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"You know what?" Louis finally spoke up. "I can still keep my promise. We can brush our teeth and wash our faces together this morning. Then, I can also take you to the airport. We can read a book and talk on the way there." "That's cheating, Uncle Louis. That's not what we planned," Summer shook her head. "It's not. That's called improvisation." "I don't need improvisation. I want you to fulfill all your promises exactly as we planned. If not, I don't want to go home!" Summer folded her arms in front of her chest. Her cheeks puffed out, her chin twitched as she held back her sadness. However, tears kept rolling down her face. "Honey, please don't be like this. Mommy has come all the way here to pick you up. If you don't want to go home with me, can you imagine how I feel? You make me sad." Suddenly, Summer put her hands on her hips and stamped her foot. "I don't care. I only want to go home if Uncle Louis has kept his promise. I won't go home if I'm only with Mommy!"
Sky shook her head with a bitter smile. "Making Summer happy is not your job. The fact that you're willing to take care of her is more than enough. I'm so grateful. I actually feel guilty because she caused so much trouble that bothered you." "You know what? I did feel annoyed at first. She's very active and noisy. But now that I think about it, I think we're even. It's not just me who's annoyed. Summer's too. I've let her down several times." "Because of her impossible demands for you to fulfill?" Sky forced a laugh, but it failed to cover her sadness. "Yeah," Louis twitched his eyebrows. "He asked me to marry you. Don't you think it's impossible? We're just old friends who haven't contacted each other for years." Louis frowned at the end. There seemed to be hesitation in his sentence. However, he knew very well that he had another heart to guard now. He needed to clarify the boundaries of his relationship with Sky. Meanwhile, Sky almost choked with pain. Her eyes blinked un
Sky hid her face with the ice pack again. "No, Louis. You don't have to go that far. Summer and I have troubled you so much. If you really want to help, just open the door. I think Summer has calmed down now. She and I can talk without raising our voices." Louis took a deep breath. Taking out his phone, he muttered, "You never change, hmm? Why is it so hard for you to accept someone else's help?" "Isn't Emily the same?" Sky shrugged. "You're much worse," Louis said without hesitation. Then, with a click on his phone, the guest room door was unlocked. "Thank you, Louis. I'll go see Summer," Sky put down the ice pack, and got up from the sofa. She didn't want to sit by Louis' side for long. Her secret could be threatened, and the wound in her heart could be torn wider. Louis just nodded. He also didn't want to discuss anything else. For him, everything was clear. Sky was still haunted by Summer's father, while he had anchored himself to Grace. The conclusion was valid a
Summer changed position to lie on her side like Sky. Her hands were tucked under her chin."After two days with Uncle Louis, I realized. It would be so much fun if I had a daddy. I could play with him, chat, and have fun. I would be like other children," she revealed what had been buried in her heart.Hearing that confession, Sky's heart ached. The tightness that she had been afraid of finally appeared."Honey, why did you say that? Even though you don't have a daddy, you have a mommy. You also have grandparents who love you very much. You are just like other children," Sky explained in a thin voice. Her hand rubbed Summer's little shoulder."No, Mommy. I'm different. When I was at the amusement park with Uncle Louis, I saw it."Suddenly, Summer's gaze drifted away. Her blinking slowed down."Other children and their parents wore similar clothes, but I didn't. I actually bought couple's clothes for Uncle Louis and me, but he didn't want to wear them. We could only take pictures in the
"Summer, you didn't listen either. You kept forcing Louis to accompany you, even though he was busy. You shouldn't bother him like that. That's why you have to go home with me now," Sky said firmly, even though her eyes were teary. Her breath was short, having difficulty suppressing the emotions raging in her chest."No, Mommy. If you want to go home, do it by yourself. I'll only go home if Uncle Louis takes me," Summer put her hands on her hips. Her shoulders also rose and fell to match the rhythm of her lungs.Seeing Summer's determination, Sky didn't know what else to do. She grabbed her wrist, her eyes narrowed."Summer Hills, I don't want to hear any more excuses from you. Like it or not, you have to go home with me. You've caused enough trouble here."Before her mother could drag her away, Summer began to struggle. "This isn't fair, Mommy. I want to be like other kids. I want a daddy too! Please don't separate me from Uncle Louis.""Summer, please! Don't be a naughty kid!" Sky wa
