Chapter 932
Lyra spun around and shot him a glare, making Martin force a stiff smile and say, "Jackson and Taylor both need care. You've been working hard these past few days."
Lillian was surprised he could speak to her so kindly, almost like an apology or a peace offering. She was taken aback but didn't feel much else.
Although Martin didn't think highly of her, he hadn't done anything too outrageous. He was Jackson's father, and despite their strained relationship, it hadn't reached the point of enmity.
Now that Martin was willing to get along, Lillian didn't need any compensation. She thought it wouldn't be too difficult to interact politely as relatives. After all, with Taylor around, they would have to deal with each other for a long time.
So she responded courteously, "It's not hard at all. Taylor is very well-behaved, and Jackson has been considerate, not asking me to do much."
Lyra, however, looked at Martin with disdain and said, "Just saying it's hard doesn't help. I haven't seen you do anything as a grandfather or father."
Martin's lips moved, clearly wanting to say something. But Lillian didn't want to accept any rewards or compensation from Martin. Besides, his forced attitude didn't mean much to her.
Lillian quickly linked arms with Lyra and changed the subject with a smile, "Taylor just had his milk and is full of energy. I told him his great-grandmother was coming to see him, and he seemed to understand. When I left, he was eagerly watching the door."
Lyra's eyes lit up, and she laughed, quickening her pace and completely forgetting about dealing with the unhelpful Martin.
Jeffrey, who had fallen a step behind, looked at Martin's awkward expression and said slyly, "Dad, this won't do. If you're apologizing, you need to show some sincerity. The way you're acting, people might think you're here to cause trouble again."
Martin's expression darkened, and he glared at Jeffrey. But Jeffrey wasn't afraid of him. He shrugged and patted Martin's shoulder, saying, "Don't glare at me. You're all alone now, having offended everyone in the family. In the future, I might be the only one to protect your oxygen tank. I suggest you don't mess with me."
Martin was furious. He wanted to kick the brat, but Jeffrey quickly ran off.
"Lillian, wait for me! Let me tell you, I've been so busy these past two days. Guess what I've been up to?"
Jeffrey caught up to Lillian, and she turned back with a smile to chat with him.
Martin watched the three of them ahead, laughing and chatting, with a close and harmonious atmosphere that excluded him. For a moment, he felt a genuine sense of sadness, as if he really was all alone, suddenly feeling older and filled with regret.
Lillian accompanied Lyra into the hospital room. Taylor was crawling on the bed, trying to grab something from Jackson's hand. Jackson was clearly teasing Taylor with his playful antics. Just as Taylor was about to grab the toy car, Jackson would move it to another spot.
Taylor was being led around the bed by his childish and shameless dad, and soon his little face turned red from exhaustion.
Lyra felt a pang of sympathy but didn't say anything before Martin frowned and quickly walked over, picking up Taylor and snatching the toy car from Jackson's hand to give it to Taylor.
"You're a grown man, but you don't act like a father!" he scolded sternly.
Jackson looked up and retorted mockingly, "Even if I don't act like a dad, I'm just following an example. After all, someone set the standard for fatherhood."
Martin's face turned pale at his words, and he couldn't argue back. He remembered Jackson's childhood, when he had indeed failed in many ways as a father. Daisy had suffered from severe postpartum depression, and little Jackson had almost been suffocated by her.
Thinking of this, faced with Jackson's obvious disdain and sarcastic tone, Martin's face stiffened, and he couldn't find any words to defend himself. He felt that as a father, now that he recognized his mistakes and was trying to make amends, Jackson shouldn't be so disrespectful.
But before he could express his dissatisfaction, Lillian stepped forward and said calmly, "Taylor is at the age where he needs to be active and practice his motor skills. It's good for him to crawl around. Right, Grandma?"
Although Lillian felt a bit sorry for Taylor being teased until his face turned red, it wasn't a big issue. Taylor had been through a lot, and after being found, the whole family treated him like a treasure. But they couldn't overprotect him to the point of not letting him crawl.
Even if Martin was scolding Jackson out of concern for Taylor, Lillian wouldn't allow her husband to be reprimanded by Martin. Why should he?
Martin hadn't done his duty as a father before, and now that he was old and wanted to enjoy his retirement with his family around, everyone was supposed to cater to him, give him chances, and forgive him? What was he, a national treasure?
Lillian stood by Jackson's side, and Martin's face turned ugly from their combined mockery. But Jackson was happy. He looked at Lillian's figure beside him, and the smile in his eyes spread to his face.
Lillian was strong and protective, not allowing anyone to say anything bad about him. Thinking this, Jackson felt a warm surge in his chest, almost overflowing with emotion.
He took out his phone and posted a tweet.
[Being protected feels great. Image.jpg]
The image was a candid shot of Lillian standing beside him. If the photo was enlarged, one could see in the corner a man's hand gently holding the strap of the woman's dress.
Jackson, who rarely tweeted, suddenly posted this, and it quickly garnered a flurry of comments and likes.
Someone commented: [Did Jackson get hacked?]
Gray immediately followed up: [What's with the shy vibe?]
Mike quickly concluded: [That photo is definitely Lillian. Jackson's got it bad.]
Jackson's lips curved into a smile. Without even glancing at Martin, he replied with a tap of his finger.
[Be jealous all you want.]
