The Lawyer’s Romance in Law
Chapter 199

Chapter 199 Mr Winters Is Your Father

At the Winters Estate.

The bedroom was pitch black, with tightly drawn curtains blocking out any trace of light.

The tall figure of a man leaned in the corner with a pile of empty wine bottles surrounding him. He had been drowning his sorrows in alcohol all day.

He shut himself off in this dark world, neither eating nor drinking, using alcohol alone to numb himself.

Elias felt completely useless...

His father was gone. His grandfather was gone, and now the entire Winters Family relied on him alone. He had to confront the entire board of directors.

Yet he still had to handle his grandfather's funeral, and he felt that he could no longer shoulder these responsibilities.

At that moment, a commotion could be heard outside.

Elias furrowed his brow impatiently. Now, any sound he heard would only irritate him.

"Mr. Elias, please open the door. I have something to say to you. Please open the door!"

Oscar's voice echoed from outside the bedroom. He had been loyal to Howard for many years and was unwaveringly devoted to him.

Now that Howard was gone, Oscar's grief was probably no less than his own.

However, he had no mood to see anyone now, not even Amanda if she were to come.

The knocking on the door continued incessantly. Each knock felt like a hammer striking his head, causing it to ache as if it were about to explode.

Oscar kept calling from outside and asked him to open the door...

Elias' headache was intense. He struggled to get up, walked to the door, and opened it. He reeked of alcohol and angrily shouted, "Get lost! Go as far away as possible! Now that Grandpa is gone, why are you still lingering in the Winters Family? Go live your own life! There's no one here for you to serve every day anymore!"

When Howard was alive, Oscar practically revolved around him every day. Oscar had followed Howard for most of his life, and their bond was no less than that of a grandson.

Tears streamed down Oscar's face as he pleaded, "Mr. Elias, I want you to investigate this matter thoroughly. Old Mr. Winters couldn't have inexplicably fallen down the stairs!"

"What do you mean?" Elias looked at him with a desolate gaze and sensed that he had something more to say.

Oscar wiped away his tears and sobbed. "I always felt that something was amiss with this incident. Today, Old Mr. Winters was still looking for people everywhere to help you replace the child. In the middle of it, Miss Bailey came to the manor looking for him. I told her that he was at the estate, and she went there. However, the estimated time of death determined by the autopsy coincides exactly with the time when Miss Bailey arrived at the estate. She was also the first person to discover Old Mr. Winters' body. How could such a coincidence happen-"

Oscar wanted to continue explaining his suspicions, but Elias couldn't listen any longer and angrily interrupted, "Enough! Shut up! Get out!"

With a loud slam, the door was shut.

Oscar continued banging on the door from outside while passionately sharing his viewpoint that the incident where Howard fell down the stairs was definitely not that simple.

Elias stared at the closed door, his mind in chaos. He didn't want to entertain these thoughts at all.

It was impossible. He knew Amanda. It couldn't be.

After turning around with the stench of alcohol on him, he returned to the pile of wine bottles. He picked up a half-empty bottle and guzzled its contents. He neither wanted to stay sober anymore nor wanted to face the gruesome reality.

Suddenly, another round of knocking sounded from outside.

This time, it wasn't Oscar's voice, but a cute little voice. "Uncle Elias, it's Aiden. I've come to see you."

Elias abruptly turned his head and was stunned for a moment. Then, he walked over and opened the door without thinking.

Sure enough, his son stood outside while holding hands with Amanda.

Elias had locked himself in the room for a full day and night, so seeing this mother and son again gave him a feeling as if they had been separated for a lifetime.

Amanda looked at the man before her. It had only been a day since they last saw each other, but how did he become so haggard? His eyes were filled with desolation, and a stubble had grown on his chin. It felt like he was encapsulating himself in a dark world where no one was allowed to enter.

"Uncle Elias..."

Elias, who had always appeared as a well-dressed and elegant gentleman in Aiden's eyes, now looked so desolate that it scared Aiden a bit.

"Baby, go and hug Uncle Elias. He's not feeling well. Let's keep him company, okay?" Amanda squeezed her son's small hand.

Aiden looked up at his mommy, then opened his arms and hugged the man's long legs while saying in a childish voice, "Uncle Elias, everything will be okay. I'll always support you. Cheer up..." These words were clearly taught by Amanda.

A smile tugged at the corners of Elias' mouth. He slowly knelt on one leg and looked at this little boy.

Aiden looked just like himself. Apart from him, this boy was the only bloodline left of the Winters Family.

Fate had been kind to him. At least he still had his son by his side...

Tears welled up in his eyes. He had always believed that men shouldn't easily shed tears, but these past few days, he had shed quite a few.

It was because his pillar of strength had left...

Elias asked, "Aiden, can you call me 'Daddy'?"

He had been looking forward to this day. At first, he thought there was no need to rush as his son would gradually recognize him as his father. He had thought that Howard would get to witness this scene, but...

Aiden blinked his round, grape-like eyes. "Why?"

He didn't want to call just anyone "Daddy." It took him a long time to consider Simon as someone suitable for his mommy after all.

Before the man could say anything, Amanda also crouched down and gently stroked her son's furry little head.

"Aiden, Uncle Elias is your daddy. You can call him 'Daddy,' okay?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Elias' gaze turned toward her. His expression was complex and it conveyed a wealth of unspoken emotions.

Even Amanda hadn't expected herself to say such an important thing in such a casual tone as if she were commenting on the weather.

As expected, Aiden widened his eyes. "Mommy, are you serious? Uncle Elias is my daddy? Didn't you say that Uncle Elias knew Daddy?"

Amanda continued, "I'm sorry, I haven't been honest with you. Uncle Elias is your daddy. I selfishly wanted to keep you all to myself. I was afraid that your daddy would come and take you away, so..." "Mommy, I understand."

He understood?

Could a three-year-old really understand?

She was a bit surprised. Did this little guy really know what she was talking about?

Aiden earnestly stepped forward and hugged Elias' neck, pressing his small face against his shoulder. He solemnly called out, "Daddy."

Elias' body trembled, as if a ray of light had finally pierced through the darkness of his world.

He tightly embraced his son in his arms while inhaling the scent that belonged exclusively to Aiden.

He really called me Daddy...

With this little guy anchoring him in this world, how could he just fall like this?