The Royal Contract

Chapter 1207  Stepson

He yawned for the third time as he played with his mother's phone while sitting on the couch. A woman he did not know was watching him while his mother talked to some people. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ (f)ir(e).nᴇt

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His eyes scanned the room, but he could not see anyone he recognized except his mother and his friend, Zach. It would have been nice if there were other kids his age, but all were grown people who talked too fast.

"Are you sleepy, hungry, or do you want to do something else?" The woman attended to his needs, just like his mom would do or sometimes Sasha.

However, he was bored and sleepy. He just wanted to go home. He had no idea what he was doing in this gathering in the first place. He hardly understood anything that the grown-ups did anyway.

He looked around once again, hoping he could tell his mother to take him home. But he spotted someone else walking his way. He remembered his face but nothing else.

"Hey, champ." The man greeted him, just the way Zach would call him. Still, he did not know who he was.

"Remember me. I am Zach's father." The man extended his arm to him. "Call me, John." He told him as he reached for his hand, gently squeezing and shaking it.

Then, Edison finally recalled Zach introducing him earlier. But there were so many people that he could hardly keep up with the faces and the name.

In his defense, he was just a kid. He did not give a crap about such things. He only wanted to eat, play and go home to sleep. He could not care less about all these people.

"I am Edison." He corrected the man, thinking Zach was the only one who called him champ. But he still did not want to be rude. His mother would not like that.

"Nice to meet you, Edison." The man nodded as if he liked his name. "You look like you can use some company." The older man told him as he joined him on the sofa. "What are you playing?" He pointed to the phone in his hand.

"Nothing." Edison was not in the mood to explain the game mechanics to the man as he placed the phone on the side and looked at him. Suddenly, he was fascinated with him, finding him more interesting than the game app.

"Ok!" The man responded, appearing to agree with him. "Are you bored?" He asked as he undid the button of his coat and loosened his tie.

He did not want to offend anyone. But he also did not want to lie. His mother would be angry with him if he did not tell the truth. Therefore, he nodded instead, slightly showing his hesitance.

"I assure you, I also feel the same way." John gave him a friendly smile and a short laugh, reminding him of the man wearing red clothes with a long white beard. But this man's beard was not white, but it was still slightly long and thick.

Truthfully, the older man's action made him feel less intimidated and more comfortable around him. Not that he would admit he was afraid of him, but still, he was bigger than him.

"Would you like me to show you around the house? I think I have a room which you will like to see." The big man offered him, sounding convincing.

He guessed that was the most exciting thing he had heard since they had arrived in this big house.

"I need to ask Mom." He said, not wanting to get into trouble. He did not want his mother to get angry with him.

The man nodded in approval, urging him to walk over to his mother, not far from where he sat. She was having a conversation with Zach and a few other people.

The man also followed and stood behind him as he called his mother's attention, interrupting her from their conversation.

"Mom, can I go with him..." He was about to tell his mother his plan when the man interrupted them.

"I hope you don't mind if I take Edison on a tour of the house." John directed his statement to his mother and Zach.

The two looked at one another before looking at the older man. Finally, his mother's eyes landed on him. "I don't want to impose..." Ria was saying when John tapped her on the shoulder.

"No worries. I will be happy to show Edison around. He won't be a bother." John insisted, giving his mother no choice but to nod. Even Zach did not seem to think it was a bad idea.

"Are you sure?" His mother asked again, still unconvinced.

"Don't worry. My Dad loves kids. And Edison will be in good hands." Zach convinced his mother to let him go.

Then Zach smiled at him, kneeling before him. "I am sure you will have a great time with my Dad," Zach told him, and he believed him. Zach always told him the truth. He always kept his promises. He could trust him.

"Are you ready to accompany me?" John turned to him, extending his hand again.

This time, he took it, holding his hand tightly as he led the way away from the other people and into the empty hallways. He could only wonder what was on the other side of those walls. He had never been in a place like this before.

Their home was so big that his house seemed so small. He knew he would get lost in a place like this. But still, his curiosity won over him as his eyes stared at everything he saw.

"Let me show you where I work and read." John walked toward a large door and then opened it. "This is my office." He said as he guided him inside.

He saw tables, chairs, and many books on the walls. But it was not the same as what he owned. Most of them were black. And not like his, which was colorful and bright.

"Do you read a lot?" Edison asked as he looked at the book on his desk.

"Yes, I love to read. What about you? What is your favorite?" He looked down at him.

"I love stories with whales and dolphins. Maybe some bears and tigers." He said, remembering the books he had at home.

"I also love whales." The older man said to him as he walked over to the shelves as if looking for a particular book. "This one." He said as he pulled out a book.

Then, he walked over to his side again. "Why don't you sit down, and I will show you my favorite book." He offered him the soft sofa and sat right next to him.

Then, he placed the book on his lap. The cover had a picture of a whale and a ship. But unlike his book, the images still lacked colors. But he was still excited to know about the story.

He could not read yet. But he loved looking at the pictures while his mother read the story aloud. Then he would imagine himself as part of the story, making all the characters alive.

"I am sure you will love this story. Zach always loved reading this too." He told him, which made him excited.

Unfortunately, he was disappointed when John opened the book, page after page. The paper was white with black letters on it. As he had said earlier, he could not read.

"Where are the pictures?" He asked as he stared at the plain letters.

Of course, there was none.

"Yeah, I guess this book is too advanced for you. But I assure you that you will love to read this book. So, I want you to have it." The man said, closing the book and letting him keep it.

"But in the meantime, why don't I show you the other rooms?" He suggested, putting the book on the table. "I will give that to your mother later." Then, he guided him out of that room and into another room.

This time, he was not sure what he was looking at. It looked like a television, but it was as big as the wall of his house. Then, there were many chairs to sit in front of the screen.

"You can watch any movie you like here." He told him as he offered him a front-row seat. In a few seconds, the lights dimmed, and the place went dark.

He was not afraid of the dark, but he was indeed surprised. Then, the screen brightened up as a show appeared before him. Images began moving around, and the beautiful sound echoed in the room.

This time, he liked what he saw as colorful characters playing their part in portraying a story. He was not bored anymore as he laughed and enjoyed the show.

Even John seemed to be enjoying himself as he laughed alongside him.

"Do you think I can watch with you again?" Edison asked the older man, finally loving spending time with him.

"Of course, you can come by anytime," John responded with a tap on his little shoulder. "What about some popcorn and a soda?" He asked.

Of course, he would never say no to that.

He guessed he liked Zach's father, just like he liked Zach. They said they were going to be family. What did it mean? Did he want him to be his father? Did he wish to be his stepson?

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