NovelEnglish"You've never really forgiven me, have you?"
"No." Aurelia's response was as swift as it was blunt, "You don't deserve to be Liam's father. To him, you are an incompetent parent.
Even if he were still with us, even if someone had saved him, you wouldn't be his dad anymore, and the man who saved his life is
his dad. The gratitude owed for nurturing a child far outweighs that of giving life. And you, you didn't even do that. You're nothing
more than a donor, a mere artificial intervention."
Leopold's shoulders twitched as if he'd been struck by an invisible blow.
He had always known, deep down, that neither Aurelia nor Liam had truly forgiven him.
An icy silence descended upon the tea room.
Realizing her words might have cut too deep, Aurelia softened her tone, "This is William's first Christmas in Elysium, and | want it to
be a happy one for him. Children have their own minds. As parents, we should respect their thoughts and wishes, not force them to
conform. That'll only push them further away."
With that, she walked out.
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Leopold stayed seated in the tea room for a long tbefore he made his way to William's room.
William lay sprawled on the couch and was upset
At the sight of Leopold, his cheeks puffed out in defiance.
"Uncle Leopold, you are a big meanie, and | hate you."
Leopold reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, sealed bag containing strands of hair.
"I'm giving this back to you."
William's eyes lit up, and he scrambled off the couch, snatching the bag.
"Is this really my hair?" he questioned, half wondering if it was a switcheroo.
Leopold ruffled William's hair and said, "I never lie to kids."
A weight seemed to lift from William's shoulders.
Aurelia must have gone to bat for him. She was always the strong one.
"Uncle Leopold, it's not right for grown-ups to bully kids."
"Do you fear that | might want a paternity test?" Leopold asked.
William met his gaze, "I'm not scared, because my daddy will always be my daddy, and no one can change that."
"So, you wouldn't want to be my son?"
"Nope." William didn't hesitate, shaking his head, "A person can only have one dad, and I'm not about to betray mine."
"Skids, due to special circumstances, end up with two dads, one who brought them into the world, and one who raised them.
It's okay to love both, and there's no conflict."
William's eyes rolled thoughtfully, "If Kane ever called someone else 'dad,' wouldn't you be disappointed, wouldn't it hurt?"
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"Kane is my son, and he wouldn't call anyone else 'dad."
"Just imagine it's in a parallel universe," William persisted, "If Kane called someone else 'dad,' you'd be hurt, right? So | can't be a
traitor. | can only love my daddy, whether he's my biological father or not."
Leopold fell silent. Sometimes what was lost could never be reclaimed. If Magnolia hadn't played cupid, causing Arnold and Lisa to
marry, Aurelia might never have cback into his life.
"William, I'll respect your wishes. Try to have fun and no more tears, okay?"
He exited the room.
William's spirits lifted, and he began to unpack his small clothes back into the wardrobe, a sign of reclaiming his space.
As Leopold reached the top of the stairs, a thought struck him. He descended and made his way to the security office.
"Did Aurelia stop by?"
The security guard nodded, "Yes, she cwith Kane. She said she lost her bracelet and wanted to check the cameras."
"You step out, and I'll take a look at the footage," Leopold instructed, his voice heavy with intent.
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