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Summer giggled at her appearance in the mirror. She looked so cool in her cowboy hat, blue plaid shirt, and leather vest that matched her brown boots. Plus, her pants were frilly, and her belt was shaped like a cow's head across her stomach. "Oh, this is the best outfit I've ever worn," she said, spreading her arms. Seeing her funny response, the clerk, who was helping her in the fitting room, smiled. "Our store is indeed the best in T City. But, Little Lady, you're not done yet. There's still a red scarf that you have to put on your neck." The young girl spread out the scarf that had been folded in half to form a triangle. With pleasure, Summer lifted her chin. "Please put it on for me, Miss," she asked politely. "With pleasure, Little Lady." As soon as the scarf was around her neck, Summer smiled proudly. She quickly ran outside, hoping to show Louis her appearance. But it turned out, Louis was still in the next fitting room. "Uncle Louis, why are you so slow? I'm alrea
"Are you afraid that paparazzi will take pictures of us?" Summer asked in a disappointed tone. Before Louis could answer, Summer sighed in resignation. Her head was lowered with a gloomy face. "Too bad. I really wanted to try it. This is my only chance to feel what Uncle Cayden felt," she muttered dully. Hearing that, Louis' eyebrows knitted together. "What did Cayden feel? Did he and Emily ever ride the Ferris wheel together?" Not getting an answer, Louis continued, "Summer, you can do it later when you're older, when you have a boyfriend. It'll be much more fun." Summer peeked out of the corner of her eye, her puffed cheeks making her lips look pursed. "Uncle Cayden didn't go there with Aunt Emily," she corrected. Louis blinked indifferently. "Then who?" "Uncle Cayden rode the Ferris wheel with his mom and dad. He said he was very young at the time, but he remembers it because it was so much fun." While Louis was stunned, Summer took a deep breath. "I thought I
Suddenly, Louis ran his thumb on the curve of Summer's lips on the paper. His gaze was sad. His heart was heavy. "I've never even made her smile properly," he muttered. "I've only given her tears since we met." Taking a deep breath, Louis looked out the window. Grace's annoyed face flashed through his mind again. But this time, he didn't chase it away. Instead, he faced it bravely. He let it stay while pondering. "I'll have a lot of time with Grace after this is over, but Summer .... I only gave her 24 hours. It should have been a beautiful memory, not a nightmare for her." After swallowing bitterly, Louis looked back at the little girl. Little by little, he clenched his hands. He realized that his regret was not too late. "Yes," Louis confirmed his thoughts. "Ace shouldn't be jealous over something like this. My concern for Summer means nothing. As long as this poor little human is still here, I have to comfort her." With a firm determination, Louis touched Summer's s
Summer's smile widened again. "Let's find a ride that we can both do. Oh, how about that train?" "That's called a roller coaster, Little Human. Too bad you're not old enough." "What about that one?" Summer pointed to the chairs hanging by ropes on a merry-go-round. "You're not old enough for a swinger either." Summer pouted. "Then, what's allowed for me?" Louis pointed his finger. "The cars over there. You can choose any car you like." "Can we ride that together?" Louis pursed his lips. "I think so." Summer's eyes lit up again. "Then, let's go there!" Summer walked beside Louis. The other children were still watching her. Realizing that, Summer smiled proudly. But then, the curve of her lips shrank. All the children she saw were holding hands with their respective parents. She was the only one who was walking without being held. While furrowing her eyebrows, Summer glanced at Louis' hand. Their distance was close enough for her to reach it. "Does Unc
"Oh no!" Louis shouted in his heart. His breath grew shorter and shorter. "What should I tell Sky? Should I admit that I neglected to look after her daughter? But there's no way I can say that Summer is missing because of my carelessness!" While staring at his phone, Louis considered. His thumbs went up and down, following his hesitation. Even though his phone stopped vibrating, he still hadn't made a decision. His body kept freezing until finally, he blinked. "Since when did I become such a coward?" With a sigh, Louis broke his stiffness. "I am Louis Harper. I never neglect my responsibilities. I promised Sky to look after Summer. That means I have to ensure her safety and security." After keeping his phone in his pocket, Louis straightened up his back. He took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind. "How can I find Summer now? Should I make a report and reveal my identity? If so, it would be useless for me to paint my face like this." Suddenly, Louis gasped. He rem
"Let's forget about Grace. Today, I am your father, and you are my daughter. Let's do fun things together," Louis sounded convincing. "Like making cotton candy together? Eating ice cream? And walking hand in hand?" Summer's eyebrows lifted in hope. Louis smiled sweetly and nodded. "Yes. Let's do what a father and daughter usually do." Laughter finally escaped Summer. Her face looked cheerful even though tears were still pooling on her eyes. "That sounds fun, Uncle Louis! If only we had done it since morning, this would have been the most memorable and fun day of my life." Summer jumped a little while giving two thumbs up. Louis could only smile sadly. "I'm sorry I failed to make today the best day for you." "It doesn't matter, Uncle Louis. We still have one night. Let's spend it together! Let's have fun! When we get home, we'll brush our teeth and wash our faces together. After changing clothes, you can read me a book. Then, we can talk until we fall asleep! We hav
