"What's wrong?"
Wisdom was acting very unusually now, and he made Nathaniel's expression sour.
"No...nothing."
Wisdom shrunk and he tried to escape Nathaniel's grasp but to no avail. On the other hand, he frowned tightly as if he was in great pain.
Nathaniel lifted Wisdom's arm suddenly.
There were multiple bruises on Wisdom's arm, and Nathaniel's heart swelled with sorrow when he saw them.
"Nathaniel! What the f*ck is wrong with you? Wisdom is your biological son!"
Nathaniel never expected that Wisdom would have been beaten so badly in such a short time. Most importantly, he was covered in lash marks.
Wisdom was barely four years old, yet he was tortured like this.
Although Wisdom looked healthier and less pale, the scars underneath his clothes angered Nathaniel greatly.
Just then, he lifted Wisdom's clothes to check.
Upon seeing Wisdom's wounds, Nathaniel pulled him aside and he grabbed Nick's collar, "He is your son, not your soldier! He's only four! What were you doing when you were four, Nick? You were still outside playing in the mud! Look at what you've done to Wisdom? Is this still the era of disciplining children with the whip?"
"Nathan, he's my son. So, my way of disciplining him is none of your business. A boy won't grow into a man if he wasn't beaten. Also, I have a hard time as an adult because I had it too easy as a child. Look at what you'd achieved compared to me. I can't let my son be mediocre like me. He may have it tough now, but he'll thank me when he's older!"
"Bullsh*t!"
No matter how one put it, Nathaniel had raised Wisdom for four years. So, his heart ached to witness Nick hit Wisdom.
"Let me tell you, Wisdom is under my care from now on. Do whatever you want, but don't take it out on a kid! Do you think you're teaching him anything? What did he do wrong that you have to hit him like this? Zion and Mom said that they hadn't seen Wisdom for a while, so did you lock him up and torture him?"
Nathaniel's words made Nick feel a little uncomfortable.
"What torture? I just had him stand and march as a punishment, yet he couldn't do that properly. There are so many kids at the base, so why can't he do them while others can? He is my son!"
Nick shrugged Nathaniel off.
Now that Nathaniel finally knew where Nick had brought Wisdom, he stared at his twin in disbelief.
"You brought Wisdom to the base? Do you know where those children came from? They're all orphans! Plus, the youngest is ten, right? How old is Wisdom? He's only four!"
Nathaniel felt that Nick had simply gone insane.
What on earth had he gone through in the past five years?
Why did the gentle and eloquent Nick turn into this vicious beast?
Wisdom was his flesh and blood!
How could he do that?
Right now, Wisdom trembled in fear as he'd lost his earlier innocent liveliness.
Nathaniel was deeply disheartened by the scene.
"Nick, I raised Wisdom since he was a baby. You're his biological father, but I won't forgive you if you do this to him again."
After that, Nathaniel turned away and he took Wisdom with him. However, Nick said, "Nathan, five years ago, I accepted the woman you rejected, yet you're trying to steal my son from me five years later? Do I have to give up something just because you like it?"
Nathaniel froze in his tracks.
"What did you say? You'd better make yourself clear."
Nathaniel realized that Nick had changed.
What on earth happened while he was gone? Why did he feel that Nick was like a stranger now?
However, Nick looked at Nathaniel coldly and he spatted, "Isn't Macy the woman you dumped? She was depressed after you married Mango, and she left Ocean City only to meet me in Nakasara. I thought she truly loved me, but I didn't expect to just be your replacement. Macy didn't even tell me I had a son. Instead, she rushed back here and the Ye family to have my son live with you for four years. Nathan, don't you think I've been cheated? Why are you trying to take my son away from me now?"
Nathaniel had never imagined that Nick would say something like this.
"Macy and I have nothing to do with each other. So cut the crap!"
"Who knows? Since you care about my son so much, he could very well be yours."
"Nick Ye!"
Nathaniel was about to explode with anger.
He placed Wisdom by the door before saying, "Go and find your Mommy. Be a good boy, okay? Your Daddy and I have things to discuss."
Although Wisdom was afraid of Nick, he took Nathaniel's hand while replying, "Uncle, don't quarrel with my Daddy. It's my fault that I didn't meet his requirements!"
Nathaniel felt very upset when he saw Wisdom acting like this.
"It has nothing to do with you. Go and find your Mommy."
After that, Nathaniel locked Wisdom out of the study.
He turned around to gaze at Nick with pain in his chest, "You've been holding those words in for five years, right? Well, I'm all ears. What do you really think of me?"
Nick unclasped the button around his collar as if he'd held it in for a very long time. Then, he sat on a chair.
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