novelxo Chapter 38
Chapter 38
Lounging in the tub, Athena’s skin was white as snow, lips a luscious red, and her hair fanned out behind her like seaweed. She was the epitome of a siren, tempting enough to make one wanna take a little nibble.
“If you ever end up with two busted hands, I might just show you some mercy by peeling you like a grape and tossing you into boiling water,” Newman got up with grace and grabbed some tissue papers to wipe his hands.
Athena rolled her eyes at him and cursed under her breath.
In the afternoon, Kevin came bouncing back from kindergarten. “Mommy!” The villa echoed with. the kiddo’s energetic shout, and Athena came downstairs to greet him.
“Kevin, go change your clothes and wash up, it’s munch time.”
“Huh? Mommy, what’s up with your face?” Kevin toddled over to Athena with his little stubby legs. Standing on his tiptoes, craning his neck, with his big round eyes, he peered at the red scratch on Athena’s cheek.
“Mommy got into a bit of a scuffle.” Athena admitted nonchalantly, ushering Kevin along. “Get changed, and I’ll spill the beans later.”
“Your face is still glowing though; you’re the reigning beauty queen of Stardale City!” The kiddo threw out a genuine compliment and flashed her a thumbs–up.
Athena wasn’t fazed by the scratch on her face; a dab of ointment and it’d vanish in a day or
two…
Kevin cut his changing time in half and scampered back down to the dining room, “Mommy. who’d you tangle with? I’ll go teach ‘em a lesson for ya!”
Athena handed him his kiddie cutlery, “Let’s eat. Mommy made up with the scrapper.”
What Athena really wanted to address with Kevin was something else entirely, “Kevin, focus on your studies, will ya? Your teacher was raving about your homework the other day. Why the drop–off lately?”
Kevin heard the tail end of Athena’s sentence, his face already buried in his bowl. Athena knew his enthusiasm for study was lacking, “Mommy got you a tutor, kiddo. You’ll be hitting the online classes tonight.”
“What? Evening classes too?!” Kevin’s face popped out of the bowl, smudged with rice.
Athena broke the news of the upcoming full–subject test to her Kevin, leaving out the part that flunking meant switching from the fancy kindergarten to other one.
She didn’t want to pile on the pressure. If a switch was in the cards, Athena would find a public kindergarten for Kevin to enjoy a carefree, happy childhood.
Chapter 38
After dinner, Kevin sat in front of the computer. The screen flickered on, and the Bradshaw family’s bespectacled tutor appeared; he introduced, his tone cool and detached, “I’m Alex. You??”
The next second, Alex wished he could dive through the screen!
“?? Payne? It’s you?”
Alex double–checked; he was connecting to the Dempsey family account provided for the
session!
Kevin was bewildered too. The teacher knew Pineapple?
Alex adjusted his glasses, his tone serious, “Payne, I’m here to tutor Mr. Kevin Dempsey of the Dempsey family in phonics. Where might he be?”
Kevin was getting antsy, “Oh, Kevin? He’s off hunting tigers in the hills. I’m subbing for his class!” His young mind whirred as he heard the teacher say, “Payne, you’re beyond these basic phonics lessons. I’ll check with his mother about where he could possibly be??”
“Hey! Alex! Don’t rat me out to Mommy.”
Now it was Alex’s turn to be stunned, his face a picture of shock as he stared at the little face
onscreen.
“Don’t tell Kevin’s Mommy! You don’t have to trouble yourself with tutoring Kevin anymore. I’m living with him now. I can teach him! That’s that, bye!”
Kevin waved at the teacher onscreen and shut down the video chat. Alex was left with a head full of question marks. Payne never said “bye” to him before. Where did that soft accent come
from?
After logging off, Kevin hopped off the chair. He had plans to meet Payne at the hot springs tonight, but it wasn’t exactly ditching class; it was more like an early wrap–up!
At the hot springs, the two lookalike kids sat side by side. Kevin asked, “Pineapple, when get our DAA test results back?”
“It’s DNA,” Payne corrected, “Probably another three to five days. I gotta dodge Daddy’s watchful eye. Once the results are in, the agency will notify me right away.
do w
we
Payne mumbled to himself, “If Belle Athena is really my mommy, then why’d she leave me with Daddy? Was it ‘cause I was sickly at birth and she didn’t want a kid like that??”
“Pineapple, stop spewing nonsense! I was sickly too, but Mommy didn’t ditch me. She taught me how to fight, to get stronger. ‘Cause of her, I grew up hale and hearty!”
Kevin spoke earnestly, and Payne looked at him with eyes full of envy.
“Pineapple, I gotta tell you a secret! Mommy got into a fight today and got hurt!”
Payne tensed up instantly, “Belle Athena got hurt? Where? Is she okay now? I’ll go grab some ointment for her!”
2/3
14:47
Chapter 38
Kevin pointed to his face. “Mommy’s got a red mark on her pretty face. She’s good though, wel got ointment at home. But she won’t spill who she fought with. Pineapple, you got any tricks up your sleeve to find out who Mommy threw down with?”
Payne’s brows furrowed, and his pure eyes sank into thought.
“I’ll hack into Belle Athena’s company first, snatch her schedule. Then, based on where she’s been, pull up each of the surveillance footage. Maybe then we can figure out who Belle Athena scrapped with.”
“Wowza!” Kevin let out in amazement, “I didn’t catch all that, but Pineapple, you’re really awesome!”
Kevin gave Payne a thumbs up. Payne whipped out his phone, which he had customized himself, adding in some new software he had written.
Using a kiddie phone, Payne hacked into the Dempsey HQ’s mainframe at the Sunrise Building. He got his hands on Athena’s schedule for the day and then pulled up the surveillance footage from the Silver Club.
Kevin leaned in, and cuddling up together, they saw Athena enter a private room. Not long after, a middle–aged woman stormed in with a posse. Next thing they knew, the club’s security got wind of it and scrambled over.
When Athena stepped out of the room, Kevin pointed at the screen and said, “Mommy got hurt!” “That’s them; they’re the ones who hit Mommy!” Kevin pointed at the people on the monitor.
“Cool it, Kevin. Even if we figure out who roughed up Belle Athena, there’s not much we can do,” Payne’s long lashes drooped, his eyes clouding over with a shadow.
“I’ll teach them a lesson for Mommy!” Kevin clenched his little fists.
“How do you think you’re gonna take on so many people by yourself?”
Kevin blinked his bright eyes, thinking. “I’ll get some help.”
Payne had already dug up the identities of those who had injured Athena.
“This one’s Nossen Energy CEO’s wife, that guy is her brother, and these are their bodyguards. Kevin, even if you want to take your own bodyguards to teach them a lesson, they won’t agree. to it.”
Payne spoke seriously, analyzing the situation with Kevin, who then said, “I’ll take Devil to teach them a lesson. Devil is super fierce! He’ll definitely make those who hit Mommy cry and beg for mercy!”
Payne’s mouth dropped open, “You want to bring my daddy into a fight?”