The Substitute Bride

"Please look after Chris while I'm gone. I have some matters to attend to." Remembering that he had promised to take Charlie to learn chess, Charles excused himself with a promise to come back later. Now that Autumn was gone, Charlie was his only motivation to live in this world.

On his way to Leila's house, Charles passed by a well-known restaurant to buy an assortment of breakfast for Charlie. He didn't know yet what food he liked so he bought different kinds.

Arriving at the front door of the house, Charles rang the bell. Still in his pajamas, Charlie opened the door for him.

"Dad!" Charlie called excitedly, throwing himself in Charles' arms. Putting down the bags of food on the floor, Charles gave Charlie an exuberant hug. His heart was filled with elation as he hugged the little boy.

Charles was very pleased that Charlie had accepted him as his father without reservation. "I bought breakfast for you. Go and wash yourself," Charles said, ruffling his son's head playfully.

Almost skipping with joy, Charlie went to the bathroom to wash himself. He came out a few minutes later impeccably dressed. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw the table spread with a variety of breakfast dishes.

"Why did you buy so much, Dad?" he asked, looking puzzled. Approaching the table, Charlie seated himself opposite to Charles.

"I didn't know what food you like so I bought different kinds, just to be sure. After today, I will know what I should buy next time," Charles said, smiling ruefully.

The sound coming from the dining room woke Leila up. She came out of her room only to find Charlie sitting at the breakfast table with Charles. Not quite believing it, she rubbed her eyes to make sure that she was seeing correctly. Looking up, Charles noticed Leila and said briefly,"I'll take Charlie out with me after breakfast."

"Hmm, alright," Leila said, secretly happy that things were working out as she planned. Knowing that Charles was getting attached to Charlie, she couldn't be happier. The more they grew closer, the more she liked it.

She knew that Charles wouldn't be able to turn his back on his own son. That meant that as long as Charles believed that she was Charlie's mother, their lives would be intertwined. Sooner or later, he would have no choice but to accept her.

"Wait," Leila said, remembering something. "You can take him out today, but you should p

any. I have to go back for an important meeting right now. I have planned to go to the library with you after lunch, but…"

"Dad, can I go with you?" Charlie asked excitedly. He wanted to see where his father worked. "I want to see your office," he added, looking expectantly at his father.

"You want to go there?" Charles asked, surprised at Charlie's request. He frowned, looking doubtfully at Charlie. He was thinking to send Charlie home early and then proceed to his office after dropping him off. But now, hearing his request, Charles explored the possibilities in his mind.

He knew his staff would be shocked if he showed up with Charlie in tow.

Looking at his son's expectant eyes, Charles didn't have the heart to refuse him. Finally, he nodded and said to Charlie,"Fine. But it's boring to stay in my office. Are you sure you want to go?"

"Yes, I want to go. I have my books with me if I get bored," he assured Charles. The truth was, Charlie didn't want to go home. He liked being with his father and enjoyed his company even if they were just sitting together quietly.

Nodding, Charles knew there was no excuse to refuse Charlie's request.

'Besides, the people in my company are bound to find out about Charlie eventually, so what's wrong with bringing him now?' Charles thought.

As expected, the moment that Charles entered the lobby with Charlie by his side, news started to spread like wildfire. Everybody was speculating about the identity of the little boy. To everyone's surprise, once they got a closer look, they saw that the boy was the spitting image of Mr. Lu!