NovelEnglishArnold was back in town. As the eldest brother, Fredric wasted no tin arranging a family get-together for the weekend. He also extended an invitation to Beverley and Skyler.
After finding out the truth about his heritage, Skyler was surprised but tried not to let it get to him too much.
Previously, only Leopold had been his cousin by blood, but now it turned out these four were all his half-brothers.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtHe was their big brother, no less.
But Skyler couldn't be sure they would continue to get along with him like before once they knew the truth.
Skyler could tell Fredric seemed to enjoy being the big brother. If he were to take over that role, perhaps Fredric would get upset and stop including him in their gatherings.
Maybe sticking to his role as the big brother in the Heninger family was the way to go.
Arnold arrived with his son William in tow, fresh from his divorce with Lisa and now as a single dad as well as a rich bachelor.
Whenever he saw Aurelia and Leopold together, Arnold felt a pang of heartache. The betrayal was something he couldn't just shake off.
Leopold, with his arm securely around Aurelia's shoulders, seemed to be staking his claim.
This was his silent way of saying Aurelia belonged to him, a gesture that only twisted the knife deeper into Arnold's wounded heart.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmWilliam dashed up to Aurelia with his usual buoyancy. "Mommy, did Kane not ctoday?" "Kane had a club event at school, sweetie. Why don't you hang out with Nina and Mira?" "Okay." William stuck out his tongue playfully. "The Hackers Alliance sure has a lot of stuff going on. It seems that our Ingenious Craft needs to step up our game." Aurelia laughed gently. "Spending the weekend with family at his pretty great too, don't you think?" A twinkle of mischief sparkled in William's eyes. "Then why don't you cover to our place tomorrow and celebrate Nibbles’ birthday with us?" Aurelia was visibly moved. "Is it Nibbles' birthday already?" William nodded. "Yeah, Dad set the day we found him as his birthday. He's turning seven now." The sentiment washed over Aurelia.
Seven years had flown by since the day they found Nibbles, which was also the day she first met Arnold.
Arnold knew that she remembered this day. It wasn't just Nibbles' birthday but also the seventh anniversary of their first encounter.
"Sure," she agreed with a soft smile, "I'll bring Kane over tomorrow, and we can celebrate with Nibbles together." Leopold darkened his face at her words. Was he invisible to her? Did she not think to tell him first? After all the years of being overshadowed, he still felt as insignificant as before as if he were just a weightless presence.
"Weren't we supposed to take Kane to the zoo today?" Aurelia paused, confused. When did she promise to take Kane to the zoo? And Kane hadn't mentioned wanting to go, had he? William chimed in, "It's no big deal. If Kane knew about Nibbles' birthday, | bet he'd be happy to change plans. The zoo can wait, and I'm sure Uncle Leopold wouldn't mind him and Mommy coming over to our place, right?" There was a deliberate emphasis on "our place," insinuating that the Sunbeam Retreat was his and his dad's house, while Aurelia lived with Uncle Leopold.
Arnold affectionately ruffled his son's hair. William was now his only rock and solace. As long as William was by his side, he clung to the hope of winning Aurelia back.
Leopold's gaze turned stormy. The cunning little boy William was a bond between Arnold and Aurelia, a bond that ensured they would always remain connected, unable to sever their ties completely.
"I'll discuss it with Kane when we get home. If he agrees to the change, I'll make sure they get there," Leopold said, his voice tinged with a hint of irritation.
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