Karin's going to have an emergent meeting to attend, and she calls the nanny to pick up Esme. After
the meeting, she's about to rush home when the nanny calls her, "Miss Karin, Esme is missing!"
"What?" She's shocked to death. "Impossible!"
"I planned to take her right back home, but we stopped by the supermarket as I wanted to get some
vegetables. She's missing when I checked out."
Shocked and terrified, the nanny says in a shivering voice as if she's about to cry. Karin's heart is
squeezed and she instantly hangs it up to find her daughter.
Until the night falls, she hasn't found Esme. Then she is enveloped by terror and worry. William hastily
comes to help her find Esme after she calls him for help, and they drive to find Esme…
"When did you call the police?"
"An hour ago."
Looking at Karin's watery red eyes, William comforts her, "Don't be worried. Esme won't leave you for
too long. Plus, you don't have feud enemies."
"She's never acted like this before."
William frowns. "Why did Esme fight with her classmates?"
Karin turns around as her tears running out of her eyes again. In no way Esme could be so pissed off
unless she got teased about her non-existence father.
She used to get teased like this, but they're out of line this time, and Esme loses control.
It's so cold outside. Where did she go? She's never regretted that she gave up on Troy to save Esme
with her, but somehow, she regrets. She shouldn't have delivered her if she couldn't give her a normal
family. She's too little to bear all the distress in the world.
Troy wines and dines several local powerful officials as he's about to develop his business here, so he
wants to enhance his social network here.
It's eleven o'clock when the dinner's over. On the way to his home, Troy drives through a woods park
where he notices a lonely child.
For some reason, he finds her kind of familiar. He pulls over and gets off to walk to the child, asking
gently, "Do you get lost?"
The child slowly raises her head, which gets Troy shocked. It's Karin's child. To his surprise, the child's
got many scratches over her face.
"Are you okay?"
Troy crouches down to ask Esme, but she just stares at him silently. After silent for long, she says, "I
don't want to talk to you."
"Why not?"
"Because you're a bad guy."
"A bad guy?" He raises his brows. "Is it written in my face?"
Esme ignores his question, so he continues to question, "Why do you hate me?"
"I don't hate you, but my mother hates you. Every time she sees you, she'll cry sadly."
Troy is dumbfounded as mixed emotions runs on his heart.
"Where's your mom? Why are you here alone?"
She doesn't answer him.
"Why did you get hurt? Had a fight with your classmates?"
She's still silent.
Troy sighs and gives her his coat. "It's cold outside. Let me take you home."
"No. I don't want to go home!"
Esme gets startled and winces, her body shivering, her eyes watery.
"What happened, Sweetheart?"
"I don't want to tell you." She starts to weep.
"Because I'm a bad guy?" Troy comforts her, "You know we've got evil bad guys and kind bad guys in
the world, and I'm the kind bad guy, so you can tell me everything as I promise to help you punish the
evil bad guys."
Esme glances over him doubtfully before crying in tears, "I can't go home because I had a fight with my
classmates, and my mom will get pissed off, but I don't want her to get angry…"
"How come you had a fight with them?"
"They teased me and said I was a bastard without a dad…"
Troy gets shocked as he widens his eyes, then he asks, "Don't you know who your father is?"
"I don't…" She cries sadly. "Actually, I also wonder who's my father, but I'm afraid if I ask mom, she'll
get sad."
Bitterness clogs Troy's throat. His tears well up as he asks huskily, "Don't you know your mom would
be worried about you?"
"Yes."
"Then come with me. I'll take you to your mom, so you can apologize, and she'll forgive you."
Esme is a typical child, and she has forgot all Troy's bad. She nods. "Okay."
Here comes a sound from Esme's stomach when Troy buckles her up in the car. He asks, "Haven't you
have dinner?"
"Not yet…"
He starts the engine. "Want to eat something?"
"Your treat?"
"Of course."
"KFC!"
"Okay."
He drives her to an KFC, and leads her into it. After she sits down, he says, "Wait for me. I'll get
something for you."
"Okay." Esme sniffs and nods.
It's the first time he has walked in a diner like this. When he's waiting in the line, he can't help but to
look at Esme from time to time. He can't figure out why would he do this for a kid? He's not her father,
but he's acting as if he's her father.
Her father…
He looks at Esme again as he feels that Esme looks like him, which gets him bewildered and
dumbfounded. But for others' reminders, he can't pull himself out of his contemplation.
Looking at the delicious food, Esme exclaims, "Wow! Very good! All the food you order are my
favorite!"
He smiles dotingly and rubs her hair. "Go ahead!"
After eating for a while, Esme feels something is wrong, and she asks, "Why are you watching me?"
"Well, you look adorable."
"Everybody knows it."
Troy grins. "I see. Your mother has a clever and understanding daughter."
"Because of my dad's DNA."
"How do you know it?"
Esme sadly lowers her head and says in whisper, "Because my mom always says that I'm as clever
and kind as my dad, and that's why she loves me so much."
Troy's dumbfounded as he is rendered speechless.
"But my mom only says things like that when she's happy. In other cases, she'll feel sad if she mentions
my dad…"
Taking a deep breath, Troy turns around as he feels his tears welling up.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Well, sure."
Troy shifts his eyes to her again. His eyes are filled with affection.
"Why did you bully my mother?"
"I didn't."
"Why did she cry every time she saw you?"
Troy doesn't know how to answer her question as he can't tell her the truth or a lie. Noticing his
distress, Esme sighs and takes out a picture book for him. "Can you promise not to bully my mom if I
give all my paintings to you?"
Esme pushes as Troy doesn't answer. "Or you can bully me instead of my mom."
"Okay…"
He promises with a bitter smile.
It's too late, and he asks Esme to pack up all the rest food. He doesn't have Karin's number, so he can't
inform her of Esme's safety.
After arriving at the Star River Community, Troy tings the doorbell, but no one reply. He says, "It seems
your mom is still looking for you outside."
"But my mom only says things like that when she's happy. In other cases, she'll feel sad if she mentions
my dad..."
Taking a deep breath, Troy turns around as he feels his tears welling up.
"Can | ask you a question?"
"Well, sure."
Troy shifts his eyes to her again. His eyes are filled with affection.
"Why did you bully my mother?"
"| didn't."
"Why did she cry every time she saw you?"
Troy doesn't know how to answer her question as he can't tell her the truth or a lie. Noticing his
distress, Esme sighs and takes out a picture book for him. "Can you promise not to bully my mom if |
give all my paintings to you?"
Esme pushes as Troy doesn't answer. "Or you can bully me instead of my mom."
"Okay..."
He promises with a bitter smile.
It's too late, and he asks Esme to pack up all the rest food. He doesn't have Karin's number, so he can't
inform her of Esme's safety.
After arriving at the Star River Community, Troy tings the doorbell, but no one reply. He says, "It seems
your mom is still looking for you outside."
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