Chapter 295: Uncle Cass, Uncle Cass, Gemma Will Definitely Want to Hug You
The movie had a happy ending.
Noah stretched and let out a long yawn.
“Everyone at school said it was great, but I don’t get it. I thought it was kinda boring.”
Gemma, lost in thought, was pulled back to reality. She looked down at him.
“Why didn’t you like it?”
Noah tilted his head, his little curls bouncing like tiny antennas picking up signals.
“Because he found his friend way too easy.”
“Hm?” Gemma wasn’t sure what he meant.
Noah scratched his head.
“I’ve been looking for my mom for so long, and I still can’t find her.”
“I can’t find Dad, either.”
Uncle Cass says they went somewhere really far away for research and can’t talk to anyone outside.”
His eyes brimmed with tears. One blink, and they spilled over.
Gemma felt her heart melt.
She knelt and gently wiped them away.
They really are super busy. And it’s top secret, so they can’t contact anyone.”
“But don’t worry, Noah. They’ll come back for you.”
Noah nodded.
But his tears kept falling.
He looked so pitiful.
Gemma hugged him tight.
“How about we go get some cotton candy?”
“But Gemma, you said I can’t have it while my teeth are changing.”
“As long as you brush really well, it’s fine.” Gemma thought this kid was way too sensible for his own good. It made her heart ache.
Noah’s face lit up instantly.
“Yay!”
Out of the corner of her eye, Gemma noticed Cassius smiling ever so slightly.
While Noah ran off to get his cotton candy, Gemma cautiously asked,
.
“Noah’s parents…”
“They’re gone.”
Cassius kept it brief.
Noah’s father–Cassius’s cousin–had always worked alongside him.
The guy was a genius, especially in computer algorithms.
The programs he wrote were nothing short of groundbreaking.
A few years ago, he developed Al software that outperformed even the most advanced systems of a major world power.
It made him famous overnight.
But genus often attracts envy.
At the time, Cassius and Shawn were overseas handling a situation when his cousin and his wife were kidnapped.
His cousin sacrificed himself to protect his family.
His wife managed to escape and went into hiding for three days, but they still found her. Even then, she refused to betray Cassius.
She tried to take her own life, but after three days on the run, she was too weak.
Even with all her strength, she couldn’t cut deep enough
Cassius arrived just in time. He took down the kidnappers and got her to a hospital.
She barely had the strength to give birth to Noah.
Setting
15.02
Chapter 295: Uncle Cass, Uncle Cass, Gemma Will Definitely Want to Hug You
The moment she saw her baby, she passed away.
Cassius had looked at that wrinkled little newborn, his heart weighed down by guilt. Without hesitation, he took Noah in.
After hearing the story, Gemma let out a quiet sigh.
So that’s what happened.
Cassius had always been loyal to his people. His brother died for him–Noah was the last thing he left behind.
Every time Cassius looked at the boy, he must have thought of his brother.
Even if it tore him apart inside, he still gave Noah the best version of himself.
“You’ve done an amazing job raising him,” Gemma said softly.
Cassius gave a wry smile.
“Honestly, Noah and I aren’t that close.”
“Maybe he likes you but just doesn’t know how to show it,” Gemma said, patting his arm.
“You won’t know unless you try.”
Cassius raised a brow. “If I go over there now, he might lose interest in his cotton candy.”
Gemma grinned. “Wanna bet?”
There was something about her smile-
It carried a warmth that lit up the path ahead.
Cassius felt a strange current zap through him.
His pulse picked up.
“Alright.”
The answer slipped out before he even thought about it.
When he realized what he’d said, he felt a flicker of regret.
But then again, what was the harm?
He let out a slow breath and walked toward Noah.
Noah was at the cotton candy stand, describing exactly how he wanted his to look.
Cassius, towering over him, reached up and took down the exact one Noah wanted, handing it over.
Noah blinked in surprise.
Then his whole face lit up like the sky at sunrise.
‘Uncle Cass, you’re the best!”
He grabbed the cotton candy with both hands, like it was a priceless treasure.
‘I can’t believe you gave it to me that easily.”
“Wait a sec… are you about to ask me for a favor?”
The kid’s voice sounded suspiciously wise for his age, but his eyes never left the cotton candy. He was practically drooling.
Cassius chuckled. ‘I need you to do me a favor and eat all of it.”
Noah gasped. “That’s it?”
He squinted at the cotton candy like he half–expected it to be poisoned.
Cassius smirked. ‘Did you want something harder?”
“Nope! Nope!”
Noah took a huge bite. Only an idiot wouldn’t eat cotton candy when given the chance.
“But you know what? You’re acting way too nice today. It’s kinda freaking me out…”
Halfway through his cotton candy, he still couldn’t find the right words.
But when he met Cassius’s expectant gaze, he thought harder.
Forget it. He was just thrilled and didn’t know how to say it.
Instead, he wrapped up the rest of his cotton candy, took a few steps forward, and hugged Cassius.
“I just wanted to hug you. Uncle Cass, you’re really awesome.”
Cassius froze
“Uncle Cass, you’re not a robot. You should smile more!”
The moment of warmth lasted exactly one second.
Then Nagging Noah made his grand return.
Setting
15.02
Chapter 295: Uncle Cass, Uncle Cass, Gemma Will Definitely Want to Hug You
“Otherwise, you’re gonna turn into a grumpy old man. And if that happens, Gemma is totally gonna be put off.”
“Oh! And you should always be like this, okay?”
“I like this version of Uncle Cass!”
Cassius, for once, wasn’t his usual cold self today.
“Why do you like this version of me?” he asked.
Noah thought for a moment, then touched Cassius’s face.
“You feel warm.”
“Like sunshine.”
“When I see you like this, I just wanna hug you.”
He rubbed his chin, suddenly perking up.
“Oh! Also!”
“If I wanna hug you, that means Gemma will definitely wanna hug you too! Which means I’ll be getting a baby brother or sister really soon!”
Cassius, “…
He looked up at Gemma.
She stood in the light, as if wrapped in a soft glow.
Her smile was gentle yet full of strength.
Like she could make the whole world brighter.
And when she saw him looking, she simply lifted a hand, and gave him a little thumbs–up.
Setting
