?Chapter 690:


    Locke’s head snapped up, his big, teary eyes filled with raw fear.


    “Please don’t make me go! I’m a good boy! Let me stay here, please!”


    “But, Locke…”


    The director’s sigh was heavy, burdened with helplessness.


    “Sweetheart, be good and follow Mr. Flynn. You’ll live in a big house, eat all the good food you want, wear new clothes, go to the best schools…”


    “No!” Locke’s voice cracked, his tiny frame trembling as fresh tears spilled down his cheeks.


    “I don’t want to!”


    Nothing the director said could console him. His cries grew louder, his body shaking with every sob.


    The director’s own eyes glistened as she watched the little boy break down. She turned toward Ernest, searching his face for any sign of frustration or impatience.


    “Mr. Flynn, this child has been through too much. Please… don’t take it personally. He just needs time.”


    Ernest didn’t respond right away. His face betrayed no anger, no irritation—just quiet understanding.


    Leaning slightly on his cane, he took a step forward, lowering himself to one knee to meet the child’s height. Slowly, deliberately, he extended his hand toward Locke.


    “Don’t be afraid, Locke,” his voice was softer this time, steady yetced with something deeper. “Come here.”


    Ernest hesitated for a brief second before adding, his voice just above a whisper,


    “I want you toe with me, Locke. Let me be your daddy.”


    Locke’s small shoulders trembled. His breath hitched. For a long moment, he simply stared at Ernest, eyes searching his face for something unseen. Then, as if unsure of what to believe, he turned to the director, silently pleading for an answer.


    The director gently patted Locke’s small head, her voice warm with encouragement.


    “Did you hear that, sweetheart? Mr. Flynn is going to be your daddy from now on.”


    Locke’s big, teary eyes shimmered with uncertainty.


    A family. A real family. Who wouldn’t want that?


    And yet, his heart clenched with hesitation. The past still loomed over him like a shadow, whispering reminders of broken promises, of love given and then taken away.


    “Locke, don’t be afraid,” Ernest coaxed, his voice softer than ever. He knelt down, careful not to startle the boy.


    “Daddy has been very busy these past few days, and that’s why he couldn’t visit you. But listen to me—Daddy will never leave you, Locke. You don’t have to be afraid anymore. You have a home now, and no one will ever send you back again.”


    Locke’s breath hitched. His tiny fingers curled at his sides. He was only three, but he had lived through too much. He knew what it meant to be abandoned, to be unwanted.


    His little lip quivered as he whispered through his sobs,


    “Really?”


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