Chapter 1: New Suitor

A year passed. 

"Marry me. I would rather spend one lifetime with you – than face all the ages of this world without you,” said a green-eyed beauty before her. 

"Marry you?” While completely entertained, Scarlett was fairly taken aback. She absolutely did not know how to react to such a sweet and genuine proposal, no matter how young her new suitor may be. 

Raising both her brows, she sought, “Where -where did you learn that?”

"It’s called, G - O - O - G - L - E. Lines from Lord Of The Rings by J.R.R Tolkien,” the young man answered with a wink.

Scarlett snorted and laughed at her handsome and utterly adorable admirer.  

After Luca broke her heart, she claimed to get revenge one day. Sadly for her, Luca crushed her dreams of becoming a lawyer, thanks to his connections. She never got to take the bar examination. Luca blocked her from taking it, including getting hired from big to small enterprises. 

Since she never left Braeton City, she could not get a stable work either. Whenever she settled with one job, Luca would learn about it, and she would get fired right away. She should have known better. The James family was the fifth-richest family in the city. She stood no chance against their wealth and influence. 

In the end, Scarlett Barnes, the biological daughter of Cindy and Philip Barnes, an heiress to Barnes’ empire, a lawyer in the making, was now waiting tables at a restaurant bar in the center of Braeton City. 

Scarlett at least hoped that by showing Luca her new and happy love life, it would be enough vengeance; her happiness after the storm. 

She had long dreamed that one day, a knight in shining armor would sweep her off her feet - a handsome man, with a decent profession, would fall madly in love with her and give her the happiness that she had always desired. After a year, however, her unexpected marriage proposal came from... a six-year-old boy.

'Great! Is this my chance at happiness?’ She thought. ‘Are you my knight and shining armor, little boy?’

She had earlier spotted Luca and her adopted sister, Courtney, entering the Herbal Twist Restaurant. Trying to avoid encountering them, she hid behind the old and unused bar counter, furthest to the back of the establishment where no customers were allowed to enter. 

Scarlett ended up with the company of a young boy whom, over the last two minutes, she had come to know as Liam. 

"What do you say, lady? Will you marry me?” Liam asked again, through his long and thick lashes, his green orbs remained glued to her, his cute and pinkish lips forming a sweet smile. 

'Damn, he is really cute. Too bad he is… a child,’ she thought, pouting her lips at him.

"Ummm.” She pursed her lips, flushing in amusement at the boy’s proposal, and said, "Don’t you think I’m a little too old for you? I don’t mean to hurt your feelings, young man, but you were born way too late.”

Liam smirked again. His little fingers brushed through his honey-colored hair and he replied, "Miss Scarlett, you are older than me, but you haven’t heard of the saying, Age doesn’t matter?”

Scarlett’s jaws dropped. Her hand immediately covered her mouth to cut off the laughter that escaped her lips. She replied, "My, my. Looks like G - O - O - G - L - E is doing you some good.”

He smirked.

Then, Scarlett resumed, "Liam, I’m sorry, sweetie, but our age gap is far too big. It just would not work. I’m old enough to be your mother.” In an effort to escape the little boy’s pursuit, she asked, “And how come you are here? Where are your parents?”

"I ran away from my dad.” The boy sneered, and his eyes narrowed as he revealed, "He was going to bring me to my doctor. I don’t like needles.”

"Well, I prefer a man who is courageous. Someone who isn’t afraid of needles,” she said out of nowhere, making the boy cross his arms against his chest. 

The boy appeared not interested to cover his fear of needles and he sought, "What about you? Why are you hiding here, Miss Scarlett?”

Scarlett sighed. She wasn’t the type to tell her sad story to anyone, but this was an innocent little boy. Thus, she revealed, “I’m hiding from my ex and his new lover. They took everything away from me, you see. I did not want them to see me in my pathetic state.”

“They are here? Where?” The boy asked, his brows met with curiosity. Liam really liked the lady before him and so he wanted to see if her ex-boyfriend was a worthy competition. 

With difficulty, Scarlett peeked at one opening of the counter, her eyes scanning the entire restaurant for any signs of Luca and Courtney. When she found them, she pointed with her finger and said, "There they are. See that blond guy and the girl with short hair? That’s them.”

A scoff left Liam’s lips as he said, "He is like one of my bodyguards, about to go bald. Sure, he is good-looking, but.” He leaned back down. He stretched his arms and gazed back at Scarlett before suggesting, "I promise you, when I lose all my baby fats, I am far more handsome than that man.”

Liam winked at her and added, "Lady, I am the better choice.”

Scarlette, "...”

With a hand over her mouth and the other over her stomach, Scarlett let out another laugh. She was just so entertained by the little boy that she could not help but go at it repeatedly. Eventually, she spoke, “You know, for a six-year-old, you talk like you are what? A Casanova in his twenties.”

“Lady, I’m serious.” He added. “And if you have any doubts about my genes, when you meet my father, you will know that my genes are impressive.”

“So you want me to meet your dad now?” Scarlett asked, still giggling at the cute little boy. “Simply to show off how handsome you will become, twenty to thirty years from now?”

Just when she thought Liam was going to prove his point, he hushed all of a sudden. A frown formed on his face as he took back his words, "Nevermind.”

"I lied. My good looks did not come from my father. I think I got them from my grandma and grandpa.” He maintained his grimace and added, "You can’t see my dad.”

Liam thought, if anything, his father would be his greatest competition in Scarlett’s heart. Her ex-boyfriend was just a small fry, but her father? Being the last unmarried heir to the Wright Diamond Corporation, a multi-billion dollar company in the country, was undoubtedly the city’s most eligible bachelor. He would not let this beauty meet his father. No way.

He really liked Scarlett. She had such a sweet smile and her giggles were adorable. Most importantly, he felt Scarlett was such a nice lady for talking to him and listening to his proposal without giving away any look of dislike. That also essentially made him believe, he had a chance. 

"You would not like my father. He is fat and old. He has many gray hairs. He has a big belly, and he sings so strangely when cooking.” Liam purposely described their Italian Chef knowing he was quite the opposite of his father.

He shook his head and resumed, "I feel sorry for my dad. He did not take after me.”

"And what about your mommy?” Scarlett asked, still grinning at him. 

"I don’t have a mother. I don’t know why,” Liam calmly answered, but end up frowning, momentarily wondering why his father always avoided the discussion about his mother. 

"I’m sorry to hear that, Liam. But you at least have a father. Some kids out there don’t have any parent at all.” It was Scarlett’s way of soothing the boy after an obvious sudden change in his temperament. 

"It’s fine. I know my dad loves me,” Liam answered. A fainted smile formed on his face at the thought of his father. 

The two spent an entire ten minutes chatting behind the counter, but eventually, Scarlett saw how Luca and Courtney left their table. Sighing in relief, she suggested to Liam, "The ghost is clear now. We need to find your father and you need to apologize to him. The poor old man must be worried sick.”

"No. You are not meeting my dad,” Liam insisted. “I can find my way home.”

“Why?” Scarlet asked back, now utterly curious. 

Liam warned, "Because you would not like him. Nope! Fat, white-haired dad, big tummy, remember?”

"Does that even matter?” She asked, shaking her head at the boy’s defiance. 

***

Nearly two hours later, Scarlett found herself standing in front of the Third Diamond Hotel’s penthouse door, gawking at a tall and handsome man who was… wearing a Pooh Bear printed sweatshirt. 

“Mister Pooh?” She asked, thoroughly puzzled, all while holding Liam in front of her. 

“Miss Beauty?” The man said in return. 

Liam wound up, staring back and forth at Mister Pooh and Miss Beauty.