Chapter 239: Chapter 239

"Why did I even think of the first time these two visited? It’s so stupid!" Brad whispered. He was still standing in his doorway with Gabriel in his arms. Brad’s mind was brought back to the present from that day with Gabriel’s voice.

He had been standing there for a while, lost in thoughts of that day. Brad’s eyes drifted to the girl who had walked straight to the settee and perched on top of it like she was used to doing.

"Uncle Brad, you’re being like that again. Why would you use that bad word? Mama Shelby sa-"

Brad sighed and picked his ear, trying to tune his mind out of Gabriel’s words. His Mama Shelby’s words to Gabriel were gold; the boy never overlooked the chance to make this fact known to anyone.

’It’s okay, Brad, that day Ingrid sang is long past and gone. She has warmed up to you now, so it’s about time you made good with that instead.’ The thought of that voice brought all those weird and shocked states of mind back.

The two kids had become regulars of Brad’s place, and he looked forward to them when they were not there. Looking back, Brad knew this was a future he had never envisioned, but he loved it.

Brad walked and settled down on the seat beside Ingrid, but she did not shrink back as she would have done some time back, and Brad smiled.

"Why do you seem different today?" Brad asked, skewing his head to the side and settling Gabriel down in between his legs.

"Ingrid got hurt yesterday, and she lost her glasses, so daddy bought her another one...."

Brad frowned, "You got hurt?" he asked softly,

Ingrid sighed and shook her head, but that was all that she gave Brad.

Brad took a quick glance all over her and saw no injuries,

’Might be Gabriel’s exaggerations again.’

"I knew you were a fake angel. Which angel tells lies?" Brad teased.

"It’s true! Daddy bought many glasses for Ingrid because of that."

"So, the accident made her lose her glasses?"

Gabriel nodded heavily and then looked at his sister. "Ingrid now has different-coloured glasses, and she can change them to match her dress, too...." Gabriel paused and lowered his head. "I also want glasses, but Daddy will not give them to me."

"Hahahahahahahahaaaaa...!" Brad opened up and burst out laughing. He laughed so much that he teared up.

Outside Brad’s room, Alex turned his head in surprise. He was with Geneva, who also echoed his expression. Even without saying a thing, the couple’s mind was one.

"When have you ever heard Brad laugh so carefree around these children?"

That was a spot-on question, as Brad had detested the very presence of the three children from the very first day they had come into the home. He had made an effort to make them feel welcome at all, and this was common knowledge.

Alex and Geneva also knew they had been like that as well. However, when Shelby drew them close, they had started feeling bad. It had been wrong of them to portray the mother’s ’wrongs’ on the children. For Geneva especially, she enjoyed their company very much.

The two had decided to talk for a brief walk because they wanted to have a long overdue conversation with Brad, but they had only stumbled on this instead.

"I didn’t know that Brad liked children that much. I think we do not have to worry about him anymore. Let’s let him pursue his passion. If Brad is into children that much, it will not take long for him to bring home a girl...."

"Or even a child...." The other added, and the two nodded in satisfaction.

Their trip was unnecessary anymore.

Without a word, the old couple turned and headed back toward their room, not bothering to ask any more questions.

Unaware of this inside the room, Brad was ready to put his plan into action.

He made the two children at home and comfortable and then said,

"I have some friends coming here later..." Ingrid stiffened, and Brad smiled,

"Don’t worry, Ingrid; we had already agreed that they were coming here, so I can’t do much about it, but I promise I will not let them near you, okay?"

Brad never asked the children about their parents and always just took them in, as he also loved their company very much.

Ingrid studied Brad a little more. She knew that there was something off about the way he had spoken but her little mind could not wrap around what it was.

She nodded as Brad handed her the red guitar, and Gabriel also went for it. Brad was surprised at how the two picked up on the tutoring. It had only been a few days, but they did not need much tutelage, making him feel a bit useless around them.

