novelxo Chapter 32
Chapter 32
Kevin looked at Payne with hopeful puppy eyes and said, “Pineapple, could you help me figure out if Coco is our dad’s reincarnation?”
Payne’s pretty brows knotted, “Coco is a whole different species from us; there’s no way those DNA folks can do a paternity test for us and Coco.”
Kevin’s face fell, “But Mom says Dad reincarnated as Coco. Ah, forget it, if we can’t get tested, no biggie. Let’s just let Coco live the high life without the dad duties!” Halfway through, Kevin seemed to have talked himself into acceptance.
Payne suggested, “Sneakily pluck some hair from my dad, Kevin. There’s a good chance he’s your dad too!”
Kevin shivered and shook his head like a rattle. “Devil wouldn’t hesitate to off a kid! Mom says a heartless, cold–blooded nutjob like my dad could never turn into a hottie!”
Kevin was adamant, and Payne’s mouth hung open, about to retort when his smartwatch buzzed with an incoming message.
Payne pressed the watch and a voice message popped up.
“Payne, I just called Newman, and I even called him ‘dad.‘ He didn’t object, so from now on. Newman is our shared daddy!”
The childish.voice from the watch made Payne’s face go pale, his eyes showing a wounded
look.
He pressed his watch and yelled into it, “He’s not your dad, so stop calling him that!”
Soon after, another voice message came through, “Newman agreed to me calling him ‘dad,‘ so your disagreement is moot, suck it up!”
The taunting message made Payne’s eyes turn red with anger, his lips pouting and tears shimmering in his eyes.
Kevin, having never seen Payne like this, asked curiously. “Pineapple, who
that?”
Payne’s eyes were brimming with tears, “He’s the bad guy, he and a mean lady are trying to steal my dad!”
Kevin rushed to comfort him, “If your dad gets stolen, just join me in calling Coco ‘dad.”
Payne was speechless.
Kevin’s attempt at comfort backfired; big tears rolled down Payne’s almond–shaped eyes.
He had been holding back the tears, but the thought of calling Coco ‘dad‘ with Kevin made it all the more painful.
Sobbing, he said, “I only want my dad, and now that Louis has taken him, my dad doesn’t want
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me anymore?”
Another voice message came through Payne’s watch.
Kevin grabbed his hand and played the message.
It was from Louis again.
“Dad promised to teach me skiing next month! Payne, you can’t come, can you? Because you’re afraid of the cold, huh!”
“Payne, you can just bundle up into a ball at the ski resort and watch Dad teach me.”
Tears streamed down Payne’s tender face; his frail body prevented him from joining in any physical activities, and he could only sit and watch Louis during sports classes.
Louis would have Dad teach him horseback riding, swimming, skiing, but Payne didn’t even get
the chance to try.
“Louis, you can’t even ski without being taught, how embarrassing! I’m the child champion in snowboarding! Just wait until I show you a double front flip at the resort, that’ll blow your mind!”
Kevin’s voice was as commanding as Payne’s, but his words were fierce.
Even Payne was taken aback by Kevin’s imitation.
Meanwhile, at the Everglade Citythe Bradshaw villa, the kid listening to his smartwatch was shell–shocked by “Payne’s” roar!
Louis was startled, his lips pouting, he hit the record button, “Payne, you’re lying! You can’t ski at all!”
“Watch and learn, Louis, I’ll show you how it’s done! And you, listen up, I’ll kick you into a ball and send you rolling down the slope with twenty somersaults!”
After Kevin’s rant, he sent the voice message, and Payne reminded him, “You know Louis’s last name is Bradshaw, right?”
Louis, face all red with anger, couldn’t believe how mean Payne had become.
He pressed the record button, “I’m going to tell Dad you bullied me!”
Kevin scoffed, “Ugh, I can’t stand tattletales!”
He spoke for Payne into the watch, “Go to your own dad, why hog mine?”
After Kevin’s outburst, Payne said, “Kevin, he doesn’t have a dad; his dad died.”
“Oh, so he’s like me then.”
Kevin left a message for Louis on the watch. “Did your mom scatter your dad’s ashes too?”
Louis was shocked.
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Kevin asked Payne, “Do you guys have a dog?”
Payne nodded, “Zoey has a dumb Mastiff named Black, but we all call it ‘Big Dumb Bear.”
Kevin messaged Louis again, “Your real dad has reincarnated as Big Dumb Bear, that’s your true daddy!”
Louis was in tears after Kevin’s scolding, trembling as he played the last voice message.
“Idiot! Can’t even recognize your own dad!”
Louis burst into tears, sobbing heartbreakingly.
Kevin and Payne split at the entrance to the hot spring, and before leaving, Kevin told Payne, “If Louis bothers you again, come find me. I’ll help you give it back to him!”
Kevin clenched his fists, his voice fierce yet babyish, “Such a bratty kid needs a good spanking to straighten up!”
Admiration filled Payne’s eyes as he looked at Kevin.
“Dude, you’re so badass!”
Kevin’s cheeks puffed with pride, “Is Stardale City a mess? I call the shots! Pineapple, I’ve got your back!”
“Oh my god, Kevin, you haven’t recovered from your cold yet, you can’t soak in the hot springs!”
Kent’s voice echoed from outside, and Kevin quickly stepped back, hiding behind Payne.
“Kevin, I’m bailing out first,” Payne whispered, slipping the plastic tube with Kevin’s hair into his jacket pocket before heading out.
Once Payne and Kent had left the scene, Kevin made his move. He had just gotten back to the villa in the west district when Newman rolled up, driving Athena home.
Athena, clutching her throbbing head from the bump, got out of the car. Seeing her, Kevin. sweetly called out, “Mommy!”
Athena was a beat slow to react, and that was when Kevin saw it–the driver’s door swung open, and Newman stepped out.
Newman turned his head, locking eyes with Kevin.
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