Chapter 226: Chapter 226: A Family of Four, Buying a Birthday Gift
Children’s restaurant.
Almost done with the meal, Leon Keane said to Ivana Monroe, "The day after tomorrow is my teacher’s eightieth birthday. Our family of four will go to extend our birthday wishes."
Leon Keane’s teacher?
Ivana Monroe was curious. Did Leon Keane have a teacher to learn from? What did he learn?
Ivana Monroe didn’t ask directly; it was Timmy Monroe, the curious kid, who couldn’t wait to speak.
"Wow~ Grandpa Teacher’s eightieth birthday, Daddy, what did you learn from Grandpa Teacher?"
Leon Keane smiled and playfully tapped Timmy Monroe’s nose, teasing, "You’ll find out when you go with Daddy the day after tomorrow."
Timmy Monroe’s clear eyes blinked and blinked!
Seeing Leon Keane not saying, Ivana Monroe didn’t ask further. The answer would be revealed in two days, so she wasn’t in a hurry.
After the meal, they left the children’s restaurant.
Ivana Monroe suggested, "Let’s go shopping at the mall!"
Leon Keane didn’t have any objections.
"Yay!" Little Timmy Monroe was very happy and turned around planning to play with Ian Keane, but seeing Ian cling to Ivana Monroe like a little leech, he had no choice but to stay by Leon Keane’s side.
Leon Keane noticed the disappointment in Timmy Monroe’s eyes, thinking that Ian was taking over Ivana Monroe, making Timmy uncomfortable.
Leon Keane took two steps to Ian Keane’s side and pulled him away, "Let go of your mommy, walk properly. You’re a little man, so why do you cling like a girl?"
Never mind Timmy feeling uneasy, even he felt a bit uncomfortable seeing Ian cling like that.
Ian Keane was pulled aside by Leon Keane, his handsome little face seemed to look at Ivana Monroe with grievance.
Ivana Monroe reached out and took Ian Keane back from Leon Keane, giving him a side glance, "The child is only six years old, isn’t it normal to cling to parents? Timmy sometimes clings to me too, you can’t say they are like girls! Did you not cling to your parents when you were young?"
Timmy Monroe circled to Ivana Monroe’s side, looking up at Leon Keane, nodding vigorously, "Mommy is right! It’s a child’s nature to cling, Daddy shouldn’t say that about brother."
Leon Keane looked at the large and two small ones standing on the same side, feeling helpless. Little Timmy, Daddy is helping you! Why are you siding with Ian too?
You should stand on Daddy’s side!
That way, Mommy would feel guilty towards you and wouldn’t let Ian cling too. Then we, father and son, would have a chance!
Don’t you understand your old father’s good intentions?
Leon Keane looked again at Ivana Monroe, feeling that her care for Ian was overflowing. Her strictness with Timmy was apparent to him, so why was everything favoring Ian when it came to him?
Actually, it wasn’t.
When Ivana Monroe was being good to Ian, she observed her own son, noticing Timmy didn’t mind and even actively followed Leon Keane to help Ian cling to her. Ivana Monroe probably guessed her son’s intention.
He hoped she could fully accept Ian.
Ivana Monroe hadn’t spent much time with Ian to fully understand his personality, but in the past few days, Ivana Monroe felt Ian was a child extremely lacking in maternal love and a sense of security.
So, she indulged him.
The more a child clings to someone, it means he has already accepted and become dependent. If, at this moment, Ivana Monroe listened to Leon Keane’s nonsense, making Ian independent, it could affect his entire life.
Many experts advocate for children to learn independence from a young age, but Ivana Monroe doesn’t agree with this. If not absolutely necessary, parents should not rush children into independence, learning the foreign concept of independence. In the future, when children grow up and parents age, children might become indifferent to them.
There’s a saying that goes well: When I was young, you made me learn to be independent, saying busy, busy, busy. When you get old, I’m also busy, busy, busy, you have to get used to the nursing home.
Leon Keane said nothing more, watching as Ivana Monroe held one small hand on each side, with Ian and Timmy flanking her like guardians, taking over Ivana. He, the rightful husband, could only awkwardly follow behind.
Sigh, these days, Dad isn’t doing as well as the sons.
Passing by a toy store, Ivana Monroe let the two kids pick toys. Timmy rushed in first, and Ivana thought Ian wouldn’t go in, but unexpectedly, Ian also let go of her hand and entered, seriously choosing toys.
Timmy picked a drone, figuring out how to play it without the store assistant teaching him.
Ian chose an educational toy, and Leon Keane paid for it.
Ivana Monroe looked at the two kids’ toys, her eyes pausing on the toy Ian had chosen. A picture flashed through her mind: a little boy playing with the Chinese nine links and Luban lock.
Could it be that the one who was with her at that time wasn’t Timmy... but Ian?
This... How is it possible?
Ivana Monroe didn’t dwell on it and continued shopping. She asked Leon Keane, "What does your teacher like?"
Leon Keane hesitated for a moment, his dark eyes deeply looking at Ivana Monroe. Was her suggestion to shop mainly for buying a gift for his teacher?
Leon Keane said, "Teacher lacks nothing, only has an interest in calligraphy and painting."
Ivana Monroe happened to see a shop selling calligraphy and paintings, her eyes lit up, and she went in to take a look.
Leon Keane followed Ivana Monroe inside, where the priciest works were only from slightly famous artists, works that would be unsightly in front of the teacher.
The shop owner was hospitably introducing items.
Leon Keane poured cold water, "Honey, the calligraphy and paintings here aren’t prestigious enough; Teacher wouldn’t like them."
The shop owner wasn’t pleased, turning to look at Leon Keane, and when he did, he was stunned by how incredibly handsome this man was.
The shop owner had a keen eye. From the luxurious clothes on Leon Keane, he could tell this was a wealthy man and a very wealthy one at that.
The shop owner brought out the store’s gem, "This is a piece of writing by Master Lance Quill when he was young, valued at 20 million. You’re lucky to be here; it’s put here by a friend who’s in urgent need of money due to company financial problems. If you can swipe the card now, this genuine piece by Old Mr. Quill, worth 20 million, will be yours. When Old Mr. Quill dies... this piece..."
Leon Keane’s handsome face immediately darkened, "Shut up."
The shop owner was startled and saw Leon Keane’s intensely cold eyes, his shoulders slightly trembling. He had only mentioned Old Mr. Quill’s death, not anything about this man’s family or teacher dying; was there really a need to be so agitated?
Seeing Leon Keane’s expression, Ivana Monroe was also startled by his chilling demeanor.
Ivana Monroe’s eyes swiveled slightly. She had some understanding of Leon Keane.
She asked Leon Keane, "Is this really Master Lance Quill’s authentic work?"
Leon Keane nodded, "Yes."
Without hesitation, Ivana Monroe said, "I’ll take it, swipe the card."