"M-Mom?" Azaan peeks out of the gates when he and Nol notice Iris standing outside, pacing back and forth until she sees them and waves, "Azaan!"
Nol turned to look at Azaan, cringed at his mother waving to him, and asked, "do you want me to send her away?"
Azaan hesitated for a couple of seconds before shaking his head, "no, I want to hear what she has to say, but" he looked to Nol, "do you think you can watch us? I'm kind of scared she might take me away by force."
Nol recalls, when looking at Azaan, "he's just a kid…a kid afraid of his mother. That must mean she's abused him one way or another." When he nods, "sure, I'll take you two near the garden. I can keep an eye on you from there."
***
"Woah, guess Belen will be attending another important event today?" Everest asks, judging by the number of stylists coming into the mansion as he and Noah eat in the kitchen.
Noah dryly comments, "you're so smart. How can you tell?"
