"Daddy!" Andrew was terrified, hugging him around the waist and crying. "Don't be mean to Ma'am and don't blame Auntie Lea. Let's go and find Ada. She must be terrified now."Ada grew up afraid of the dark and loved to cry. He broke down at the thought of Ada cowering in a corner, crying, or being abducted by some criminal. He stared at Lea and yelled coldly. "You had better tell me exactly what was going on."Kisa fought back the pain in her arm and got up from the ground, then tugged at Lea. "Don't be afraid. Tell us how Ada disappeared."Lea kept shivering in fright and said with tearful eyes, "Just now it was crowded in the dessert shop. I-I took Andrew to buy some desserts and let Ada wait in her seat. When we came back from the table, A-Ada was gone."Kisa subconsciously looked at Andrew, who nodded. "It is really none of Aunt Lea's fault. Daddy, let's go find Ada.""How long has Ada been missing?" Kisa asked Lea again."I-I think she has been gone for about ten minutes. An
She asked and gestured with her hands.The young couple shook their heads apologetically. "Sorry, we have never seen her."Kisa took a deep breath and asked a few other people, but still nothing. She had almost come to the other end of the alley, and further ahead was a residential area, the gate of which was closed, and only residents could get in. So she was certain that Ada was not inside. This was one of the busiest turnoffs near the school. She wondered where Ada could go if she was not here. It had only been ten minutes, and Ada could not have gone far.She told herself repeatedly that this was a school zone, where the security was tight, and that there could not have been abductions of children happening here. But she still panicked and scared, anxiously searching around, her eyes eagerly scanning the passing crowd, but still could not find Ada. She broke down and grabbed at her hair as she walked back again anxiously. Since Ada was not here, she could only look in other dire
It was Mia, and she was holding a little boy about the same age as Ada. Just that Mia was supposed to be in Raworth, so Kisa wondered how she ended up in Calthon and if Jensen knew about it."It has been a long time, Kisa."Kisa walked over with Ada in her arms, her heart skipping a beat when her eyes swept across the boy's face. For some reason, she felt that the boy's eyes looked like someone she knew. She was nevertheless happy to see Mia again. "You have come to this city, too?"Mia smiled. "Yeah. Blake and I may have to stay here long term.""That's great. This is a nice place. We can come out for a meal more often." Kisa smiled and asked, "Does Jensen know you have come over?""He knew." Mia let out a meaningful smile. "He is the one who told Blake and me to come over."Kisa smiled and nodded, suddenly feeling that she had just asked a redundant question. The only people Mia knew well here were probably Jensen, and if Jensen had not asked, they would not have come over.Ad
Kisa quickly called out to them. "Where do you live? Maybe I can visit you when I have time.""Blake attends the kindergarten right up ahead. I see this girl is also wearing the kindergarten's uniform. If you come to pick up the girl from the kindergarten, we will definitely run into each other again," Mia said, and took Blake with her.Kisa looked on as Mia left. She still felt that Mia's sudden appearance in Calthon was a bit strange.Gilbert was not interested in Mia and Blake. He just anxiously checked Ada to see if she was injured. At last, he found the two bandages on her arms. "What is this again?" Gilbert frowned, his face sullen, and he sounded angry.Ada, who was already aggrieved, cried and hid in Kisa's arms upon being shouted at. "Daddy is mean. Daddy is so mean. I don't want daddy..."Gilbert looked at her, his eyes scarily sullen. "You cry every time you are disciplined. When have you ever listened to me? What if you get lost if you run around like this?" Gilbert wa
He looked at Ada. His face looked a bit stern, no longer as sullen as before. "Come out here. Do you think you can get away with it by hiding under Kisa's arms?"Ada clung to Kisa and shook her head vigorously. "I afraid of Daddy."Gilbert took a deep breath. It was apparent that he was trying hard to suppress his anger.Kisa shook her head helplessly. She squatted down and held Ada's shoulders. "Don't be afraid. Talk to your daddy properly. You are wrong for straying too far away from the school this time. As long as you admit your mistake, Daddy will forgive you."Ada poked her two fingers at each other and cautiously looked at Gilbert, who still had a face like thunder, of which even adults would be afraid, not to mention children."Don't look at Ada with such an expression. You will scare her," Kisa said."I don't need you to tell me how to teach my child. When have you ever cared about them? Stop pretending already."Kisa choked in anger, feeling guilty when Ada was missing
The first time, Gilbert did not respond to the poke. Ada looked back at Kisa, who grinned at her, signaling her to continue and mouthing the word "come on." Ada had no choice but to poke at Gilbert again."You know you are wrong, don't you?" Gilbert finally turned around. He stared down at Ada with a frown.Ada quickly nodded. "Daddy, I'm sorry. I won't go stray again, and from now on, I will tell everyone where I am going and will not make everyone worry anymore. Please don't be angry with Ma'am and me anymore, okay?"Gilbert said nothing, just stared at Ada. Just when he knew Ada was missing, he was so panicked that he did not know what to do. But he felt Kisa did not seem to be worried at all. He got angry at the thought of this. He did not think Kisa was a qualified mother. While having this thought in mind, someone crashed into his arms—it was Ada."Daddy, don't be angry, okay?" Ada tugged at the corner of his coat, hoping he would crouch down. Gilbert stubbed out his cigarett
Lea was startled, and her body tensed up.Kisa glanced at her. Knowing Lea was afraid of Gilbert, she said, "What do you want with her? I told you it is not her fault, so blame me if you want."Gilbert ignored her and walked Lea to a corner. Lea cowered and looked at Kisa. "What is he doing? He is not going to hit me, is he?""How dare he?" Kisa sneered at Gilbert from behind. "If you try to hit Lea, I will kill you."Gilbert sneered. "Don't always think of me as violent. Have I, Gilbert, ever hit a woman?"Kisa snickered, feeling his remark was very debatable. But with so many around, she did not think Gilbert would do anything to Lea. With that in mind, she said to Lea, "Go check it out and see what he wants."Lea nodded and went over with a feeling of apprehension. After a few moments, Lea came back to her with a smile on her face. What was even more alarming was that Gilbert seemed to be in a good mood, too. 'My God, what have they been whispering about to suddenly become so
"Since they like you so much and have waited for you here, what is wrong with letting them stay at your place for one night?""I...""Just for one night; can't you just fulfill their wish? Why do you have to be so mean and cruel?""I'm mean and cruel?" Kisa let out a sardonic laughter as she found no way to reason with this man. He was supposedly the one who was mean and cruel, yet he accused her of that, which was ridiculous.Andrew and Ada were still looking at her expectantly, and Kisa looked at Gilbert. "Is it really just for one night?""Otherwise, do you think I would feel comfortable letting them stay at your place long-term?" Gilbert always spoke to her with a touch of sarcasm in his voice, and that was most irritating to Kisa.She gritted her teeth and said, "Okay, just for one night—that is what you said." With that, she took Andrew and Ada and walked toward the roadside, intending to take a cab home. Gilbert suddenly called out to her again. She turned around and yelle