Chapter 7: Mommy, Why Did You Run Away?
"What’s the child’s name?" the police officer asked again, seeing that Adrian hadn’t responded.
Adrian turned and looked down at Ryan. "Your name?"
The police officer: "..."
Ryan Grant, however, saw nothing wrong with Adrian’s question and answered sweetly.
"My name is Ryan Grant, my daddy is Adrian Grant, and my mommy is Caroline Whitman."
Adrian: ...
’Does that woman coach him like this every day?’
The police officer glanced at the man before him. "Do you have your ID on you? If not, just give me the number."
Once again, Ryan skillfully recited Adrian’s ID number for him.
All eighteen digits, perfectly correct.
This time, Adrian was genuinely surprised.
’But then again,’ he thought, ’an ID number is something that can be prepared in advance. It’s not impossible to look up.’
’Knowing his ID number isn’t that remarkable.’
The officer had already seen how smart the boy was, but what was the deal with this man letting his child answer every question?
By the time Caroline drove up to the intersection near the police station, Adrian was already walking out with the child.
She was surprised to see him carrying the boy, but at the same time, a wave of relief washed over her.
’Looks like their meeting went well.’
When she’d gotten the call from the station, she had worried Adrian would refuse to cooperate.
After all, he had insisted they take separate cars to the station right after hanging up.
Left with no choice, she’d had to drive over by herself.
She just hadn’t expected Adrian’s car to catch every green light, while she, trailing behind, hit every single red one.
’It seems even fate wants them to have some time alone.’
’With the villain’s suspicious and paranoid nature, maybe they’ll actually accept each other faster without me around.’
In any case, the child had been found and delivered into the villain’s hands. Caroline’s job was done. She could finally make a graceful exit, free from hearing the boy constantly ask for his father.
Just as she was about to start her car and slip away, Adrian started walking toward her, still carrying the boy.
"Mommy, that’s Mommy’s car."
Ryan recognized Caroline’s car. The moment he cried out, the black vehicle peeled away, leaving nothing but a trail of exhaust in its wake.
"Daddy, did you make Mommy mad? She doesn’t even want to see you now."
Adrian watched the car vanish, a brief silence falling over him. ’Is she really that determined to just dump the kid on me?’
"Daddy, hurry and go find Mommy."
At Ryan’s urging, Adrian placed the child in the back seat before getting into the driver’s seat.
"Didn’t your mother tell you to stay in the private room? Why did you run out?"
"Daddy, you didn’t answer my calls or reply to my messages, so I had to come out and find a police officer."
"...Where did you get my number?"
"You told me to memorize it, Daddy. And I’ve memorized Mommy’s, both Grandmas’ and Grandpas’ numbers too!"
To be honest, Adrian found this child’s sudden appearance utterly bewildering. For a moment, he was tempted to go right back to the police and have them investigate the truth.
During the drive, Ryan chattered away, glancing between the window and his phone from time to time.
"Daddy, this isn’t the way home. Where are we going?"
Ryan sat in the back seat, looking curiously out the car window.
"Which home?" Adrian asked, his mood a little complicated as his distinct knuckles gripped the steering wheel.
"The Seraphic Palace and Azure Heights."
"..."
’Alright, so now I know Caroline lives in Azure Heights.’
"Daddy, where are we going? Aren’t we going to find Mommy?"
Ryan asked again.
"To the hospital first."
He needed proof—scientific proof.
Back at the police station, the boy had been able to recite his ID number. But it didn’t stop there. He’d also reeled off Adrian’s private number, his parents’ cell phone numbers and ID numbers, and even his home address.
This went far beyond the scope of any normal corporate espionage.
The child had no official registration, and he wasn’t on Caroline’s either.
No matter where this child came from, he had to confirm his identity as soon as possible.
Otherwise, with Ryan’s resemblance to him, if he were ever seen in public, people would inevitably use it to stir up trouble.
"Daddy, are you sick? Are you not coming home because you’re sick and afraid of infecting us?"
"..."
Ryan started chattering away again. Having not seen his dear daddy for over a week, he had turned into a complete chatterbox, a little ball of curiosity asking about everything Adrian had been up to.
A thought even flashed through Adrian’s mind: ’Would any future child of mine be this talkative?’
...
After returning home, taking a shower, and collapsing comfortably onto the sofa, Caroline noticed an unread text message on her phone from an hour ago.
[Mommy, I left Zanthia and found a policeman to help me find Daddy. Don’t worry about me!]
’Incredible. He really is my kid.’
She truly hadn’t expected Ryan to just bolt from the private room, go to the police, and make Adrian come pick him up personally.
’Hss... could the little guy have been secretly texting Adrian all this time?’
"Tsk, who on earth did he get these brains from?"
"Hmph. Must be from me!"
"But still," she muttered, holding her phone. "That little rascal. Sneaking out without even giving me a call."
"How could he be so daring?"
As Caroline was grumbling at her phone, a new text from Ryan came in.
[Mommy, I’m in Daddy’s car now. Why did you run away?］
"..."
’Well, fine. As long as he lets me know he’s safe.’
A moment later, her phone vibrated with a DING! and a new message appeared on the screen.
[Daddy says we’re going to the hospital. We’ll come find you together after!］
Caroline’s hand trembled. ’The hospital?’
’For a paternity test?’
’Wait a second.’
’When he said "we," he couldn’t possibly mean he’s coming back here with Adrian, could he?’
...
And in fact, it was just as she’d feared.
Half an hour later, the doorbell rang.
Caroline opened the door, her heart pounding with anxiety. It was indeed Adrian.
And by his leg stood a familiar little figure.
Adrian said coldly, "I’ve brought the child back to you."
From his tone, it sounded like he was about to leave.
Caroline quickly grabbed his hand. "Wait, don’t go yet."
"Daddy, where are you going?"
Ryan looked up and asked pitifully.
Adrian lowered his gaze to her hand, then looked at Ryan, his tone calm. "I didn’t say I was leaving."
Caroline awkwardly let go of his hand, moved aside to let him in, and took out an unopened pair of men’s slippers from the shoe cabinet.
The shoe cabinet also held an unopened pair of women’s slippers, which she had originally bought for her parents. But since she had moved into this complex, they had never once visited, so the spare slippers remained unused.
After he came in, she told Ryan to go take a bath and rest, then she went to the study with Adrian to talk.
"Where did this child come from?"
As soon as they sat down, Adrian got straight to the point.
Caroline said, "If I told you this child traveled here from a parallel future, would you believe me?"
Adrian sounded exasperated. "Miss Whitman, I don’t think now is the time for jokes."
Caroline had expected he wouldn’t believe her. She pressed on.
"A week ago, I woke up in the middle of the night, and this child was right there, beside my pillow. Ryan says he was born in 2033. I even had a maternity test done. If the results hadn’t confirmed he was my son, I’d think the whole thing was absurd too."
"Of course, you can get a paternity test done yourself. I’m quite curious to know if he’s yours, too."
"..."