NovelAppLeopold hooked the corner of his mouth in a sardonic smile, "Skyler," he said, the playful twinkle in his eye belying the seriousness
of his tone, "I recall you once mentioned that when someone lies, their eyes tend to flicker towards the upper right. The movement
of the eyes is a giveaway that the brain is at work, fabricating a sound or an image, and in other words, when they're weaving a lie.
When folks try to recall something that actually happened, they look to the upper left. This 'eye movement’ is reflexive, something
not easily faked unless one is well-trained."
He paused for effect, his voice gaining an edge, "Just now, as you spoke, your eyes darted to the upper right."
Skyler felt like a tornado of confusion was tearing through his mind, "Well, what | said before was about adults’ micro-expressions.
I'm just a kid, ya know? Kids are different. We have wild imaginations, so you can't apply that micro-expression stuff to us."
"Really?" Leopold arched an eyebrow, clearly skeptical, "Skyler, I've dipped my toes in psychology too, you know."
Skyler ran a hand through his hair, feeling cornered. He had been too cavalier and had forgotten to guard his expressions. "Alright,
I'll spill the beans," he blurted, fabricating a hasty cover story, "The thing is, it's not that William doesn't want to get close to you.
He's worried that if he does, it'll upset Arnold."
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That wasn't the answer Leopold was fishing for.
"It doesn't matter. Whatever he wants is fine by me. He's just my nephew, not my son. | have no right to meddle in his life." said
Leopold.
Sympathy welled up in Skyler once more. He thought, “Leopold, William is your son, your dear Liam.”
"Leopold, you and Angel are expecting a new little baby, right?"
Leopold shrugged noncommittally, offering no response.
Skyler pressed on, "Does that mean you've stopped thinking about Liam?"
"If he's gone, I've chosen to let him go," Leopold responded coldly.
"I bet Liam looked just like Kane," Skyler ventured.
"Why would you say that?" Leopold's eyebrow quirked up again.
"Because they're twins, identical ones at that. They tend to look very alike," Skyler explained.
"Not necessarily identical. They could be fraternal," Leopold countered.
"That's true," Skyler scratched his head thoughtfully, "Kids need cajoling, man. If you treat William well, he'll remember that. Even
if he can't get close to you because of Arnold, he'll still like you in his heart."
Leopold dished out steaming beef stew, saying, "You never used to care about my business with William. What's got into you
today?"
Skyler scrambled for an excuse, "Didn't you have a falling out with William today? The poor kid's so upset he's packing up to go
stay with Arnold."
The words struck a chord, easing Leopold's suspicions just a touch. "I didn't have an argument with him. It was just srightful
discipline from an elder." he said.
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"If William were your kid, would you like him?" Skyler asked out of the blue.
Leopold's deep eyes glimmered mysteriously under the light, unfathomable and deep.
"I've never disliked him. Why would you think that?"
"I was just worried you wouldn't like him, thinking of him as a burden. Now that | know you care about him, | can rest easy," Skyler
hurriedly added.
"He's part of the Stirling family. Why would he ever be a burden?" Leopold retorted.
"William's a sensitive kid. Don't be too harsh on him, and he might think you hate him," Skyler cautioned.
"I know what I'm doing," Leopold said, setting the beef stew in front of Skyler, its savory aroma instantly whetting his appetite.
Without further ado, Skyler took a bite.
"Leopold, this is delicious. Your beef stew is out of this world."
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