Connor fought the urge to go after Xylia until she and Joshua left. Then he nned to take Sonny to meet Richard.


    But just as he took a couple of steps, his phone rang. It was Richard.


    “Sorry, Mr. Ford, something just came up. We’ll have to cancel the contract signing today. I’ll send someone over with the paperwork for you to sign. Hope that’s okay and you aren’t too upset,” Richard said.


    Connor was initially annoyed, feeling like he’d been yed.


    But when he heard that Richard would send the contract over, his irritation faded.


    “No problem, Mr. Shaw. Take care of your business,” Connor replied.


    After hanging up, Connor left with Sonny.


    He had nned to head back to the office, but Sonny had a training session in the afternoon, so he needed to drop him off first.


    If Richard hadn’t insisted that Connor bring Sonny along–going on about how adorable the kid was and wanting to see him more often–Connor definitely wouldn’t have dragged the little guy around with him all day.


    After dropping Sonny off, Connor went to work.


    The tutor was already there.


    Sonny just couldn’t stand this endless coaching anymore.


    Back when Xylia was in charge of his schedule, he still had tons of courses, but things were way more chill. He actually got to y and kick back once in a while.


    But now, Connor was set on treating him like the next in line–his future sessor.


    Every single day was jam–packed with lessons, and honestly, Sonny felt like he could hardly catch his breath.


    He thought his grandparents would feel bad for him and stand up for him.


    But all the adults, weirdly enough, were on the exact same side whenever it came to his lessons, like they’d all secretly agreed to team up against him.


    He was just so tired.


    Sonny watched as the tutor’s ruler swung back and forth in front of his eyes, making him feel a wave of annoyance again and again.


    While the tutor was in the bathroom, he slipped out the door.


    <b>7.00 </b><b>г</b><b>, </b><b>ер </b><b>20 </b>


    8958


    65 vouchers


    Wearing denim overalls and sporting a small backpack, Sonny looked every bit like a tiny grown–up as he strolled right into the inte café.


    Inside, a young guy in a denim jacket spotted Sonny and waved. “Hey, kiddo, you made it! Come over here!”


    Sonny walked up, casually pulling a wad of cash from his backpack and putting it down in front of him.


    The guy’s eyes practically sparkled when he saw the money. With a grin, he scooted a chair out for Sonny to


    sit.


    The


    He couldn’t y any of those fast–paced online games the older kids liked. Honestly, he couldn’t even figure out how Minesweeper worked, and yet here he was, getting shoved into lesson after lesson.


    Really, all he wanted was a nap. He just needed a break.


    The ce was buzzing, all the keyboard tapping and mouse clicking mixing together, and Sonny loved the whole lively energy of it.


    Seeing Sonny nodding off, the young man felt a pang of responsibility. Wanting to protect his little VIP, he took off his denim jacket and gently draped it over Sonny.


    Sonny had been missing for a full eight hours.


    When Connor got the news, he mobilized everyone he could find to search for him.


    But it was like all their efforts just disappeared into the void–there was absolutely zero word from Sonny.


    Jupiton was huge, and looking for a missing kid in this city really was like hunting for a needle in a haystack.


    But technically, it wasn’t even time to call the cops yet. Connor sat brooding in the living room, watching the surveince feed on hisptop–there was Sonny, backpack slung over his shoulder, quietly sneaking past the staff and slipping out the front gate.


    Connor was so annoyed he almost wanted to drag Sonny back and teach him a real lesson.


    He was already buried with work, and yet this little rascal just had to add more chaos to his te–he couldn’t catch a break.


    “What should we do? Where could my precious Sonny have gone?” Mnie cried, dabbing at her eyes.


    Mnie kept wiping away her tears.


    All her crying was starting to wear Connor down, making him even more restless.


    “I’ll go look for him. Why don’t you rest up for now, Mnie. Sonny’s a clever kid—if he’s gutsy enough to sneak out, he’ll know how to keep himself safe for a while,” Connor said gently, doing his best to soothe Mnie’s nerves.


    7:00 Fri<b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>26 </b>


    Once he’dforted her, Connor grabbed his things and headed out of the vi.


    45 Parchers


    Meanwhile, Joshua had to swing by Garcia Group in the afternoon for somest–minute business, and Xylia went with him.


    All afternoon, she had to listen to Joshua griping nonstop.


