Chapter 358 A Father is Deeply Touched
Chicago looked at him, torn between her desire to see the kitten and her concern for her brother. After weighing it up, she leaned on his promise. "You guarantee it won’t harm my brother?"
"Absolutely, I promise," Darwin said with conviction.
"Alright then," Chicago replied, nodding her head. Irrepressible joy sparkled in her eyes.
After reaching an agreement, Chicago went back to keep Doodle company during dinner.
Doodle insisted on snuggling into her arms, so she ended up holding him for a while.
Darwin had been sneakily taking pictures since the moment he left the house in the morning with Chicago, and when they got back, his phone mysteriously had seventy or eighty new photos in it.
While Chicago was freshening up, Darwin carefully picked out a few shots and sent them to Fiona.
Fiona received the pictures in the middle of a meeting. Glancing down briefly at her phone, she had to admit Darwin's photography skills were... indescribable. But Chicago looked undeniably adorable in them. Most of the photos captured a vibrant and lively Chicago, except for the ones where she was holding the cat.
It seemed like she hadn’t needed to worry.
Closing her phone, Fiona didn't respond and continued with the meeting.
"The main issue now is that within RH Company, a faction of the Rico Family loyalists is highly resistant to our proposed reforms," Laura said helplessly. "The figurehead of this group is Roy's aunt."
"Did she attend the project presentation?" Fiona inquired.
Laura shook her head. "Her stance is firm. She won't allow changes to many of the traditions passed down from her grandfather, so she didn't show up at all."
"Is the opposition significant?" Fiona pressed on.
"Roy can't persuade his aunt to do anything. He's thrown the problem our way, and now the rebranding is stuck with her," Laura explained.
Roy's aunt didn't hold a majority share, but at critical times, her vote was enough for a veto. Most of the company was on board with the change. She wasn't outright blocking the changes anymore, but she continued to nitpick. Everyone was satisfied with the new packaging designs, except her. She managed to find fault with everything.
"I'll meet her myself at the meeting in a couple days," Fiona said calmly. "Let's vote on all the packaging options."
Darwin had sent Fiona the pictures but felt like his message had sunk into oblivion.
As he looked at all the adorable pictures, he suddenly felt a little lonely.
After some thought, he found Wyatt's WhatsApp and sent him twenty photos in one go.
Wyatt had been catching some extra sleep and was jolted awake by the rapid-fire buzzing of his phone. He thought something had gone wrong at the company. Jumping up like a startled carp, he checked his unread messages and his handsome face immediately darkened.
He replied with a single question mark: "?"
To which Darwin responded, "Took these of my daughter. Not bad, huh?"
Wyatt didn't know what to say, but he still looked through them.
The photos had clearly been taken on the sly, but the sight of the girl smiling sweetly in the sunlight was incredibly heartwarming.
Then...
Wyatt quietly awaited whatever mischief Darwin might try next as another substantial transfer hit his account.
But Darwin had calmed down, because Chicago had finished her bath and came downstairs with her brother.
Darwin walked over and gently touched Charles' forehead. "Charles, if you don’t feel good, you need to tell me, okay?"
Charles nodded. "I will."
"What do you guys feel like doing now? How about some cartoons?" Darwin had learned this was a good go-to question for the employees with kids at home.
"Actually, Mr. Darwin, the young master and miss aren't really into cartoons," Wendy said awkwardly, her face a mask of discomfort. "Dinner time’s coming up, and Chicago and Charles like to help out in the kitchen, like picking vegetables and stuff."
Darwin was stunned.
Moments later, Charles and Chicago were seated on small stools, diligently plucking vegetables. Their slow and clumsy efforts yielded surprisingly decent results.
As for Darwin...
Wendy moved away, quietly took out her phone, and started recording.
Just then, Darwin pinched a third green bean too hard.
Chicago couldn't stand it any longer. "Don’t waste food. Maybe you should just go watch cartoons!"
Darwin's face was a mix of defeat and embarrassment.
His tall figure, seated on a tiny stool, looked utterly dejected.
"Alright, I'll stop," he surrendered.
Chicago shook his head, a look of 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks' flashing across her face.
Wendy had to stifle her laughter.
Honestly, she wasn't worried that Mr. Darwin would pull any secret stunts on Chicago anymore. He didn't look like he dared to.
That video eventually made its way to Janna and Fiona.
Janna was busy dealing with some liquidity issues in the medical consortium.
She had planned to go back to check on Charles and Chicago with Darwin over lunch. But after watching that video...
She couldn't help but cheerfully make her way back to work.
Stuart, her driver, looked puzzled. "Ma'am, aren't we heading back?"
"No need," Janna brushed him off with a wave of her hand.
Stuart was reluctant. "But I heard from young Mr. Burl that Darwin's probably lost his marbles. How can he look after the youngsters?"
"Since when does Burl speak anything but nonsense?" Janna chuckled. "Don't worry. Chicago has Darwin wrapped around her little finger. There's nothing to worry about!"
"Really?" Stuart asked, absolutely befuddled.
Janna showed him the video.
After watching it, his a sense of pride bubbled up from nowhere. "He might be a big-shot CEO, but I'm way better at picking green beans than he is. She even complimented me on it!"
Janna simply laughed even harder, delighted by the turn of events.
Lunch at Fiona's house was always a homely affair.
Charles and Chicago treated their meals with great seriousness, leaving not a morsel behind in their plates and bowls.
After lunch, the obedient little Chicago tidied up the utensils diligently, loading them into the dishwasher. She saw that her brother was feeling under the weather, so she took it upon herself to clean up his dishes as well.
As for Darwin, Wendy was supposed to lend him a hand, but under his daughter's watchful eye, Mr. Solomon naturally refused any help and meticulously placed his utensils in the dishwasher, mirroring Chicago’s orderly behavior. Chicago seemed quite pleased with his efforts.
She scampered back to her brother's side, taking his hand gently, "How about a half-hour nap, Charles? We can head out after that!"
"Where are we going?" Charles inquired.
"We’re going to go see a little kitten at its home" Chicago explained, hastily adding, "I won't let you touch the kitten!"
"Is it the same one you snuck out with last time?" Charles asked.
Chicago nodded, "Yeah!"
"Got it," Charles acknowledged with a nod.
With the afternoon plans set, Darwin had his staff stock up on loads of snacks, beverages, and fruits as they napped. He wanted to create a paradise for his young charges and hoped to make their visit an unforgettable one.
Once the phone call wrapped up, Darwin slumped into the couch. It seemed like he hadn't done much all morning, but he was exhausted. Soon, he drifted into a deep sleep.
As Chicago and Charles descended the stairs, they found Darwin still sprawled out on the couch, sound asleep. The two youngsters stood near him. Chicago tilted her head to examine him and asked her brother in a puzzled whisper, "Charles, why do grown-ups push us away then suddenly want us around?"
Charles patted her head. "Adults are complicated creatures. Maybe you'll understand when you're older."
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