“It’s alright! Just a little bit of saliva, I’m fine!” Shannon suppressed her anger and smiled generously at Ayaan, even offering him a tissue. “Ayaan, let me wipe your saliva, okay?”
This time, Ayaan didn’t refuse. “Thank you, Auntie.”
Shannon had little patience for children, especially this one who belonged to Ranita. Just looking at Ayaan’s face made her want to tear him apart.
“Next time, you should be more careful. It’s not polite to sneeze at someone like that, okay?” Shannon had just finished speaking when the little one suddenly shouted.
He pushed away Shannon’s hand and ran to Amiya’s side with his short little legs.
“Grandma, this auntie is mean. She just pinched my face… Did she get mad at me because I sneezed on her?” Ayaan said in a soft, pitiful voice, his big watery eyes filled with innocence. “I’m in pain.”
Shannon was taken aback.
“Ayaan, I wasn’t mad, and I didn’t pinch your face hard! How could you…” Shannon was extremely annoyed, but she pretended to be aggrieved. “Amiya, he’s just a child, I wouldn’t be so cruel.”
Amiya was at a loss for words.
Ayaan pouted, his eyes rolling as he lowered his head. Just as he was about to speak, urgent footsteps could be heard from outside.
“Ayaan! Ayaan!” The little one’s eyes lit up, and he dashed towards the door. “Mommy!”
“Ayaan is here!”
Ranita pushed aside the servants who tried to stop her and rushed in, only to be bumped into by a small cannonball. The little one pouted and softly complained, “Mommy, why did you take so long?”
“Do you know that your grandmother is about to be hospitalized because of you?” Ranita knew Ayaan was clever and wouldn’t easily be taken away by Holly. He must have done it on purpose.
“Mommy, I’m sorry!” Ayaan pitifully said, then immediately turned to Brendon and pleaded, “Daddy! I want a hug from you.”
After speaking, the little one proactively hugged Brendon’s thigh.
Ranita knew he was seeking support, which made her furious.
“Are you all heartless? Don’t you bring the young master over!” Just then, Amiya scolded loudly. “Ayaan, come here!”
The little one didn’t listen to Amiya, instead, he made a face at her. “I want Mommy!”
Amiya was infuriated, her face darkened. “Ayaan, aren’t you going to listen?”
“Wuwuwu! Grandma is so mean!” The little one held onto Brendon’s leg tightly, looking up with his chin raised pitifully. “Daddy, they bullied me and won’t let me eat. They want to starve me!”
“And that auntie, she just pinched my face, and it hurt.”
The little one wasted no time in tattling.
Brendon was already angry. He bent down and picked up Ayaan, whispering softly to him, “Ayaan, Daddy is here. No one dares to bully you.”
“Daddy, you’re so good!” Ayaan said with his big eyes open, then whispered in Brendon’s ear, “Daddy, they don’t let me go home and want me to call someone else Mommy. Are you and Mommy abandoning me?”
Brendon’s gaze darkened, his sharp eyes landing on Shannon and Amiya.
Shannon shamelessly stepped forward to hold Brendon’s arm. “Brendon, you’re back! We’ve been treating the child well and haven’t bullied him.”
Brendon avoided her, his gaze becoming colder.
He said, “Shannon, even though Ayaan is young, he understands everything. I hope you don’t say anything inappropriate in front of him! He only has one mother, and that’s Ranita.”