Chapter 142 Sharp-tongued EloiseRichard looked at Eloise, who stood with a dead-serious expression on her tiny face, and couldn't help but chuckle.He had a gift for smiling like a saint while cutting deep, and clearly,he didn't draw the line at kindergarteners."Honey," he said smoothly. "There are all kinds of dads. Technically, he's your stepdad. Do you know what a stepdad is?"As he spoke, he couldn't help but size her up.She's actually kind of cute. Which means her mom probably isn't bad-looking either. Lucky bastard, that Alistair scored big for abroke nobody.Alistair smiled. "That's true. And then there's the kind of dad whoditches his own kid at birth, lets someone else raise him, and then gets mad when the kid calls the other guy 'Dad.' Not sure what kink that is, but hey, to each his own."So we're playing the insult game now? Fine. Let's see how long you can keep that smug face on.Alistair wasn't even worried. No amount of passive-aggressivepoking from Richard could shake the bond between him andEloise.21:57noveldramaChapter 142 Sharp-tongued EloiseShe knew everything.12 min leftShe knew she wasn't Caroline's biological daughter. She knew Alistair wasn't herbirth father either. But in her heart, they wereher real parents, the best parents in the world.Most kids were simple. Whoever loved them, they loved back.Daniel was no different.Alistair wasn't blind or naive. He'd raised Daniel from a squishynewborn into a full-blown troublemaker. There was no one whoknew that child better than he did.He'd seen the way Daniel looked at him just now. Every flicker ofemotion in that little face-he caught it all.Daniel was a brat, no question. But no kid turned into that on their own. Theblame sat squarely with the adults around him. And though Alistair had been the one changing diapers and waking up at 3 AM, he'd never truly been Daniel's parent. Just the guy hiredto keep him alive.A glorified nanny didn't get to discipline the heir.Daniel and Eloise were worlds apart. But Alistair knew that if someone gave Daniel proper guidance, there was still hope. The21:57Chapter 142 Sharp-tongued Eloisekid wasn't a lost cause yet.12 min leftBut for that, he'd need real parents. Not Rebecca, who probably didn't know what a moral compass was. Not Richard, whose worldview could best be described as nonexistent.At Alistair's dig, Rebecca dropped her head in shame. Richard's face darkened immediately. He was just thankful Daniel was too young to grasp the meaning behind Alistair's words.No matter how much he disliked Rebecca these days, Daniel wasstill his son. That wasn't going to change.Wives were replaceable. Kids weren't.His parents had been over the moon when they heard he wasbringing Daniel home tonight.Frustrated by his failed attempt to rile Alistair up, Richard turned toEloise again. "Honey," he said with mock kindness. "What do youthink will happen when your parents have a baby of their own?"Before he could finish, Eloise interrupted sharply, "My mommy and daddy will still love me, even if I get a baby brother or sister.And I love them too!"Her eyes blazed, fierce and unwavering. She looked ready to leap out of Alistair's arms and bite.21:57Chapter 142 Sharp-tongued EloiseRichard blinked.12 min leftThe little girl had the kind of soft, delicate face that usually rancrying into a parent's arms if anyone so much as raised their voice. But she wasn'tcrying. She wasn't backing down.Alistair felt a wave of pride.She's not just cute. She's strong, fierce, untouchable.But Eloise wasn't done yet.She turned her glare on Richard. "If you're his daddy, then you need to treat himbetter. Otherwise, he'll keep trying to steal mydaddy! My daddy is my daddy! He's not going back to being yourson's daddy, so tell your kid to give it up!"Daniel froze. Maybe it was Eloise's tone. Or maybe it was hearingthe truth out loud. Whatever the reason, Daniel burst into tears.Eloise crossed her arms. “Oh, please, quit crying. My dad's not yours, and you'vealready got one. You don't get to keep both!"Alistair was speechless.Is today Eloise Appreciation Day? Because she's absolutely killing1.Chapter 142 Sharp-tongued Eloise12 min left.He ruffled her hair. "She's right. Daniel, you have a new dad now. You can't haveme too."Daniel watched Alistair walk away, tears still streaming down his face.He didn't understand everything, but at that moment, somethingclicked.It wasn't that Alistair didn't want him anymore. It was that he'd already beenreplaced. A kid can only have one dad, and nowAlistair belonged to someone else. He sniffled hard, biting backmore tears.It's new daddy's fault. He's the reason my old daddy left.*****"Mommy," Eloise said later, sipping her juice with a serious expression, "now I know why that boy kept trying to steal my daddy. It's because his daddy is awful.He even said mean things about my daddy right in front of me. Mommy, I thinkthat boy'sreally sad. His mommy's not nice. His daddy's even worse."Caroline had just wrapped up work and joined them at a juice shop on the pedestrian street.Chapter 142 Sharp-tongued Eloise(^-) 12 min leftAlistair, practically bursting with pride, retold the entire story, every one of Eloise'smic-drop moments.Caroline smiled and stroked her daughter's cheek. “You're amazing, Eloise."Eloise beamed. "Mommy, when are you gonna give me a baby brother or sister?"Caroline choked a little on her drink.Most people get hounded by in-laws. I get pressure from my ownkid.Eloise turned to Alistair, eyes sparkling. "Daddy, Mommy always does what yousay. Can't you talk her into it?"Alistair laughed.Yeah... she definitely wasn't fazed by anything Richard said."Unbelievable. These days, some people look all polished and respectable on the outside, but underneath? Scumbags. Groping women old enough to be their mother in front of their own wife and daughter, no less. That's not just trash behavior. That'sanimal behavior."On their way home from the juice shop, a commotion erupted at: רוChapter 142 Sharp-tongued Eloise12 min leftthe front end of the pedestrian street.A woman was clutching a man's collar, screaming "pervert!" while the surroundingcrowd erupted with fury.And the man? The man was Richard. Face red, veins bulging, hetried to shout his innocence, but it was too late. The woman's son, furious,punched him square in the jaw and dropped him flat.Rumor had it that the evidence was solid that Richard had groped a woman nearly twice his age. But honestly, Alistair didn't quite believe it. He suspected Richard was probably innocent. Thenagain... innocence was relative.The man was a born schemer. And if life was poetic at all, well, Alistair happenedto carry The Schemer's Bane.That was just bad luck. For Richard, anyway.Write your commen