Chapter 453

Jealousy also flickered in Amy's eyes. "Grandma, ever since Lawrence's son showed up, have you forgotten all about my daughter Tiffany? That brat bullies my girl..."

Lawrence walked straight up to Tiffany and said coldly, "Brat? Did your mother teach you that word?"

"Lawrence! My daughter was simply playing by the pond when your son landed a few punches on her. So what if she fired back a few harsh words?" Amy's defiance was palpable, her resentment brewing from the previous night's debacle with Skylar, and Lawrence's recent demotion only added to her spite.

Lawrence brushed past her and turned to Leah.

"Enough!" Leah shot Amy a glare and apologized to Lawrence, "Tiffany's got some beef with Sidney. It usually isn't a big deal, but Sean, with his troublemaking ways, goaded Tiffany into pushing Sidney into the pond. Sidney fought back, and they both got hurt."

Lawrence's cold gaze narrowed; he understood why Sean sought revenge on his son, a cowardly and despicable move.

"Sidney isn't a swimmer, so he defended himself against your daughter. He wouldn't start a fight unprovoked," Lawrence said indifferently to Amy.

Amy bristled with fury. "And who exactly is the mother of your child, Lawrence? Certainly, she doesn't seem like she taught good manners!" She taunted, looking to stir the pot.

At Lawrence's icy glare, she dared not say more, huffing indignantly as she took her daughter and left.

Leah glanced at Sidney, who remained silent, a hint of a smile playing at the corner of her lips. "Sidney's temperament reflects yours, and he's even more charming. It speaks volumes about his mother's stunning beauty."

Leah didn't outright ask who Sidney's mother was. But Sidney reveled in the flattery, cracking a slight smile, "Well, Great Grandma, my mommy is-"

"Enough dawdling with your great grandma; it's time we got going," Lawrence interjected.

Sidney gave his father a cold look, still vexed, and pouted in silence.

Reluctantly, Leah stood and said, "His backpack is in the back. Lawrence, come with me to get it."

Lawrence followed her into the house.

Guided by a servant, Sidney was leaving the courtyard when he ran into the approaching Ishara.

"Miss, what brings you here?" the servant beside Sidney politely inquired.

"I'm here to see Lawrence," the young girl coyly replied, a blush on her cheeks.

The aged butler chuckled and playfully said, "Looking for your boyfriend? Mr. Rodriguez is in Mrs. Leah Rodriguez's room."

Sidney's head snapped up at the conversation, his gaze fixating on the pale woman before him-the mistress of his no-good father. Finally, they were face to face.

His sudden attention did not go unnoticed by Ishara, who faltered, a flicker of horror crossing her face.

"Miss," Claire blurted out, her own complexion turning ashen, "why is he still..."

"Sidney, this way, please," the butler called out, seeing Sidney rooted to the spot.

Ishara felt a jolt of panic, unable to help herself as she moved closer, locking eyes with the boy. "Your name is Sidney?" It finally clicked in her that Lawrence and Winnie had another child besides Oscar. She had not anticipated this.

"If I'm not Sidney. What name should I go by?" Sidney responded, a suspicious frown forming on his face as he scrutinized the woman. His dark eyes revealed his surprise-this woman resembled his mother so much. However, what intrigued him even more was the way she looked at him as if puzzled by her own astonishment at seeing him.

Her eyes suggested she knew him, yet they had never met.

"Sidney?" Lawrence emerged, visibly taken aback by the scene.

The man glanced at Ishara, who quickly adjusted her expression and avoided Sidney's gaze, standing upright with a pitiable smile. "Lawrence, is this your son?"

"Yes," he simply replied.

"Oh." She looked down again, smiling warmly and amiably. "Hello there, Sidney! You're the spitting image of your daddy."

She was trying to mask her initial astonishment.

"Who is she?" Sidney, sensing his father's unusual demeanor toward the woman, had a surge of anger in his eyes.

This was a tricky situation for Lawrence; the little guy was like an enraged leopard. He walked over, his sizable hand resting on Sidney's head, his tone stern. "It doesn't concern you who she is. A grown-up business is none of your business. Let's go outside, someone is waiting for you."

