Chapter 9 I Saw Him Crying

The old master was so angry that he almost rolled his eyes. What did Ryker mean by knowing that he could live for another few years? Ryker's tone even sounded upset about the fact that he still had a few more years to live. And what did Ryker mean by saying that he was scaring the little girl? Wasn't it obvious that he was an amiable old man?

"How dare you!" the old master snapped with his eyes wide. His shoulders quivered with anger. He tried to think of words to counter Ryker's rudeness but failed to utter a word. Finally, he gave up scolding Ryker and madly sat down next to him. Refusing to look at Ryker, he looked at the adorable Kara with a kind smile on his wrinkled face and gently asked, "Little girl, what's your name? How old are you now? Why are you here?"

Kara smiled back at the old master. Her little mouth partly opened as she was busy thinking about how to answer his questions. When she was ready to answer, Ryker suddenly said impatiently, "Her name is Kara Li. She is three years and nine months old. She's here because I've taken her with me. Hey, old man, what's with you? Why are you asking so many questions? Are you some kind of a private detective or what? Don't talk too much nonsense, okay?"

"Watch your mouth, Ryker. Why can't I ask questions? Who knows if you've taken her here without her parents' permission?" Since the old master was also a quick-tempered man, he snapped back at Ryker unpleasantly.

Ryker chuckled scornfully, not caring about what his grandfather had said. He raised his head up proudly and said slowly, "Actually, you're right. I saw her alone in their house. Her parents and her nanny were not there, so I took her here. As simple as that."

"You bastard! Are you not afraid that her parents will sue you for kidnapping?" Ryker's answer made the old master furious at once. Their family was famous in the business world. They had been enjoying a good reputation for generations. How could his unruly grandson commit such a horrific crime?

Knowing that he was wrong, Ryker didn't refute loudly this time. He just hugged Kara tightly in his chest while stroking her soft hair. He then murmured, "Chill, old man. I just want to have her here for now. I am not going to sell her anywhere."

He adored little Kara so much. How could he have the heart to sell her?

"You brat! You are definitely asking for trouble. Someone must really give you a good beating. I will teach you a lesson!" The old master knew that Ryker wasn't really abducting Kara. As his beloved grandson, Ryker was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and was entitled to vast wealth. Why would Ryker even think of kidnapping children for ransom? Looking at his spoiled grandson, he smiled bitterly, raised his walking stick, and pretended to hit Ryker. But he wasn't really going to beat him. He simply wanted to tease him.

Ryker knew his grandfather so well that he was sure his grandfather was just teasing him. He sat there confidently with a faint smile on his face, having no intention to dodge the walking stick at all.

But Kara didn't know that the old master and Ryker were just playing around. At her age, she took adults' threats seriously. Seeing that the walking stick was about to hit Ryker's shoulder, she became really anxious. She struggled to stand up on his lap, opened her arms to protect him, and shouted at the old master, "Grandpa, please don't hit him. He cried just now. If you hit him now, he will definitely cry again."

The old master was stunned. He looked at Ryker in utter disbelief, and his mouth twitched slightly. He studied Kara's face and asked hesitantly, "What did you say just now? He cried? Are you sure about that? Did you really see it?"

With a stern look on her face, Kara nodded her head vigorously and confirmed, "Yes, he was crying in my garden earlier when I saw him. He let me..."

Before she could finish her words, Ryker quickly covered her mouth with his hand and shouted angrily at the old master, "I was not crying. I just got sand in my eyes."

He was so ashamed of what he did that he had to scream at the top of his lungs to cover up his real mood. He was too young to know that desperately refuting would only make the matter worse.

Seeing the scrutiny in the old master's eyes, Ryker felt more embarrassed and irritated. He wished there was a place for him to hide right now. When he couldn't take it anymore, he quickly stood up and rushed to the stairs with Kara in his arms. While storming upstairs, he shouted at the old master, "Trust me, it was just some stupid sand. Don't overthink, you old man! Kara rolled on the grass just now, so she's dirty. I'll take her upstairs for a shower."

The old master pressed his lips into a thin line while watching Ryker's receding back. He felt sorry for Ryker. He knew that Ryker was a tough kid who would never shed tears in front of others, no matter how sad he was.