Holding back the pain, Alex sneered. "You expect me to believe it? Your dream boyfriend is fictional, right?"

Briony's breath hitched. Her fists clenched. "Of course he's real. Wait until you meet him. You'll be amazed. He's so much better than you," Briony tried to sound convincing.

Alex straightened up with a sarcastic laugh. "You're still a braggart, I see. No great guy would ever want you, Briony. Besides, what's so hard about admitting you still want me?"

"I didn't want you!" Briony retorted emphatically.

"Then delete your book immediately! I don't want my wife to become the object of your readers' slander."

Briony's head jerked back again. "You're hiding behind Caro's name? Is it so hard to admit you were offended by my book? You're still a coward, apparently."

Alex took a deep breath. His shoulders began to tremble. His eyes were streaked with red. "Fine. If you don't want to do it, I'll do it," he decided.

Alex walked quickly to the table. Briony gasped when she saw her laptop open there. Before Alex could reach it, she quickly snatched it away. Unfortunately, Alex wouldn't let her get away with it. He grabbed her arm again.

"Hey, let me go! Do you want me to kick you again? Aren't you afraid Andrew won't have a sibling?" Briony threatened, her hands clutching her laptop, which was still open.

Alex didn't listen. He kept trying to grab the laptop. Until finally, a snap cracked the air. Briony's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she realized her beloved stuff had been broken in two.

"Beep Beep?" Briony called out to her laptop as if it were a living thing. Her face paled. Her eyes trembled as she scanned the keyboard in her hands and the screen in her ex's hands.

Alex also flinched. He didn't expect the old laptop to be so fragile. He secretly felt guilty. He still remembered how precious Beep Beep was to Briony.

"Alex, why did you destroy Beep Beep? It was my grandmother's legacy," Briony sighed hoarsely. Tears were on the verge of falling.

Alex cleared his throat. He returned the laptop screen to Briony. His expression now looked indifferent. "What legacy? Your late grandmother only left you money. You bought the laptop yourself," he said stiffly.

"But I bought Beep Beep with that money! In a way, Beep Beep is my grandmother's legacy. How could you destroy it?" Briony's voice grew softer and sadder.

Alex stuffed his hands in his pockets. His expression was vexed. "Don't blame me. You're the one who refused to delete your book. If you had agreed from the start, this wouldn't have happened."

Briony bit her lip. She actually didn't want to cry in front of Alex. She didn't want to be seen as weak, but her tears fell by themselves.

"Go away!" Briony pushed Alex's shoulder with all her might. "Get out of here! I don't want to see you again! You always bring trouble into my life. Go away!"

Alex moved back, his hands raised as if at gunpoint. "No need to chase me away. I don't want to stay here any longer. Remember," he pointed a finger, "delete that damned book immediately. If I still see it on the app, I won't hesitate to break something else from you."

Alex turned to leave. Briony could only stare at his back, filled with annoyance and hatred.

"He is so annoying. Why did I ever like him?" Briony grumbled, holding back tears. After a brief moment of contemplation, she looked down at her laptop.

"What should I do with Beep Beep?" she sighed resignedly. Remembering how Alex had broken it, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I hope karma comes back to him soon," she mumbled spontaneously.

An hour later, Briony drove to Savior's office. She occasionally glanced at the seat next to her. Every time she got a glimpse of her laptop, she gripped the steering wheel tighter. Not wanting to shed any more tears, she called her cousin through the dashboard monitor connected to her phone. "Hello, Emily. Are you still at home or already at the office?"

"I'm still at home. What's up, Bri?"

"Do you know where your brother is? I called him several times, but he didn't pick up. Sky and Summer didn't either. What are they doing?"

Emily chuckled lightly. "Did you forget? They're busy taking care of their new family member. Storm's been cranky this morning for some reason. Summer told Louis not to go to work. She wants him to stay with them until his little brother calms down. Looks like it's going to be a while."

