"Nora, call him Uncle," Lachlan said as they stood outside the gates of the kindergarten at 4:30 in the afternoon.
Lachlan held Nora's tiny hand and pointed to Mason.
Nora timidly replied, "Hello, Uncle."
Lachlan then gestured towards Mason's two henchmen. "And say hi to your uncles too!"
Dennis and Jeremy Raymond chuckled awkwardly at having to put on a fake smile for a little girl. It was quite out of character for them, considering their rough demeanor as thugs.
Mason knelt down and scooped up Nora into his arms. "Ha ha! My lovely niece! Come here and give me a kiss!"
Later that afternoon, Mason joined Lachlan in leaving the Lowe Family Mansion together with Dennis and Jeremy in tow. He even invited Lachlan over for some gambling at his Gold Coast Club.
If he won, it would be considered Lachlan's victory; if he lost, it would be on him.
Knowing that Lachlan was coming to pick up Nora later that day, Mason decided to tag along with his henchmen who were now responsible for escorting her safely back home from school every day.
Lachlan didn't need Mason's protection, so he set his sights on getting closer to the child. He tried every trick in the book to get closer to Lachlan.
Nora seemed a bit uncomfortable being held by Mason, and when she called out "Daddy!" she turned her head and looked at Lachlan for help.
Miranda scolded her brother for being too familiar with Nora, saying "Why kissing? She doesn't even know you."
Mason chuckled awkwardly and muttered under his breath, "But I'm her uncle..."
That night, Mason treated everyone to dinner. By the end of the meal, Nora had warmed up to him enough that she gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Mason was known as an intimidating figure but now he was laughing like a flower in bloom.
Miranda couldn't believe how close her little brother had gotten with her husband.
As they left the private room after dinner, Mason still held onto Nora like a doting uncle. "Nora, am I handsome?"
"You're handsome! But not as handsome as my Daddy!" Nora replied without hesitation - never forgetting who really mattered most in this family dynamic.
At that moment, a few people walked towards them with the guidance of a waiter.
"Hey, isn't that Mr. Lowe?" One of them saw Mason and teased him.
The group consisted of three men and two women, all dressed in military uniforms. The man who spoke was of average build with a crew cut and square face. His eyes carried a hint of playfulness as he looked at Mason.
The other two men in uniform had similar expressions on their faces.
One of the women was none other than Zak's daughter, Scarlet. The other was her best friend, also quite pretty.
"Oh, it's you, Mr. Brooks! And Scarlet too? I'm done eating; take your time and let the manager know if you need anything." Mason smiled faintly as he greeted them.
This Golden Family Hotel belonged to the Lowe family after all; so naturally Mason spoke like its owner would.
"Don't leave yet! Let's have some drinks together!" Stephen Brooks tugged at Mason's collar eagerly.
"Yeah! Let's have some drinks!"
"Mr. Lowe, you're not giving face?" The other two young men laughed and said.
Mason furrowed his brow and discreetly removed Stephen's hand from his arm. After glancing at Scarlet, Mason turned to his own people and said, "Sis, bro-in-law, you guys go ahead. I'll have a few drinks then head down."
"Don't drink too much!" Miranda cautioned.
Lachlan also glanced at Scarlet and sighed inwardly. Last time Zak had even made his daughter call him elder brother while this time it seemed like she didn't even recognize him.
It looked like asking for Zak's help in promoting the new medicine in the military had caused some resentment on their end. After the villa was delivered as a gift, it seemed that their relationship might be over.
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