Chapter 289 Seb Asked Him How to Soothe the Child?
The next morning, Sharon took Demetrius to school like she always did, but she was kinda out of it.
Demetrius picked up on her vibe and squeezed his little hand by his side without even thinking about it.
After she parked at the school gate, Sharon forced a smile and said softly, "Demetrius, I'll pick you up later, okay?"
Demetrius nodded, "Sure thing."
Once Sharon drove off, Demetrius pulled out his smartwatch and dialed the number Paul had given him.
A cold voice answered, "What do you want?"
Demetrius took a deep breath, his face all serious, "I need to meet you."
An hour later, in the principal's office.
Demetrius sat across from Seb, his face full of anger, "What do I gotta do to get you to leave me and my mom alone?"
Even though he was just over four, he stared Seb down without a hint of fear, already showing a bit of Seb's tough demeanor.
Seb looked at the kid who looked so much like him, a mix of emotions flashing in his eyes.
A kid this young should be carefree, but thanks to Sharon, he had to act all grown-up to deal with him.
Seb said calmly, "Demetrius, I'm your biological father. If you come back to the Smith Family, I won't mess with your mom."
Demetrius's little face tightened, glaring at Seb, "You're so annoying. I'll never call you dad! And I'm not living with you!"
The disgust in his eyes was clear as day, showing he really couldn't stand Seb.
Seb didn't get mad; he just raised an eyebrow, "If you want something from someone, you can't expect to give nothing in return. Otherwise, how's that different from stealing?"
"My mom and I were doing just fine. You showed up and messed everything up. Why should I have to give anything?"
Seb didn't expect a kid just over four to talk so sharply.
But if Demetrius had grown up with him, he'd have learned even more by now, with all the resources Seb could offer, stuff Sharon could never provide.
Seb replied coldly, "You don't have the leverage to negotiate with me right now. I've already told you the deal. What you do is up to you. I won't interfere."
With that, Seb got up to leave.
Just as he reached the door, Demetrius grabbed his pant leg.
Seb looked down and met Demetrius's pitiful eyes, momentarily thrown off.
Demetrius looked a lot like him, but those watery eyes were just like Sharon's.
Even though he couldn't stand Sharon, he couldn't help but be drawn to those eyes.
Demetrius insisted, "I don't want to leave my mom."
Seb frowned, and after a moment of silence, he said coldly, "Staying with your mom will only ruin your future. I won't let that happen."
Demetrius's eyes instantly filled with tears, and he cried out, "No! Mom loves me more than anyone in the world. You can't do this!"
Even though Demetrius was just over four, he had already learned to read people.
Sharon had told him no one would take him away, but he knew she couldn't stand up to the stern-faced Seb in front of him.
Thinking about how cold Seb was to Sharon, Demetrius grew even more resentful. He'd never call Seb his dad!
Seb's gaze stayed cold and firm, "You're still young. One day, you'll get that living with me and living with your mom are two totally different worlds."
Demetrius stubbornly lifted his head, tears streaming down his face, "I don't care! All I know is you're a jerk who makes mom sad. I hate you!"
With that, Demetrius turned and bolted, his small figure radiating despair and helplessness.
Seb coldly watched him run off, his eyes as icy as ever.
Byron, standing nearby, shivered and quickly stepped forward, "Mr. Smith, Demetrius is just a kid. You gotta be gentle with him; being too harsh will only make him hate you more."
Seb's icy gaze fell on him, and Byron's face turned pale as he quickly lowered his head, not daring to say more.
"How do you coax a child?"
Byron's eyes widened in disbelief. Seb was asking him how to coax a kid?
Noticing Seb's growing impatience, Byron quickly said, "I'm good at dealing with kids. Even though Demetrius is only a little over four, kids at that age already have a sense of self. The key is to respect and understand their thoughts, let them make their own choices within limits. You also need to give them enough time and space, listen to their thoughts, and be patient. That's how you get along with a kid."
After listening, Seb's expression grew even darker.
Respect Demetrius's thoughts?
Wouldn't that mean letting Demetrius stay with Sharon?
Thinking of this, he coldly interrupted Byron, "That's enough. No need to say more."
Byron abruptly stopped, instinctively looking at Seb, but all he saw was Seb's retreating figure.
He wasn't sure if Seb had taken his advice or not.
It wasn't until Seb was almost out of sight that he remembered he wanted to ask Seb about investing more funds in the school. He quickly chased after him.
Rushing to catch up, he finally stopped Seb just before he got into his car.
After stating his purpose, he noticed Seb looking at him expressionlessly, making Byron feel a bit uneasy.
He cautiously moved his body back a step, smiling apologetically, "Mr. Smith, if you're facing financial difficulties, it's okay not to invest now."
"I'll consider it. Mr. Long, you may go back."
Shortly after returning to Silvercrest Group, Paul knocked and entered the office, "Mr. Smith, Mr. Lowe from the Cook Group is here, probably about the amusement park project."
Previously, Zachary had spent a lot of money competing with Silvercrest Group for the amusement park project to force Seb to return Demetrius to Sharon. However, at the final bidding, Silvercrest Group still won, causing significant losses for Zachary.
Because of this, Zachary's influence, which he had painstakingly built in the Cook Group over the years, was instantly destroyed. Many shareholders seized this opportunity to try to remove him from his position.
It seemed Hugo Lowe was one of them.
Seb looked up at Paul, "Let him in."
"Okay."
As soon as he entered, Hugo smiled and said, "Mr. Smith, long time no see."
Seb looked at him indifferently, "What brings you here today, Mr. Lowe?"
Hugo sighed, "Mr. Smith, you're a straightforward person, so I'll get straight to the point. I'm here about Silvercrest Group's bid for the amusement park project."
Seb uttered, "As a shareholder of the Cook Group, isn't it inappropriate for you to inquire about the amusement park project? If it weren't for the Cook Group's interference, Silvercrest Group wouldn't have had to spend tens of millions more to secure that project."
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