Chapter 386: Elliot Returns
Cecilia choked on hearing the comment. With Nathaniel's numerous relatives—parents, siblings, cousins—how could he possibly be considered an orphan? To deceive the child, however, she could only play along. “Yes, indeed. That's why he's so pitiful, and I have no choice but to adopt him for now. Also, he's a bit of an oddball. He might say strange things. You mustn't believe him, okay, Eli?” Cecilia mentally prepared her son.
Elliot, an exceptional actor, his large eyes seemingly filled with trust, nodded repeatedly. “Yeah, don’t worry, Mommy. I won’t believe him.” Cecilia felt a pang of guilt at deceiving him, but she felt she had no choice. In her mind, Elliot remained a typical child, unlike Jonathan, who had absorbed Nathaniel's essence, surpassing adults in memory and intelligence. Jonathan knew Nathaniel was his father; Elliot remained unaware. Cecilia planned to reveal the truth when Elliot was older.
They journeyed home. Elliot, the life of the party, cheerfully greeted his brother, grandmother, and Nathaniel incessantly. He politely addressed Nathaniel: “Mr. Rainsworth, it’s been a while. I’ve missed you.” Had Nathaniel not begun to recover his memories, he would have been completely deceived by Elliot's innocent facade.
“How much do you miss me?” Nathaniel asked.
Elliot choked up, then stammered, “I miss you as much as I feel the need to use the bathroom every day!” The image of a past incident, where Elliot had drenched him, flooded Nathaniel's memory.
As Cecilia began her meal, she found Elliot's words peculiar. Jonathan, pausing his typing, realized that besides Martha, another person could challenge his "scumbag daddy."
“Alright, it’s time to eat. Go wash your hands.”
“Sure thing.” Elliot responded, then turned to Nathaniel. “Mr. Rainsworth, would you like me to wash your hands for you? I can assure you they’ll be spotless.”
“That’s not necessary!”
“Don’t be a stranger. I know you’re an orphan, abandoned by your parents. You’ve had no one to teach you even the simplest things, like washing your hands, since you were little. I can teach you.”
An orphan abandoned by my parents? Nathaniel's expression subtly shifted; Cecilia's violent coughing hinted he should play along. Sullenly, he let Elliot wash his hands.
Elliot, observing his father's hands, was surprised by the scars. Didn't scumbag daddy live a life of privilege? How did he end up with these scars? “Mr. Rainsworth, you must have gone through a lot, judging by all these wounds on your hands.”
Wounds? Cecilia, looking over, noticed the scars. She remembered his hands once flawless.
“I accidentally cut myself on some glass,” Nathaniel replied quietly, concealing the truth: the injuries were from smashing car glass to free Cecilia during an attack by Stella's ex-boyfriend.
“Poor thing.” Elliot's sympathetic expression softened. He patted his chest. “Don’t worry, both Mommy and I are kind-hearted people. When you get old and can’t take care of yourself, we’ll help send you to a nursing home. You must work hard now to earn enough money to pay for it.”