The Happiness Thief (TEGSA)

→02. When obedience fails←

Max's forced smile falters for a moment as Jaden's bright grin fills the doorway.He stands straight, trying to appear nonchalant,but his eyes betray his true emotions.A spark of jealousy ignites in his chest,fueled by the feeling of being overshadowed by his cousin's charismatic presence.

Vincent greets David with a formal handshake. Both of them squeeze each other's hands to see which one of them is stronger and after a brief moment of intense eye contact,both the brothers burst into fits of laughter and give each other a warm hug. Clara smiles and pulls Ellena in a hug as well,she notices the other women's radiant appearance, which could only be caused by one reason. She glances at her bulged stomach and says softly,"If I am not wrong then congratulations is on the way?"

Ellena's eyes widen and she looks down and nods slowly. Her cheeks turn red, and Vincent who was staring at them since a longtime understands the reason by it. He cheerfully gives his brother a strong and proud pat on his back,while David fakes a back pain. Vincent bends down to Jaden's level and ruffles his hair.

"You are going to be such a good elder brother!" In response to the praise, Jaden puffs his chest,places his right fist on the left side of his chest and announces,"I indeed will be the best elder brother to my little brother or sister!"

All the adults share a heartfelt laughter. Just then Clara gently places her hand on Ellena's elbow and speaks,"Believe me Ellena,the day your second child is born,Jaden will appear extremely mature and responsible... You will miss his childish acts!" Ellena smiles while Clara takes a trip down the memory lane,she remembers how a four year old Maxwell stayed away from her for five days. When they returned home with Carl,he placed a kiss on the younger one's forehead and flicked his hair. Not to mention all the sweet whispers and hour long goodbyes, before Vincent would tuck Max in bed.

While the adults were engrossed in a conversation that seemed to have no end, Max's gaze lingered on them, his eyes fixating on Jaden with an unsettling intensity. The way Jaden commanded attention with every word and gesture made Max's heart race with resentment. His eyes narrowed into slits as he glared at the purple alien, whose mesmerizing presence seemed to render everyone else oblivious. Just as his anger was reaching a boiling point, a gentle touch on his hand snapped him back to reality. He looked down to see a yellow alien, and his instinctive reaction was to push the creature away. A faint cry echoed through the air, and Clara rushed to comfort Carl, who was now lying on the floor. The sudden commotion brought Max back to his senses, and he rubbed his eyes, as if trying to shake off his wild creativity.

Vincent walks close to Max with an angry expression and grabs his arm harshly. This startles Maxwell and his pupils dialet as he is not used to such treatment.

"Maxwell Wynter!That was not expected from you!" Max continues to look at his father before glancing at his uncle and aunt,who seem rather suprised by the act.He looks down with embarrassment because he considers himself the golden child,and being scolded infront of his family who admire and praise him a lot felt pathetic.He clenches his fist as his father calls David and Ellena inside, and Jaden follows suit.

He continues to stare at the floor, mentally promising himself that he will regain his composure and even get Jaden's gift,which is a jeep. He turns around and sprints with his small legs to the hall. He notices Jaden sitting on the sofa and swinging his legs while observing the room,meanwhile Clara along with Carl was in the kitchen and Ellena was sitting on the chair. His eyes travel to the gift for a moment,just then he feels someone's strong hand and huge fingers on his shoulder. He looks behind and finds his father staring at him with loving eyes.

"I am sorry for scolding you earlier my boy,"He ruffles Max's hair and he smiles,"now go ahead and play with your brother Jaden. Make sure that you do not remove any toys because none of us want Ellena to get hurt right?"