Apologize? Not a chance!
Caitlin calmly spoke, “The child acted without intention. I am willing to pay three times the amount for the broken item, but forcing a mute child to apologize-don’t you think that’s a bit too much?”
At her words, many guests cast curious glances at the child. It seemed the online rumors were true-the young master of The Vanderbilt Family, although good-looking, was indeed mute!
Megan and Xylia, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair, couldn’t hide their smugness as they overheard the gossip around them. Caitlin’s words had just confirmed that Howard was mute, and now everyone would know. Soon, the whole of New York would learn of it.
How could someone mute possibly be the heir to the family?
Caitlin scanned the crowd with cold eyes and continued, “If our Howard is expected to apologize for breaking something by accident, then shouldn’t someone from The Xenos Family who released their dog to attack me earlier be held accountable? Shouldn’t they be facing legal consequences? Perhaps Felix should investigate?”
Madison and Yasmin’s faces paled. The guests around them became curious. Had someone from The Xenos Family actually released a dog to attack?
Felix, noticing the tension, spoke up, “I’ll certainly look into it, but today is Kyle’s birthday. Let’s focus on having fun. Howard is just a child, and accidents happen. We should all be more understanding.”
Felix gave Madison a brief glance, silently signaling her not to stir up trouble. He knew full well that the hunting dog had been deliberately released, but raising the issue now would only make things more complicated and ruin the birthday atmosphere.
Paul chimed in, “Exactly, exactly, it’s all sorted out. Everything’s fine! Kids will be kids, a little mischief here and there is normal! Now, let’s focus on the cake! Let’s blow out the candles!”
Paul smoothly changed the subject, and Madison and Yasmin secretly let out a sigh of relief. If things escalated, they would have a lot of explaining to do.
Caitlin gently patted Howard’s small head, feeling sorry for him that he had to bear the unfair treatment on behalf of his older brother.
Bruce, seemingly indifferent to the whole situation, acted as if everything had nothing to do with him. But in truth, he did feel for his older brother, who was constantly subjected to discrimination and criticism from the outside world.
Soon, Felix wheeled out a large three-tier birthday cake, and the guests gathered around it.
They lit the candles and began singing the birthday song.
“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you…”
“Kyle, make a wish!”
Six-year-old Kyle, with his handsome looks resembling his father’s, was beaming with joy, wearing a birthday hat. He closed his eyes, seriously making a wish as everyone gathered around, showering him with love.
The room was filled with cheerful voices as Kyle and the other children blew out the candles together.
Applause filled the air as the children were served slices of cake, all of them thrilled.
Bruce didn’t eat any; he disliked cream. However, not eating cake didn’t raise any suspicions, as Howard was known for being very picky.
In this regard, the two brothers were quite similar.
After the cake was shared, one of the guests, not sure who exactly, said to Elder Xenos, “Old Master, you’re such a famous artist. Why not show us a little of your talent today?”
The crowd joined in with encouragement, “Yes, yes! Show us a little something, Elder Xenos!”
Elder Xenos waved his hand with a smile, “No, no, I’m getting old. Let my grandson take the spotlight instead!”
It was clear that the old man was eager to show off his precious grandson. The guests eagerly cheered, calling out that Kyle, the child prodigy of The Xenos Family, would undoubtedly surpass all expectations.
Before long, a large canvas and paints were laid out on the long table, and Kyle stood in front of it, surrounded by a few children. Kyle had been exposed to art since he was young, and his technique was exquisite. His skillful strokes impressed everyone. He moved his brush effortlessly, sketching a lifelike eagle. The crowd nodded and praised him.
“Not bad, not bad. This kid is a genius!”
“Wow! He’s really talented. My son could never paint like this!”
Kyle’s work was indeed impressive-his painting was steady and expressive, clearly the result of much practice. Before long, the painting was complete, and everyone crowded around to compliment him.
“Old Master Xenos, your family’s future is in good hands!”
Elder Xenos grinned, but inwardly, he felt that although Kyle’s work was excellent, it lacked a certain flair and creativity. The old man sighed to himself; after all, he had forced the child to practice from a young age.
“This painting is good, but it’s still missing some character. It needs more honing.”
Despite his inward misgivings, Elder Xenos continued to praise him, “Kyle truly is a prodigy!”
At that moment, Quinton and Kyle began to argue over who should paint next. Elder Xenos let them have the brush to see what they could come up with.
However, Quinton and Kyle, both still children, seemed somewhat clumsy with the brush, and the resulting artwork looked more like a mess of scribbles, causing the guests to laugh out loud.
Megan and Xylia, watching their sons’ drawings, felt a little embarrassed and wanted to stop them, but the two continued to play, completely enjoying themselves.
Suddenly, Megan had an idea and said, “Why don’t we let Howard try painting too? It’ll be fun for everyone!”
Beatrice looked at her silent grandson and gently asked, “Howard, would you like to try painting?”
Bruce looked up at his mother. Caitlin nodded and said, “If you want to try, go ahead.”
Bruce walked over to the table, and the guests, seeing him pick up the largest brush, didn’t expect much from him. Some even prepared themselves for him to make a fool of himself. After all, they thought he couldn’t even hold a pen properly-how could he possibly paint well?
However, as Bruce picked up the palette and lifted the brush, everyone began to hold their breath. As the brush touched the paper, a graceful stroke appeared, followed by another, and soon a lifelike golden retriever emerged from his hand.
“My God! He can paint!”
“Wow! This is amazing!”
The guests were all stunned, their eyes wide with disbelief. They had thought Bruce was just an ordinary child, but no one had expected him to possess such incredible talent!
Megan, Xylia, and the others were completely dumbfounded. They had expected Howard to fail, but instead, he had blown them all away with his brilliance!
“Wonderful! Fantastic!” Elder Xenos couldn’t contain his excitement as he praised Bruce. His gaze on the boy grew more fervent. “This child is truly extraordinary. His brushstrokes are full of life!”
At that moment, the members of The Vanderbilt Family were all taken aback. They realized they had grossly underestimated this quiet child.