Briony sighed heavily. "That means I have to turn around. I can't wait for him in the office," she muttered faintly.

Emily sensed Briony's unease. She asked, "What's wrong, Bri?"

Briony's gaze suddenly turned dreamy. Her thoughts were scattered. She still couldn't believe what had happened to her laptop. "I'm going to ask Louis to fix Beep Beep," she replied grimly.

"What happened to Beep Beep?" Emily asked.

Suddenly, a little child ran across the street. Briony instinctively slammed on the brakes. Her tires screeched, but she was too late. By the time the car stopped, the child had disappeared from her sight.

"Oh no! Did I run him over?" Briony gasped, her eyes wide. A chill had spread throughout her body. Furthermore, people were starting to point at her car and come towards her. Her heartbeat was getting more and more erratic.

"Hello? Briony? Can you hear me? What happened? Did you hit someone? Briony?"

Briony blinked. Emily's panic had brought her back to her senses. She unbuckled her seatbelt. "I'll call you later. I have an urgent matter."

"What matter? Where are you? Let me-"

Briony ended the call. She quickly got out of the car. A middle-aged woman's voice was now clearly audible.

"Young Master? Oh my God! How could this happen? Please, hold on!" the woman said hysterically.

Briony's chest was filled with fear. She went to investigate what had happened in front of her car. When she found a young boy lying on the asphalt with his lower left arm dislocated from its joint, she gasped.

"Oh, God!" Briony gasped spontaneously. Her hand raised to cover her mouth.

Everyone turned to Briony, except for the kids. His gaze was glazed over. Perhaps he hadn't recovered from his shock. Nevertheless, a grimace appeared on his face.

"You!" The hysterical woman approached Briony with a fierce look. "Take responsibility for your negligence! If only you had been more careful, my young master wouldn't have gotten hurt!"

Briony gasped. Her eyes widened. "You're blaming me? But it was the child who suddenly ran into the street," Briony replied, without thinking.

"But it was your car that broke his arm. You have to take responsibility!" the woman insisted.

Several people around them nodded. One even said, "That's right. Whether it was intentional or not, it was your car that hit him. You'd better take that poor kid to the hospital, Miss."

Briony grimaced. She stared at the kid on the asphalt. The boy seemed to have regained consciousness. He began to cry.

"Isn't his condition vulnerable? I mean, we'd better call an ambulance," Briony was worried that the child's arm would get worse if moved.

"You refuse to take responsibility?" the middle-aged woman raised her tone.

"It's not like that. It's just ...." Briony was at a loss for how to explain it. On the one hand, she did feel guilty.

"Just take the child to the hospital, Miss. It would be a shame to leave him here any longer. He's already in so much pain," said a young woman kneeling near the kid.

After a brief deliberation, Briony finally agreed. Several people worked together to get the child into her car. Thanks to their help, Briony was able to quickly get him and his nanny to the hospital.

There, the poor boy was immediately taken to the X-ray examination room. Because his nanny had to take care of the registration, Briony was forced to accompany him inside. She felt awkward, as she didn't know the boy at all. When he struggled, Briony could only press his shoulders to keep him on the table. Her mouth was tight, unsure of what to say.

"Excuse me, Ma'am. Could you please calm your son down? We can't take an X-ray if he keeps moving around," a radiographer asked. He was having trouble positioning the patient.

Briony grimaced. "Sorry. He's not my son."

The radiographer furrowed his brows. "Then? Who are you? Why did you accompany him here?"

Briony bit her lip. She was ashamed to admit that she was the cause of his broken arm.

"No problem. Let me try it," Briony said, avoiding the question. Then, she moved her face closer to the boy. With a sweet smile, she said, "Little man, don't be afraid. The machine doesn't bite. It's just for taking photos. It won't hurt."

Unfortunately, the boy kept struggling. "You're lying! You must be trying to cut off my arm. I don't want to lose my hand. I still want to use it!"