"Okay, do whatever you want to pose like. I'll give you three chances," Louis said indifferently. "Does it mean I can use the first pose?" Summer's eyes were perfectly round. Right after Louis nodded, Summer cheered happily. She pinched her chin again, smiling sweetly at the camera. "Come on, Uncle Louis. Take a picture! We'll be at the top soon." Louis did what she said. After the first picture was taken, Summer suddenly stood up on the chair and put her arms around Louis' neck. "Hey? What are you doing?" Louis leaned away a little. However, Summer had already stuck to his shoulder. "Posing. Is this not okay? Are you afraid Grace will be angry again? But you promised to be my father tonight. A father and daughter usually pose like this when taking pictures," Summer said with knitted eyebrows. She was worried that Louis would change his mind again. Seeing the wrinkled face, Louis sighed in resignation. "It's not like that. I was just surprised because you suddenly
Looking at Summer's tired face, Louis smiled wryly. He whispered, "Summer, we've arrived. Wake up." Louis kept his promise. He patted her shoulder several times. However, the little girl still didn't wake up. "Summer?" Louis shook her arm. Instead of opening her eyes, Summer's hand fell down. The stuffed tiger had now completely slipped out of her embrace. "Don't you want to spend time with me anymore? You won't be here tomorrow," Louis asked, testing. Still, Summer didn't answer. Louis sighed in resignation. He could imagine how angry and disappointed the toddler would be when she woke up the next morning. "Please don't hate me, Summer. I tried to wake you up, but you didn't want to wake up. Maybe we weren't meant to play together any longer." In silence, Louis looked at Summer's little face. For some reason, sadness arose in his heart. "And please don't miss me too much. Your mother will be confused about how to entertain you, and so will I. We can't be close
Sky listened to her daughter intently. Once Summer finished, she winced."Please forgive my negligence and Summer's carelessness, Sir. I didn't think she could run in a place like this. She had promised to be careful.""It was because of the alarm, Mommy. It wasn't entirely my fault. I ran to save myself," Summer whispered while nudging her mother's leg."Still, Honey. You wouldn't have bumped into Mr. Harper if you had been more careful. You should have looked ahead when you were running.""That's because I have to be alert. I thought it was a fire alarm. Of course I have to get away from the fire," she grumbled with pursed lips.Watching the mother and daughter argue, Kara smiled. "Sky, I'm so happy to meet you again. Especially, since you brought your cute daughter. Do you want to go upstairs? We can talk more freely up there.""What's up there?" Summer asked while standing on her tiptoes. "Is it a meeting room? Aunt Emily once told me that people gathered in that room to talk abou
Hearing her mother's name, Summer blinked. With Kara's help, she sat up."Oh, my arms must have been injured again," she muttered while checking her left elbow.As it turned out, her guess was right. Her skin was already red."Oh my .... Your elbow is bruised. Please forgive my husband, Sweetheart. We were in a hurry. He must not have seen you. Usually, there are no children running around here," Kara said softly. Her hand was stroking the little girl's hair.With attention fixed on her wound, Summer murmured, "It's okay, Ma'am. I am the one who wasn't careful enough. I ran because I thought there was a fire. The alarm sounded really loud. I had to find Mommy and get out to a safe zone."Kara felt even more guilty hearing the innocent confession. "That wasn't a fire alarm, Sweetheart. It was a warning about a press raid, and everyone needs to be alert."Summer's eyes immediately rounded. "That wasn't a fire?"She finally looked at the beautiful woman. That's when another surprise came
"Are you more afraid of Orion than me?" Grace raised an eyebrow.The secretary lowered her head even more. "It's not like that, Miss. I just—"Suddenly, Grace grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. She put both items in front of the secretary."You don't have to say it. Just write it down," Grace insisted, curtly.The secretary hesitated for a moment. However, unable to stand Grace's intimidating aura, she finally complied.Unfortunately, when Grace found out Orion's message, the atmosphere worsened. She slammed her fist on the table. Her shoulders heaved up and down, shaking with anger."That filthy woman ...." she groaned, furious. "I will never let her take Louis away from me. Never!"***"Mommy, is that where Uncle Louis and Aunt Emily work?" Summer asked as she pressed her face against the car window.Sky smiled slightly. "Yes, Honey. That's the Savior Group headquarters.""Wow! That building is huge, Mommy. I think there are thousands of people working there," Summer said in awe.A