Sidney assumed that it was his mother who was waiting for him. But his anger boiled when he realized that his father wouldn't even say outright that it was his mother waiting for him.

As Lawrence reached out to carry him away, Sidney harshly resisted, "Tell me who she is!"

Lawrence squinted, deciding to be firm. He swiftly picked Sidney up, taking a few steps before whispering in a pained voice, "Her name is Ishara, and she's your mother's sister."

"You..." Sidney was stunned. As the realization hit him, he couldn't fathom his father's despicability reaching greater depths. The fact that his father's mistress turned out to be his aunt was beyond belief. He couldn't begin to imagine the pain his mother must have endured these past few days.

"I'm done looking out for you, done helping you-go blow up with your mistress right where you stand," Sidney spat out the anger brewing within him.

Lawrence quietly absorbed the resentment from his son. Ever since he made a pact with Ishara, he'd decided not to inform Sidney, preferring to break the cruel truth to him himself.

"In time, you'll understand the tough choices your dad had to make," Lawrence whispered under the moonlight, barely moving his lips.

Sidney, of course, didn't grasp the cryptic message, his heart filled with an intense frustration that felt unyielding yet pliable. He secretly yearned for the presence of his brother Oscar, with whom he could ensure his mom remained unscathed...

Sidney's thoughts abruptly shifted as he turned to look at Ishara, who had followed and come alongside them.

Ishara looked utterly confused, tagging along beside Lawrence as they stepped outside together. "Lawrence, what are you discussing with the young man?"

"It's nothing."

Lawrence seemed to just then notice Ishara's arrival; his brow furrowed with concern. "What brings you to the Rodriguez household?" he asked softly.

"I, I just wanted to see you again...my blood pressure hasn't been checked this evening," Ishara said, fidgeting with her handkerchief and punctuating her statement with coughs, her pale face flushed with effort.

"What about your doctor?" Lawrence's brow knitted together.

"He's waiting at my place," Ishara replied, looking up with vulnerable eyes. "Lawrence, could you take me back later?"

Lawrence found her request impossible to refuse, especially since his mother was due for a blood transfusion in a few days-he had to keep a close watch on his mother's condition.

"Stand here and wait for me," he instructed, leaving her to lift Sidney in his arms and walk toward the Bentley waiting in the darkness.

Winnie, seated in the car, watched the scene unfold before her, her grip tightening unintentionally.

The man and Ishara emerged side by side through the doorway, with Sidney in his arms. Seeing Ishara step into her role potentially as Sidney's stepmother, and possibly having children with him after they married, pierced Winnie's heart deeply.

She couldn't dwell on these thoughts; the pain in her heart was too intense. She refused to let her sons follow that path. Suppressing her rising emotions with a determined resolve, Winnie smiled as the car door opened and warmly welcomed her son. "Sidney, come to Mommy."

Sidney almost ran to escape his father but stopped stubbornly, his face stern as he demanded of his deadbeat dad, "I've hurt my ear; take Mom and me back to the hotel!"

Winnie was taken aback, glancing at her son's ear while her gaze involuntarily swept over the man.

Lawrence's deep gaze met Winnie's, wondering if she would she agree.

Taking the medicine from Bryan, he pursed his lips and bent down to place it on the backseat of the car, murmuring, "Sidney, Daddy's got something to take care of."

"What could possibly be so important than me?!" Sidney was seething; he had just overheard the invitation from his father's mistress to visit her at her home.

And yet, he had said yes, even rejected the idea of driving his mom home for that.

"Next time." Lawrence tried to soothe his son, brows furrowed with concern, glancing at the gentle Winnie beside Sidney before turning away, "Bryan, take them home!"

Sidney huffed, his jealousy boiling over.

"What's wrong, son?"

Sidney swiftly intervened, positioning himself between his mom and Lawrence as the latter returned to his mistress's side. Diverting her attention, his expression hardened, his eyes narrowing. "Mom, I encountered your sister-the mistress-and I have a significant question! She appeared to recognize me, but I'm certain I've never seen her before. Could it be that she's met Oscar?"

Winnie's heart skipped a beat, her head snapping up.