"If the kid were yours, you'd love him!" Richard frowned.
"But I'm your son too, and I don't feel particularly liked by you."
Richard's face turned livid with anger.
Seeing Richard speechless, Nick coldly said, "So, I'll only like a son born to a woman I love. Just like you. If that woman had a son for you, you definitely wouldn't treat me as dispensable. I feel like a neglected child."
"Enough! I gave you whatever I can already!" Richard interrupted.
Nick's words had struck a chord.
The reason he didn't value Nick was because he disliked his mother.
Richard had always been unwilling to admit it, but now that his son had pointed it out, he became angry out of shame.
With a stern face, Nick opened the door and left.
Emerson's health was deteriorating. The cold weather made him increasingly uncomfortable.
Most of Patricia's energy was devoted to caring for him.
Fortunately, the two children were with Abigail, who taught them to read and write and had even started teaching Hedwig the piano.
Abigail, from a wealthy family, had received an excellent education since childhood, making her the perfect tutor for the children.
Blake and Catherine walked into the living room and heard piano music from afar.
The notes were all over the place, like someone was poking random keys with one finger.
They exchanged glances, both curious about the source of this peculiar sound.
As they approached the small living room, they saw Hedwig, dressed as a little princess by Abigail, sitting at the piano. With one tiny finger, she pressed each key one by one with great concentration.
"Abigail, when did you start teaching her piano?" Catherine asked with a smile as she entered.
Hedwig, focused on pressing the keys, looked up with her big, dark eyes. Seeing her parents, she immediately jumped off the chair, ran to Catherine, and hugged her. Her little face pressed affectionately against Catherine's palm, expressing her longing: "Mommy, Daddy, you're back! I missed you so much!"
Catherine and Blake were amused by the little one.
"Missing me after just two days? That's my girl!" Catherine squatted down, kissed her daughter's cheek, and said cheerfully.
Hedwig pouted, "If I said I didn't miss you, would you be angry?"
Catherine was stunned. In just over a year, Hedwig's ability to talk back had grown stronger. She feared it would be even harder to discipline her in the future.
Patricia mentioned that Richard and Nick would be coming over for dinner that evening. The atmosphere instantly became awkward.
Recently, since Richard and Nick had kept a low profile around Blake, he had managed to suppress his hatred.
But the mere sight of them stirred up uncontrollable anger, making him want to throw evidence in their faces and force confessions.
With Emerson's condition worsening, Blake dared not act against them yet and could only continue to endure.
At six in the evening, Richard and Nick arrived at the Packhouse in the same car.
As soon as they entered, they sensed the oppressive atmosphere, with Blake's face clearly showing his unwelcome.
Richard and Nick didn't care that Blake disliked them.
In fact, they were trying every means to annoy him. If they could ruin his mood, so much the better.
Nick entered the living room and immediately searched for Catherine.
Unfortunately, she wasn't there.
She was likely upstairs with the children.
Patricia, unaware of the full extent of their strained relationship, tried to mediate and ease the tension.
Richard and Nick went upstairs to greet Emerson.
Seeing Emerson's sunken eyes and frail state, Richard felt a mix of emotions.
Once, his father had been a towering figure in his mind.
But due to his father's favoritism, resentment had festered in Richard's heart since childhood.
With age, that resentment hadn't faded but had grown stronger.
Thinking about the Royal Group's inheritance passing down through generations, yet never reaching their family, and certainly not his grandson, Richard became increasingly agitated.
During dinner, Nick watched Catherine descend the stairs with the two children and was immediately drawn to her.
Their eyes met briefly before Catherine coldly looked away.
Nick felt a deep sense of loss. He knew Catherine didn't like him, but now it seemed she outright despised him.
It felt like a thorn in his heart, causing sharp pain every time he thought of it.
The meal was conducted in silence, with no one initiating conversation.
Richard glanced at Noah a few times. The boy seemed to have grown taller in just a few days, his features already showing a sharpness reminiscent of Blake as a child—a resemblance that made Richard uneasy.
He didn't know why he felt intimidated by a child, but the sensation was unpleasant, and he disliked it.
Richard clenched his teeth in secret. If that little brat were to disappear, it would both strike Blake and rob the Royal Family of its future heir—a double benefit that sounded positively delightful.