8. Same Eyes

"Do you like the library?" Kara asked, faking a smile. She hoped the twins wouldn't catch on to her sadness.

"Yes!" Emily stretched her neck. "There are more books there. The reading room is wider and there is even a seminar room. The visitors are also busier. Grandma told Louis for not disturbing them several times. But Louis didn’t listen."

Hearing that report, Louis' eyes widened. "I'm not disturbing them. I just want to make friends."

"Louis, you know that the library is a place to read, right?" Kara asked softly. However, the son shrank when he heard it.

"Okay. I won't bother the visitors anymore. I'll just sit quietly and observe them."

"That will be scary!" Emily said while hugging her plush tighter. "If a stranger had done that to me, I would have closed the book and found somewhere else to read."

Seeing Louis' sullen face, Kara pinched his cheek.

"Emily is right. You shouldn't make library visitors feel uncomfortable. Grandma could get fired. Instead of paying attention to people, how about you look at the books in the science and technology section? There are lots of interesting things you can find there."

"Including cool cars and flying drones?" Louis' eyes lit up again. When he received a positive answer from his mother, his hands rose to his sister's shoulders. "Emily, we have to visit that section later!"

"That's men's stuff. I'm not interested. I plan to visit the fairy tales and children's stories section today."

"Then who will read the book to me?" Louis said in a disappointed tone.

"You just read it yourself." Emily shrugged then kissed Kara's cheek. "Mommy, I want to take a shower first."

Before Kara had time to reply, Louis was already shaking Emily's arm. "Come on, Emily. Letters are boring."

"Don't be lazy! You won't read fluently if you keep relying on me."

"I'm not lazy, but every book becomes more interesting if you read it. Besides, there's no harm in you reading a book to me. You also gain knowledge."

Seeing how her children argued, Kara's heart warmed. Emily hadn't even started kindergarten yet, but her attitude was very mature. Meanwhile, Louis ... the boy was still so childish, but he talked like a great businessman.

"You must become successful, my little angels. Prove that you can grow well, even without the presence of a father."

As soon as the Perverted Demon's face flashed, Kara's emotion immediately subsided. Without wasting any more time, she prepared breakfast, ate with Susan and the twins, then went to work.

However, until ten o'clock in the morning, Frank Harper had not yet arrived. Intrigued, Kara contacted Jeremy.

As it turned out, the CEO was scheduled to attend several charity projects. He wouldn't come to the office until tomorrow morning!

"He's playing me?"

Closing her eyes, Kara quelled the anger.

"Calm down, Kara. Look on the bright side! You can go home on time and take the twins out to eat at Prince and Princess Resto. Today must be a great day."

Kara smiled at the thought of peace. Unbeknownst to her, one of the places her boss will visit was the Savior Library—the place where her children roamed freely.

***

From behind a wall, Emily peeked out while hugging a book of fairy tales. Her round eyes looked cute, even though she's anxious.

"Louis won’t find me in the seminar room, right?" Emily muttered while looking around. She was bored of reading books about cars.

After making sure the situation was safe, the little girl turned around. Unfortunately, she ended up hitting someone's leg.

"Ouch!"

Emily bounced and landed on her butt. The book she held was thrown somewhere. Feeling pain and surprise, her tiny lips pursed. Beneath the furrowed brows, tears began to gather.

"You guys are tired of working with me, hmm? How could a toddler this small escape from supervision?"

Hearing the scolding, Emily hugged herself. Her head bowed deeper. When her fear could no longer be contained, she burst into tears.

"Hey, I'm not scolding you."

The man bent his knees. Carefully, he wiped away the tears that rolled down Emily's chubby cheeks. At first glance, he seemed concerned. But in fact, he was only afraid if there were witnesses who thought he was cruel to children. His perfect image could be damaged.

"I'm sorry .... I didn't mean to hit you," Emily sobbed in a trembling voice.

"I know. Please stop crying."

The man rubbed Emily's head. However, instead of subsiding, the little girl's cries only got louder. Emily hated it when someone messed with her hair.

"Mr. Harper, this little girl is a toddler, not a puppy. You should give her a hug and a light pat on the back to calm her down."

"Hug?" Frank Harper was wide-eyed. His gaze fell on the snot hanging from the tip of Emily's nose. "What are you waiting for? Give her a hug."

"But you were the one who bumped into her, Sir. It’s your responsibility."

Frank swallowed hard. He didn't want his limited edition blue suit to be stained with toddler snot. "Are there any tissues?" He also didn't want his silk handkerchief to be stained.

Jeremy deftly handed him a sheet of tissue. However, instead of taking it, Frank glared.

"You want me to clean it?" he whispered sarcastically.

Before Jeremy had time to answer, Emily had already pulled out the tissue and wiped her nose. She had difficulty breathing if she didn't blow her nose immediately.

However, after crumpling the tissue, the crying continued. Like it or not, Frank pulled her tiny body into his arms.

"Hey, don't cry! I'm not angry."

Frank patted Emily stiffly on the back. He felt strange. This was the first time he had faced a toddler so close.

"Is there any pain?"

Emily shook her head. After wiping her eyes with her tiny hands, she stepped away from Frank. Her tears had stopped running, but her face was still as red as a tomato.

"Does your leg hurt?"

Frank didn't budge. Not only because of the thoughtful question, but also because of the eyes that glittered like silver. In his entire life, he had never found eyes more beautiful than his.

"No," Frank said flatly. His gaze was still locked on Emily's cute face. The more he looked at it, the more familiar it felt to Frank. "Where are your parents, Sweet Girl? Are you lost?"

Emily hugged herself again. Her head bowed in worry. "Mommy is busy working. Because there is no one to look after us at home, we come with grandma to work here."

"We?"

“Me and my brother.”

The little voice sounded both scared and adorable. Frank's heart softened at it.

"Your grandmother is a librarian here?"

Frank's tone was gentle, but Emily remained timid. "Please don't fire Grandma! I promise I won't cause any more trouble. I'll be more careful not to hit anyone again."

When Emily nodded, her long eyelashes glistened. Frank got hypnotized by her charm.

"I'm sure you're a good kid. So, I won't fire your grandmother." Smiling, he picked up the book near his feet. "This is the story of Beauty and the Beast. Can you read it yet?"

"Yes, since I was 2,5 years old. Mommy taught me every night then I practiced alone in the library."

Emily nodded cutely. Frank was moved to stroke her hair. However, before his fingers arrived, the toddler covered her head with both hands.

"Please don't mess up my hair again, Sir. I don't like my hair messy," she asked with a sullen face.

Frank was stunned again. While thinking about the little girl's resemblance to himself, he observed. Emily's clothes weren't expensive, but they were very neat. The girl even kept a handkerchief sticking out of her trouser pocket.

"What's your name, Smart Girl?"

The round-eyed girl hesitated. However, after a quick sigh, she answered, "Emily. Emily Martin."

Frank's heart suddenly jumped. His eyes widened at the face in front of him. He just realized that the girl looked like his new secretary, and their last name was the same!

Could his suspicions be true? Kara was the girl from four years ago and Emily was her daughter?