Chapter 6

"Uncle Perseus, it really is you! I've missed you so much!" Vincent buried his face into Perseus' chest outside the kindergarten. Tear tracks were evident on his pale face. "It's me, Vincent. I'm back now… Huh?" Perseus realized something was amiss the moment he lifted Vincent from the ground. According to Lindsay, Vincent suffered from leukemia and had gone through chemotherapy many times. But why did Perseus detect traces of toxins in the little boy's body? What was going on? "Uncle Perseus, now that you're back, you won't leave me this time now, right?" Vincent wrapped his arms around Perseus' neck tightly. He was so aggrieved that he kept crying silently. When Perseus got into trouble, Vincent was only three years old and had only begun developing long-term memories. At that time, he was extremely close to Perseus. Now that Perseus was back, Vincent couldn't help but feel joyous. "I'm not going to leave you anymore. From now on, no one will dare to bully you with me around." After that, Perseus turned to look at Elena, whose eyes had already reddened out of sadness. "Ms. Menchez, is it okay if I apply for a half-day leave for Vincent?" "Of course," Elena agreed immediately. She wasn't an idiot. Even though she had taken the children away, she remained within earshot of everything unfolding in the principal's office. Moreover, she had witnessed the sight of the goons dropping to their knees. There was no way Elena would ever offend someone who was powerful enough to make gangsters grovel to him. While Vincent might be physically weak, he was hardworking, dedicated, and polite, to boot. Every teacher would love to have him as their student. "Thank you, Ms. Menchez! Goodbye!" Vincent waved at Elena happily before walking away with Perseus. Perseus was concerned with Vincent's abnormal condition, so he dared not go shopping with him. Instead, he flagged down a cab and returned to Skyview Acres with Vincent. By the time they reached home, Egbert was also home for lunch. "Dad…" Perseus felt as though something was lodged in his throat. He could barely make a sound. Egbert was only in his 50s, yet his build was now scrawny, and his hair was all gray. He walked with a limp due to his right leg being crippled, necessitating a walking stick with him everywhere he went. Perseus' heart broke at the sight. "I'm so glad that you've come home," Egbert muttered with tears welling up in his eyes. Then, he patted Perseus heavily on the arm. "It's lunchtime now. Today marks the day of Perseus' grand return, so I've whipped up a nice meal," Lindsay declared while balancing the dishes in her hands. The small family of four sat around the dining table. Lindsay's so-called nice meal consisted of only three dishes—rotisserie chicken, steamed vegetables, and pea soup, which barely had any ham or bacon adding to the flavor. Perseus almost broke down into sobs at the sorry sight. "I heard from your mother that you were looking for a job," Egbert stated while gazing at Perseus. "Yes." Perseus nodded, though he knew that he didn't have to look for a job at all. Tons of people were willing to shower him with all the riches in the world in exchange for his miraculous healing skills as long as he gave them the green light. Looking for a job wasn't on Perseus' priority list right now. What he wanted was to interrogate Rochelle. How the hell did she get pregnant? And what the hell had she done to the Caitford family during his three-year absence? "I haven't found a job that suits me yet. I'm going to take my time." Perseus munched on the food slowly. It tasted exactly how he remembered Lindsay's cooking to be, but for some reason, it had a bitter aftertaste that resonated with his feelings. As Egbert ate, he said, "You should rest at home this afternoon. Tonight, we'll visit Randolph together. During your three-year absence, Randolph and his family have been nothing but accommodating toward us. When Vincent fell sick, they even lent us 80,000 dollars. "We must repay them for their benevolence. Even if we can't afford to pay them back now, we mustn't lose our manners no matter what. "Also, your cousin, Catherine, is doing very well for herself. It seems that she's a saleswoman of sorts. She earns quite a lot of money every month, you know. "Catherine has graduated from a top-tier university, and she's formed connections with many people throughout her career. Maybe she can help find you a job." Egbert then paused in the middle of his lecture. He put down his cutlery before continuing, "Perseus, your reputation isn't exactly pristine right now. Why don't you just focus on looking for a good job and start saving money? If not, how are you going to marry a nice woman in the future?" Lindsay added, "Your father's right, Perseus. Let's not bring up the past anymore. We still need to work hard for the future." Perseus' nose burned from the emotions. His heart broke for his parents. He must have been blind and stupid to insist on dating Rochelle in the past. "Okay. We'll visit Uncle Randolph tonight," he agreed. The Caitford family had a wonderful time at lunch despite the mediocrity of the meal. Perseus couldn't help but notice that both Egbert and Lindsay neglected to eat the chicken. Instead, they divided the chicken among Perseus and Vincent. That was when Perseus vowed to let his family live the best life ever. After lunch, Egbert headed back to work at his stall with the walking stick. Once Perseus was done doing the dishes for Lindsay, he spent some time playing with Vincent in the garden. Having played for some time, Perseus was very confident that Vincent didn't have leukemia. He was actually poisoned. To make things worse, the poison that terrorized his system was a rare type of poison called mycotoxicosis. Who on Earth was the one that poisoned Vincent? Why would they be so cruel to a six-year-old? While Perseus was immersed in his own thoughts, someone knocked on the gate from the outside. "Who's that? Could it be the loan sharks again?" Lindsay froze up when she heard the knocking. Raw terror could be seen in her eyes. "Quick! Perseus, take Vincent back to your room and hide under the bed together! They won't do anything to an old lady like me! Hurry now!" Vincent reflexively cowered and buried his face into Perseus' arms. This made the latter's heart prick in pain. How on Earth did his family tough out the last three years? "Excuse me, is Mr. Perseus Caitford home?" a melodic feminine voice sounded from outside the house at that moment. Perseus frowned slightly, thinking that the woman sounded quite familiar. "Huh?" Surprised, Lindsay turned around to look at Perseus. The gate was opened with a soft creak, revealing a slim and gorgeous woman who was dressed in fashionable attire. Lindsay could only stare at her in awe. "Hello, ma'am. Is Perseus at home?" Nancy greeted politely before looking through the gap in the gate. "Perseus, this young woman is here to visit you," Lindsay said before inviting Nancy into the house. "Vincent, hurry up and pour a glass of water for the pretty lady." "Okay." Since the loan sharks weren't here to demand payment, both Lindsay and Vincent visibly relaxed. They were quite happy to see a gorgeous woman like Nancy visiting Perseus. "Here's some water for you, miss." Vincent handed a glass of water to Nancy. "Thank you, little one. You're so sweet." Nancy's smile widened. It might be a glass of plain water, but she felt as though Vincent had given her something precious. "You're welcome!" Vincent looked up at Nancy. "By the way, miss, may I ask you a question?" "What is it? Go ahead." "Are you Uncle Perseus' girlfriend?" "Um…" Nancy blushed furiously, clearly surprised by the question. "It's just kids being kids, you know? Don't take it to heart," Perseus quickly interjected after clearing his throat. "Also, what's the purpose of your visit, Ms. Jagger?" He had a feeling he knew why Nancy was there. It was just that he didn't expect Vincent to ask such a question, which instantly made him feel flustered. "Why, Mr. Caitford, I'm here to thank you, of course! Also, I'd like to treat you to a meal. Do you have time for that?" Nancy invited Perseus. "Yes, he does! Uncle Perseus has all the time in the world now! You should take him away. He doesn't have a job and a girlfriend at the moment." Before Perseus could say anything, Vincent cheekily pushed him out of the house.