Chapter 1417

The supposedly locked showcase stood open, one teapot shattered on the floor. The other remained intact.

"My darling!" Dominic cried, his voice trembling. Whether he addressed the teapot or the boy remained unclear. He hurried over.

"Here you go, Grandpa!" Galen offered the remaining teapot, losing his balance in the process. He fell backward.

"My darling!" Dominic screamed, lunging to catch the boy. Another crash followed, prompting him to shut his eyes, his heart aching.

"Don't be scared, Grandpa!" Galen patted his chest reassuringly. Dominic, speechless and close to tears, could only watch as Lily arrived, sighing. "I was about to ask if those teapots were expensive," she said.

"What do you think?" Dominic asked, opening his eyes and giving her a doleful look. "You should have just said so! I thought you were talking about Austin."

"That's your family matter," Lily replied, sighing. "Hand him over."

Dominic held Galen tightly. "No! Don't think I don't know your intentions. If I hand him over, you'll punish him!"

He moved to the side, settling down and averting his gaze from the broken pieces. Despite his distress, he couldn't bear to see the boy punished.

"I have to," Lily said seriously. "He wreaks havoc every time he's here. You can't just take his side."

"If things break, so be it! What if you injure him?" Galen's head rested against Dominic's neck, melting his resolve. He was conflicted, upset yet deeply attached to the boy.

"I won't. I'm his mother," Lily said, rubbing her forehead.

"Even a mother can make a mistake and accidentally hurt her child." He refused to relinquish the boy, demanding a promise that Galen wouldn't be punished.

Lily hesitated. She couldn't make such a promise; she needed to discipline her son. Seeing Galen's actions, she decided to replace the teapots with higher-quality ones. She remained curious, however, about how he'd opened the locked showcase.

"Fine, let him stay with you," Lily conceded, withdrawing her hands. "Send him back when you're ready."

Dominic was startled as she turned to leave. "No, no! You can have him!"

Handing Galen over, the old man whispered, "If you must discipline him, please don't do it here. I can't bear to watch."