Ingrid pushed her glasses up and started stringing a few chords on her guitar. Brad smiled and joined with a more fluid melody, and soon Gabriel joined.

While he played, Gabriel’s childishness somehow vanished, and Bead only liked the little boy in those moments.

"Yeah, that’s it, Ingrid, keep on that way."

Ingrid’s mouth lifted slightly. She loved music in every form. This was also one of the reasons that Ingrid loved her new mother, Shelby. Shelby had made it a point to let her learn what she loved. Ingrid felt like the child she was, a loved one, whenever she was with her mother, Shelby. Her dad was scary, but he was also cool.

She looked up at Uncle Brad and smiled, making Brad stop. The smile startled him so much that he was baffled. But Ingrid did not stop playing. The only tune missing was Brad’s fluid once, but even with just the two of them, some of the workers outside could not help but stop and listen.

Brad responded to the smile and then resumed playing. The three tried different tunes in the course of the hour until there was a knock on the door.

Brad stopped, and then he turned to Ingrid,

"Ingrid, you can go into the piano room when they come in, okay? They are my friends, but you can meet them later. For now, just enjoy yourself in there. You know that there are drinks and water in the fridge. Just take anything you want, okay?"

"Thank you, Uncle Brad," Ingrid said in her small voice and then pushed the door to the inner room open just as one of his workers ushered three of his friends into the room.

The trio came to a standstill, looking at Brad in puzzlement and shock.

"Since when are you into kids?"

"Why is there a kid here, Brad?" They asked one after the other.

"I know Gabriel; Mama Shelby will say that I am not a gentleman, but not now, okay? Even gentlemen have a day off sometimes!"

"They do?" Gabriel asked in amazement, and the three young men all around Brad’s age started laughing hysterically. They were all in what looked like casual t-shirts and jeans, but anyone with a sense of fashion would see that there was nothing ’ordinary’ about their clothes. It depicted their high society very much.

They also knew why Brad had snapped at them, but it was not like they cared.

"The boy is cute. He should be your youngest nephew, right?"

Brad nodded and then gestured to Gabriel to introduce himself, which he did in his usual way.

"Don’t look at me! That is how he introduces himself!"

"Yo, guys, I just met an angel today and must be on my best behaviour!" The other two laughed along, as did Gabriel because he just loved his ’title’.

"Anyway, Brad, did you just remember that we exist? Do you even check your phone? I thought that you wanted to follow in your brother’s footsteps and stay away from society for a while. So, what’s up?"

Not many people knew that Ian had decided to lock himself up, but these three were quite close to Brad and, therefore, knew this. However, Brad had plans for them.

"I had some things going on, but I am back now!"

Brad said, knowing very well that he could never tell anyone about those hellish weeks after he had met his sister-in-law. They rolled their eyes but made themselves at home in there.

"Anyway, since you generously brought yourself here to visit me, I am sure that you did not come empty-handed... right?"

"TF is wrong with you? Did you bring us here to ask us to pay back money? You are really a miser! With all these monies, you still want to take the skimpy 50 million we borrowed?"

Brad skewed his head slightly. He had all but forgotten this if they had brought it up themselves.

"I’m not that stingy! I have truly forgotten it."

"Yo! You’re the best! I knew we could count on you!" they changed their tune almost immediately.

"I want you to meet my niece. She is quite shy, so let’s enter my quiet room."

The three exchanged glances, not quite understanding why Brad would invite them to see his niece.

The four men and one child entered another smaller door that was partially hidden. Inside, it was a full home studio, but that was not the interesting part. It had a one-way looking glass into the room that Ingrid was in, and like Brad knew, Ingrid was singing to herself. An evil smile crossed his face.

It would be a lot later that Brad’s three friends realized the why he had invited them, but they still never understood ’the why’.

They should have suspected their friend when he had said that he had forgotten their debts because Brad was someone who never forgot his money! Ever!

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