Weekend holiday, Manhattan Children's Amusement Park.
Sean and Gwen sat on a bench as bright sunlight bathed the earth. Tall evergreen trees lined both sides of the path, while crowds of visitors flowed past like an endless tide. They were all warm, family groups taking their children out to have fun during the holiday.
Unable to resist Mindy's pitiful pleas, and considering how well-behaved she had been lately, Sean temporarily set aside Doctor Doom's mental conditioning and brought the little girl to the amusement park. He also invited Gwen, who happened to be free.
However, Miss Stacy seemed somewhat unusual today. Gone was her usual lively, cheerful personality, replaced by silence and reserve. Whenever their gazes met, she immediately looked away, like a startled deer.
"It's a rare day off, and I still dragged you out of the house. Sorry about that." Sean leaned back on the bench as a gentle breeze stirred the trees along the path. "But I'm really not very good at taking kids out to play."
His soft voice echoed beside Gwen's ear. Looking at Sean's face, sculpted like marble, she felt something stir in her heart. This young man, not yet twenty-two, already managed a private research institute and possessed remarkable scientific achievements. Many people saw only the dazzling halo above his head, yet few cared about what was truly in his heart.
"You really are good to Mindy..." Gwen said wistfully, her ponytail swaying.
She watched the little girl laughing happily aboard the pirate ship, and there was even a trace of envy in her eyes. Whenever Gwen wanted to get closer to Sean, he always deliberately or unconsciously maintained a subtle distance. That troubled the normally carefree Miss Stacy greatly.
"Probably because we've had similar experiences," Sean answered casually.
His gaze appeared fixed