The children silently followed Jordan into the room. After a few brief words of caution, Jordan yawned wearily, turned, and closed the door behind him.
Just a few minutes later, Hank, who had been listening to Jordan’s fading footsteps from the doorway, raised a brow. He then turned to beckon his eldest brother, who stood behind him with his arms crossed. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ N0v3l.Fiɾe.net
"Big brother, Uncle Jordan has left. Let’s get going!"
A tone and attitude that suggested some mischief was afoot.
Surprisingly, Cyrus did not mock him this time, instead gesturing toward the door, and they both followed Hank out.
With the lights in the sitting room off, they tiptoed across the quiet space, heading straight to Chad and Hank’s room.
Hank stealthily slid the door open and slipped inside. Once Cyrus had made his way inside, Hank peeked around briefly before shutting the door behind them.
The room was well soundproofed, so they didn’t have to worry about their voices drawing the attention of Jordan next door.
Hank heaved a sigh of relief and flopped onto the soft bed.
Chad and Jack, who had been seated at the desk, turned around. There was a mutual understanding exchanged between the four with a single glance.
There was still a redness in Chad’s eyes, a trace of tears clinging to his lashes, but his gaze held an unwavering strength.
Cyrus gave a soft sigh, handing him a tissue. "Wipe your tears," He gently advised.
As Chad began to wipe his tears with the tissue, Cyrus leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. A flicker of suspicion crossed his face, which bore some resemblance to Justin Battleson’s. "I think mom must have been bullied, considering how emotional she got earlier."
"I agree." Hank mused, propping his chin in contemplation. After a moment, he murmured, "Mom has always been careful— she wouldn’t brush off things like drunk driving. She seldom cries in front of us, but just now, she was crying so hard."
As his words fell, Chad clenched the damp tissue in his fist, lips pursed, "Who do you think it could be?"
Jack wore a look of confusion but also seriousness.
It was clear that this was no small matter.
Cyrus nodded slightly, locked eyes with Chad and they both saw the same suspicion and understanding in each other’s eyes.
After a few seconds, their lips moved simultaneously and they uttered the same name.
Hank, lounging on the bed in a casual spread-eagle pose with two pillows propped against him, didn’t seem surprised to hear this name.
Given that he hadn’t shown up at the apartment lately, their suspicion had only grown exponentially.
To avoid attracting attention, they kept the room light off and only the warm desk lamp lit.
The soft profile of the boys’ faces hardened. Chad bit his lip in frustration, his white teeth clenched tight.
"How can he be ! Just as I thought, he doesn’t value what he has," he fumed.
Jack, on the other hand, nodded indignantly.
Even though he was their biological father, Cyrus and Hank wouldn’t tolerate anyone causing their mom grief, not even him.
The children huddled together, each taking turns at badmouthing Justin Battleson.
Hank was so irritated his hair stood on end. As if remembering something, he turned to Chad, "Chad, I recall you brought a phone with a SIM card from Ashton..."
Hearing this, Chad nodded. He too, understood what Hank was proposing.