Chapter 173

Dinner was a lively affair. Lillian and Kevin, despite the adults' gentle reminders, flitted between bites and playtime. They were, however, remarkably well-behaved eaters, cleaning their plates without complaint. Jeremy, even more so, polished off his food with quiet efficiency.

Afterwards, Stacey took the trio for a walk. Jeremy's eyes widened in wonder as they entered the neighborhood park. Quietly, she snapped a photo of them happily playing in the sandbox and sent it to Hayden. He was probably worried, she thought, leaving Jeremy with her.

At Hoggard Technologies, the CEO’s office glowed under the night lights. Hayden, back from dinner, was buried in work, burning the midnight oil to meet deadlines before collecting his son. The familiar chime of his family message alert sliced through his concentration. A picture popped up—Jeremy, laughing in the sandbox with Lillian and Kevin.

A smile touched Hayden’s lips. He zoomed in. Jeremy seemed completely at ease. He imagined Stacey, camera in hand, capturing the scene with gentle patience. He picked up a small, bite-marked wooden duck from his drawer, a faint chuckle escaping him. He texted back: "Jeremy looks really happy!"

Stacey replied instantly: "Yes, Jeremy is very well-behaved. He's nice to Lillian and Kevin. So considerate."

Hayden chuckled. "Jeremy's nice to Lillian and Kevin?" He looked again at the photo. The children looked perfectly content together. He realized, It seems Jeremy really likes Becky, and her children. He replied: "[Yes.]" Then, impulsively, he sent a picture of his office.

Stacey, seeing the image, quickly texted: "[Are you still working?]"

"Yes," Hayden replied.

"I won't disturb you then. Jeremy's fine. No need to worry," Stacey typed.

"Okay," Hayden responded.

Their conversation ended. Stacey watched the children. Jeremy, despite his intelligence, was still just a child. He probably didn’t have many playmates at Hoggard Villa. Now, he was fully immersed in building sandcastles with Lillian and Kevin. He built one quickly, earning wide-eyed admiration from Lillian. Kevin, equally impressed, shouted, "I want to build one too!"

Jeremy nodded and showed Kevin how. Stacey, camera ready, moved closer, aiming for the perfect shot. Jeremy, noticing her, shyly turned. "Jeremy," she called, "come stand by your castle. Let's take a picture!"

He hurried over, a little nervous. Lillian and Kevin joined him, squeezing together eagerly. Stacey snapped the photo.

"Mommy, I want to see!" Lillian exclaimed, already familiar with the routine.

Jeremy and Kevin were equally curious. Stacey showed them the photo.

"It looks good!" Kevin declared.

Jeremy's eyes shone. He smiled at Stacey, a silent "I like it" in his gaze.

"Do you think it's nice, Jeremy?" Stacey asked.

He nodded vigorously. "I'll save this and send a copy to your dad. You can ask him to show it to you later," she said.

Jeremy's eyes lit up. Stacey hesitated, remembering Hayden was working late. "I'll send it tonight. He's busy with overtime," she explained gently.

"All right," she said, putting away her phone, "back to playing!"

Lillian's face brightened. It was her turn to learn how to build a sandcastle.