Briony was stunned. She hadn't expected the boy to give her such an out-of-this-world answer.

"Cut off your arm?" Briony repeated the boy's assumption in disbelief. A second later, she burst out laughing. Not only the radiographer, but the whining child was also confused.

"Why are you laughing?" the boy inquired, still with his wrinkled face.

Briony pinched his cheek. "That's because you're so cute. Why did you think the doctor would cut off your hand?"

"Because my hand is broken? I heard doctors usually remove damaged body parts during surgery. Isn't this an operating table?" the boy replied timidly, his eyes occasionally glancing at the radiographer.

Briony laughed again. "You must be mistaken. This medic isn't a doctor, but a radiographer. And this isn't an operating table, but an X-ray table. Do you know what a radiographer and an X-ray are?"

The child blinked in confusion. Briony asked again, "Now answer my question. Can you see your bones?"

The boy shook his head. "No."

"That's right. Our bones are covered by skin, so we can't see them directly. However, the doctor needs to know the condition of your bones so they can provide the right treatment. Fortunately, this hospital has an X-ray machine. With this machine, we can get photos of your bones. This radiographer will be the one operating the machine," Briony explained patiently.

The boy thought for a moment. "So this isn't an operation?"

"No. It's just an X-ray examination. You won't feel anything," Briony nodded reassuringly.

"Yes, it's just a photo shoot. It feels like you're taking a photo," the radiographer added.

The boy's eyes narrowed. He was scanning the faces before him for lies.

"So, what would you say? You're not going to fight anymore, are you?" Briony asked, coaxingly. "The sooner you agree, the sooner the doctor can treat your arm. You want it to heal, right?"

The boy sighed in resignation. "Okay, I won't fight anymore. Hurry up and treat my arm."

Briony clapped her hands in relief. "Great! Then, I'll wait for you outside."

"Why are you waiting outside?" the boy scowled. "Remember what Mrs. Powell said. You're the one who hit me. You have to take care of me."

Briony was stunned. She hadn't expected the boy to be so articulate. "Okay. I'll stay here with you."

Then, the radiographer began positioning the broken arm. The boy winced in pain. Fortunately, he didn't cry anymore.

"You're a brave kid, apparently. Now hang in there for a moment. You can close your eyes if you're scared," Briony said, trying to lighten the mood.

The boy shot Briony a sharp glance. "No. I won't close my eyes. If that machine shoots out a sword or a knife, I'll pull my arm away real fast."

The radiographer chuckled. "Nothing like that will come out of this thing. Now, hold on. Ma'am, please make sure the arm stays still."

"I would still pull my hand away if a knife appeared," the boy insisted.

Briony laughed again. Her heart tingled at how intently the boy was watching the machine. While holding his shoulders still, she whispered, "By the way, we haven't introduced ourselves yet. What's your name? I'm Briony."

"Briony? What a weird name. Why did your parents give you that?" the child looked up to see Briony, who was standing near his head.

Briony pursed her lips. "Hey, my name isn't weird. It's actually pretty. My parents chose the initial B on purpose, so it's the same as my mother's. You understand what initials mean, right?"

"Then we're the same. My initials are the same as my father's. I can't read yet, but I know that both of our names start with the letter A."

Briony raised an eyebrow. "What's your name anyway?"

"Andrew."

Briony's heart sank to her stomach. Of all the names in the world, why was the boy's name the same one she had chosen-the name Alex had used for his and Caroline's child? Could it be ....

Briony swallowed hard. Her body felt tense. "So, what's your father's name?" she asked hesitantly.

Before Andrew could answer, the radiographer returned to them. "Done. We have an X-ray picture of your arm."

Andrew's eyes widened. He'd forgotten Briony's question. "Really? That fast? Where is the result? I want to see my bones."

"You can see it in the doctor's office. Now, let me move you to the wheelchair. Please don't move too much so you won't feel pain," the radiographer said as he carried out his duties.

