The Consortium’s Heir by Benjamin_Jnr

Chapter 304

"My adoptive family doesn't treat me as well as the outside world believes. Also, the woman who took me away from the orphanage-well, she makes it clear how sick she is of me. My adoptive mother often expresses how helpless she is when I get picked on by everyone else, but I can tell she, too, doesn't like me," Maurice revealed, testing the waters as he cautiously looked at Darius.

Yet, disappointment soon tightened his chest to know the answer he wanted never came.

Darius continued to stare at Maurice, knowing what the latter was thinking. He secretly found it funny how the boy reacted. While everyone was still stunned by the sudden turn of events, he raised his hand, hovering it over Maurice's head.

That caused Maurice to stiffen, holding his breath until the former's hand rested on his head. Only then did he calm down.

Darius quirked a brow but kept his opinions to himself. All he did was calmly point out, "You were hoping to see if I knew your birth parents and whether I could tell you about them."

Maurice rolled his eyes. He thought he hid his emotions well, yet Darius had somehow seen through him and accurately guessed his every thought. One thing he did not anticipate, however, was how to deal with the situation before him.

Silence ensued at the scene, making things even more awkward. Everyone felt the tension, including Maurice’s peers, who watched from the sides.

Maurice was not focusing on this; his eyes were rolling at a specific person —Darius. A deep frown eventually marred his face when he realized everyone's attention was on him. Despite his annoyance, Maurice could not do anything about it.

drive away before anyone noticed. His breathing grew

his brow while fixating on Maurice, whose eyes still

out earlier left Maurice feeling more ashamed than before. Since he had never been in such a predicament, he

younger self in the blond boy before him. While the two had entirely

with your current lifestyle, I think

shot upward, shooting a

very well Maurice was only reacting out of fear. On top of that, Darius himself had experienced that

his chin higher and placed both hands behind

then lit up with joy at the outcome of things as he had taken a liking

saw Maurice earlier, he believed the latter would have made the perfect child. Thus, his features softened

my being that you can trust me. After all, I'm sure you can tell how much I like you." Edward ruffled Maurice's hair and candidly revealed his sentiments to the boy. While speaking, he knelt to meet Maurice at eye level, trying to be as sincere as possible. "If you're okay with it, I hope

He had never experienced such emotions before, so he stiffened on the spot, not knowing how to

getting a response from the boy, Edward dejectedly retracted his hand. Yet, as he did so, a pair of

and affection from an adult's gaze. It was almost too blinding, so he loosened his grip and looked down. His hands then crossed before

then. "Is there something you wish