    Joshua keptining that his dad bailed for just two years and now acts totally clueless, relying on him for literally everything.


    The whole deal was that his dad had promised to leave him out ofpany stuff for two whole years.


    But this past month, Joshua’s barely had time to breathe, getting roped into a million things.


    Joshua was really on a rant, grumbling nonstop about it.


    Xylia couldn’t help butugh, resting her chin in her hand as she watched Joshua running around like <i>a </i>whirlwind.


    She just thought he was extra adorable when he acted all pouty and dramatic.


    “Hey, it’s the family business, right? A little hustle never hurt anyone. Just think of it as stacking up some extra cash,” Xylia teased, trying to lift his spirits.


    She tossed him a few words of encouragement, just to brighten things up.


    But Joshua just wasn’t buying it.


    He was totally head over heels in love right now, and thest thing he wanted to talk about was work.


    Xylia couldn’t help butugh at him.


    She switched gears, trying a different approach. “Back in Norhill, you were always dropping everything toe hang out at my office. Now it’s my turn to keep youpany here. Isn’t that kind of nice?”


    Joshua thought about it for a second and realized she had a point.


    Xylia got up from the couch and walked over to the floor–to–ceiling windows.


    She looked down at the city–a jumble of traffic, buildings, and people, all shrunken, everyone down there just seemed like a bunch of busy ants on the move.


    Feeling a bit sneaky, she thought to herself, ‘Man, it feels great to ck off and watch other people scramble around while I just chill up here.


    Joshua was t–out all afternoon, bouncing between meetings, and each one tanked his mood even further.


    With David Baldwin still out in Norhill, none of the other secretaries dared get close–they just nervously tried to keep Joshua’s day running smoothly, like they were walking on eggshells.


    7:00 Fri<b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>26 </b>


    Once things finally settled down, Xylia slipped over and started rubbing Joshua’s temples. Softly, she asked, “All done?”


    “Yeah, all done,” Joshua muttered.


    He tipped his head, leaning into her hand, soaking up thefort.


    Xylia couldn’t resist giving Joshua’s cheek a yful pinch, then bent down to wrap her arms around his neck -her chining to rest on his soft, messy hair.


    “I remember there’s a night market just around the corner,” she teased. “What if we skip dinner tonight and just pig out on street food, hmm?”


    Xylia’s eyes gleamed mischievously.


    Joshua caught her slender wrist, a frown on his face showing he was not amused.


    “Snacks are fine, but we’re not skipping a real meal. You need something with actual nutrition,” he said, firm but gentle.


    “Come on, it’s no big deal if we just skip dinner for once. If we load up on a full meal, there won’t be any room left for all those tasty snacks,” Xylia whined, trying to sweet–talk him.


    Xylia had always been obsessed with the street food stalls in Jupiton. Those ces were cheap as chips, and all the greasy, spicy treats always hit the spot for her.


    Just a moment ago while waiting for Joshua, she’d been glued to food vlogger videos, drooling as they munched on all kinds of street food that looked absolutely delicious.


    Knowing there was a food street right nearby, she was already plotting to rope Joshua into going with her.


    Xylia dipped her head, nuzzling Joshua’s cheek and tempting him. “Pretty please, let’s go? Hmm?”


    With Xylia begging him like that, sweet and persistent, Joshua couldn’t even think of another excuse—every bit of protest he had just vanished.


    He could only manage to mutter one word.


    “Okay.”


    Night was falling in Jupiton, and the city started to glow.


    Neon lights from every shop lit up the dark streets, painting them with sshes of every color and giving the night its own special vibe.


    Xylia grabbed Joshua’s hand, pulling him right into the heart of the bustling snack street where the smell of all kinds of street food filled the air.


    The air was a little chilly, so Joshua wore the light coat Xylia made for him. His tall, ssy vibe made him look totally out of ce in that rowdy, crowded alley.


    <b>7:00 </b><b>Fri</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>26 </b>


    Food vendors and people weaving through the stalls kept throwing curious looks their way.


    Joshua didn’t pay any mind to the curious stares around them he just kept Xylia close, making sure nobody bumped into her in the crush of the crowd.


    “Xylia Schultz! Wow, it really is you! When did you get back?”


    Xylia was busy waiting in line at a grilled squid stall when out of nowhere, she heard someone familiar calling out from behind her.


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