11
It was getting late into the afternoon by the time Eris woke up.
It was normal for a preschooler like her to need a nap ranging from thirty minutes to an hour each day, a necessary rest for her age.
Fortunately, when she woke up, she found her dad still around, ready to play!
Apart from Gavin, Kariette also remained to keep her daughter company.
Just yesterday, Eris was kidnapped, so Kariette now felt the need to protect her fragile daughter like a mother bird with its eggs.
She delegated her work responsibilities to Kurt, forcing the young man to step up in her absence, avoiding any chance for the little niece to feel neglected.
Meanwhile, Holly, being a student with afternoon classes, had left for her day’s commitments, leaving only the family trio at home.
During the afternoon, Gavin and Kariette dedicated their time to playing with Eris.
While Kariette wished to care for her daughter, Gavin aimed to make up for lost time, feeling guilty for his three-year absence, a feeling too deep for words, hence he pours all his efforts into pleasing his little girl.
Eris was exceptionally joyful today, laughing and smiling more than usual, filling the mansion with her lively presence, and surprising all the servants.
Typically, reserved and shy, she now seemed just like any other child, fully enjoying her parents’ company.
It was clear that her happiest moments were when she was with her beloved father, a contrast to the more subdued joy she displayed even with her caring mother.
The presence of her father added a whole new dimension of fulfillment.
“Papa, help me with this, please,” Eris approached Gavin, dragging a box of a princess castle puzzle that contained over four hundred pieces.
The box’s captivating illustration might have misled her to expect a pre-assembled castle, not a puzzle.
Given that Kurt had the most experience with model assembly in the household, Eris initially sought his help.
However, the uncle seemed outmatched, making little progress.
So, she turned to her father with hopeful eyes.
“Of course!” Gavin agreed without hesitation.
After all, it was just a puzzle, right?
How could he say no to his daughter’s earnest request?
He carefully prepared the pieces for assembly, letting Eris participate in constructing the beautiful castle.
He wanted to involve her in the process, boosting her confidence and extending their quality time together.
While Kariette wasn’t adept at puzzles, she contently watched the father-daughter duo bond, eventually murmuring something.
“Eris, tonight Mommy will take you to meet Uncle Faker.
It’s already five o’clock; you need to bathe and dress up.”
“Eh?” Eris paused, engrossed in assembling a castle with her father, but now her mother intended to take her elsewhere.
Previously, the little girl would have been ecstatic to leave the Coford estate, but now she was enjoying building the castle.
She weighed what she should do.
“Faker?
The Vicious Whirlwind?” Gavin asked curiously.
“Um,” Kariette nodded before continuing,
“Yesterday, we had to quickly prepare several hundred million in cash, so I had to ask Faker for help.
Although we didn’t end up using that money, we still need to show our faces and thank him.”
“Are you going to Kang?” Gavin asked.
“No, Faker has moved his company here.”
“Why would he move here?
Isn’t he from Kang, why move to Tier?” Gavin was puzzled, country Kang was a country with the best economy in this region, small as it may be, equating to just two adjacent provinces.
The Faker family was prominent in Kang, so connections weren’t an issue, and setting up a business there would be straightforward.
So why chose to establish here in Tier country, especially when this wasn’t even the capital?
“Faker acts as a guard dog for me.
Anyone wishing to court me must get past Faker first.”
“…” Gavin was shocked.
“When I gave birth to Eris, everyone in our circle knew she was your and my daughter.
My reputation was tarnished, attracting more riffraff than when I was the pure and esteemed lady.
Faker became my guard dog because of his good image and influence.
But being from Kang, he couldn’t be here often.
Thus, he set up his company here to look after me and Eris.
Eris is safer thanks to Faker’s influence.”
“Would his family agree to that?
It’s not strange for him, an only son, to start his own business, but settling in Tier country, abandoning a golden egg for a rotten one?”
“Of course not.
They had a huge fight, ending up in a severed father-son relationship,” Kariette concluded, causing Gavin to be even more stunned.
Faker was one of his few true friends from their days in the magical world and as a novice mage.
There was a time when they had to study magic at the same sect.
After that, they visited each other many times.
Although they hadn’t known each other as long as Kariette had, Faker was among his closest.
‘I never imagined he’d break ties with his family to take care of Kariette and Eris instead of me.
I owe you, my faithful friend.’ Gavin thought.
“Eris, let’s continue building the castle another day.
Soon you need to get ready, and Mom and Dad will take you to meet Uncle Faker.”
“Eh?”
“Uncle Faker has been very kind to Papa and you.
When someone is kind to us, we should thank them.”
“I’m a good girl,” Eris nodded, ready to meet Uncle Faker as her parents suggested.
She gathered the remaining pieces back into the box, then was escorted by a maid to bathe and dress.
Kariette then sent a message to arrange the meeting, and indeed, for her own satisfaction, she had plotted something in her mind.
“Boss, there are criticisms about you using the company’s cash yesterday.
The current situation is not looking good.”
“But I’ve already returned it to the company’s account, haven’t I?
These people spend their days just looking for faults in me,” a man slammed the table in frustration.
He was no other than Faker Lusso.
“Boss, you were wrong to use a significant amount of the company’s money for personal use without board approval.”
“I know, but it was just a temporary loan, wasn’t it?
Anyway, I’m going to replenish it.”
“Boss, several million is not a small amount; what you did was inherently wrong.”
