Chapter 3

Jessica came running over, pigtails flying, clutching her favorite lop-eared bunny plushie, and threw herself into my arms.

Her face pressed warm and soft against my neck. "Mommy, did you get any news about Daddy today?"

My arms tightened as I held her close.

I had promised her I would find her father.

But now...

I buried my face against her, tears streaming down.

Jessica, I'm sorry.

I can't keep the promise I made to you.

The next day.

I walked into the office with red, swollen eyes. Before I could even sit down, someone told me Brian wanted to see me.

Brian sat behind his desk in a sharp black suit. When he heard me come in, he lifted his eyes to glance at me and ordered, "Close the door."

He never usually kept work discussions so private.

An uneasy feeling rose in my chest as I closed the door and stepped further in. "Mr. Ethan, you wanted to see me?"

Brian put down his pen, clasped his hands together on the desk, and his chair swayed gently with his movement.

He thought for a moment, then looked directly at me. "What's going on between you and Mr. Cooper?"

So it was about him after all.

My chest tightened. I unconsciously turned my head to look elsewhere and answered hesitantly, "Nothing. I accidentally stepped on his foot in the bathroom before and forgot to apologize. He has been holding it against me ever since."

Even I didn't believe what I was saying.

Brian narrowed his eyes and held my gaze, his expression unreadable and cool. "Yesterday, I got a close look at Mr. Cooper. He has a red mole under his right eye.” He paused. “If I remember correctly, Jessica has one too."

I spun toward him. "Mr. Ethan, you can't just go around saying things like that!"

It came out louder than I meant it to, my voice pitching high and echoing throughout the office.

Brian was startled by my outburst, then settled back into that same watchful, suspicious stare.

My eyes darted around, not daring to meet his gaze. "Do you have any idea how much power Glacier Corp has? If word gets out and people hear what you just said, it could cause trouble for my daughter."

Brian pursed his lips. "You've been raising your child alone all this time. Where's the biological father? You've never once brought him up."

My back tensed up, cold sweat breaking out.

When I found my voice, it came out rough and flat. "He's dead."

Brian stopped what he was doing, frowning as he looked at me. "Dead? How did he die?"

Glacier Corp's growth had been so rapid. Jason had made a lot of people depend on him, and just as many who wanted him gone.

If others found out about Jessica's connection to him, there was no telling what kind of danger that would put her in.

I nodded. "Car accident. He fell into the sea."

Brian lowered his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's okay." My fists slowly unclenched. I let out a long breath and asked, "Mr. Ethan, is there anything else?"

Brian waved me off, and I turned to leave his office.

I walked back to my desk, silently praying the whole way.

Although Jason and I could never be together, I still hoped he was safe.

By the time I got off work, the rain was pouring down hard.

I had rushed out that morning without an umbrella, so I pressed myself against the storefronts along the street as I walked toward the subway station.

The wind howled, blowing raindrops into the covered walkway. I turned my head to avoid the rain when someone came barreling out from behind me.

His umbrella caught on my bag, but he didn't notice at all. He rushed forward two steps, and I fell to the ground.

By the time I looked up, he had already disappeared into the rain with his umbrella.

Half my body was out in the open rain, my head already soaked. Water ran down my hair and the cold hit my skin like something sharp and mean.

Just then, an umbrella covered my head.

Brian crouched down and held out his hand. "Sue, are you hurt?"

I looked up and took Brian's hand, and let him pull me to my feet, as i shook my head. “Mr. Ethan, I'm fine."

My clothes were already soaked through. A gust of wind blew up my pant legs, making me shiver with cold.

Brian held the umbrella with one hand and shrugged off his jacket with the other, draping it over my shoulders.. "Where are you going? I'll give you a ride."

I wanted to refuse, but calculating the time, Jessica would be getting out of school soon. With rain this heavy, I couldn't let her wait in it, either.

"Thank you, Mr. Ethan." I got into the car with Brian.

The air conditioning was running inside, the temperature warm and exactly right.

Brian found a disposable towel, tore it open, and handed it to me. "Dry off, don't catch a cold."

I took the towel, then heard a harsh honking from behind the car.

Once wasn't enough, the driver behind kept pounding on the steering wheel.

The noise was loud enough that people on the sidewalk turned to look.

Brian glanced in the rearview mirror and complained, "I only stopped for a moment. What's the rush?"

Despite his words, he started the car and slowly pulled away.

I caught a glimpse in the rearview mirror. It was an Alfa Romeo.

The black car sat heavy and still behind the curtain of rain. Only one person sat in the driver's seat. Though I couldn't see his face clearly, I had an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Inside the Alfa Romeo.

Jason gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles protruding, veins standing out across the backs of his hands.

He had been parked outside DT Company since morning, waiting all day. He had not expected to watch Sue take another man's hand and get into his car.

Five years, she still wanted to marry a rich man. She hadn't changed at all!

I picked Jessica up from kindergarten and took her home. The rain was still falling.

After dinner, I bathed Jessica, carried her to bed, and helped dry her hair.

The hair dryer hummed.

Jessica turned her head, blinking her big eyes at me. "Mommy, today the teacher asked us what we do at home in the evenings. The other kids said their mommies and daddies read them stories and play games with them. Mommy, when is my daddy going to come read me stories?"

I sat down next to Jessica and hugged her, gently running my fingers through her hair. "Jessica, don't you like it when Mommy reads you stories?"

The little girl hung her head, looking dejected for a while. Then she looked back up and smiled, as she answered, "I love it most when Mommy reads me stories."

I knew she was trying her best not to worry me.

For as long as she'd been old enough to understand what a father was, she had been looking forward to having a daddy around.

I had looked for Kean before, only to learn that after I left, he disappeared without a trace. None of his friends knew where he had gone.

I had made peace with the thought that I would never see him again.

I never imagined we would reunite in this city, in this way.

With his current status, there was no way Jessica could ever know him as her father.

I clicked off the hair dryer and tilted her chin up softly. "How about Mommy reads you a story now?"

Outside, the rain poured down. Inside the apartment, the lights stayed on.

Downstairs, a black Alfa Romeo sat quietly in the rain, where it remained all night long.