Enzo rolled his eyes. This little brother of his was using the chance to explain his behaviors so eagerly. He didn’t even care about his brother’s and Grandpa’s reputations anymore.
But to make Cody less angry with Linford, Enzo could only agree, “Yeah, you’re a bit, suit yourself. And you were stupid enough to take that bullet for Cristelle. Pop was so angry that he almost had a heart attack when he heard you were in the hospital again.
Linford snorted, “Blame your old man Darwin, as he was the one who always treated my wife unfairly.”
Enzo rolled his eyes, “Forget about it. I really don’t want to talk about this anymore. I still need to check out Clara. She must still have a lot of things that she hasn’t spat out yet.”
Without waiting for his response, Enzo walked out of the door.
The small figure in the corner instantly ran for the guest room nearby.
Enzo acted like he didn’t see the boy at all, walking downstairs in a big lope.
Cody only approached Linford’s room after making sure his uncle was gone.
But he only lingered by the door for a couple of minutes before shaking his head and walking away.
The boy felt complicated.
Linford let out a breath after realizing that Cody had gone. He didn’t know if he had explained the situation clearly enough.
He didn’t even know if Cody believed him or not.
****
Claire looked worried when Cristelle carried Candace to her room.
“Cristelle, don’t you think the boy looked pretty mad all day?”
Cristelle lay down beside Candace, squeezing her chubby hand as she fell asleep slowly. “The boy and his father are constantly at war. Before all this problem occurred, they finally made some progress in building their relationship. But guess the misunderstanding has deepened after the kidnapping.”
“But Cody still has Linford’s blood. He’s just a little boy. He needs his father. Besides, Linford didn’t do anything wrong this time. If that man didn’t show up, we wouldn’t still be here. I don’t think this is good for anyone. I need to find Cody so I can explain everything to him.”
“Wait… Claire! Don’t go. It is their issue. Just let them solve the problem by themselves. I don’t think we could ever be helpful.” Cristelle grabbed Claire’s sleeve.
“But we’ve got to do something, right?” Claire insisted.
Cristelle thought for a while and sighed, “Okay, I’ll go take a look at Cody. Can you take care of Candace for me for a bit?”
Claire nodded, “I’ve got this. Just go.”
Cristelle went to Cody’s room. The boy was sitting on his bed, staring blankly out of the window. He sat straighter as he noticed Cristelle, “Mom?”
Cristelle sat next to him and pulled him in, “You must have been so scared these days.”
“I’m actually okay,” Cody rested his head against Cristelle’s shoulder, “You didn’t get too scared, right?”
“I’m fine.” Cristelle smiled before a hesitant look appeared on her face, “There’s something I’d like to tell you.”
“Is it about your Mom and Dad?” Cody had guessed it accurately.
Cristelle nodded silently.
“What happened to them? You’ve never mentioned anything about them before,” Cody was doubtful.
Cristelle cleared her throat, “What happened to them was quite complicated. I didn’t tell you about them because you were too little. But now, you’re so smart and intelligent. I bet you now can handle the fact and believe you have the right to know the truth.”
Cristelle thus told the boy everything about all the conflicts and wars between her family and other families.
Cody listened for about an hour. And then, he huffed, “I can’t believe how pretentious these Bradleys are. It’s the 21st century already, and they still believe you have the blood of a criminal. It’s not like any of them will become the president of the country, so they need to make sure they don’t have any stains in their lives to affect their candidacy. Don’t tell me grandpa would run for any national position. Why do they care about your Dad’s corruption issues? I don’t understand it.”
Cristelle shook her head, “You didn’t realize their plans yet, Cody? Your grandpa and uncle are both working for the government, and your Dad is a successful businessman. I can’t predict what they want to do in the future. You can’t jump to a conclusion so soon. Besides, your father was responsible enough to keep us safe.”
Cody went silent. Politicians and a business tycoon. Indeed it’s easy to tell what they were aiming at. A big political figure took a big house for generations to nurture, and he has the bloodline of Bradley and Friesley. One day he will walk the same path as his Dad. He will inherit the entire business empire Linford Bradley had built over these years.
Were they planning to train him? Cody cleared his throat, “Mom, was your father really a corrupt politician?”
Cristelle sighed, “Sadly, it’s a yes. I had always thought he was a perfect man until his crimes were exposed. He even had a third wheel, and that woman even gave him a son. He deserved what he got.”
It was just. Her poor mother was innocent. Claire also needed to hide from those men who tried to catch her as she became a bargaining chip.
“Be kind to your father, Cody,” Cristelle shook her head, “Every house has its complicated past. Your dad already tried his best to protect us. He did everything he could, son.”
Cody sat there silently for a minute and finally nodded slightly.
Cody couldn’t fall asleep that night. He decided to have some late-night snacks. So he jumped off the bed and went to the kitchen.
When he went upstairs again, he noticed Linford’s bedroom door was ajar. It has been pretty cold lately. That man was quite weak after the injuries. Leaving the door open like that would make him sick. Cody stood there for a while and decided to peek into his room.
The boy only wanted to close the door and leave. He didn’t expect Linford to be still awake. The handsome man was leaning against the headboard, reading a book under the soft light.
“Why are you still awake?” Linford frowned as he saw Cody.
“I’m hungry,” Cody showed him the plate of lemon cheesecakes he was holding, “Want some?”