer silence. Let people boast about themselves—it doesn't matter. No matter how big they think they are, they can never surpass my family. That's just a fact."
---
As the two of them walked side by side, a group of passersby began to whisper.
🗣 "Wow… they look so cute together."
🗣💖 "I know, right? His father is so handsome."
🗣 "I wish I could snap a picture of this adorable father-and-son moment."
🗣💖 "Don't! That would invade their privacy."
🗣 "True… but that kid is so cute, I just want to hug him."
🗣💖 "Me too!"
Charlie lowered his head, frowning. What is wrong with everyone today? Why are they calling me his son? We just look alike, nothing more.
Lucian clenched his fists, unsettled. Could it be…? No. That's impossible.
Charlie looked up. "Sir, I have to go now. Bye."
"Bye," Lucian said quietly.
Charlie walked away toward his game center, leaving Lucian standing alone, his mind racing. The possibility gnawed at him. Could he really be… my child?
---