Meanwhile, Briony was still pondering her question. Could Andrew be Alex's son? But the world was bigger than her backyard. How could her fate be so absurd?

"Yes, this must be just a coincidence. Andrew isn't just Alex's son. It's a common name," she thought, convincing herself.

However, when the door of the examination room opened, her confidence wavered. The nanny called Andrew by a familiar name. "Young Master White ...."

Briony's eyes widened completely. She had no idea what the nanny said after that. Her ears were too busy with her own voice.

"Young Master White? His last name is White? Could it be ... Andrew is really Alex's son?"

Upon arriving at the doctor's office, Andrew refused to let Mrs. Powell in. He only wanted Briony to accompany him.

Briony reluctantly complied. She accompanied Andrew to see the doctor. During the examination and treatment, she couldn't focus. She was busy studying Andrew's face, her mind constantly assessing his resemblance to Alex.

"What should I do if Andrew really is Alex's son? He'll kill me if he finds out I broke his son's arm. Should I just run away? But what if he isn't? Should I investigate Andrew's parents first before making a decision?" Briony thought to herself, over and over. Even after Andrew's arm was cast, she was still wondering. That's why she didn't realize when Andrew talked to her.

"Briony, look at my arm! Isn't it so cool? I look like a robot. The doctor said that I can put my favorite stickers on it later," Andrew said, rubbing the cast with his other hand. Getting no answer, he looked up again. "Briony?"

Briony blinked. "Yes?"

Andrew pursed his lips. "Why didn't you hear me? What were you thinking? Do you mind accompanying me? But that's your job. You have to take responsibility for causing this. You were the one who hit me with your car."

Briony grimaced. She glanced at the doctor and nurse. Their gazes were judgmental. Was that a rebuke from the universe for her thoughts of running away? It seemed she would have to take full responsibility for what had happened to Andrew.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to ignore you. I was just too focused on what gift would be suitable for you," she said to Andrew.

"A gift?" The boy raised an eyebrow, his voice sounded enthusiastic.

Briony nodded. "You have let the doctor treat your arm. You deserve a reward. There aren't many brave kids like you."

"Then, I want a ball! I've wanted one for a long time, but Daddy never bought me one. He said the house would be destroyed if I got a ball. But it's just a ball, not a rocket or TNT that can explode."

"As a good doctor, I need to remind you that your condition doesn't allow you to play with a ball yet. You shouldn't move around too much if you want your arm to heal quickly," the doctor added, ruffling Andrew's hair.

"I know that too, Doctor. I plan to play with it once my arm heals. It's okay if I ask for the ball first, right? I can save it for later," Andrew shrugged before turning to Briony. "So, when are you going to give me the ball?"

Briony considered it for a moment. "How about I buy it after your cast is removed?"

"Are you afraid I won't keep my promise?" Andrew accused.

Briony chuckled. "Yes, you seem to be quite rebellious. You refused to be examined by the X-ray machine. You also fought back when the doctor wanted to apply a cast. And this morning, you suddenly ran across the street. My car could have hit you because you didn't listen to Mrs. Powell, right?"

Andrew pursed his lips. "It happened because Mrs. Powell didn't listen to me. I told her I saw Mommy, but she didn't believe me. She said Mommy was still overseas, and couldn't possibly be here. When I asked her to go check, she refused. I had to cross the street alone to prove myself right. Unfortunately, you didn't see me. You should have braked sooner so I could cross the street safely."

The doctors and nurses' gazes on Briony suddenly changed. They finally stopped seeing her as a criminal. Briony felt relieved.

"Okay, I apologize for being careless while driving. But, I'm not the only one who learned a lesson today. You did too, right?" Briony asked Andrew.

The boy put on an innocent look. "What lesson? Not to cross the street alone? I've always known that. I wouldn't have done it if Mrs. Powell had listened to me."

