He is Daddy

The surrounding temperature instantly plummeted.

Even the air seemed to freeze.

Ethan's gloomy gaze felt icy, sending shivers down one's spine.

A chill crept up from the soles of Samantha's feet. She realized her slip of the tongue and hastily explained, "No, I didn't mean you are my son. I meant you look a lot like my son, and I suspect you might be his father..."

Uh...

Why did it feel like the more she explained, the more unclear it became?

Where did her usual eloquence go?

And unfortunately, Charlotte, oblivious to the mysterious atmosphere between them, continued to jump and cheer, "Mommy, he's Daddy! Daddy's finally back. Let's take Daddy home quickly..."

Samantha immediately covered Charlotte's small mouth and gave an apologetic smile to Ethan.

Ethan's stern face darkened. He tugged at the corner of his mouth, and compared to the coldness in his eyes, the smile on his face had a slightly more sinister edge.

He felt like he must be crazy to be here, listening to this crazy woman rambling for so long.

"Um, let me explain. The thing is, I..."

Samantha tried hard to organize her words to make things clear.

However, Ethan didn't give her a chance. He cast a cold glance at her, bent over, got into the nearby Maybach, stepped on the gas, and quickly disappeared down the road.

"Daddy... Daddy...!"

Charlotte's pouty little mouth flattened in a pitiful manner. Her eyes turned red, and she looked on the verge of tears.

Samantha felt like she had just embarrassed herself to the extreme, and it was all thanks to the little girl by her side.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, suppressed the surging anger, and lifted Charlotte from the ground, speaking with a trace of annoyance, "Charlotte, do you remember what I told you? Don't run around everywhere. It's dangerous outside. What if you encounter bad people?"

Earlier, when she and Alexander returned home, they discovered that Charlotte was missing.

She panicked, and even sobered up.

She instructed Alexander to stay at home and call her immediately if Charlotte returned. Meanwhile, she searched everywhere.

She even considered calling the police if she couldn't find Charlotte in the neighborhood.

Charlotte was different from Alexander.

Alexander was clever and lively, full of ideas, and could find a way to escape even if he encountered bad people.

Charlotte, on the other hand, was the opposite--soft and cute, just like she was in her childhood. She was easily trusting, the kind of naive girl who would count money for someone even after being sold.

If she really encountered a bad person, it would be disastrous.

Luckily, Charlotte was unharmed.

Otherwise, she really didn't know what to do.

Charlotte hugged Samantha's neck, buried her little head in her arms, and sniffled, her small body trembling as she forcefully sniffed, "I secretly followed brother downstairs. I wanted to surprise you, but as I followed, I couldn't find him anymore."

Samantha sighed in her heart, speechless.

This was the kind of foolish thing her daughter would do.

Charlotte muttered softly again, "Mommy, why don't we bring Daddy home? Daddy left again. When can we see Daddy again? I miss Daddy..."

Samantha walked towards the residential area, holding Charlotte and repeating the words she had been saying for four years.

"He's not your Daddy. You've mistaken someone else. Your Daddy is an astronaut; he went to space. It will take several more years for him to come back..."

...

Chelsea Creek

Noah was safely escorted home by Jade. As he waited in the living room on the ground floor, Suzy, who had been waiting anxiously, immediately rushed over. She squatted down, intending to hug him, but before her hand could touch Noah, he avoided it with a disdainful expression on his face.

Suzy had long grown accustomed to his rejection and resistance, feeling no embarrassment at all. Instead, she smiled affectionately.

"Noah, where did you go? Do you know how worried your dad and I were? Your little uncle took you out without permission, and he didn't even take good care of you. Your dad almost crippled his legs."

Noah's dark gaze stared at Suzy's feigned expression, his face devoid of any emotion.

Suzy, feeling his gaze, was covered in goosebumps and hair standing on end.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Noah asked expressionlessly, "Do I have any brothers?"

His voice carried a chilling tone, each word exuding a cool and distant feeling.

Suzy, not understanding why he suddenly asked this, promptly denied, "No, back then, I only gave birth to you."

Noah's mouth curved in a half-smile, ambiguous and scornful, as he looked at Suzy, half mocking and half disdainful.

His expression irritated Suzy.

She trembled with anger, wishing she could strangle him.

He was truly an ungrateful wolf.

For four years, she had taken care of him wholeheartedly, trying to please him.

Yet, he still kept his distance from her.

As a baby, he was well-behaved when anyone held him except for her, as he would cry whenever she touched him.

She had thought that as he grew older, this situation would improve. As long as she treated him well, he would eventually like her, and then she could persuade Ethan to marry her.

Unexpectedly, he not only didn't help her but also stopped her from entering the house.

He was just as detestable as his birth mother.

If she had known, she would have strangled him when he was a baby. Now, she wouldn't have this stumbling block.

Suzy suppressed the anger in her heart, concealed the malice in her eyes, smiled slightly, and continued to please Noah, "Noah, I know you like corn shrimp. I started preparing the ingredients early this morning and personally cooked a dish for you. Are you hungry? I..."

"Go back. I don't want to see you."

Before she could finish her sentence, Noah coldly interrupted and went upstairs without looking back.

Suzy clenched her back molars, squeezing her hands into fists to restrain the urge to strangle Noah.

Noah climbed to the second floor and saw his little uncle, Kilian Steele, hobbling towards him from afar. His eyes glittered, as if a drowning person had grabbed the only straw for survival.

"Oh my, you've finally come back! If you didn't return, your dad would have killed me. Where did you go just now? In the blink of an eye, I couldn't find you. Do you know how worried I was? I thought I was done. I..."

With a loud "bang," Kilian's words were cut off as the door slammed shut.

***