56: [Bonus chapter]

[Bonus chapter]

"If we let you take a step inside, all of us will lose our jobs."2

Axel frowned, taking several steps back. He lifted his head, scanning the visible windows and balconies of the mansion.

"Where's Mom and Dad?" he asked without taking his eyes off of the mansion. 

"They were having dinner."

"And the little ancestor?" Axel clicked his tongue in irritation. 

"The Madam and the Chairman were still coaxing him." The butler heaved a deep exhale. "It seemed the young master heard about his parent's divorce. Thus, he was thinking of cloning himself."

"Clone — the heck?" Axel glared daggers at the butler, but like a beggar, he couldn't do anything. He was the second young master, but at this point, his authority in the family was far too insignificant. Not that he ever indulged in the idea of hierarchy in the family, but it was frustrating sometimes. 

"His parents aren't divorcing." Axel ground his teeth, glaring at the butler. "How I wish they just separate, but nope. I don't know where that rumor came from, but it's a hoax."

Axel marched toward the head butler, pointing at his chest. "You better tell him that. If he doesn't believe me, then he should just go home to see it for himself."

He huffed as he stepped back. Axel maintained his eyes on the butler before lifting his gaze toward the mansion behind the servants. 

"Dang…" he glanced at the butler one last time before turning his back on them. Without even stepping foot in the mansion's portico, Axel strutted back to his car and sped away without thinking twice. 

As Axel jumped inside the car and drove away, the butler felt his knees wobble. If not for the maid near him, he would've fallen on his butt.

'Why…' the head butler huffed deeply. '... does this always happen?'

He slowly looked back at the mansion, eyes on a particular window. The window was dark, but the butler caught the slight movement of the curtain.

"Young master, see?" the butler sighed. "It was just a rumor. There's nothing to worry about it."

The rest of the servants could only stare at the head butler strangely. How could the young master hear him if he was outside while Sebastian Zhu was inside? Unbeknownst to them, the young genius of the Zhu family heard the butler loud and clear. To be precise, he heard everything, including Axel's remarks, clearly. 

A small boy sitting on the edge of the bed took off the earpiece and tossed it into the bin. It went in smoothly, but there was not even a tiny satisfaction that appeared on his youthful yet emotionless countenance.

Knock Knock

The boy didn't move from his spot while the door creaked slightly. Lights from outside stretched into the dimness of the room.

"Pumpkin?" called a beautiful woman in her mid-fifties, searching the room with her eyes as she peeked her head in. She immediately caught the small figure sitting on the edge of the bed, sighing as she smiled. "Can I come in?"

"No."

The woman sighed once again. "Are you still upset with us?" the woman opened the door wider, but didn't take even a step inside the room.

The boy didn't answer.

"Your father and mother were fixing something important. But it's not what you think it is —"

"I want to see her." The little boy cut off the woman's sentence as he looked back. "Grandma doesn't have to lie, just like everyone else. Dad already told me about the divorce. That is why he sent me with you and Grandpa."

"Little Basti, can you let grandma come in?"

The boy pressed his lips into a thin line, looking away from the beautiful middle-aged woman. "Do what you want."

Hearing the boy's answer, the woman welcomed herself inside the room. Other people might criticize her for her attitude toward the boy, but she had always respected her grandson's boundaries. Sebastian hated it when someone intrude his personal space unannounced. 

"Basti." The woman cajoled as she sat down beside the young boy. "Do you want to go home?"

"Yes." 

"We can end the vacation early —"

"I don't want to bother you and Grandpa's vacation." the boy raised his head to look into the woman's eyes. "Allow me to use the phone."

His request was obvious, but the woman found it hard to grant it. After all, even though her son told her that the divorce was not true, it still worried her. Knowing Dominic and Heaven's strained relationship, she was afraid Sebastian would just get hurt if he ever witness something unpleasant. 

"If you don't want to, then it's fine." Sebastian looked away. "I'm not upset with Grandma or Grandpa."

"How about I read you a book so you fall asleep?"

The woman tried her best to divert the boy's attention while trying to make him feel better. Little did she know, the boy already had a plan in his young mind. 

**********

The next day…

Dane Zhang — Dominic's assistant — glanced at the backseat. He was discreet, casting the driver a look, only for the latter to shrug. A few days ago, Dominic had been in a great mood. Today was different, though. Not that Dominic was in a terrible mood per se, but there was something different he couldn't pinpoint accurately.

"Heaven Liu." The silence in the car broke when Dominic spoke, peeling his eyes from the window to the people in the front seat. "Last night, she said we should try to be a real couple."

"Huh?" For a moment, Dane thought he was deaf. 

"But we wanted to start properly. What does proper even mean?" Dominic cocked his head to the side. "Does it include kissing in the morning?"

"..." Dane just stared at his boss blankly. "Bo — boss, I haven't even processed the first sentence. What do you mean, kissing in the morning?"

Just as Dominic could explain, his phone vibrated. His wife had been very active these days, sending him even the most nonsense messages. Thus, Dominic instinctively fished his phone out to see what Heaven wanted early in the morning. Much to his dismay, it wasn't his wife.

Dominic's brows furrowed before answering the phone call. "Yes, Dad?" his expression gradually turned dark as he listened to the other end of the line. The call didn't last long, and Dane's curiosity was immediately sated with orders he was about to receive.

"Mr. Zhang, contact the chief of police right this instance." Dominic's expression grew sharper with every passing second. "Sebastian is missing."

********

[Zhu Mansion]

"Mhm…" Heaven moaned, stretching her arms even before she opened her eyes. But the moment her eyes fluttered open, she jumped away upon seeing a little person standing on the side of the bed. 

"Ahh!" Heaven clutched the blanket to her chest. 

"Who in the world…" she trailed off as she assessed the boy's face before her pupils slowly dilated. 'Basti???'

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