Chapter 150
This man was either foolish or a scoundrel, clearly not looking to take responsibility.
Ivan was baffled.
He'd been earnestly discussing his child's education, so why was she looking at him with that expression?
As if he were something vile that people detest on the side of the road.
Ivan: "..."
Taking a deep breath, he asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Haley withdrew her gaze, her voice cool. "Todd is my son, and I'll make the best arrangements for him. No need for Mrs. Winston to worry. It’s getting late; Mrs. Winston should rest early."
With that, she turned and ascended to the master bedroom on the second floor, gently closing the door behind her.
Ivan touched his nose, feeling a mix of emotions.
He was always a man of few words, so it was a first for him to have spoken so much at once. Yet, the woman didn't seem to appreciate his efforts at all.
Todd, that boy, glared at him with pure hostility. Why on earth should he meddle in the kid's business and stir the pot?
Ascending the stairs, Ivan made his way to the first-floor guestroom. Barely a step in, his eyes landed on a pair of men's slippers beside the bed. Across the room, a man’s suit hung neatly on a clothes rack. He had previously thought this place bore no trace of a man's presence, yet here it was, waiting for him all along. Was this guestroom possibly reserved for her male visitors?
And him? What number was he in the line of men who had stayed in this room?
A wave of sullenness rose from within Ivan. He turned on his heel and exited the guestroom. After making a full round of the first floor, it was clear this was the only available room for guests. With a chill in his bones, he settled on the living room sofa to rough it for the night.
But accustomed to his plush, spacious bed, how could he adapt to the somewhat stiff and narrow sofa? He tossed and turned for hours, struggling to find sleep. Before he finally drifted off, his last coherent thought was a resolve to teach Owen a lesson tomorrow after returning to the Winston family estate. If that kid tried to land him in a situation like this again, he'd hang him up and...
In the haze of approaching sleep, a scream pierced the silence. Ivan, never one for a delayed reaction, shot up, alert. He frowned and looked towards the origin of the sound - Haley's room.
Before his mind had fully processed the event, Ivan found himself standing outside Haley's bedroom door. Just as he was about to push it open, a small figure emerged from the shadows of the second-floor hallway.
"Not a step further," Todd said coldly.
Ivan's hand froze midair. "Your mom's crying in there, didn't you hear?"
Todd's face, indistinct in the dim light, wore an expression of grave seriousness as he spoke in a hushed tone, "Mom's having a nightmare, that's why she's crying. She'll stop when it ends."
His mother had once asked him why his sister suffered frequent nightmares. What he didn't reveal was that his sister had inherited their mother's tendency for troubling dreams. Any fright during the day could bring about nightmares at night. As for his mother, she was shrouded in an enduring despair and sadness, unable to shake off her nightmares all night long.
He had tried to wake her once, only to be met with her even more desolate wailing. He hadn't dared to try again since...
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