“Are you certain you can handle both our parents and the company?” queried Evan.
Davin hesitated, and the people in the sea of fire howled sorrowfully.
There was a heaviness in his heart, for it seemed as if he was destined to walk through that fiery plain next.
Davin pondered over his options again. Granted, taking care of his parents and running the company seemed like an impossible feat, but it was a walk in the park compared to the gruesome scene that played before his eyes. He’d rather not be burnt to a crisp.
He steeled himself, and with determination, answered, “I can do it, Evan. I know I can.”
Evan paused to give him one final, hard gaze, and vanished.
As the smoke in the room subsided, Davin sat on the bed with a blank look on his face.
There was a knock at the door, and Juan came running in. “Are you going to stay here for a bit, Uncle Davin? Till you get better?”
Davin shook his head dumbly.
“Should I ask someone to drive you back to the Seet Residence then?”
“No, I’m going to work.”
“To work?” asked Juan, an incredulous look on his face.
“Yes, there’s a whole pile of work waiting for me at the office.”
Davin put on his shoes and strode out of the room, stopping only to pat Juan on the head.
After a brief exchange with Nicole, he drove to the Seet Group headquarters.
As the car sped on the road, the fog in Davin’s head gradually dissipated. “Illusion or not, my brother went through hell for the Seet group. I can’t let him down”, muttered Davin to himself.
His parents weren’t getting any younger. It was time for Davin to take charge and prove that he was a grown man with a spine.
Juan and Kyle looked at the food on the table and sighed. “To fake the bitterness, we injected the fruit with anti-nail-biting treatment. Everything would’ve tasted bitter regardless of what he ate.”
Sheila smiled and stroked their heads. “Well, that seemed to have worked! That look on his face when he left was really something. I think he finally saw some sense. In the future, your Uncle Davin will be a changed man.”
After Sheila had left the room, Kyle folded his arms and looked at Yoda coolly.
“We have fulfilled your requirements. Can you tell us who you are now?”
The three other children looked at him curiously, expecting an answer.
Yoda only smiled and said, “Well, I am Yoda.”
Kyle asked, “Are you Daddy, Yoda?”
“Well, that’s for you to find out.”
“But you promised to tell us after we taught Uncle Davin a lesson!” Nina huffed, unsatisfied by his response.
Juan, on the other hand, found this interesting. “Is this a test? Just you wait, we’ll find out whether you’re Daddy or not!”
“Alright then!” Yoda looked satisfied at Juan’s fervor. For them, this could be a form of training.
Just then, Nicole walked downstairs. “I’m going out.”
Yoda eyed her figure-hugging dress and replied, “I’ll go with you.”
Since his cover was blown and he couldn’t pretend to be mute anymore, Yoda decided to start speaking in front of the children too. Nicole pondered over this briefly. “I think you should stay here with the kids,” she said.
“Mommy, we’re fine. We don’t need a babysitter.”
“Yes, Mommy. The butler is here anyway!”
“Let Yoda go with you, we’ll feel reassured.”
“Yeah, Yoda can protect you.”
Seeing that the children were all in consensus, Nicole could only agree.
As Yoda drove out of the compound, he asked Nicole where they were going.
“To see Sylphiette at a café.”
“Sylphiette?” Yoda thought she was going to meet Levant, dressed up like this.
“Yes. She called me just now. She said she knows a bit about my background, and I have questions to ask her in person.”
After they reached the venue, Nicole and Yoda marched straight to the booth Sylphiette was in.
Sylphiette wore a pink dress, keeping her makeup and accessories simple. The way she dressed now was a far cry from the prestige Ms. Lane had.
At a glance, one could tell that she had fallen on hard times.
When she saw Nicole, Sylphiette did not stand up. It was a calculated decision, as she didn’t want to come across as someone in need of a favor. “Ah, you’ve arrived. Have a seat.”