Briony snorted in amusement. Andrew's playful, unyielding nature sounded familiar to her. "Okay, I get it. I'll buy a ball when I have some free time. But promise me you won't cross the street carelessly again. Got it?"

Andrew's expression turned sour. Nevertheless, he nodded his head. "Okay. I won't do it again."

"Good. Now let me drive you home. Say thanks to the doctor and nurse," Briony patted Andrew's back twice.

Andrew got down from the chair. He looked up at Briony. "You don't have to drive me home. Daddy must be waiting for me outside. I'm sure he'll take me to his office. He wouldn't leave me alone at home like this. He must be worried."

Then, the boy turned to face the medics. "Thank you for your help. My arm doesn't hurt anymore. When I get back here, I'll make sure my bones are healthy, and my cast will have lots of cool stickers on it."

The doctor and nurse were stunned. They were somewhat puzzled as to how the rebellious boy could obey Briony. He had been quite difficult to control earlier. Hadn't the two just met? And why was Mrs. Powell acting like a stranger? Andrew even forbade her from waiting inside. Who was Andrew's real nanny?

When Andrew got out of the room, their astonishment deepened. The boy wasn't enthusiastic about showing off his cast to his nanny, like he had been to Briony. Instead, he asked, "Mrs. Powell, where's Daddy? I thought he was already here." Andrew looked around, clearly disappointed not to find his father.

Meanwhile, Briony silently held her breath. Her eyes scanned her surroundings. Not seeing Alex there, her shoulders felt lighter.

"Mr. White is in an important meeting that cannot be disturbed. He hasn't picked up the phone despite my repeated calls. But I've contacted his secretary. She will definitely pass on the message to Mr. White as soon as the meeting is over," Mrs. Powell explained.

Andrew scowled. His back seemed to arch slightly. Knowing his disappointment, Briony felt pity. She tapped his little shoulder where the arm sling hung.

"Hey, Andrew. Since your dad can't pick you up, how about I drive you home? We can stop by to buy a ball. You can choose any model you want," Briony said, comfortingly. She'd forgotten that she was still worried about who Andrew's father was.

However, the boy's expression remained the same-gloomy and melancholy. Briony added, "You can also buy as many stickers as you want."

Andrew's eyebrows finally raised slightly. "As much as I want? What if I want to buy a Santa's sack of stickers?"

Briony shook her head. "No problem. Just think of it as my apology for hitting you. So, you want to come?"

"My apologies, Miss. Young master is not allowed to go out with strangers," Mrs. Powell said firmly.

Briony smiled. "I'm not a stranger. Andrew and I have started to get to know each other. We're friends now."

"Yes, we're friends, but she still has to make amends. She also owes me a ball and a sticker. Now is a good time for her to buy them," Andrew nodded, approvingly.

Mrs. Powell's eyes widened. She wondered how Andrew had gotten along so quickly with the woman who had hit him with a car. "But, Young Master-"

"She won't kidnap me, Mrs. Powell. You're coming with us," Andrew interrupted. "Besides, why would she kidnap a child with a broken arm like me? I'll just be a nuisance. There's no benefit."

Mrs. Powell was at a loss for words. She always had trouble dealing with Andrew's objections. Seeing that, Briony felt sorry for her.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Powell. I did hit Andrew, but I'm not a bad person. Now, I have to get some medicine. Please wait here a moment."

"I'll come with you," Andrew said, stepping beside Briony. "That way, you won't be able to escape."

Briony sighed in disbelief. "I'm not a criminal in prison, Andrew. You just wait here. Remember what the doctor said. You shouldn't move around too much. I won't be long."

Andrew pouted. "What's the guarantee that you won't run away?"

Briony handed over her car keys. Andrew smiled with satisfaction. "You can go now. Take some medicine for me. I want to get well soon and play with a ball."

Briony nodded and left. Little did she know that shortly after she left the corridor, Alexander White appeared with a worried expression.