Maxwell (Extra Chapter 4)

"Mr. William, Madam isn't home. She left two days ago with your son and she hasn't returned yet." William received the news while he was on a flight back to Biddeford. Upon hearing the news, he didn't even leave the airport as soon as the plane landed. Instead, he immediately boarded another flight to search for them. Melnyfield. Headquarters of the God Armed Alliance. In the first-floor lobby, the little boy was obediently sitting on the sofa. The TV was playing, but he wasn't watching it. Instead, he was concentrating on fiddling with something in his hands. Upon closer examination, it turned out to be a new model of a handgun - but of course, there were no bullets in it. As the little boy was seriously studying the gun in his hand, a noise came from outside the door. Before long, a man of tall stature, with an elegant and dignified charisma, entered the room looking weary from a long journey. The little boy looked up with his clean, small face. He looked identical to William and even resembled William's childhood self, especially the matching set of pupils. Recognizing the man, the little boy used his short legs to climb down from the sofa and walked towards the man, "Daddy." He was still two months shy of turning two, his speech was not very clear. His voice was still milk-like, and his walk was somewhat unsteady. William looked at him, "Mmm, where is mommy?" The little boy turned his head and pointed his little hand upstairs. Before he could approach, the ruthless father bypassed him and walked directly towards the staircase. William initially reacted with a mixture of surprise and joy when Valentina got pregnant. He had been looking forward to it for nine months, and in the end, instead of the much-anticipated daughter, it was a boy. After William headed upstairs, he discovered the little boy was standing in the same spot. He was craning his small head to look at him. Standing there, he gazed at him innocently with a pair of clear, bright eyes. Seeing him turn around, the little boy walked towards him. William had no choice but to go back down and pick the boy up, "Max, why didn't you and mommy tell daddy when you came here?" The little one's nickname is Max, and his formal name is Maxwell Felton, chosen by William, which Valentina is quite pleased with. Max moved his lips slightly, "Mama said." William responded, "Mama didn't tell Daddy." Max fell silent. William added, "Next time, if Mama takes Max on a long trip, Max must remember to tell Daddy, got it?" Max stared back at him without uttering a word. William looked at him and wondered, was he hesitating or contemplating? He's so young, yet he had such cognitive abilities? After giving it some thought, Max retorted with the same phrase: "Mama said." William was amused, "So you're afraid of upsetting Mama but don't mind leaving Daddy out, right?" Max tried to explain or comfort him, but found himself hampered by his yet fully developed language skills. William didn't want to be too hard on his one-year-old son and took him to find Valentina in their room. Valentina had just exercised her hands with Luke and others and was now in the bathroom. She was washing the sweat off her hair. As the door opened, she saw father and son standing at the bathroom doorway. One tall, one short, sharing the same facial features, even their expressions were identical. Their genes didn't go to waste, which pleased Valentina. She was uniquely fond of William's face. Max called out in his childish voice, "Mama." "Good boy." While wiping her wet long hair, Valentina bypassed the two people, asking, "Aren't you supposed to be back tomorrow?" William has been on a business trip for half a month now. "I compressed the work and came back two days earlier than expected. Yet, I was informed on the plane that my wife and child had gone missing and I didn’t get a chance to even step into the house." Valentina looks at him, "Do you want to go take a shower and rest for a bit?" William put down the little boy on the floor. "Go play by yourself, Max. Papa needs to have a word with mama." Max tilts his head and looks at them, not moving. Having received a look from Valentina, Max went away. William steps forward, taking the towel from Valentina's hand to dry her hair while complaining, "Before Max was born, you used to say that my age was advancing and the quality of my sperm would deteriorate. At that time, I told you not to worry. After all, I was born when my father was fifty. The age gap between my aunt and my father is quite big, isn’t it?" Valentina chuckled a bit, "Did your son tell you something?" "He didn't really say much. But knowing that he cares about you so much despite being this small, naturally, I am happy." "Happy? I can't tell." "Well, it's a little bit heartbreaking, to be honest." William paused drying her hair and asked her: "Should I blow-dry your hair for you after you finish your bath?" "Go take your bath, I can do it myself." "I'm referring to you." "I'll bathe later." William, however, was pulling her towards the bathroom, "Your hair is already washed, so why not you take a bath too? It could be done at the same time." Valentina halted, raising an eyebrow at him: "You still have energy?" "Of course, I do. But it's true I haven't closed my eyes in three days. I need rest, so don't worry, nothing else will happen, just a bath really." It's been half a month since they last met, even though they kept video calling every day, William still missed her very much. Valentina was pulled by him into the bathroom... Downstairs. Max was placed on Badman's neck, riding the "tall horse" out for a stretch. They came back all sweaty and dirty by the time of dinner. Valentina, holding Max, preparing to give him a bath. Halfway through the bath, William came over. "Woke up from your sleep so quickly?" "I slept for a while, much better now, I'll sleep more at night." William leaned forward, kissed Valentina on the head, rolled up his sleeves, "Let me wash him — next time if I’m not here and we don't have a maid, just get someone to wash him." "You're not getting jealous of your own son, are you?" "Don't worry, I don't want you to get tired." Max thought he was being overly cautious. So after taking a bath and dressing up, Max - trying to gain favor - eagerly stretched out his arms for mommy to hold him. But he was mercilessly intercepted by his father. "Let daddy hold you. Mommy is a girl, she's not strong enough to carry you." Max eyed his father, then his mother. Recalling how his father had just kissed his mother and desiring to be close to his mother as well, Max mustered up some courage: "Mommy, kiss." "Daddy, kiss," William, stealing the scene before Valentina could react, emotionlessly and perfunctorily pecked his son's small face, informing him. "Mommy is a girl. It's not proper for boys and girls to have physical contact. Only daddy can kiss mommy because it's legal." Max paused and said, "…Mommy." Valentina walked off on her own, with both hands in her pockets. She avoided becoming a part of the duo's interaction. William brought gifts for both of them. Max, looking at his mini keyboard that he can't even play with, and glancing at his mommy's cool keyboard back and forth. Seeing William's gaze, Max very politely said, "Thank you, daddy." "You're welcome." Valentina said, "That one of his is pretty cute." "It was a freebie. I had to rush back, I'll get him a better one next time. If you like it, I can ask it back from him." "Hey…" "This was an exception." Hearing that his mother liked it, Max took it in his two small hands and willingly offered it, "For mommy." "You go play." "Daddy also prepared a gift for Mommy, do you want to see it together, Max?" Max nodded obediently: "Hmm." William lifted him up, and holding on to Valentina, he said, "Let's go." In the Melnyfield, a place filled with violence, seeing fireworks was rare, although they were not forbidden. However, for the last two years, they were not rare to see, and all were outstanding works of the God Armed Alliance. Each time the people of Melnyfield saw them, they were perplexed and confused. What on earth was the God Armed Alliance up to? Tonight, there was another feast of fireworks. Each fireworks display in Melnyfield was grander than that on Christmas in Cavernia. These fireworks had no particular significance, nor were they set off on specific dates. They were just pleasing to Valentina's eyes, and whenever she was there, William would set them off for her. Later, people in the Melnyfield heard some gossip saying that these fireworks were set off by the boss of the God Armed Alliance for the boss of the Blackwater... Back then, the Unknown had blasted the God Armed Alliance's headquarters, shaking the whole Melnyfield. Now, the boss of God Armed Alliance was setting off fireworks to court the new boss of Blackwater. Such a disorderly relationship... even the rumor said they had a son now.