"Oh?" Aurelia coughed, her gaze softening with a hint of disbelief. "You didn’t remember it well, huh?" Could such a slip-up really occur to her prodigious son, who was known for not forgetting anything he laid his eyes on? She reached out to playfully tousle his head from left to right as if conducting an inspection.
"Even you have moments of forgetfulness?" William pulled a goofy face. "Well, | didn't get a good look, did 1? If it had been a knockout lady in a bikini, I'd have paid close attention. But what's there to see in some old guy?" The others around them broke out in a sweat and couldn't believe their ears.
Rubbing her forehead, Aurelia couldn't help but think how her son had indeed inherited the infamous charm of the Stirling family.
She knew she had to steer him right and stop him from following in the infamous footsteps of Mr. Chad, the notorious playboy of their circle.
Just then, Kevin sauntered over, whispering something into Leopold's ear.
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They had reviewed the CCTV footage from earlier. When William went out of the restroom, no one else was around.
Leopold nodded slightly, his gaze on William growing more intense.
After their fruity snack, Skyler and William rushed to the water park and played until noon. Then, they all retreated to their rooms to change and freshen up for lunch.
Leopold made his way to Aurelia's room.
After a shower, William had slipped into a crisp tee and worn a cool tiger-print headband.
No sooner had he stepped out of the bathroom than Leopold scooped him up and set him on the couch.
"Did you see some middle-aged man go into the restroom to talk to Thomas?" "Mhm." William nodded.
Leopold's eyebrows knitted together as he asked, "Then why doesn't the surveillance footage show nobody else but you?" Upon hearing it, William's heart skipped. He got busted.
With a mischievous grin, he said, "Uncle Leopold, you got me." Aurelia felt a little helpless. "William, why did you lie?" William explained, "Mommy, Thomas is a bad guy. He attacked me and Skyler with poisonous wasps and hurt a lot of people. Tanya seemed like she'd cover for him, so | thought I'd throw them off the scent, making it harder for her to find the real hypnotist." "Do you know who the real hypnotist is?" Aurelia probed.
William shook his head, replying, "Nope, but they've gotta be one of the good guys." Leopold watched him, his piercing eyes reflecting the light sharply. "How can you be sure he’s a good guy if you don't even know who he is?" William said, "If he were a bad guy, he would be on Thomas' side instead of hypnotizing him." Aurelia had a hunch her son knew more than he let on.
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"Honey, if you know something, you have to tell Mommy. Don't worry. Uncle Leopold and | won't harm the hypnotist." William stuck out his tongue. It was his little secret not to be shared, not even a single word.
"Mommy, | honestly don't know. Can I go play with Skyler now?" "All right, off you go," Leopold called the bodyguard to take him to Skyler's room.
William breathed a sigh of relief, racing out the door.
Leopold poured himself a coffee, stirring it thoughtfully.
Aurelia sat beside him. "Kids are easy to handle. I'll talk to William tonight. He'll spill the beans." Leopold lowered his voice, "You've mentioned William has been learning from Skyler. What exactly is he studying?" "Biochemistry, | think. | haven't asked in detail." Aurelia said casually, then jolted as a thought struck her. "You think he's learning hypnotism from Skyler, don’t you?" "That's impossible!" She shook her head vigorously. "William's only four. How could he possibly learn hypnotism?" "Age doesn't limit what a child with a high IQ can learn," Leopold spoke calmly. "The first time Megan sleepwalked, she mentioned meeting a kid dressed as a superhero who offered her candy. If I'm right, that was William's first little experiment."