Chapter 8 Max Went to See His Dad
1129 Words
Six years later, two figures stepped out of the airport—one tall, one small.
"Max! Slow down!"
The woman, dressed in a sharp, casual suit, looked confident and composed. The little boy turned back, grinning. "Mommy, you're just walking too slow!"
She frowned.
"Max, stop. Did you forget our agreement before coming back home?"
Max's expression shifted to guilt.
"Sorry. I'm not supposed to call you 'Mommy.' I should be calling you by your name, Catherine."
"Good boy. And remember that I'm your sister now."
Taking his hand, Catherine hailed a cab.
"Horizon Institute, please," she told the driver.
Across the street, a black Maybach pulled to a stop.
Lorenzo stepped out, watching the cab as it disappeared down the road.
That woman's silhouette felt eerily familiar. It stirred a memory of the woman who had caused such a mess before his brother's wedding years ago.
"I thought she'd left the country. What's she doing back now? After Louis again?"
"Sir, we're running out of time," his assistant Peter reminded him.
Lorenzo shook the thought away, striding into the airport without another glance.
An hour later, Catherine and Max arrived at an apartment near Horizon Institute.
The apartment, rented by a college friend of Catherine's, was clean and tidy—just what they needed.
By the time they finished unpacking, the afternoon sun had already begun to dip.
"Mommy, I want to go outside and explore!" Max said eagerly.
Now that no one was around, Max reverted to calling her "Mommy."
"I'm sorry, honey, but I have work to finish," Catherine replied.
She still had translation documents to go over.
During their years in Feldoria, Catherine had learned both Feldorian and Galdorian, earning a living by translating documents.
Without that job, she wouldn't have been able to support herself and Max.
"I can go by myself! I promise I won't go far—just to the garden outside."
Max raised his wrist, showing her his smartwatch. "And if anything happens, I'll call you right away."
Catherine smiled softly. She couldn't resist him.
"Okay, but only thirty minutes in the garden."
"Thanks, Mommy!"
The door shut with a bang, and Catherine dove into her work.
But Max had no intention of staying in the garden.
As soon as he was outside, he headed straight to the subway station nearby.
"Next stop: NextGen Media Hub..."
Max stepped off at that stop, his heart racing with anticipation.
Before long, he was standing in the lobby of the NextGen Media Hub.
"Hey, kid, what are you doing here?" The receptionist asked, leaning over the counter.
"Did you get lost?"
Max shook his head confidently. "I'm here for a child actor audition. My mommy's just parking the car—she told me to come ahead."
It was a total lie.
Max wasn't here for an audition. He was here because he knew this was where the man who had abandoned both him and his mommy worked.
For as long as he could remember, Max had seen his mommy cry over a photograph of this man—the man who had left them both behind.
Once, after too much wine, she had pointed to the photo and told Max, "This is your father."
Today, Max wanted to see that man for himself.
And maybe, if he got the chance, he'd teach him a lesson for making his mommy cry.
Max's story was convincing enough that the receptionist believed him.
Child actors came for auditions all the time, so it wasn't out of the ordinary.
She led Max to wait by the elevator.
The elevator doors opened, and a tall man in a gray suit with a black overcoat stepped out.
His sharp features and commanding presence caught everyone's attention.
Max's heart pounded. It was him—the man from the photograph.
Without thinking, Max rushed forward, blocking his path.
"Can I help you?"
The man's voice was deep, like the low hum of a cello. Max felt a surge of nerves, but then he remembered Catherine.
Summoning his courage, he blurted out, "Can I ask you a question?"
Lorenzo looked down at the small boy in front of him, intrigued.
He wasn't used to children approaching him—most kept their distance. His stern demeanor didn't exactly invite affection.
But this boy seemed determined.
'Interesting,' Lorenzo thought.
"What's your question?"
He was actually curious now.
"Do you... not like kids?"
Lorenzo blinked. That wasn't the kind of question he'd expected.
He stared at the boy's large, round brown eyes—there was something oddly familiar about them.
Then, it hit him.
Catherine.
The boy had her eyes.
Lorenzo recalled the woman he'd seen earlier at the airport with a child.
Of course, this must be her son.
"I don't think I owe you an answer," Lorenzo said coldly. "Now, move aside."
His face hardened.
He didn't care for the woman, so naturally, he felt nothing for her son either.
Without another word, Lorenzo moved to walk past Max.
Tears welled up in Max's eyes.
'It's true,' Max thought bitterly. 'He doesn't like kids. That's why he left Mommy and me.'
His heart clenched. This man—his father—was a monster.
The more Max thought about it, the more he regretted coming here today.
As Lorenzo passed him, Max acted on impulse. He shoved him as hard as his small body could manage.
Lorenzo had anticipated the push, but he let it happen.
It was just a child, after all.
"You're a bad person!" Max shouted, his voice shaking with emotion. "I hate you!"
Just as the elevator doors opened again, Louis stepped out, catching the tail end of Max's outburst.
He smirked.
This was the first time he'd ever seen his brother thrown off balance.
"Lorenzo, who was that kid?"
"I don't know," Lorenzo muttered, his voice tense.
But something about the boy's words nagged at him. It stirred a feeling he couldn't quite place, a feeling he'd never experienced before.
"Want me to find out who he is?" Louis asked, clearly amused by the situation.
Seeing his brother rattled was rare, and Louis wasn't about to let it go.
In recent years, Lorenzo's life had become so rigid that it was almost unsettling. He showed no interest in anything outside of work.
"No. What I want is for you to take responsibility for your ex-wife, instead of dumping all her drama on me every time she causes trouble."
"Oh, come on, dear brother. I'm just trying to make your life a little more exciting..." Louis teased, enjoying himself.
Once Lorenzo had disappeared into his office, Louis called over his assistant.
"I want that boy here tomorrow at 10 AM, waiting for me in the conference room," he said with a grin.
- Writer
