<h4>Chapter 474: Love Can Heal Childhood Wounds</h4>


    Lucas had it tough. For a man as proud and unyielding as him to remain single for life out of devotion to one woman—there were likely few like him in the world.


    After ying with little Dorian for a while, Eric returned and enthusiastically picked up Elias. Father and son had a great time together,ughing and bonding.


    Lucas, however, had a banquet to attend and left after chatting briefly with E.


    E watched Dorian ying happily by himself and couldn’t help but smile. Her heart swelled with happiness and sweetness.


    Meanwhile, Elias was in Eric’s arms, gleefully tugging at his dad’s shirt and giggling.


    Eric, dressed in shorts, held Elias for a while before the little one started squirming to get down and y.


    "By the way, Dad suggested I have one or two more kids. What do you think?" E asked Eric with a yful smile.


    "Another child? Aren’t you afraid of the pain? It’s such a grueling process, and I feel..." Eric hesitated, clearly reluctant to let E endure the pain of childbirth again.


    He couldn’t forget how she had suffered—the turning, the wounds, and every other kind of pain. Even now, though she had recovered, E still experienced asional back pain after sitting for too long. The thought of putting her through that again troubled Eric deeply.


    "Dad mentioned we could consider surrogacy in Country W. I think... maybe he just hopes I’ll have more children to continue the Anderson family line," E said, her tone dimming slightly. "If we do go that route, would you be okay with the child taking Dad’sst name?"


    Without hesitation, Eric nodded. "Of course. I’d have no objection."


    E smiled warmly. She had always known Eric wouldn’t fuss over something like that. Whether the child took her family’s name or his, they would still be theirs.


    At that moment, Elias climbed onto Eric’sp, babbling excitedly. His tiny hands curiously reached out for Eric’s hairy leg.


    The little one stared wide-eyed at the hair and, in a burst of curiosity, grabbed a strand and gave it a firm tug!


    Eric hissed in pain, quickly pulling his leg back.


    Seeing this, E burst intoughter.


    Their little one already had a talent for causing mischief!


    Eric picked up Elias and looked him in the eye. "Son, why are you pulling Daddy’s leg hair? Do you not like it? Should I just shave it all off for you?"


    Elias and Dorian, noticing Eughing, joined in with their own gurgling giggles. The two little onespletely ignored Eric’s questions, leaving him looking utterly defeated. With no other choice, he set Elias back down.


    Elias, however, wasn’t done. He grabbed at Eric’s leg again, staring at the hair and babbling excitedly.


    Eughed so hard her stomach hurt, and Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Moore couldn’t suppress their own chuckles either.


    Eric quickly pulled his leg away, muttering about the pain. Getting tugged on by tiny hands wasn’t as harmless as it looked!


    The nursery was filled withughter—E, Eric, and the two boys all enjoying the yful chaos.


    At that moment, Mia stepped in. "Mr. Nelson, Old Mr. Nelson has arrived."


    Eric’s face instantly turned cold. He stood up stiffly and strode out of the room without another word.


    E stoppedughing and quickly followed him. The two little buns, too engrossed in their y, didn’t notice their parents leaving and continued giggling.


    Eric’s strides were swift, his presence sharp. By the time E caught up, he was already standing icily in front of James, his gaze filled with disdain. "My sons have plenty of toys. We don’t need these. Take them back!" he said coldly.


    E nced over to see that James had brought a collection of brand-new toys.


    James looked much older than thest time she had seen him, his hair almost entirely white.


    Perhaps the guilt and regret from Grace’s schemes being exposed had weighed heavily on him. Yet, Eric had never forgiven him or shown him any kindness, leaving James to live in torment.


    "But... these are thetest toys, specially brought from Country W by a friend. Eric, I know you dislike me, but... for the children’s sake, please ept them," James pleaded softly, his tone full of desperation.


    Eric turned his face away coldly, an unusual flicker of hesitation crossing his stern demeanor.


    Despite his autism, diagnosed when he was seven, Eric’s memory of the past was intact. Before the age of ten, James had treated him with boundless affection, holding him in the palm of his hand and spoiling him endlessly.


    Especially after his diagnosis, James had stayed by his side every night. During Eric’s episodes—whether self-harm or fits of rage—James would restrain him or even let Eric bite his hand to vent his distress.


    But when Grace’s schemes seeded, James had pulled away. Eric remembered the confusion and anguish vividly, unable to understand why James had abandoned him so suddenly and stopped being the loving father he once was.


    Later, when Grace moved in with Henry, it was Henry’s presence that dissuaded Eric from ending his life.


    Eric had also overheard a phone call between Grace and Donald by chance, which nted the seed of doubt. He began to suspect his mother’s "discovery" of their affair had been orchestrated. Though young, Eric couldn’t forget Victoria and resolved to mask his emotions and bide his time for revenge.


    "Eric, Old Mr. Nelson is only thinking about Elias and Dorian. Don’t be angry, okay?" E said softly, noticing the stormy expression on Eric’s face.


    James quickly nodded in agreement. "Eric, no matter what happened before, think about your children. I know I’ve made mistakes, and I don’t expect your forgiveness. I just... don’t want to disrupt your life now that you have a family."


    Eric looked at him coolly and said tly, "Leave. But the toys can stay."


    Hearing this, James’s face broke into a bright smile. "Alright, I’ll leave now—right away!" He hurriedly turned and got into his car, which soon drove off slowly into the distance.


    E gently took Eric’s hand. "If he managed to get in here, it must have been with my dad’s approval. He’s made some foolish decisions and done a lot of wrong, but... well, he thought you weren’t his biological son. It’s understandable that he treated you poorly."


    "He was manipted by Grace. It’s tragic, really. Don’t let it weigh on you or ruin your mood, okay?"


    Eric gave a faint, cold smile. "Don’t worry. He means nothing to me."


    E wrapped her arms tightly around him, offering silentfort.


    Eric nuzzled into her soft hair, memories of the past swirling in his mind. But as he thought of their two adorable buns, the gloom lifted from his heart.


    Holding E close, he whispered, "Thank you, E. Thank you for staying by my side, no matter what. I’ll never let you down, ever again."


    E nodded, her eyes misting over. Eric’s promises were never mere words, and she believed in himpletely.


    "Eric, I’ll stay with you forever too. We’ll watch our sons grow up together, see them fall in love, get married, and have children of their own..."


    Her voice trembled with emotion as tears welled up. She couldn’t help but cry, overwhelmed by her happiness and the depth of her feelings.


    She vowed silently that nothing—not a third party, not unexpected twists of fate—would ever shake their happiness. They were destined to grow old together, sharing a lifetime as one.


    Sunlight poured over them, wrapping them in warmth. The sweet, radiant glow of their love spread quietly, filling the air with a sense of unshakable bliss.