Chapter 277 Young Master Ethan is Missing
"Meanie Daddy," Emma said to him.
The milky, soft voice filled Gabriel with a surge of emotions.
She was his daughter, his darling soft, and cuddly girl. Even though she had just called him a “meanie,” it was still an affectionate call.
Gabriel felt a melting tenderness inside his heart and wanted to hug his daughter and kiss her, but he feared hurting her wounds.
With a giggle, Emma said, "Goodnight, meanie daddy."
"Goodnight."
Gabriel made sure her blanket was well set, but he still went and tucked her in one more time.
By the time Sophia came out, Gabriel was no longer in the hospital room.
She could not yet discern what Gabriel was truly thinking, but for the moment, Emma's injuries were of priority, and she was not ready to have a face-off with Gabriel over custody of their three children.
Everything could wait until Emma got better.
In the meantime, she would have her chance to think things through and plan her next steps.
Sophia had already taken leave from the company, and upon hearing about the accident involving her child, Margaret had immediately granted it. Her responsibilities were being temporarily managed by Larry.
Larry sent messages from time to time to check in on Sophia, who would reply when she found a moment to spare.
There was also news from the police.
The culprits had confessed. They were seeking revenge on behalf of Raskolnikov Rodion. Initially, they wanted to kidnap Sophia to teach her a lesson but were scared off by Gabriel on the night of their attempted abduction.
Learning that Sophia had two other children, they concocted a plan to seize one of her kids as a means to admonish Sophia.
They had no intention of killing the child; they merely wanted to frighten her as a warning. But they panicked when the police showed up and accidentally injured the child.
Gabriel's eyes turned icy with rage, resembling a vengeful demon. "I want them to suffer ten times the pain Emma did," he demanded.
Alex responded with a severe look, "Yes, I'll see to it immediately."
As for the restaurant involved... by the following day, it had been ordered to shut down for an unspecified period.
Arya Stark felt remorse as well, reminding Colin before getting on the plane to take good care of Sophia and to ensure that Sam's condition was treated.
Ethan came to the hospital but did not see his mom. "Where's Mommy?" he asked.
Emma replied, "Mommy went home to make me some yummy food."
"Do you still hurt?" Ethan asked.
Emma answered, "Just a little bit."
Sam gently squeezed her hand, also feeling sorry for her.
Seeing the three little ones, caring for each other warmed Mrs. Lancaster's heart. Emma received excellent care in the hospital, and that comforted her.
Gabriel hadn't been to the office in the past couple of days since his condition had normalized. He patted his eldest son, Ethan, on the head.
"Do you still like your room at home?" Gabriel asked, gently.
Ethan didn't answer.
"If there's anything you're not happy with, tell Daddy," he urged.
Ethan remained silent.
Gabriel frowned slightly. It seemed that his eldest son was harder to handle than his younger daughter.
His daughter was already calling him "daddy," even if she added "meanie" to it. Yet his son still refused to call him, or even pay him any heed.
After a while, without seeing their mother, Ethan asked again, "Where's mommy?"
Emma looked at Gabriel, " Where's Mommy?"
Sam also looked at him, his eyes were also questioning, " Where's Mommy?"
All three kids were looking for their mother, and Gabriel was overwhelmed. He answered, "Your mommy had to take care of something and can't be here right now. I had Uncle Alex buy you kids some food."
Ethan asked with concern, "Mommy would tell us if she couldn't come. Did something happen to her?"
Seeing the fear in the children’s eyes, Gabriel couldn’t bear it.
"She is fine, it’s just work stuff. She'll be over tonight," he assured.
In the afternoon, Mrs. Lancaster took Ethan and Emma home. Ethan wasn’t able to see his mommy all day.
In the evening, Emma looked for their mother again.
"Daddy will sleep with you tonight," he told her.
Emma got a little upset, "I want mommy. Why isn't she here yet? You're a meanie, daddy, call mommy."
"Okay," Gabriel replied.
He stepped out to make a call and came back.
"She said it would be late when she comes, and you should go to bed first." Gabriel tucked the little one in and said, "Sleep tight, and when you wake up, you'll see Mommy."
Emma was quite exhausted. Without her mommy, she lacked a sense of security, but ‘meanie daddy’ was there.
‘Meanie’ daddy was also very reassuring. Also, he was the one who saved her this time.
Emma grabbed Gabriel's hand, and the corners of his mouth ticked up slightly. She fell asleep, and Gabriel stayed in the hospital room.
The previous night, Sophia had lain on the bed with Emma, holding her just right, but Gabriel was too big to lie down without crowding Emma, so he just sat in the chair, resting his head on the edge of the bed when he got sleepy.
Emma held onto Daddy’s hand all night and slept soundly.
The next morning, they still hadn’t seen Mommy. Ethan and Sam were sent off to preschool.
Ethan was noticeably downcast.
"Hey Ethan, what's wrong?" concerned, Sam asked.
Ethan just shook his head.
Sam wore a look of confusion; he couldn't understand what was bothering Ethan. He seemed unhappy the last couple of days. Didn't Ethan like living at home?
Josie noticed Emma wasn't in class and asked Ethan about it. When she learned that Emma was hurt, Josie was terrified.
She wanted to visit her friend Emma in the hospital.
After school, she told her mother about it. Daisy frowned deeply as she spoke, "The hospital is such a gloomy place, why would you go there?"
Seeing her mother's displeasure, Josie decided it was better not to say another word.
When Ethan and Sam arrived at the hospital, their mother was nowhere to be found. It was then that Ethan sensed that something was amiss.
Ethan said, "I want to go home."
"Okay, Alex will take them home," Gabriel instructed.
Starting today, Gabriel had decided that their grandmother wouldn't need to come to the hospital every day. Her legs weren't in the best shape, and after being struck by a serious illness not long ago, the daily trips back and forth weren't good for her health.
Ethan pulled his hand free from Alex's grasp.
"I want to go to my own home!" Ethan demanded.
Gabriel's voice was gentle, "Yes, to your own home."
"To the home with Mommy!" Ethan declared.
Gabriel was silent for three seconds before he exchanged a knowing glance with Alex.
"Young master, I'll take you home,” said Alex.
Ethan, believing that his not-so-nice daddy had understood and was willing to take him to his mother's home, obediently followed him to the car.
However, halfway through the journey, Ethan realized they were heading to the Lancaster family estate. He didn't make a fuss or complain; instead, he sat quietly, pretending not to notice the wrong turn.
Alex, worried that Ethan might throw a tantrum, was relieved when they arrived at the Lancaster family mansion and Ethan obediently got out of the car and entered the house.
The first night Ethan slept with Sam, and by the second night, he had moved into the room that had been prepared for him. That night, everything seemed normal.
The next morning, Mrs. Lancaster was already sitting on the couch with her glasses on, reading the newspaper, and Sam had gotten up, freshened up, and descended the stairs fully dressed.
"Where's Ethan?" Madam Lancaster asked the housekeeper.
Could the child be sleeping in today?
When the housekeeper went to call Ethan and opened his door, he found a lump under the blankets that turned out to be a pile of pillows.
"The young master Ethan is missing!" exclaimed the housekeeper.
Fuming, Ethan was walking along the roadside. He had walked a long while, following the route from his memory, until he finally reached a place where he could hail a car.
The driver, seeing him as a young child, was a bit concerned.
Ethan reassured him, "Don't worry, sir, I'm not lost. My dad's a cop, and I have a tracker. I was just visiting a friend's house, and now I'm going home."
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