DRAMA NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 21: You'Ve Asked Too Much
Chapter 21: You've Asked Too Much
Joseph heard someone calling him and took a glimpse. He was startled when he saw the little girl who was waving at him and he felt her familiar. Noah took the opportunity to escape from his arms and ran away, and he could only chase after him. Hayden was covering her face and she suddenly felt someone grabbing her calf. She looked down and met a pair of big watery eyes. The little boy was hugging one of her legs with a thrilled look.
"Mister! We've met each other before!" Stella stood near the table and blinked while staring at Joseph with a pair of big dark eyes. Joseph thought back for a while and only then he was able to combine the image of the reckless little girl that bumped into him back at the airport with the girl before him. A soft light appeared in his eyes.
"How did you know each other?" Hayden was still in a daze. "This is the mister that gave me chocolates that day, mommy!" Stella turned around and explained to her with her eyes gleamed. "What a coincidence to have met the mister here. Did you know this mister too mommy?" Having heard her question, Hayden's look froze and she replied, "He's...mommy's boss in the company."
Joseph stood beside the table and asked with little superiority, "So this is your daughter?"
"Yes."
Having heard her reply, Joseph had an inexplicable feeling. She had actually gotten married and had kids? He then digressed from the topic of conversation and asked, "How's your hand?" That question was exactly what Hayden was afraid of. She then braced herself and stuttered while dragging Noah out from under the table and moved him to her front as her shield, "It's, it's not yet fully recovered. I can't quite use it now."
"Then do have a longer break. You don't have to come to work that soon." Hayden was taken aback by Joseph's words. When had he become such an easygoing person? "My mom's hand has recovered now! She could go to work starting from tomorrow!" Stella suddenly chimed in.
"Stella Downey!" Hayden shot her a glare for exposing her. Yet Joseph did not take her words seriously and was treating it as a child's nonsense. He then changed the topic. "I have to thank you regarding Noah's matter. I didn't have time to pay you a visit at the hospital back then. Now that I'm free, it turns out that you're already discharged. I've always wanted to thank you in person with Noah."
"It's okay." Hayden shook her head. "Now that you've granted me holidays, I'll take that as a thank you. Plus, it's my duty as an employee to ensure my clients' safety."
"Holiday is a thing." Joseph glimpsed at Stella from the corner of his eyes and his look suddenly became serious. "But don't you forget about the bet. I do not intend to extend the three-month time period." Having heard his words, there was a change in Hayden's expression. What the heck? Wouldn't that mean she would be wasting her time during the break? The good feelings she had towards Joseph just now instantly vanished. That man was indeed good at making others uncomfortable.
Without waiting for Hayden to react, Joseph gestured Noah to come over. "Let's go, Noah. Don't disturb them having lunch." Yet as if facing an enemy, Noah grabbed Hayden's arm tightly and looked at him with hostility.
"Noah!" Joseph frowned. The little guy's stubborn look was the exact same copy as Joseph's who was standing opposite him. Seeing them being at loggerheads, Hayden quickly stood out to mediate the dispute. "Sit here if you don't mind. There are four seats after all." The staff had arranged a bigger table for her as the restaurant was not crowded, and she did not expect it to come in handy at the moment. Seeing Noah did not intend to leave at all, Joseph could only sit down in despondence. His aggrieved look was exceptionally amusing in Hayden's eyes. She did not expect him who was the president of the ST Group actually had a soft spot. Stella could not wait to make Joseph stay and she was obliging to pull the chair out for him. "Come sit here, mister. I'll take the fruits." As she was going to leave, she glanced at Noah and invited him sincerely. "Do you want to come with me too, Noah?"
Staring at Stella's cheerful and likable look, Noah hesitated for a while. He then released Hayden's arm and followed her. He wanted to get along well with Mrs. Downey's daughter. Yet Joseph was greatly surprised that Noah was actually willing to get along with the little girl. His dear son always had an arrogant and unapproachable personality and he did not have any friend among his cohort. He had tried to let him hang out with the children of his friends from his social circle but he refused to pay attention to any of them. The slight autism Noah had had always troubled him. "Your daughter is outgoing." "You mean Stella?" Hayden smiled. "She's an imp, sometimes I don't even know how many mischievous ideas does she have in her mind. But she still gets along well with the children her age, both of them should be fine with each other, so you don't have to worry, Mr. Beckham." Joseph initially wanted to explain that it was not his concern, yet he gave up doing so. "You don't have to be that courteous. Noah likes you very much, if you're being that deference to him, he'll lose his temper." He then lowered his head to order some more dishes and handed the menu to the waiter.
Both children returned with the fruits. Seeing the dishes not served yet, they went to the children corner to play on the slide. The view there was good and the place where the children at was basically within their line of sight, therefore both parents were relieved. It was rare to have such leisure atmosphere and after some chatting, Hayden felt that Joseph did not look as superior as he did back in the workplace and their conversation was in a relaxed manner. Having remembered Noah losing his temper back then, she asked casually, "Oh yes, is it congenital regarding the matter that Noah is unable to speak? Is it because that his mom had poor health?"
Having heard that, Joseph's composed look suddenly turned gloomy. His eyes diverted from the children corner to her and there was alert followed by aloofness. "Sorry." Hayden panicked from his stare and immediately realized she had crossed the line. She then quickly explained, "I'm just wondering." Joseph threw her a cold glimpse and replied impolitely, "You've asked too much. You should stay out of other's business more."
Having heard that, Hayden clenched her fingers anxiously under the table with an embarrassed look. Compared to the awkward feeling she had, she regretted the blunder she made more. No one should randomly ask a parent about their child's disability, especially from an arrogant parent like Joseph. Silence prevailed between them.
Because of her words, Joseph's eyes slightly glazed over when he gazed at the children corner afar. The reason Noah could not speak was not because of any congenital disease. He was able to speak many complete sentences when he was two and was smarter than any child of his age. If not because of him failing to take good care of him and caused him nearly lost his life due to a high fever, he would not have become like that. He had visited countless doctors these years and they all reached the same conclusion---Since Noah's vocal chord was not injured, it must be it was he himself reluctant to speak.