Chapter 726 Decided
"Randall hasn't reached out yet?"
Vincent shook his head. "Patrick, you've got more connections and do thorough investigations. Tell me, what's the deal with the cybersecurity field Randall's interested in?"
Patrick had been digging into it for days. "I've crunched the numbers. Out of a hundred companies, less than half make it past five years."
Vincent traced the rim of his cup with his finger, deep in thought. "So, it's pretty cutthroat, huh?"
Patrick noticed Vincent's hand. As a father himself, he could relate to Shawn's feelings. "Our company has a security department, but Randall won't take over. I've had a lot of talks with the department head and learned some insider stuff. Plus, I know Randall's character."
Patrick continued, "The Olteran Group doesn't outsource any departments; we train our own people, and they only handle our company's cybersecurity needs. Randall wants to create a platform that serves all businesses."
This wasn't something Randall could achieve just by dreaming about it. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it, and the numbers on the annual wealth rankings wouldn't be so low.
Vincent hesitated to drink his coffee, feeling conflicted as a father. "Patrick, Cindy, and I haven't been attentive enough to Randall over the years. His education has been mostly your responsibility. We owe you a..."
Before he could say "thank you," Patrick interrupted, "Vincent, we're family. You've helped take care of Teddy a lot too. I get it. Randall's an adult now, and I'm not going to manage him anymore." Patrick had always said he wouldn't interfere once Randall became an adult. But when Randall did, Patrick still found himself worrying about his immaturity and lack of experience, always seeing him as a child.
This time, he meant it.
Vincent stayed in Patrick's office until the afternoon before leaving.
Patrick opened a drawer and looked at the new business cards he had made for Randall. Seeing the resemblance between their features, he put the cards back and closed the drawer. He rubbed his temples, feeling exhausted. He wanted to go home and see the two people who could always make him happy.
Teddy was at Brianna's house, happily enjoying three bowls of a "feast" when Patrick's video call came through.
Patrick saw Teddy's cheeks stuffed with food and laughed. "Teddy, what are you eating at Grandma's house?"
Teddy opened his mouth, insisting Brianna feed him, and after eating, he started causing trouble.
He cried when he got scolded, and then everyone had to comfort him.
In the afternoon, Vera came home from school and picked up Teddy, who was in a new outfit. "Did you spill food on your clothes again?"
Brianna's yard had Teddy's clothes hanging out to dry in the sun, now warm and smelling of sunshine.
Soon, Patrick arrived, and Vera was about to take Teddy to greet him.
Brianna said, "Put him down and let him crawl. He needs to practice. Today, he even crawled to the steps on his own." However once he got there, he started trying to chew on the steps.
He gnawed at them but couldn't take a bite.
Vera put Teddy on the ground, grumbling, "At night, he tries to crawl a bit but isn't very good at it."
Patrick walked in and saw Teddy lying on the ground, being lazy. He smiled and called, "Teddy, come to Daddy."
Teddy, wearing a diaper, looked at Patrick and kicked his legs excitedly.
Patrick walked over and picked up Teddy, who immediately started trying to chew on Patrick's face.
Teddy made little noises as he chewed, adding to the lively atmosphere.
After dinner at the Linister Villa, Patrick and his family finally went home.
Randall, who had been off the grid for three days, turned on his phone. As soon as it had a signal, Susan's call came through.
Susan had called on a whim, not expecting Randall to answer. She was in her bedroom, calling again before bed.
This time, she heard the call connect.
Susan's eyes lit up.
After a few rings, Randall answered. Before he could speak, Susan shouted, "Randall!"
Randall cleared his throat and responded, his voice tinged with fatigue.
Susan's excitement faded a bit, and she softly called, "Randall," then added, "We've all been worried about you. Where have you been?"
"I'm fine, don't worry."
Susan looked down at her blanket. "Randall, Patrick went back to Cherry Villa. Will you come back too?"
Randall was silent for a long time. When he spoke again, he skipped over Susan's question and rarely used her name. "Susan, about that night, I was impulsive. Regarding our relationship, do you want to reconsider?"
"Randall, it's too late," Susan said. "I've already told my parents that we're dating."
Randall was stunned.
"And I don't need to reconsider. I want to be your girlfriend. You took my first kiss, so you have to take responsibility."
Randall was speechless.
Susan continued, "Anyway, that's how it is. You figure it out."
She was being a bit cheeky, knowing Randall was the one who kissed her first and was at fault.
"Give me your dad's phone number," Randall finally said.
Susan was puzzled. "Randall, what are you going to do?"
Randall replied, "Take responsibility."
Susan felt nervous and warned, "If you tell my parents we broke up, they'll think you're a jerk and have a bad impression of Patrick."
"Just give me the number."
"Okay."
Soon, Ulysses' number was sent to Randall.
Randall looked at the unfamiliar number, leaned back in his chair, and gathered his thoughts. Before it got too late, he called Ulysses.
"Hello, who is this?"
Randall spoke up. "Mr. Morales, this is Randall."
Ulysses recognized the name. "Randall? What can I do for you?"
Randall said, "I wanted to talk to you about Susan and me and ask for your understanding."
Randall had never been in a relationship before. He knew dating was usually just between the couple, but given the special relationship between their families, he decided to contact Ulysses.
"Mr. Morales, I'm still young. Following the path Patrick set for me won't last forever. I want to try things on my own."
In the wild, towering trees that have survived for centuries did so by outcompeting their peers. Those nurtured in greenhouses, constantly given care and treatment, have their growth limits set by their environment.
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