“I was under time pressure!
I needed to help my niece, and I didn’t have enough cash on hand.
What was I supposed to do?” Faker felt helpless.
Even though he knew his actions were improper as the company’s funds were not his alone, he saw no alternative.
Gathering millions in cash within a few hours was not a simple task.
Faker had been irritable since morning, almost coming to blows in a meeting with shareholders.
Besides being criticized for misusing company funds, he faced countless problems, worsening his mood significantly.
No employee dared to look at him until his secretary returned in the afternoon to inform him,
“Boss, Miss Kariette invites you to dinner.”
“Really?
Is she bringing Eris along?”
“Yes, sir.
Miss Kariette said she wants to bring Eris to express gratitude.”
“Excellent!
That’s more like it,” Faker stood up, shouting like a madman, as if the day’s gloom had vanished.
The secretary could only shake his head.
The growing rumors seemed to be becoming a reality—that their beloved boss was falling for a single mother, a young lady from the Coford family.
Allegedly, Faker moved from Kang to this country just to court this woman, as he would always stick close to Kariette at social events.
Whenever there were disputes, he would intervene, buying gifts for her daughter multiple times a month, having even broken ties with his father for this one woman.
Wasn’t that love?
Employees viewed Kariette almost as a lady of the house, though internally, they felt displeased.
Why should their handsome and well-born boss degrade himself for a single mother, the identity of whose child’s father remained unknown?
Despite Kariette being a rare beauty and Eris being exceptionally endearing with limited public appearances.
Faker’s reaction, knowing he would dine with Kariette and Eris, convinced his staff and secretary beyond doubt that their boss was irredeemably smitten.
But who would dare suggest he find someone new, given their roles as employees?
Single women across Chiang City gritted their teeth, hoping Faker would lose interest in Kariette soon, allowing them to step in.
Despite losing influence from his family ties, Faker was still young, wealthy, handsome, and a business owner.
Faker and his secretary arrived at the prearranged restaurant, not waiting inside but standing in the parking lot.
“Boss, wouldn’t it be better to wait inside the restaurant?”
“No!
I want to comfort Eris from her distress.
If I wait inside, I’ll delay consoling her by a couple of minutes.”
‘Boss!?
Would those few minutes really make a difference in comforting her?’ The secretary was puzzled over the excessive attention given to the child of the woman his boss was pursuing.
But when the Coford family car approached, Faker visibly perked up, affectionate towards Eris as if she were his own flesh and blood, almost wishing to adopt her not just because she was his friend’s daughter but because of her genuine charm and vulnerability.
The first to step out was Kariette, holding Eris in her arms.
The child wasn’t particularly cheerful but wasn’t visibly upset either.
Faker prepared to approach and comfort her when he noticed another person exiting from the other side of the car.
That person walked around the vehicle, revealing a familiar handsome face, eyes as bright as garnets, almost glowing in the dimness.
So familiar!
“Hey, old friend,” Gavin greeted his long-lost companion.
Inside, Faker’s emotions surged, hastening his steps before delivering a firm punch to the face.
Thump!
A heavy punch landed on Gavin’s face, eliciting a groan of pain as he glanced back at Faker, feeling unjustly treated.
“You’re insane!
What heavenly reason do you have to punch me?”
“You rotten friend!
You’ve been out of touch for three years.
Have you ever thought of me?” Faker had a tirade ready, bursting with numerous rebukes he yearned to unleash.
“Don’t scold me!
And no hitting, there’s a child here,” Gavin pointed at Eris.
Meanwhile, Kariette, unconcerned about the altercation, quickly escorted Eris into the restaurant.
Gavin felt like berating her as well.
It was apparent she hadn’t informed Faker of his return, nor the reasons for his prolonged silence, or else Faker wouldn’t have been this unhinged.
‘Wretched woman!’
“So, may I scold you now?” Faker inquired.
“You may, but first hear me out.
But before that,” Gavin masked his discomfort with a smile and threw a counterpunch, knocking Faker off balance.
The secretary was about to intervene, but the boss gestured for him to stop.
“Just one punch and you stagger?
You’ve really gone soft.
Couldn’t even dodge that.
You’re tarnishing your fierce reputation, the Vicious Whirlwind.”
“Heh, we’re not in the magical world where brawling is the norm.
But since you’ve gone this far, I can’t just let it go.
Me, gone soft?
I’m just getting warmed up,” Faker cracked his knuckles loudly and launched a swift counterattack.
Thump!
“Answer me!
Why did you vanish for so long?”
Thump!
Faker was punched back.
“I was on a mission.
Only got back half a year ago.”
Thump!
Gavin took another hit.
“And what about these past six months?
Why no contact?”
Thump!
“I was searching for my family!”
Thump!
“Your family vanished?”
Thump!
“My family is gone.”
As the punches flew and words were exchanged, the secretary and the Coford family’s driver were utterly bewildered.
‘Can’t you two just talk it out?
Why resort to fisticuffs?
Got brain damage or what?’
After a hefty exchange of blows, Gavin finally made his case clear, then arm in arm, they entered the restaurant.
Internally, Gavin was plotting retribution against that woman, but first, he needed to let his friends know he was back to avoid further time-consuming explanations.
Otherwise, he might end up with a face as swollen as a pig’s.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————Read ‘The Return of Asura Who Suddenly Becomes a Father’ before anyone else with more chapters at http://www.jinovel.com/en