Chapter 57 Candidates for Dad

Wesley's Perspective:

Man, it had been a decade since I last set foot in that city. Ever since my dad ditched my mom, his side chick, leaving her and my sis behind, dragging me along to mold me into his mini-me, it felt like an eternity.

Under his hawk-eye watch, going back was out of the question. Playing the perfect son was the only way to get on his good side, which sometimes allowed me to sneak in a call to my mom.

But as I grew older, even that tiny bit of contact got taken away.

Every time I tried to reach out to my mom, he'd hit me with, "You can't have weaknesses. Only then can you take down that guy and grab that spot."

I knew he was talking about the Alpha King of the Wolf Clan.

He missed his shot at being the Alpha King back in the day, and now he wanted me to live out his dream.

Even though he banned it, I was still digging around for info on my mom and sis. Recently, I found out they were working as maids in some rich dude's house.

Turns out, my mom passed away from some illness years ago, and my sis went MIA a few years back. Coincidentally, the daughter of that household also vanished around the same time.

That fire must've buried some deep secrets. I'm back to dig 'em up.

This day, one of my guys told me Ophelia and Cecilia from the Carol family hit up my store for dresses. I swung by to get some dirt on them, but I didn't expect to see this circus.

Watching Ophelia and Cecilia get played by two little kids, I couldn't help but wonder how this airhead Cecilia managed to catch Silas's eye.

No surprise she got dumped as his fiancée. Marrying a nasty piece of work like her would be a total embarrassment.

But those two kids? Sharp as tacks. I wondered whose kids they were; they were pretty darn cute. I kinda liked them.

So when Cecilia came back to keep bugging them, I was ready to step in and boot her out myself. But before I could, someone else caught my eye.

When I saw Stella bolt out of the fitting room in a princess dress, my heart did a weird flip. What she did next had me even more hooked.

She actually changed into a cleaner's outfit and swung a wet mop right at Ophelia and Cecilia's faces. Never seen a fight go down like that; it was wild. So, despite her having two kids, I still asked her to be my dance partner.

Plus, I wanted to know why she was so cagey around Cecilia.

And her kids? Adorable and just as stunning as their mom. For the first time, I thought raising two kids like that wouldn't be half bad.

But why was Lucas eyeballing me like I was some kind of crook?

I just grinned at him, not saying a word, waiting for him to finish his little inspection.

"Alright," Lucas finally said, nodding all serious-like. "Good looks, decent background, generous, but we'll need to test that temper."

"But overall, not bad!" Lucas declared. "I hereby announce you qualify to compete for the position."

"What position?" I chuckled, finding this kid pretty entertaining.

Lucas's big eyes were darting around like he was up to something.

"To compete for my dad's spot!" Lucas crossed his arms, pouting with a proud look.

Stella didn't see that coming and looked totally shocked. She rushed over, covering his mouth and giving him a warning glare. "Lucas, stop talking nonsense, or you'll get a spanking when we get home."

I squinted, feeling a bit uneasy. "So, you got other candidates for your dad?"

"What candidates for dad?" Saki tilted her little head, all curious. "Lucas, who do you want to be our dad?"

"Well, there's someone, but I can't spill the beans yet. It's top secret until the results are in!" Lucas said firmly.

I nodded, smiling. "Makes sense. For a beautiful and smart lady like your mom, it's only natural she'd have a line of suitors."

"Looks like I need to step up my game," I said, glancing at Stella.

She looked embarrassed, her cheeks turning a cute shade of red, like a delicate rose.

"Don't listen to the kids' nonsense," Stella said awkwardly, trying to brush it off. "Don't take it to heart."

How could I not take it to heart?

I just smiled, keeping my thoughts to myself.

I thought I was the first to find this gem, but it looked like someone else beat me to it. That guy's probably got some decent qualities too.

Guess I couldn't slack off.

Later, Saki picked out a bunch of princess dresses in the store, but Stella put her foot down and wouldn't let her take any.

Saki looked a bit bummed but didn't throw a tantrum like most kids. She just put them back quietly.

Then Stella and her two kids said goodbye and left the store.

I stood at the door, watching them walk away, feeling a strange warmth in my heart.

"Wrap up the dresses Saki picked out earlier, and grab some boy's clothes too. Send them over," I told the clerk next to me. "Oh, and get that dress Stella ruined remade and delivered to her before the banquet."

"Yes, Sir," the clerk replied and went to handle it.

I kept staring in the direction they disappeared, smiling to myself.

Thinking about coming home to two kids running into my arms every day didn't sound bad at all.

Stella.

I was dead set on being your kids' dad!