Chapter 220

He had this look on his face like he was completely justified, and it made me want to laugh.

But I held it in, because now was the time for a serious talk.

I said coldly, "Do you realize how much trouble you caused by hiding like that?"

"Brett, you knew we called the police. Why did you still help Briar?"

It was the first time I had ever been this stern with Brett, and he seemed a bit scared, shrinking his neck.

"But Briar didn't want to go home. She wanted to go to school with me."

"So what? Whether Briar can stay and go to school is up to her dad. What does it have to do with you?"

Brett pouted and stayed silent.

I looked at Briar. "If we hadn't found you, how long were you planning to hide?"

"I wanted to wait until my dad left, then I could stay and go to school with Brett."

I sighed. Briar seemed mature, but she was just a kid, thinking in such a straightforward and simple way.

"Did you ever think about how worried your dad would be? Did you think about how anxious we were?"

Brett looked at me defiantly. "Why not? Why can't Briar stay? You need to give me a reason."

"Because Briar's home is in Skyview City, not Suncrest City."

"Leo's job is also in Skyview City. Do you want Briar to be separated from her dad?"

"If you want, I can send you to another city for school, so you won't live with me. Would you like that?"

Brett fell silent.

But today, I had to be strict with him. He dared to hide Briar and had his own ideas. Who knows what he might do in the future?

"These past few days, our whole family has been on edge, not sleeping well or eating properly because we were looking for Briar. Didn't you see that, Brett?"

"I saw it."

"Then why didn't you tell us where Briar was? We could have talked it out. If you think running away solves everything, then nothing will ever get resolved."

Brett hung his head and said nothing.

Briar was sobbing. "Ms. Sharp, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have run away."

"I won't do it again."

"But I really want to stay in Suncrest City. I don't want to go back to Skyview City."

"At home, my parents are always busy. They don't want to take care of me. Only here do I feel happy."

Leo sighed helplessly, his eyes red.

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have scolded you that day."

"Next time, if you have a problem, talk to me. I promise I'll listen, okay? But you can't run away again."

Kids are like that. If you ignore them, they might not cry. But if you show you care about their grievances, those grievances get magnified instantly.

Briar threw herself into Leo's arms, crying loudly.

The sight of the father and daughter hugging made our eyes sting with tears.

"Alright, now that she's back, let your dad get some rest. He hasn't slept in days."

"As for you, Brett, you were wrong in this matter. Whether you admit it or not, you have to accept the punishment."

"Go to your room and stand in the corner. Don't come out unless I say so."

Brett pouted, looking defiant.

I turned to Briar. "You were wrong too. You need to go as well."

The two kids trudged upstairs, one after the other. Leo looked at me hesitantly.

"Caroline, if Briar really likes it here, can I let her stay..."

He trailed off, watching me carefully.

I shook my head decisively, but I saw a complex emotion in his eyes. It was like reluctance, mixed with something else I couldn't quite identify.

This feeling was unfamiliar to me. In my impression, Leo was always a gentle and refined man, not someone who would show such emotions.

I thought he might think I disliked Briar, so I explained.

"Leo, don't get me wrong. I really like Briar and want her to stay."

"But this time, it's absolutely not possible."

"She's still young. Maybe this punishment won't leave a deep impression, but if she learns that running away gets her what she wants, she'll make a habit of it."

"What will you do if it happens again? Luckily, nothing bad happened this time. But if she runs away and someone takes her, you'll regret today's decision."

"So in the future, if she wants to come, our door is always open. But this time, we have to let her know she was wrong. Running away doesn't mean her wishes will be granted."

Leo clearly understood my words. He nodded, showing he got it.

"You're right. I didn't think it through."

"I'm not as good at this parenting thing as you are."

I shook my head and smiled. "It's something you learn bit by bit. I came to this conclusion gradually."

"Leo, you're a man, and Briar is a girl. You need to guide her with patience, so as a father, you might think less about these things."

He nodded.

I said, "Alright, Leo, I'll go talk to them later. You go get some sleep. I'll make sure they understand the seriousness of this."

Leo nodded. His eyes were dark with circles, and they were bloodshot. The sleepless nights had taken a toll on him.

"Thank you, Caroline."

He got up and went back to his room.

I went upstairs to find Briar. She and Brett were standing in different rooms as punishment.

I said to Briar, "Do you know what you did wrong this time?"

"You shouldn't use running away to achieve your goal of going to school here. You're using the love of the people who care about you as leverage. You think your dad loves you, so he'll agree because you ran away."

Briar hung her head and said nothing.

"But your actions deeply hurt your dad, do you understand?"

Briar nodded. "I know, but I didn't mean to."

I patted her head. "I know you didn't mean any harm. You just wanted to stay."

"But did you think about how your dad would be alone in Skyview City if you came here?"

"He would be lonely and miss you."

"Don't you think it's sad? His life revolves around you, but you want to leave him."

"How do you expect him to live?"

Briar looked at me with tearful eyes. "I really know I was wrong, Ms. Sharp."

"My dad loves me so much. I shouldn't have done that."

"I'll go back to Skyview City and live with my dad."