Liking Him Even More

At the entrance of the reception room, Alex and the others were still engaged in a silent staring contest, the atmosphere tinged with awkwardness.

Sarah, nestled in Xavier Dupont's arms, was staring intently at Alex, though her expression remained neutral. Perhaps because her father was a handsome man, seeing another handsome guy like Alex didn't faze her much. Earlier, when she looked at Rick, there was no reaction, but when she saw Howard, her eyes lit up instantly.

Alex, feeling Sarah's gaze, reached out and pinched her chubby cheeks, tilting her head from side to side as he examined her closely.

"At least she doesn't look like her mother," Alex remarked, as if Audrey's face was an eyesore to him, making his dislike for her evident.

Sarah didn't cry when her cheeks were pinched. Instead, she blinked her big innocent eyes and asked Alex, "Who are you, uncle?"

Alex frowned. "Uncle? Call me brother."

Sarah's face was full of confusion, as if to say, *But you are an uncle, aren't you?*

Alex suddenly felt a bit defeated. Do I really look that old?

"Indeed, he's a brother. You should call him cousin," Xavier Dupont interjected, chuckling lightly, clearly teasing Alex.

Alex shot Xavier Dupont a glare, his expression sour.

Meanwhile, Sarah's face lit up with excitement. She looked at Alex with joy, realizing that she had a cousin now, which meant she had more family. She was thrilled.

"Is there something wrong with this child?" Alex muttered in surprise as he saw Sarah's face turn red from staring at him so intently. He flicked her forehead lightly, causing it to redden.

But instead of getting angry, Sarah's face grew even redder, and she continued to stare at Alex, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

Alex frowned again and asked, "Why aren't you crying?"

He then pinched Sarah's cheeks again, though this time more gently. 

It's soft, but not as plump as my wife's. The feel isn't quite right.

Alex found himself subconsciously comparing Sarah to Mark.

Sarah, eager to explain, earnestly told Alex, "Because Sarah has a cousin now! Sarah has family! Sarah is so happy, so I won't cry."

Alex was taken aback, then glanced at Xavier Dupont, silently asking what was going on.

Alex wasn't aware of how difficult Sarah's life had been, so he didn't understand the weight behind her words.

"It's a long story," Xavier Dupont responded simply, not wanting to delve into Sarah's past in front of her, avoiding reopening her wounds.

Alex didn't press the issue. He reached out to gently ruffle Sarah's hair, smiling softly as he said, "Tomorrow, I'll introduce you to a new brother."

"Is he a handsome brother?" Sarah's eyes sparkled with anticipation, her excitement palpable.

"Of course, your cousin-in-law is very handsome," Alex said proudly.

"Sarah wants to see him! I want to see him right now!" Sarah was brimming with eagerness, practically bouncing with joy.

"It's late now. You'll meet him tomorrow," Alex reassured her, patting her head with a gentle smile.

Finished, he turned to Xavier Dupont and said, "I'm heading back to my room. You guys can continue your stroll."

With that, he left to find Mark.

Sarah looked up at Xavier Dupont, beaming with happiness. "Sarah has a cousin now."

Her joy was genuine, impossible to conceal.

Xavier Dupont smiled slightly as he patted her head, appearing pleased for her.

"Pretty Mommy, you too! Sarah wants Pretty Mommy to pat her head too," Sarah said brightly, leaning her head toward Richard and even rubbing against him affectionately.

Richard, of course, didn't refuse. He raised his hand and lovingly patted Sarah's head, following Xavier Dupont's lead.

Sarah grinned happily, her cheeks flushed, and she swung her little feet in delight.

Seeing Sarah's pure and innocent smile, Richard felt an even stronger urge to take her under his wing.

He looked at Xavier Dupont, his gaze filled with determination, though he said nothing.

Xavier Dupont noticed and, after kissing Richard on the forehead, said softly, "If you really like her that much, then fight for custody."

Given the current situation, Xavier Dupont no longer felt comfortable leaving Sarah in Audrey's care.