He replied with a simple "okay," then put his phone down and looked up at Martin, whose face was turning a bit ashen. Turning to Lillian, he said gently, "Don't let it get to you. Some people, despite their age and having two sons, have never properly raised a child. What could they possibly know?"
Martin was nearly apoplectic with rage, wondering why he had come to endure this humiliation. His chest heaved, and Lyra, fearing he might lose his temper and worsen the situation, stepped forward and said, "Kids develop differently at each stage. Right now, they need to practice crawling. If you don't let him crawl, he might even be delayed in walking by a few months. Honestly, Jackson seems to be a better father than you ever were, right, little Taylor? Is Daddy a good daddy?"
Taylor, holding Lyra's hand, pointed at Jackson. Jackson didn't expect much of a response from Taylor, who usually acted like he was there to collect a debt, always seeking attention and refusing to call him "Daddy."
But to his surprise, the next moment, Taylor excitedly waved his little arms and called out, "Daddy!"
Jackson was stunned. Though his face remained composed, his heart felt like it had been struck, leaving him momentarily dazed. When he finally came to, his handsome face was lit with a smile full of love and pride.
Taylor had called him "Daddy"!
"Taylor is so sweet, calling you Daddy already. This child is going to be so considerate and filial in the future," Lyra said happily, as she and Jeffrey excitedly encouraged Taylor to call his great-grandmother and uncle.
No one paid any attention to Martin, and the atmosphere in the room was particularly warm and cheerful. Martin felt uncomfortable, once again feeling like the unwanted, ignored, and excluded one in the family.
He handed Taylor over to Jeffrey and found an excuse to leave. Lyra watched his retreating figure, feeling a moment of softness as she noticed how old and hunched Martin seemed.
She was getting on in years and couldn't help but feel a bit sympathetic. Watching Lillian and Jeffrey play with Taylor, Lyra sat down next to Jackson and said, "Your father cares about Taylor too. He's been so happy since Taylor was found and is even planning a big party to introduce Taylor to family and friends, making up for all the missed birthdays."
Jackson knew why Lyra was saying this, but he wasn't one to soften easily. The father-son relationship had been strained for twenty or thirty years, and it wasn't something that could be fixed just because they wanted to.
Besides, he was long past the age of needing fatherly love. His expression remained indifferent. "Grandma, you don't need to worry about this."
He thought Martin was a poor father and a selfish son. Did Lyra not realize how old she was?
Lyra was silent for a moment, then patted Jackson's shoulder and said, "Grandma's health isn't good. No matter how much of a scoundrel he is, he's still my son. When I'm gone, he'll be even more alone..."
Lyra worried that after she was gone, Martin would be even more isolated and lonely. Jackson didn't let her finish, frowning as he interrupted, "Grandma!"
Lyra knew he didn't want to hear this, so she stopped. "Alright, alright, I won't say any more. Honestly, there are times when I find him quite annoying too. How did I end up with such a son?"
Lillian, noticing Lyra's low spirits, guessed the reason. She walked over with Taylor in her arms and pulled Lyra into playing with Taylor. Just then, Jackson's phone rang.
He picked it up and left the room to answer. It was Terry calling. Jackson replied, "Okay," and turned to head back to the room when the nearby emergency exit door opened.
Martin stood there, looking displeased. "Can we talk for a moment?" he said, retreating into the emergency exit. Jackson, his expression unchanged, followed him.
As soon as he entered, he was hit by the strong smell of smoke. He immediately said coldly, "Smoking is prohibited in the hospital, especially in the children's ward."
Martin's expression shifted, his emotions already unstable from the constant rebuffs. "I'm smoking in my own hospital. What's the big deal? Besides, if you all weren't so ungrateful, I wouldn't need to come out here to smoke. Who's the father here, you or me?"
His tone was harsh, but it was also a way of showing his frustration and seeking sympathy. Unfortunately, Jackson wasn't buying it. He looked at Martin with a calm gaze and said, "Are you done?"
He lost patience and was about to leave when Martin quickly said, "I prepared a gift for Taylor. Take a look."
He handed his phone to Jackson. Jackson didn't take it but glanced at the screen. It was an electronic stock transfer agreement. Martin was transferring 5% of Star Group shares and 10% of the Frane Group shares to Taylor, with Lillian managing the shares until Taylor came of age.
This was a significant gift from Martin, especially since the 5% of Star Group shares represented all of Martin's holdings in the company. Martin had always held onto these shares tightly, using them to exert control over Jackson.
While the shares weren't a huge amount, they were still significant enough to be useful in critical moments. Martin and Jackson had a strained relationship, so it was understandable that Martin would use the shares to control his son.
But for Martin to give them up unconditionally was like a miracle. However, it was clear that this gesture was meant to curry favor with both Jackson and Lillian.
"Are you really that generous?" Jackson looked at Martin, his eyes filled with skepticism.
Martin's chest tightened, and he looked dejected as he tried to explain himself. "I'm still your father! I may have been neglectful, but everything you have now is because you're a Frane. Do you think you could have achieved this without that starting point? Men are often a bit wild in their youth. I didn't have much love for Daisy, and our marriage wasn't happy, but I provided her with everything she needed materially and respected her publicly. How could I have known she would become so extreme and end up mistreating you? You can't blame all of her mistakes on me. Jackson, I never wanted things to turn out this way. I still love you and Jeffrey."
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