Meantime, at the preschool...
"Did you already ask your mom, Clark?" Tristan asked while they were on their break time, and his voice was full of excitement.
"Yeah, and she said yes. How will we sneak at your uncle's office? Will you bring your mom?" Clark answered.
"Yep. Mom's now working there, so we have the excuse to sneak around,"
"Yiiipppeee!" Clark screamed in delight. However, one sneaky girl heard their conversation.
"Teacher Mei, I heard Clark and Tristan are planning something." Sarah, their classmate, announce it to their teacher. Then Clark and Tristan glared at their classmate, and she ran away.
"Clark, Tristan what are you up to again?" the teacher inquired.
"Teacher, we're not planning anything. Sarah's just making things up." And they kept on glaring at her. The boys were so annoyed with her that they kept throwing angry stares at her.
"Clark, let's be alert and discreet if Sarah's near us, we could not trust her." the boy nodded and still glared at Sarah.
"When do we plan to go to your uncle's office?" Clark asks but almost in a whisper.
"I'll ask first my mom, what time and day my uncle will be in the office."
"Okay, I will. Sarah's coming... Ssshhh" They continued drawing while they noticed that Sarah was heading in their direction again. The boys couldn't understand why she was acting that way.
"Hmmph!" she rolled her eyes when she realized they had caught her spying on them again.
Meanwhile, Cliff went to his mother's home after having a rough day with his father and cohorts.
"Young master, Madam is in her garden." The butler informed.
"Thank you, butler Hanz."
When he reached the garden, he saw his mother busy cultivating some plants that she did not notice his arrival. The only person in the world with whom he could not display his cold aura was his mother. He loves to tease or prank her, and it becomes a habit that if she does not notice his arrival, he makes some noise to surprise and startle her.
"MOM!" he shouted, knowing he was only three meters away from her. The poor old woman jumped in surprise.
"Goodness, Clifford!!! Do you want me to die of heart attack??!!"
"I know you won't! You're as healthy as a cow!" he showed a toothy grin that made his mother laugh.
She took off her gloves before she went over to her son. Cliff noticed that his mom looked tensed and kept on rubbing her hands.
"Are you nervous, mom?" he said, still laughing.
"H-How'd you know?"
"I'm your, son, remember? Besides, I always observed that everytime you were nervous, you often divert it to your plants. And I pity all your plants." He said seriously.
"Oh you brat!" his mother hissed. "But seriously, how's the meeting?"
"It's okay, same with the rituals in every business meetings, nothing's new."
"How about…"
"What mom? Or who?" he asked innocently, though he knew who she was referring to.
"Oh never mind." And she budged her head and held it high like an aristocrat, pretending not to care. But her son knew better.
"I told you, mom, both of you should talk. As they say, 'love is sweeter the second time around.' Here's the invitation to the party. He's expecting you to be there." he said with amusement.
His mother's eyes grew more prominent, and disbelief was written all over her face.
"I will definitely disown you, Clifford! My heart is closed. I'm no longer interested in your father." she said irritably.
But then his mother suddenly came up with an idea. Who wouldn't want to throw her son's teasing back?
"Okay, let's have a deal. I will attend the party and talk to your father. But! You should find a date on the said party your dad prepared for you or I will find someone for you." Her mother smiled triumphantly.
"UGH, the answer is NO.," he said flatly. "I will come to that party unescorted or I will not attend. Take it or leave it, with no bargaining."
He laughed soundly, and his mother suddenly sulked within.
"Just what am I to do with you, Clifford?" his mother sighed dramatically.
Then he remembered the bumping incident that happened earlier after he met with his father.
'Hmm…" then he smirked.
…
On the same night, Ingrid and her son were preparing to go to bed when Clark suddenly spoke.
"Mom, I miss you." She smiled sweetly upon hearing those words from her son. A guilty feeling crept into her heart because she's been so busy lately that she forgot to give time to her son.
"I miss you more, son. Sorry if I have been so busy lately and we did not get the chance to bond. But we will take a long vacation soon once I've settled everything at the office."
"Oh, it's okay, as long as you grant me one request." Her left brow rose slightly.
"And what request will that be?"
"Hmm, can I, and uhm… I mean, can I go to Veanco Square's playpen? Promise, I'll behave mom." He said, even raising his hands.
"Veanco Square? Why there? You said that you don't like playing in those places." Clark's mind has already planned the words to tell his mother since he knew his mother's interrogation would always follow after every request.
"Yeah, but mom, I want to try new things, you told me that I should not only settle on one place but as well explore other places." She was stunned.
'Just what did I taught this child. I never thought that he could easily use it against me. Next time, I'll be careful.'
She mused but, at the same time, amused by her son's reasoning.
"Okay then. I'll just inform Nanny Tess about your request. So when it will be?"
"I haven't thought about it yet mom, but I'll tell you a day before I decided to go, okay mom?"
"Hmm... But promise is a promise, you must behave. No pranks, don't irritate nanny Tess, no running, or hiding from your nanny and most importantly, do not talk or go with the strangers. Agree? Pinky promise?"
"I agree. Pinky promise. You're the best in the world, mom…" his son smiled from ear to ear until he fell asleep.
She was thankful that her son did not ask about his father again. She knew the time would come when she had to explain everything to him.
'But please, not this early.' She silently prayed, and she went to sleep hugging him.
Little did she know that Clark's quest for his father had just begun...