Chapter 616 A Brief Warmth
Malcolm said, "Reese is fine, Mr. Hawthorne. You're really underestimating her. Your meddling just messes with her focus and makes her doubt your intentions. She could've handled today's situation on her own, no problem."
Stephen replied, "But I genuinely want to help her this time, no hidden agenda. I just want to be a good dad."
Stephen's attitude was different now, which made Reese even more suspicious.
Malcolm didn't actually mind Stephen acknowledging Reese. If the Hawthorne family could accept her, that'd be great. He knew Reese acted like she didn't care about the Hawthornes, but deep down, did she really not care?
Of course, she cared. How could she not when her family was right here?
He just wanted Stephen and the others to personally bring Reese back, to show they were sincere. After all, it was the Hawthorne family that wronged Reese in the first place.
For Reese's sake, Malcolm gave him one last piece of advice, "If you really want to fix things with Reese, think hard about how to be a real dad. You never acted like one before; do you think a few words will change that? Seriously, is that even possible?"
Reese was very guarded; she wasn't someone who could be easily fooled.
Stephen nodded. "I know."
Malcolm stressed, "I hope this time you genuinely want to bring Reese back and not just put on a show. If anyone from the Hawthorne family hurts Reese again, I won't let it slide!"
Stephen smiled bitterly, "I know. Don't worry, it won't happen again. I was too focused on money before, only seeing the benefits. If I hadn't been so greedy back then, Natalia wouldn't have had to take newborn Reese to seek help from others, only to meet a tragic end. It's my fault."
Malcolm was a bit curious. "What made you change your mind?"
Stephen hadn't suddenly figured things out. It was after a recent trip where he saw other dads with their kids and then compared himself to them.
It was like something just clicked in his mind.
But Stephen didn't want to admit it; he still wanted to save face in front of the younger generation. "Anyway, trust me this time. I'll do my best to get Reese to forgive me."
Malcolm said, "If that's the case, then it's for the best. Reese is resting upstairs; you should go now."
Stephen didn't forget to remind him as he left. "Alright, then I'll trouble Mr. Flynn to take good care of Reese."
Malcolm replied, "Reese is my wife; of course, I'll take good care of her. Even if you didn't say it, Mr. Hawthorne, I would protect her with my life."
Seeing Malcolm treat Reese so well, Stephen felt reassured.
As Stephen left, Kenneth arrived. Kenneth's company had been struggling recently, and all he could think about was how to revive it.
For him, the only way now was through Reese.
Kenneth approached Malcolm cautiously. "Mr. Flynn, I know I haven't treated Reese well in the past and haven't fulfilled my duties as an adoptive father. But at least I had my mother accompany her for so many years. We were a family once. Can we find a time for a family dinner?"
Malcolm's eyes were cold as ice; he had no interest in Kenneth's words.
He knew exactly what Kenneth was up to. "Mr. Brooks, my wife isn't someone you can just use. If you want to get your company back on track, you'd better figure it out yourself."
When they needed something, they wanted to claim Reese as their daughter. When they didn't, they tossed her aside like garbage.
But the person they didn't care about was his treasure, someone he'd lay down his life to protect.
Kenneth felt uneasy under Malcolm's piercing gaze. He knew his own motives, but he had come to realize that Reese had been with the Brooks family for so long, and he had watched her grow up.
Now, thinking back, he felt a sense of attachment.
He tried to persuade Malcolm, "Mr. Flynn, you have to believe me. I genuinely want to acknowledge Reese as my daughter. She could be loved by both families, which would be good for her, right?"
Malcolm glanced sideways. "If someone can love Reese, I'd be happy. But I need to know if you genuinely want to acknowledge her or just use her as a stepping stone for your business."
Kenneth knew Malcolm was sharp and perceptive. His thoughts were like child's play in front of him.
So he decided not to hide anything from Malcolm, speaking his mind, "I admit, I do want Reese to help the Brooks Group. But Reese is smart; she knows what she should and shouldn't do. So, Mr. Flynn, you can rest assured. Even if we repair our relationship with Reese, we can't force her to do anything she doesn't agree with."
"But I don't want you scheming people to taint my wife's eyes. Mr. Brooks, if you want to acknowledge your daughter, you need Reese to accept you. In other words, sincerity is key. If you're sincere, Reese will feel it. Showing loyalty to me is useless. That's all I have to say," With that, Malcolm left the lounge, leaving Kenneth alone to ponder for a long time.
When Reese woke up, she felt dizzy and rubbed her temples.
"Honey, do you want some water?" Malcolm asked.
Hearing Malcolm's voice, Reese was a bit surprised. "I thought you had left."
Malcolm opened a bottle, which he had just filled with milk for Reese. He had heard that milk was good for women.
Reese smelled the sweet aroma and looked up. "Did you make this?"
"Yeah, drinking milk is good for your health," he replied.
Malcolm had even looked it up online; overexertion required nutritional supplements.
"Thank you, honey," Reese said.
All these years, she had never woken up to someone taking care of her. She was always alone when she woke up.
She had gotten used to it. What she feared was getting used to having Malcolm around, only for him to leave her one day, which would be a blow to her.
She liked a stable life, even if it was dull. At least it was reassuring. She didn't like changes or chasing excitement.
Malcolm could tell that Reese seemed happy on the surface but was actually very uneasy. She feared that the kindness shown to her was only temporary.
Reese said to him, "Have you heard the saying? A stray cat isn't pitiful. What's pitiful is when you pet it and then let it go. That's painful for it because you only gave it a moment of warmth, not something permanent."
What she wanted was something eternal, unchanging. If it was just temporary warmth, she'd rather not have it.
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