"Uncle, are you okay?" Felicia asked, though she was fighting the urge to laugh. The look on his face — like a computer stuck on a reboot screen — was priceless.
"You're telling me there are stories about men who can get pregnant, and women who can get both men and women pregnant?" Dashiel couldn't believe what his niece had just told him. If she'd been talking about aliens, he wouldn't have felt half as bewildered.
"Yeah, and it's not exactly new either. It's been around for a while and it's super entertaining. Young people like us love reading this kind of stuff," she said, lifting her chin with pride.
"Young people today have some highly questionable tastes," he muttered, eyeing his niece. "Anyway, let's head downstairs. Dinner should be almost ready."
"Wait, Uncle — there's something else I want to tell you! You know, the novel I'm reading is incredible, and I'm obsessed with the main characters." Felicia's eyes lit up. She was usually quiet, but when it came to things she loved, she turned into a chatterbox.
"The novel I'm reading is about a young omega named Gian Bianchi. He's an omega model who goes through all kinds of hardships to achieve his dream. Then he meets a dominant alpha named Ares Schneider, who becomes obsessed with him and tries everything to have him — even trying to make Gian give up his modeling career so he can keep Gian all to himself. Isn't that so romantic?" She finished with a dreamy sigh. She adored this novel.
"I'm going to tell your mother to keep an eye on what you're reading. Your understanding of romance is seriously warped," Dashiel said flatly. He could not fathom how his niece considered it romantic for someone to rob you of your dreams.
"Uncle, it's because he's a dominant alpha — remember what I explained? Dominant alphas are incredibly possessive of their omegas, even more than regular alphas. So it's totally normal for him to think that way." Felicia was absolutely convinced there was nothing wrong with the alpha protagonist's behavior.
"You know what, forget it. No matter how I explain it, you're not going to get it. I'll leave that job to your mother." Dashiel shook his head. Raising kids these days was remarkably complicated. He thought of something his father used to say when Dashiel was still a boy — something Cristina also repeated often.
"Raising children is harder than running a company."
Maybe they were right.
Before he could leave, Felicia grabbed his arm.
"Wait, Uncle — I haven't told you the most interesting part! The villain of the novel is an omega named Amir Richter. He was in love with the alpha protagonist, but his parents forced him into a marriage with a different alpha. That didn't stop him from going after the protagonist, though, and he causes all kinds of trouble for the poor omega lead. The alpha he's forced to marry has your exact name, Uncle — Dashiel Nilsson. And from what I've read so far, he's also a dominant alpha who paid a fortune to Amir's parents so they'd let him marry their son. But it wasn't out of love — it's because Amir is this super-famous model that every alpha wants, and having him would be like winning a trophy. I hope that alpha treats him horribly so he'll leave the protagonist omega alone." Felicia rattled on without pausing for breath, piling on detail after detail about the novel until Dashiel's headache reached critical levels.
"Felicia, I think I heard your mom calling us. Dinner must be ready — let's go, we shouldn't keep her waiting." Dashiel stood up and made a swift exit from her room.
He didn't wait for Felicia. He headed straight for the living area, where his brother-in-law had just arrived from work. They exchanged greetings and made their way to the dining room, where the food was already on the table.
Dashiel sat next to his nephew Mateo, with Cristina and her husband across from them. Felicia, arriving a beat later, took the seat beside her mother.
Dinner was warm and easy. The conversation drifted from one topic to the next, filling the room with a comfortable kind of noise. When Dashiel stood up after finishing his meal, his phone rang. The caller was his assistant. He answered immediately.
"Sir, there are some matters that really need your attention at the office. I know you're with your family, but you know I wouldn't call at a time like this unless it was truly urgent." The assistant's voice was tight with anxiety.
"Relax. I'll be there soon," Dashiel said, and hung up. He caught the look of resignation on Cristina's face and offered her an apologetic glance.
Cristina only sighed, told him to be careful on the road, and warned him not to drive too fast.
Dashiel pulled her into a hug, then headed for the door. Just before stepping out, he turned back.
"Don't let Felicia read so many strange things," he said, and left.
Cristina watched him go with a complicated expression. Her daughter's obsession with reading bizarre fiction was about as far beyond her control as Dashiel's obsession with work.
Dashiel arrived at the office and threw himself into the task immediately. What he'd estimated would take two hours stretched through the entire night. By four in the morning, he was nearly finished. Maybe it was the cumulative toll of an entire week without rest, but a crushing heaviness settled over his body. He fought to stay awake, but he was like a machine running on its last drop of fuel.
He didn't have time to do anything before everything went completely dark.
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Updated 94 Episodes
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments