Chapter 533 533

Vernon parked his car in front of his apartment building and told the valet to park it in the basement. He didn't do this often. He'd usually park the car in the basement himself because he liked the privacy as everyone's eyes would be on him when he walked through this lobby.

But he couldn't care less.

He was worried about Chloe and Mackie. He was scared that Chloe might be saying or doing something stupid because she drowned herself in self-pity and self-blame.

It was always her weakness. Chloe was prone to be hard on herself, so even a small problem could be instigated into a big thing because of Chloe's self-depreciation.

Vernon entered the VIP lift and shot up to the penthouse. He unlocked the door with his fingerprint.

He rushed inside his penthouse, expecting a mess that would be difficult to solve.

But what he saw was Chloe, who hugged her daughter tightly. Her body trembled as she kept murmuring something that Vernon couldn't hear, while Mackie simply stood there, accepting the hug and patting Mommy's back.

Looking distressed, she repeated the same word, "Mommy, it's okay. Don't cry. I feel sad when you're crying."

"Sorry, I'm so sorry, my dear...." Chloe repeated.

Mackie panicked because they had been like this for at least thirty minutes, and her Mommy still cried. She was scared that something might have happened to her Mommy.

She started looking around, trying to do something to help her Mommy and then saw her Uncle Vernon standing still near the door. He looked concerned but unsure whether to interrupt or not.

Mackie's eyes brightened, and she yelled, "Uncle!"

Mackie's voice startled both Chloe and Vernon. Chloe turned her neck as she followed her daughter's line of sight and was petrified when she saw Vernon standing awkwardly near the penthouse door.

"Uncle! Come here, Uncle! Please help Mommy!" Mackie called, and Vernon flinched in response.

He really wanted to come and embrace his family, but he wasn't sure if his presence was wanted by Chloe right now.

"I--I can wait here, you two can continue," Vernon said.

Mackie pouted. She wriggled out of her Mommy's embrace and rushed towards her Uncle.

"Mackie!" Chloe called her daughter's name, but Mackie didn't listen. She approached her Uncle and grabbed his wrist with two small hands.

"L--Little wolf, not now," Vernon warned. He glanced at Chloe, who looked like a mess, and thought Mackie was all Chloe needed, not him.

"Come on, Uncle! Help Mommy!" Mackie urged. She tried her hardest to pull her Uncle's hand, but he didn't budge.

Vernon gulped and finally followed Mackie to approach Chloe, who was sitting on the carpet absentmindedly.

Mackie guided her Uncle to stand before her Mommy and pulled him down so he would sit on the carpet, just like her Mommy.

Vernon followed the little girl's instructions and sat facing Chloe. He swallowed his saliva again. Somehow, he felt even more nervous facing his beloved when she had a mental breakdown.

He was afraid that he might accidentally hurt her fragile heart.

"Okay!" Mackie was happy that her Uncle cooperated with her. She stepped back and observed her Uncle and Mommy, then instructed, "Uncle, hug Mommy now!"

"HUH?!" Vernon was shocked by Mackie's instruction. He shook his head vehemently. "Seriously, Mackie, this is not a good time, your Mom is--" Vernon gave Chloe a quick glance and lowered his voice, "--in too much shock."

Mackie tilted her head. She didn't understand why her Uncle wouldn't cooperate with her because she believed that her Uncle was the one who could make her Mommy happy.

"Uncle, don't you love Mommy?" Mackie asked innocently. But her innocent question was like a spear that stabbed through his heart.

"I--I can't answer that," Vernon replied. "The time is not right. Mackie, you should just go back to your room and let me talk with your Mommy, alright?"

Mackie shook her head, "I won't go back to my room until Uncle hugs Mommy!"

Under pressure from the little girl, Vernon stared at Chloe, who was still staring emptily.

"Vernon..." Chloe finally opened her mouth and called his name softly. But it wasn't a voice of seduction or sweetness. It was filled with grief and desperation. "Please hug me."

Vernon's heart was aching instantly upon hearing her request. He knew that Chloe wanted him to hug her to appease Mackie's request, so Mackie would stop pestering them and return to her room.

"Love..." Vernon murmured with an even softer voice and then leaned closer to her. He opened his arms, and there was a slight pause due to hesitation before Vernon finally hugged Chloe.

He buried her inside his embrace and gently caressed the back of her head.

Chloe's body trembled again, but she said nothing.

Mackie was satisfied with the hug. She nodded approvingly, "Hum! This is better! Mommy, don't cry, okay? Uncle is with us now. We are safe with him!"

"And Uncle, go hug Mommy tighter! Mommy is very sad now!"

"A--Alright," Vernon hugged Chloe tighter until there was no more gap between their bodies.

"Mhm, that's good! Please make her happy, Uncle! I'll be in my room!" Mackie said. She turned around and skipped joyously to the kitchen, where the stair was located, and went downstairs to her room.

...

...

Now there were only Chloe and Vernon in the penthouse. There was an awkward silence between them, and Vernon thought Chloe was uncomfortable with such a tight hug.

But when he was about to release her, Chloe suddenly said, "Don't let me go, Vernon. I need you."

...

Vernon tightened his hug again. They spent a while in this position until Vernon could sense that Chloe's stiff body started loosening.

Vernon was unsure if he should celebrate for Mackie, who had easily accepted him as Vincent's replacement.

He thought it'd be more difficult to coax Mackie into accepting him. But Diamond was right. Mackie was very observant for her age, and she was also understanding and mature. She observed everything around her and could draw a positive opinion from it.