Orion said, "Sky was already in M City the night you were involved in the scandal. She went to the hotel where you were hanging out with your friends."Louis' breathing became heavier. "Then? What else did you hear?""It seems like Sky still kept it from Emily. Emily was also wondering why Sky didn't come to your graduation the next morning. In fact, in their last conversation, Sky was still excited about attending."Louis' brows furrowed more deeply. His face looked older now. "How did Emily know Sky was there?" he mumbled softly."I don't know. Emily didn't mention it. She just told Cayden her assumption."Louis' eyes widened. "What assumption?""She thought Sky ran away because of you."Orion's answer successfully strangled Louis' neck. He was starting to have trouble breathing. Bad possibilities appeared in his mind."Did Sky leave because I kicked her out while I was drunk? Or, did she disappear because she was heartbroken to find out about my scandal? Did she really love me? Or
The secretary swallowed hard. She glanced at Louis. Her voice lowered, "Sorry, Sir. I didn't really want to interrupt, but the other Mr. Harper insisted me on giving this to you."The secretary slipped a piece of paper into Louis' hand. Instead of examining it, Louis narrowed his eyes. "The other Mr. Harper?""Mr. Orion."Louis flinched slightly. How important was the information Orion wanted to convey that he dared to interrupt the press conference in such a way?After signalling his secretary to leave, Louis unfolded the paper. A sentence was written on it."She was in the same hotel as you were that night!"In an instant, Louis' breath caught. All his nerves tensed. His eyes trembled violently, trying to find the lost memory.Unfortunately, he found no clues. What happened that night seemed to be permanently erased from his brain."Sky was in M City that night? She was in the same hotel as I was? Could it be ... she was that girl? And Summer is my daughter?" Louis thought as he gri
"Was that Orion?" Grace inquired while furrowing eyebrows.Louis nodded. "He said there was also a commotion in the office. He advised me to handle it immediately.""Does it mean that my decision to move the schedule forward was right?" Grace asked for confirmation."Yes," Louis replied stiffly, "I think it was right. Now our job is to make the reporters believe us. They should no longer doubt our relationship.""You know what, Louis? I have a very good idea to control public opinion quickly and efficiently."Louis raised an eyebrow, interested. Just as Grace was about to explain, his phone rang again. Knowing Orion's name appeared on the screen, his face turned grim.Meanwhile, Grace blinked stiffly. Her suspicions arose."Why did he call you again?" she inquired.Louis took a deep breath. "I don't know." He rejected Orion's call."What were you guys talking about just now? Wasn't your chat over? You also said you would announce the clarification soon. He shouldn't call you again."Lo
With a faint sigh, Louis forced his head up. However, his mind was too heavy. As a result, he could only see the secretary from the corner of his reddened eyes."I'm fine. Thank you for giving me these. You can get out now," he said coldly.The young woman across the table quickly straightened up her back. Tension enveloped her nerves. "Okay, Sir. Excuse me."As the door closed again, Louis reached for his phone. He could no longer pretend to be indifferent. He had to call Summer immediately, find a way to make up for his mistake towards her.Unfortunately, the toddler's number was not active. Louis contacted Sky, but his efforts were still in vain."Are they on a flight, so their phones were turned off?" Louis thought, restless.After a quick calculation, disappointment appeared on his face. "Am I not destined to be close to Summer? Could it be that God did not allow me to contact her in order to protect Grace's feelings?"While Louis was guessing, a call came to his phone. He flinche
Failing to erase the shadow of Summer, Louis got up from bed. He went to the kitchen, wanting to grab a cold drink. Maybe it could refresh his common sense so that he would be more awake.However, as soon as he opened the refrigerator, his body froze. His gaze fell on a pack of milk that was labeled."Summer's!" That was the warning written on it.Remembering what the toddler did when she first arrived at the penthouse, Louis smiled wryly. He didn't realize that his tears began to well up in his eyes."That little human ...." Louis swallowed bitterly. "She should have said goodbye to me before she left."Instead of getting iced water, Louis closed the refrigerator. He left the kitchen, going to the guest room.There, he was lost in thought again. He stood near the light switch. His eyes kept focusing on the bed as if Summer was lying there. When he realized that all he saw was just a shadow, he snorted sadly."She's not here anymore, but how can she still bother me?"While looking down
"Honey," Sky whispered after a moment of silence, "do you still hope that I'll marry someone? Do you still want ... to have a daddy?"Summer blinked innocently. "Why did you ask that, Mommy? Have you changed your mind? Do you want to marry Uncle Louis now? But Uncle Louis is going to marry Grace soon. He can't be my daddy anymore.""No, Honey. Not Uncle Louis," Sky whimpered. "If you really want a daddy, I can work for you. I'll find a boyfriend. Maybe there's someone out there who's willing to marry me and be your daddy.""No, Mommy," Summer refused firmly. "I'm not interested in having a daddy anymore."Sky's eyes widened. "Why?""I don't want people to think you're a bad person."Sky's chest suddenly felt tight. Her lungs constricted, trapped by sadness that was hard to describe."Honey," Sky stroked Summer's chubby cheeks that looked a little shrunken, "why do you think so? I can find a man who doesn't have a girlfriend. No one will think I'm bad if I dated a single man."However,