Aurelia let out a sigh of frustration, "William, this is where Arnold's heart is. He's not going back to Goldstone. Besides, he has
gonna settle down someday, get hitched, start a new life with someone. He can't keep living like this."
Hearing this, William's heart sank even more, feeling like an orphan left in the cold, unloved and alone.
Aurelia pulled him into a warm embrace, "Con now, honey. Let's not cry. Mommy will help you sneak your hair out."
Meanwhile, Kane had found Leopold. He was lounging in the parlor, sipping on coffee, engrossed in the latest issue of the "Business
Weekly."
"Dad." Kane dashed over, taking a seat beside Leopold.
"Why aren't you out playing with the others?" Leopold asked with a gentle smile.
"They're all grabbing a bite, so | thought I'd chang with you," Kane replied.
Leopold handed him a pastry, "Have a little snack, too."
Kane blinked, a hint of mischief flickering in his eyes.
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"I think I'll go for sfruit."
He picked up an orange, peeled it and popped a segment into his mouth. After finishing, he cleaned his hands with a napkin. Then,
mimicking William's way of sweet-talking Arnold, he snuggled up to Leopold and slid his tiny hands into his pockets.
"Dad, my hands are a bit chilly from the orange. Can | warm them up in your pockets?"
"Sure." Leopold chuckled, seemingly oblivious to Kane's little ploy.
Kane's hands fumbled around the empty pockets. William had said he saw Leopold slip a sealed bag with hair into his pocket.
Could Leopold have already stashed William's hair away? He withdrew his hands.
"Dad, | think I'll head up to my room for a bit."
"Okay," Leopold said, stroking Kane's hair affectionately. In his mind, Kane was the sweetest, most understanding.
After leaving the parlor, Kane bolted upstairs to Leopold's study. If Leopold was hiding something, it would definitely be in there. He
rifled through the desk drawers one by one, but found nothing. Then he moved to search the bookshelves.
At that moment, the study door creaked open. Startled, he quickly ducked behind a chair.
It was Aurelia who entered, also in search of the hair.
Kane stood up, relieved, “Mom, are you looking for William's hair too?”
Aurelia nodded, “Sweetheart, any luck?”
“No,” Kane shook his head, "Not in Dad's pockets either. Where could he have put it? Maybe in your room?"
Aurelia was flustered.
Leopold always had a trick up his sleeve.
She couldn't just ask him outright, and that would raise suspicions.
"Let's check the room."
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Aurelia led Kane to their room, and they turned it upside down, searching every nook and cranny. But they found nothing. A little
plastic bag could be tucked away anywhere and be hard to spot. Perhaps Leopold had anticipated their search and hidden it well.
How frustrating.
"Mom, what if we can't find William's hair? He's going to be so upset. He cried his eyes out earlier, they were all red."
Aurelia was at a loss. Mossy Rock Retreat was vast, and Leopold could have hidden the hair anywhere, making it impossible for
them to find. But they had to keep looking.
"Your dad probably guessed I'd clooking, so he hid it well. He wouldn't leave it somewhere obvious."
"Maybe we should check the security footage, see where Dad's been. It might give us a clue," Kane suggested.
"That's a good idea," Aurelia quickly agreed, taking her son to the security office under the pretense of losing a bracelet, asking to
review the footage.
They settled into the security room, going through the footage one screen at a time.
"Your dad's been quite the busy bee, wandering all over the place."