As soon as Liam turned around, he saw Maxwell Thornton standing with Lucas Greek. The boy’s big eyes instantly lit up with excitement, and he jumped to his feet, his short legs wobbling as he ran toward Maxwell.
"Godfather, do you know how to swim?" The child's eyes sparkled as he gazed up at the Thornton Chairman.
For some reason, hearing the word "godfather" from the child's mouth made Maxwell instinctively frown. Lucas Greek, standing beside him, cast Maxwell a meaningful glance.
At that moment, Maxwell bent down, gently ruffling Liam's hair. "Your mom’s still upset with me, so she won’t let you call me dad. But remember, I’m your dad. From now on, no matter what, you’ll always call me that. Understood?"
“Dad, can I call you that all the time?” The child obediently agreed.
Maxwell shrugged with a smile, “Of course.”
“So, if both my mom and I fall into the water, who would you save?” The child’s dark grape-like eyes gazed sincerely at the Thornton Chairman as he innocently asked a difficult question.
At that moment, Lily Bennett noticed her son was missing. She immediately panicked and climbed out of the shallow water, leaving her instructor behind. After a brief search, she spotted her son standing with Maxwell and Lucas on the beach. She rushed over just in time to hear her precious boy ask Maxwell a very serious question, leaving her momentarily stunned. Her wide, innocent eyes stared at Maxwell.
Lily was about to explain that her son didn’t mean anything by the question, but Maxwell just stroked the boy’s head. He crouched down and softly answered, “I would save both of you.”
Liam couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up. “Dad, you’re amazing!” he exclaimed, grabbing Maxwell’s hand. “I told Mom you’re the best dad in the world.”
Seeing Lily frozen in place, Liam grinned and pointed at Maxwell, “Mom, this is my dad.” Then, turning to Maxwell, he added, “Dad, this is my mom.”
Lily could only blink, unsure of what to say. A child’s innocent heart always longed for a complete family, and Liam was no different. Ever since he found out that she was his biological mother and had raised him alone, Liam had always wanted to find a good man to protect her.
While the two adults remained silent, Lucas Greek chuckled and spoke up, "Maxwell, it's rare for you to have free time for your family. I won’t intrude. How about dinner tonight at my mother’s restaurant? It’ll be a small gathering, just for fun."
Maxwell nodded and smiled at Lucas before he walked away. Lily, feeling a bit guilty, held her son’s hand and lowered her head apologetically toward Maxwell. “We interrupted your work. I’m sorry.”
“If you hadn’t, were you planning on learning to swim with that dark-skinned guy who looks like a chocolate bar?”
Maxwell arrogantly glanced at the swimming instructor, who was waving at Lily, then scoffed. Lily turned her head back, laughing as she waved at the instructor. She was just about to pick up Liam and head back to the beach when Maxwell grabbed her hand and pulled her back.
Lily frowned in annoyance as she glanced at the cold-faced man. "What are you doing? We’re going to swim."
Maxwell ignored her words entirely. He bent down, scooped up the child beside him, and started walking toward the beach.
Lily hurried after them, "Maxwell, what are you doing?"
For the first time, Maxwell’s tone softened as he gently asked Liam, "Son, do you know how to swim?"
Liam shook his head, “No, I don’t.”
"Would you rather that instructor teach you, then?" Maxwell asked, pointing at the sturdy instructor waiting by the shore.
Liam looked at the instructor, then back at Maxwell. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "What about Mom?"
"Leave your mom to me," Maxwell whispered, stroking Liam’s head.
Without hesitation, Liam nodded with a smile. "That sounds good."
This was the first time Maxwell had been so amused by a child—so obedient, so thoughtful. Gazing into Liam's deep black eyes, the Thornton Chairman smiled sweetly. “I’ll make sure your mom learns to swim, then I’ll return her to you.”
"But I’m worried about you,” Liam said, shaking his head in Maxwell’s arms before patting Maxwell’s shoulder maturely. “The instructor teaching Mom how to swim is really tough! She’s great at everything, except swimming—she’s terrified of water. Dad, this time it’s going to be tough for you!"
After Liam finished, he jumped out of Maxwell’s arms and happily waved to the instructor. "Uncle, teaching me will be easier than teaching my mom, right?!"
Lily was speechless after hearing her son’s comment. Maxwell chuckled and poked her forehead. “I heard teaching you how to swim is really hard?”
Lily forced a smile and replied awkwardly, “Well, it’s normal for instructors to work hard, right? Ha ha!! Ah..."
Before she could finish laughing, Maxwell scooped her up by the waist and began walking toward the sea.
"Maxwell, what are you doing? Put me down!" She pounded her soft hands against his shoulder, but it was like tickling him—completely ineffective.
Maxwell leaned down, a sly smile on his roguish face, and mocked, “Consider this as taming a wild pet.”
“You’re the pet! No, wait, you’re the beast! Let me go!”
His lips curled into a grin as he whispered into her ear, “Lily, you know best whether I’m a beast or not.”