Chapter 204
There was no way a five-year-old child was capable of that, unless someone was telling him what to do behind the scenes.
Lately, he’d had people watching Xavier.
Xavier was busy-always traveling for work. Most of the time, Matty stayed with Sharon.
He’d had someone look deeply into Xavier’s relationship with Sharon.
There was nothing between them. No ambiguity, no blurred lines.
Despite the way Xavier called her affectionately, his behavior never crossed any boundaries. Their contact was minimal, and he kept his distance.
That was the only reason Carter hadn’t moved against him.
Even now, when Theo had been treated so unfairly, he hadn’t suspected Sharon. He’d thought maybe Matty had just said something reckless, that Theo and Sharon weren’t getting along, and some misunderstanding had taken root.
What he hadn’t expected was for Sharon to encourage Theo to run away from home. 1
That-was something that crossed his bottom line.
Theo was only five years old. What if something had happened to him?
Sharon could see it instantly-the doubt in Carter’s eyes.
She turned to Theo. “Did you tell your dad I asked Matty to tip you off? That I told you to sneak out?”
Theo shook his head. “No. It wasn’t Mom. I just wanted to see if what that bad kid said was true, so I snuck out on my own.”
He hadn’t caught the deeper meaning behind his father’s questions earlier. Theo thought Carter was angry simply because he’d
run away.
Carter’s eyes were dark and unreadable. “If no one put him up to it, why would Matty tell you something like that?”
Theo paused, startled, and turned toward Sharon too. “Mom… did you tell Matty to say that?” 1
Sharon let out a quiet laugh. “Carter, when something good happens, you never think of me. But the second something goes wrong, you’re quick to dump all the blame on me.”
She didn’t want to argue in front of Theo, so she said evenly, “Come outside. I need to talk to you.”
Carter understood. None of this should be said in front of the child. He stood up and headed for the door.
Just as he reached for the handle, Sharon turned back, as if remembering something.
“I never told Matty to tell you about the amusement park,” she said to Theo.
Whether or not he believed her was one thing. But she wasn’t going to take the fall for something she didn’t do.
She turned the knob and stepped out.
Behind her came the small, trembling voice of Theo. “Mom… if you knew Matty and I fell into the water at the same time, who would you save?”
Sharon froze, just for a beat. Then she answered, calm and direct. “I don’t know.”
His voice cracked. “You really wouldn’t save me first, even knowing we were both drowning?”
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I’m not so sure.
With that, she left the room-leaving Theo alone, frozen, staring after her in silence.
In a quiet, deserted corner, Carter’s face was drawn tight. His dark eyes were heavy with disappointment that wouldn’t life.
“You told Theo to run away from home. Sharon… when did you become so cunning?”
Sharon’s tone was cold. “If you’re sick in the head, get it treated. Don’t come having episodes in front of me.
He lowered his eyes, watching the chill and impatience on her face, and something sharp stirred in him anger, quick and sharp, rising from nowhere.
Lately, he’d noticed it-how easily Sharon could provoke him.
“To this point, and you’re still refusing to admit it?”
Sharon gave a mirthless laugh. “Admit what? That your big, fancy family-full of nannies and housekeepers-can’t keep an eye on a five-year-old child? Or that you, a high-powered CEO, can’t even find your own son when he disappears?
“When Kelly gets in trouble, you’re always there the moment something happens. But your own son goes missing, and you’re nowhere to be found. You never reflect on your own failures. You’d rather blame someone else for leading him astray.”
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