"How long are you going to stay here, Summer?" Sky asked, awkwardly. "Louis has more important things to do. There's no way he'll take care of you all day long."The toddler pouted again. "Mommy, I'm an independent child. I can take care of myself. If you don't believe me, just ask Uncle Louis. Since I arrived here, I've done everything by myself. Washing my face, brushing my teeth, changing clothes. I even prepared my own dinner when I first got here."A second later, Summer straightened her neck. After taking a deep breath, she continued, "Uncle Louis doesn't need to bother taking care of me. He just needs to let me accompany him to work. After his work is done, we can go out to play. That'll be fun."Sky sighed tiredly. She felt that Summer wouldn't listen to her. The only way was to ask for Louis' help. Maybe only he could conquer the toddler."Louis, do you mind if Summer keeps sticking to you?" Sky whispered while playing with her eyebrows. She hoped Louis would understand the co
"Thank you, Uncle Louis. You are so wise! I promise I won't be naughty. I will be a good child as long as we are together!" Summer said lightly."Not only when we are together, Little Human, but forever. Keep being a good child, so your mother doesn't get a headache."Summer chuckled. "Okay, I'll try, but I can't promise. Mommy is sometimes annoying."Beside them, Sky was stunned with her mouth slightly open. A sigh of disbelief escaped her. Not because of Summer's teasing, but because of Louis' decision."Louis," she moved closer to him, "you don't have to grant her wishes. Don't be influenced by her whining. It's just a trick. You don't have to sacrifice your time and energy for her."Summer immediately glanced at Sky with a cynical look. She didn't expect her mother to reveal her charade."Mommy, do you want me to cry again?" she threatened, too sweetly. She didn't look scary at all.Before they could fight again, Louis quickly said, "It's okay, Sky. I don't mind. Just think of it a
Sky and Summer stopped talking. They turned to the man beside them."Louis, Summer is still too short. Do you want to stack books on the seat so she can see the road? Then how will she step on the pedals? Do you want to equip her with a broomstick or mop?"Louis laughed at Sky's words. "No, Summer won't practice using a regular car. We can buy a mini jeep.""A mini jeep?" Summer's eyes were round like a doll's. "Isn't that very expensive, Uncle Louis? I don't think I have enough savings to buy one," she sounded worried."You don't have to pay for it, Little Human. It will be a gift from me," Louis said sincerely."Really?" Summer's voice peaked. Both of her hands clenched happily. "You will buy it for me?""Louis, you don't have to do that. You have sacrificed your time and energy for Summer, not money either," Sky whispered, embarrassed."Mommy, other people's kindness should be appreciated. Uncle Louis might be offended if we refused his gift. So, let's just accept it!"While Sky was
"Y-yes. Emily once told me," Sky answered stiffly.Suddenly, Frank smiled bitterly. "I had no idea that Kara had given birth to my children at that time. A misunderstanding made her keep it a secret from me."Sky swallowed. She could guess what Frank would say next."Does Summer's father know that you gave birth to her?" Frank lowered his tone again.Sky's tongue felt stiff. She wanted to just lie, avoid further interrogation. However, she couldn't."No.""Why?" Frank snapped, making Sky's chest feel tighter."I think," Sky started to squeeze her own hands on her lap, "it would be useless if he knew. He has explained that he can't be with me from the start. There are too many differences between us.""Do you intend to keep it a secret for the rest of your life?"Sky blinked innocently. "Yes. He is happy with the woman of his choice now. I can't possibly disturb them."Frank took a deep breath. The look in his eyes implied pity and sadness."Do you know my biggest regret in my life?" H
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