Kane jotted down all the locations in his steel-trap mind, the kind that never forgot anything he saw.

"Alright, Mom, let's keep looking. We've got to find William's hair, or he's going to have a lousy holiday."

William had been in tears, begging to go to Arnold's place and retrieve his beloved Goldstone. He was genuinely worried that by

tomorrow, he'd be packing his bags and running back to Arnold's, never to return.

Indeed, William had started packing his little suitcase, and he was set on heading to Arnold's house, away from the frightening

Leopold.

Aurelia and Kane had been searching for hours with no luck in finding the hidden item. Aurelia was getting frustrated, "Where on

earth did Leopold hide William's hair?" she thought, her patience wearing thin.

Just then, Mira crunning in, panting, "Aunt Aurelia, it's not good. William's packing his bags, and he's saying he's going to

Uncle Arnold's house."

Aurelia and Kane rushed to William's room. William was packing and silently crying, the picture of misery. Skyler was alongside,

trying to comfort him, "William, stay and play a few more days, buddy. Winter break's almost over, and school's starting soon. You

won't have tto play then."

Aurelia approached and wrapped her arms around William, "Skyler, can you give us a moment? I'll talk to him."

"Sure." Skyler nodded and left the room.

Aurelia closed the door behind her.

"Mommy, Kane, did you find my hair?" William asked eagerly.

"Not yet," Kane replied.

At that, William's bottom lip quivered, and he burst into tears again. "I want to go to Daddy's house."

Aurelia grabbed a tissue and dabbed at his tears, "Stop crying, or you'll ruin the masquerade."

Hearing that, William's sobs ceased abruptly, "lI don't want to be in this masquerade anymore. I hate Uncle Leopold, and he's a big

meanie."

"William," Aurelia's voice turned stern, "he's your father, and you shouldn't talk about him like that."

"He's not my dad. I have my own daddy," William retorted, his frustration clear. This year was certainly ruined for him.

Aurelia sighed, "William, you need to learn to accept reality. You're a smart kid, and you should learn to adapt to changes."

"Why should I adapt? I had my own home, and I was happy, and it's all because of you. You madeleave Goldstone, leave my

hand my friends. You're all selfish." William accused, his voice full of emotion.

Aurelia was speechless. This was all Leopold's mess, couldn't she just have a peaceful holiday?

"You stay put right here, and don't you dare go anywhere. Otherwise, I'll reveal the truth right now, and have you identify your real

family lineage. That'll save us from dragging this out and making it messier."

Her words carried an undeniable force, and it was the first tWilliam had seen Aurelia so fiery. He hung his head low and bit his

lip, not daring to speak further.

Aurelia left the room, determined to confront the instigator of all this .

Leopold was still in the parlor, leisurely sipping his coffee.

When Aurelia walked in, she was holding back a wave of frustration.

"William's packing to go to Arnold's, for heaven's sake. Why are you picking on him during the holidays?"

Leopold frowned slightly, "I haven't done anything to him."

"How would you feel if someone cup to you claiming you're not Chad's son and wanted to pluck your hair for a paternity test?

Would you be happy?" Aurelia retorted angrily, "He's just a four-year-old boy, not as strong as you think, not ready to bear

everything."

Leopold's voice deepened, "It seems toyou're more upset than he is. What are you worried about?"

"The only thing I'm worried about is William. You've already causedto lose one son, and I don't intend to lose William too,"

Aurelia shot back with a hint of blame.

Her words struck a raw nerve in Leopold, and a flicker of pain spread across his face, a scar that had never quite healed.

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