Richard wrapped his arms around both Xavier Dupont and Sarah, clearly overjoyed, even if he didn't say it out loud.

Sarah, unaware of what was going on with Richard, simply snuggled into his embrace, rubbing her face against his smooth hair.

*Pretty Mommy smells so nice!*

Sarah's cheeks turned redder as she found herself liking Richard even more.

---

On his way back to his room, Alex stopped by to check on Feder. Seeing that Feder was still unconscious, he left quietly.

Noah sat silently by the bedside, watching over Feder, who was drenched in cold sweat, clearly worried.

Feder was plagued by nightmares, mumbling fearfully, his expression one of deep anxiety. Once again, the nightmares seemed to take hold of him, this time with Noah clearly hearing him mumble something about his mother running away. Feder's hand clutched the blanket tightly, his head moving restlessly as if he were desperately trying to escape in his dream.

Noah, not knowing what to do, stood there helplessly. After a long hesitation, he finally grasped Feder's hand.

Feder clutched Noah's hand as if it were a lifeline, his grip so strong that Noah winced in discomfort.

"What does he eat to grow so strong? Even in his sleep, he's got such a grip," Noah muttered under his breath.

The next moment, he suddenly blushed, covering his mouth as he turned away, too embarrassed to look at the unconscious Feder. It seemed his thoughts had wandered.

Noah had always considered himself to be in good shape, but standing next to Feder, he felt like a lightweight.

"Do those two have the same feeling?" Noah suddenly thought of Mark and Kyle. Compared to them, he was in better shape, so how did they survive?

"Especially that Richard. The second young master has trained his body to the peak of physical fitness among the Dupont men. How did he make it through these ten years?"

*Ten years! My God.*

The more Noah thought about it, the more terrified he became. He now had a psychological shadow whenever he encountered the Dupont men—just seeing them made him want to run the other way.

He had only been with Feder for a few months and was already scared out of his wits. For Richard to have endured ten years, Noah figured he must have considered life expendable.

"Do the Dupont men even realize how terrifying they are?" Noah frowned, feeling the urge to curse the Dupont ancestors.

"Damn it, stop thinking about it. They're not even human," Noah slapped his own face to snap himself out of it.

Feder stirred, slowly opening his eyes, the white ceiling coming into view.

He blinked a few times, trying to make sense of his surroundings. After a moment, he managed to focus on Noah sitting beside him, looking dazed and confused, as if he hadn't fully woken up.

"You're awake," Noah said calmly, breaking the silence.

Feder stared blankly at Noah for a moment before sitting up, his head throbbing as he asked, "What happened to me?"

"You lost too much blood and passed out," Noah replied evenly, pouring a glass of water for Feder.

Feder stared at the glass of water in front of him, feeling as though he were in a dream. He looked up at Noah, still in a daze.

Noah had never been this considerate before. He usually resisted Feder's advances and cursed at him.

"Am I dead?" Feder asked, his voice tinged with confusion.

"Would you be able to see me if you were dead? Just drink your water," Noah snapped, his temper flaring as he shoved the glass into Feder's hand.

This brusque tone was more in line with the Noah Feder knew, reassuring him that he wasn't dreaming.

Obediently, Feder drank the water and set the empty glass on the bedside table, then stared directly at Noah.

"What are you looking at? Do you want me to punch you to prove this is real?" Noah asked, exasperated.

Feder didn't respond, but a slight smile played on his lips. He reached out to touch Noah's face, then leaned in and kissed him.

Noah immediately pushed Feder away, suddenly flustered, probably startled by the unexpected kiss.

"W-what are you doing?!" Noah shouted at Feder.

Feder smirked and replied, "Kissing you, what else? Or do you want me to do something more?"

"In your dreams!" Noah cursed, but seeing his hand reddened from Feder's grip, he couldn't help but blush.

*Damn it, Noah, what are you thinking? You must be out of your mind!*

Noah wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.