39: I WANT TRISTAN'S UNCLE!

I WANT TRISTAN'S UNCLE!

"Mr. Briggs, it's nice meeting you." She said, wearing a lovely smile.1

"Have a seat, Miss Reiley. Let's get down to business." He said without any preliminaries. Gary handed them the folder.

"This is the documents regarding the project the Reiley Corporation is offering, sir."

Clifford runs through the document, and after a while, he looked at the woman.

"Is this the best you could offer?" he said straight to her eyes.

The woman was shocked by his bluntness. Vanessa Reiley is the sole heiress of brand clothing that is internally known. But then she composed herself and smiled.

"Yes it is, Mr. Briggs both of our companies could benefit from this partnership, we could use the Veanco Square, which is the largest mall in the east, as a medium to expand our brand not just in international setting but as well in every country. That is one of our company's goals."

"hmmm.." Clifford nodded.

"And besides, the mall could also benefit this, since the brand is internationally known, Veanco Square will be more known throughout."

"Okay, it's a deal then." Clifford shook hands with Miss Reiley.

"It's an honor to be partners with you, Mr. Briggs." Her eyes reflected admiration to him.

"Have you eaten lunch, Miss Reiley?" Gary asks while his boss is signing the contract.

"Not yet." Then Gary motioned the waiter to come over.

....

'HMM... WHO IS SHE?' Ingrid remained her gaze at the man and the woman shaking hands. The woman smiled sweetly at the man who makes her involuntarily squint.

"Ahh mom? Can I ask you a question?" she then retracted her gawk from them to her son.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Why do you have a father, while I don't?"

John Howard choked that turned to faint smile and her mother was wide-eyed to their grandson's question.

"Why, dear boy? Why do you want a father?" John Howard asks his brilliant grandson.

"I was just wondering grandpa because my best friend has a daddy and mommy, and he keeps bragging to me their adventures anywhere. They go biking in the park, jet skiing even he would always tell me that his daddy is the best. How does it feel to have a daddy, grandpa?"

The boy's eyes were full of longing and also curiosity. Lance stared at the boy, and he saw the boy's yearning for a father figure.

"Who do you want to be your father, by the way, Clark?" grandma ask amusingly.

The boy stared upward as if thinking.

"mmm, I like my best friend Tristan's uncle, uncle Cliff..."

"Who?!" she was appalled upon hearing the name and raised her voice a little.

"Mis-mister Cliff, Tristan's uncle." The child answered innocently.

Lance grinned and can't help but admire the child's brilliance.

'The child's father is indeed lucky to have him.' He silently commented, but he secretly frowned when he heard the name from him.

"How about uncle Lance? Would you like him to be your father?" her father casually asked.

Ingrid narrowed her eyes when looking at her father.

"Dad..!" she glared at him.

"It would be an honor for me..." he said, looking at her son.

"I like you uncle Lance, but I want Tristan's uncle," the child slightly protested.

"Clark, what are you talking about? You don't even know that man personally!"

"I know him mom." he insisted.

"Clark, son? Do you remember what mommy told you?" The child did not speak anymore but sulk in a corner.

But his young mind wouldn't easily give in and wanted his mother to understand what he was feeling and the intensity of his longing to have a father in the semblance of Clifford Briggs. When he roamed his eyes around, he saw someone.

"Oh, look! There he is! Mom! Uncle Clifford is here!" he pointed to a certain man seating just ten meters away from them, seriously talking to a woman. His eyes twinkled with so much happiness the moment he laid his eyes on his claimed 'father.'

They all looked to where the child pointed his finger. And everyone catches their breath when they saw Clifford Briggs.

"Clark, stop making fun. I tell you to behave." Ingrid said sternly, warning him of the consequences if he continues to insist on his charge.

The child did not listen to his mother, but instead, he descended from his grandpa's lap and hurriedly run to the man he recently pointed his finger to. Ingrid almost fainted in shock when she saw what her child did and where he was running to.

"Oh God! Clark, stop!" but the child ignored her and continued running in full determination towards where Clifford is sitting.

"Uncle Cliff..!!" the child shriek when he was sure that the man is Tristan's uncle.

On the other hand, Clifford then jolted from his seat when he heard the shriek from a child.

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