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Novel Catalog
Chapter_271
Whitney Valentine gently tousled her son’s hair, her voice carrying a trace of caution. “Don’t give Tiana a hard time, okay?”
Daniel Lippert pouted but nodded reluctantly. “Alright then.”
With his usual fastidiousness about cleanliness, he squirmed slightly before sitting down on the play mat. He pinched the saliva-covered teddy bear that Cherry handed him, holding it only by the index finger as if it might contaminate him.
“Mommy’s leaving now,” Whitney announced.
“Come back to get me soon!” Danny said, reluctantly seeing her to the door. As soon as the door clicked shut, he turned back to survey the worn-out little house. Tossing the teddy bear aside, he looked at Tiana Melford with the demeanor of a little prince and said, “You don’t need to worry about me. Take your little sister out to play. I need some quiet.”
Tiana couldn’t help but think, This kid must be an Alaskan malamute in disguise—clingy with his owner, but cold to everyone else. Before she could respond, Cherry, who had tossed her toy in frustration, burst into tears.
“Mommy, the little boy… he doesn’t like me!” Cherry sobbed.
Daniel, with a flat expression, simply muttered, “…I don’t dislike her. I just don’t like anyone other than Mommy, okay?”
Tiana quickly picked up her daughter, trying to calm her. “Don’t cry, Cherry. Mommy will take you to the amusement park. How about the big one at the mall?”
Meanwhile, Sammy had already made his rounds in the mall, selecting sportswear with the seriousness of a gentleman. Bags, large and small, were passed off to his bodyguards, and he casually declared, “I’m tired from shopping. I’ll have some dessert here. Just leave two bodyguards with me; the rest can take the stuff back to the car!”
The bodyguards, exhausted from the day’s shopping spree, knew better than to argue with the young lord. They figured two of them were enough to keep an eye on him. Once they left, Sammy ordered his dessert and, in his typical mischievous fashion, wondered how to shake off his two guardians.
Just then, a flash of movement outside the shop caught his eye. A familiar profile—someone who looked just like him—passed by. Surprised, he quickly wiped some dessert off himself, stood up in haste, and muttered, “Ah, my clothes got dirty, and it’s so cold, I need to clean this off.”
“Young master, wait for me!” a bodyguard called.
“Why are you following me? The restroom’s close. Do you think I’ll get lost?” Sammy shot back, turning to smear more cream on the table. “I made a mess here, aren’t you going to clean it up?”
The bodyguards were speechless, watching as a server approached with a thunderous expression, momentarily distracting them. Sammy seized the opportunity and dashed after the little train.
When he reached the front, he saw the boy again, this time standing near the train. The child looked directly at him and gestured to come over. Without a second thought, Sammy ran toward the restroom.
Danny, for his part, had noticed the boy’s appearance and wondered if this could be the “Sammy” Mommy had mentioned. He quickly followed the train’s edge, climbing down stealthily.
Tiana was still holding her daughter, who was mesmerized by the cotton candy being spun, while Danny rushed into the restroom. His heart raced as he checked every stall but found no sign of the boy.
“Where did he go?” Danny muttered, confused.
Just then, a voice called out. “Hey! Looking for me?”
Danny spun around quickly.
To his astonishment, the boy he’d seen earlier—Sammy—appeared from behind a stack of brooms. He dusted himself off and smiled at Danny, whose face mirrored the shock on Sammy’s.
The two boys turned to face each other, eyes wide, before instinctively reaching up to touch their own hair. The similarity between them was striking.
After an awkward pause, Sammy was the first to laugh. “You really do look exactly like me. I’m sure we’re from the same mom. What’s your name?”
Danny, still a little aloof, hesitated before answering. “You first.”
“I’m Sammy. Samuel Valentine, in full.”
“I’m Danny. Daniel Lippert.”
“Yeah, I know! I’ve seen your picture.”
Danny raised an eyebrow. “I’ve seen yours too. On Mommy’s phone.”
“So, you really were taken by Mommy!” Sammy mused, his tone a mix of realization and amusement.
“And you?” Danny asked, his face turning serious. “Were you taken by that lousy dad to replace me?”
“Bingo! They both got us mixed up and haven’t even realized…” Sammy said with a mischievous grin.
“Lousy dad?” Danny frowned at the mention of Ludwik Lippert. “Isn’t he lousy? If he wasn’t, why would he abandon Mommy and me?”
“Dad never mentioned I had a brother like you. Maybe he didn’t know,” Sammy shrugged, trying to defend his father.
Danny frowned deeper. “Mommy never mentioned you to me either. She thought she only had one son.”
“Wait, what’s going on?” Danny’s eyes widened. “Are you saying Mommy and Dad don’t know about each other’s other son?”
“It looks like it!” Sammy nodded. “Have you ever asked Dad about Mommy?”
“He told me Elaine Bartels was my mom. I didn’t believe him, so he said my real mom was dead,” Danny replied, the words heavy with sadness.
Danny looked down. “I asked Mommy about Dad yesterday, and she said my dad died a long time ago.”
Sammy’s face twitched. “Seems like there’s some serious grudge between them.”
“But they have us—two little treasures. Shouldn’t they make up?” Danny asked, his voice tinged with longing.
Danny, still mulling over the situation, added, “I don’t want Elaine to be my mom. She’s always sneaky and underhanded. I’m all about being upfront and fair, but I just can’t beat her at her game.”
Sammy, flashing a mischievous grin, clapped Danny on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, mate. I’ve been hanging at your place for the past few days, and I’ve already shown her a thing or two. You’ve had your fair share of grief from her, haven’t you? Consider it payback on your behalf!”
Danny blinked, looking into Sammy’s sly, sparkling eyes and his warm smile. No wonder Mom always said Sammy was a real sweetheart.
Feeling a pang of envy, Danny managed to squeeze out the words, “Well, thanks for that.”
“Come on, bro, no need for thanks between us,” Sammy boasted, his smile wide.
Then, after a brief pause, Sammy turned serious. “Danny, do you really want Mom and Dad to make up?”
“Yeah, I’ve never had a real mom. I’ve been sickly and weak, and I’ve always longed for a mother’s embrace. And you’ve never gotten those piggyback rides from Dad, have you? Don’t you want that?” Danny asked, trying to tempt Sammy.
“But Auntie says Dad’s done a lot of things that hurt Mom. My loyalty will always lie with her. As long as she’s unhappy, I couldn’t care less about him. I might even side with Mom to teach him a lesson!” Sammy declared firmly.
Danny was taken aback. Sammy had a strong sense of justice.
“I want Dad and Mom to patch things up, but you’re against it. What do we do now?” Danny lamented, feeling overwhelmed by the situation.
