Chapter 5

Andrew looked up just in time to see Jace jump out of the car and run toward Yanny, his expression grim.

Yanny was holding the greeting card and crying as she ran down the path lined with plane trees. Suddenly, she tripped and fell to the ground.

Jace hurried anxiously to her side. Just as he was about to reach out and help her up, Yanny pulled herself up with determination.

Her hands and knees were raw and bleeding from the fall.

But she didn’t cry out in pain. She simply stood on tiptoe, tears in her eyes, and handed him the card with her trembling little hand. "This is a present for you."

The other two brothers and Andrew had also gotten out of the car and were looking at her with mixed expressions.

She sniffed and pointed her little finger at the designs on the pink card. "This is a bow, and this is a little star. I got this card for helping teacher with chores. Is it pretty?”

No, it wasn't pretty at all—it was even a bit tacky.

It was probably the most makeshift gift Jace had ever received.

He didn’t know what to say, but he heard her earnestly urge him, “Open it and take a look.”

Jace opened the card, and what he saw inside made him pause.

It was a drawing of a blue sky with white clouds and four people.

The four people were lined up in order of height.

Andrew and his other two sons walked over and listened solemnly as she introduced them softly.

She pointed to the little dog in the corner of the drawing. "This is the little dog that protects you all."

"I even drew a crown for each of you!"

Yanny beamed. "Mr. Shane is the king, and you're all princes!"

The wound on her hand was still bleeding, but her smile remained bright. "The paper was just too small. There wasn't enough room to draw a castle."

Andrew felt a heavy weight in his chest as if a large stone were pressing down on him. "Yanny, you're not my daughter. Doesn’t that make you sad?”

“I’m not sad.” Yanny shook her head with a smile. Her beautiful eyes lingered on him reluctantly. "I know Daddy won't come. But since you came, I have been very happy. It's just that we aren't lucky enough to be family. I’m sorry for taking up your time, sir.”

Andrew felt a sudden lump in his throat. "Do you know what luck is?"

"Mm-hmm!" Yanny nodded vigorously. "The teacher said that when the time is right, a new mom and dad will show up. We just have to wait patiently!"

Just then, the teacher from the orphanage came running out, furious. "Yanny! Who told you to run out on your own? Aren’t you afraid of getting hit by a car?!”

Only after she said this did she notice Andrew and his family standing nearby.

Andrew’s expression darkened instantly. "Who said you could speak to her like that?"

Startled by his stern demeanor, the teacher froze, unsure of how to respond. Yanny quickly interjected, "It's not her fault! She gave me a greeting card!"

With that, she hobbled over to the teacher. "Let's go back."

The teacher turned pale with fear, grabbed Yanny's hand, and didn't dare look back.

Yanny waved vigorously at them. "Goodbye, everyone!"

A bright smile lit up her face. The moment she turned away, however, her face fell, and she pressed her lips tightly together to keep from crying out loud.

The teacher frowned. "Why are you crying?"

Yanny didn’t say a word as the teacher carried her back.

For some reason, Andrew followed behind them.

The moment they stepped through the orphanage gates, the other children swarmed Yanny, running around the teacher and jeering.

"Yanny doesn't have a dad anymore! No dad!"

Yanny’s lips twisted, and she finally lost control, bursting into loud sobs.

The teacher was at a loss. “Does your wound hurt too much?”

Yanny shook her head vigorously, sobbing so hard that she could barely catch her breath. "Mr. Shane isn't my dad. I’ll never have a dad again!”

Her crying tugged at the teacher’s heartstrings. With tears in her eyes, she comforted her. “Sweetie, don’t cry. You’ll have a new daddy someday. Mr. Shane isn’t a good daddy. Let's wait for a better one, okay?"

But Yanny wasn’t comforted at all. Instead, she cried so hard that she could barely breathe. "But...but I really like him..."

Andrew fought back his emotions, clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Hearing this, the teacher sighed.

She was an adult—how could she not see through it? These two were practically cut from the same cloth. He drove a luxury car, and his clothes alone were worth a year’s worth of food and clothing for a child.

How could he claim he wasn’t her biological father? He just didn’t want to acknowledge her, did he?!

He even had three sons of his own.

The child’s mother was truly terrible.

A man who doesn’t love his child yet still brings the child into the world is just making the child suffer.

"There, there, stop crying. I will put you to sleep and find you a new daddy. We’ll call your new dad right now and have him come get you soon, okay?”

Yanny was carried into the house.

Andrew’s face darkened. Suddenly, a dark figure darted toward him, and a pebble struck his shoulder.

He frowned and looked over to see a boy with delicate features standing there, still clutching the pebble in his hand. “You’re lying to her, aren’t you? She’s your biological daughter, isn’t she?!”

Andrew froze for a moment but didn't answer.

Hayes’s eyes held a maturity beyond his years as he glanced contemptuously at the three teenagers behind him. "Your family can clearly afford to raise one more child. Even feeding her the cheapest food would suffice. Why on earth must you let her remain an orphan?!”

Andrew stared at Hayes, then lowered his gaze and asked himself the same question.

Yes, why must she remain an orphan?

Because he had never approved of her birth from the very beginning.

Nor had it been expected.

Jace stepped forward angrily. "It’s none of your business.”

“You’re right. But Yanny’s under my wing. She’s like my little sister." Hayes held a pebble in his hand and glared fiercely at Andrew. "She's so beautiful. Aren't you afraid she'll be in danger when she grows up?"

He’d known since childhood just how much trouble a beautiful person faced if they weren't strong enough.

Didn’t these adults understand that?

Andrew’s expression shifted slightly as if struck by his words.

Yes.

Yanny was a rare beauty in the making.

Her potential as an adult was immeasurable.

However, if she remained an orphan, she would face countless dangers, including the uncertainty of foster care and the various men she might encounter as she grew up.

The more Andrew thought about it, the darker his expression grew.

Hayes let out a cold laugh. "You remain unmoved even now? You rich people really are no good.”

He casually tossed the pebble onto the ground and turned to leave. "Then don't bother yourselves. Yanny is mine, and I’ll look out for her from now on. If you dare come back—"

He glanced back at them coldly. "Don't blame me for being ruthless."

Jace’s face darkened as he stared at Hayes’s receding figure. "The most dangerous person Yanny might encounter on her journey to adulthood is probably him."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a car suddenly pulled up outside the orphanage. A man got out, holding his phone, and said excitedly into the camera, "Friends in the live stream! I’m right at the orphanage entrance now! Keep hitting the ‘Like’ button until we hit 100,000 likes! I’m about to go inside and officially apply to adopt Yanny!”

The livestream was incredibly popular. After all, Yanny had recently become somewhat of an internet sensation, and many people were following this child's story.

Andrew’s expression darkened as he stared at the man holding the phone and frowned.

Cars pulled up one after another at the entrance, and several people holding phones smiled broadly at the camera. "Today, I'm here to take Yanny home!"

A woman holding her phone said, "Look! I brought my son and daughter with me—we plan to make Yanny our third child! Kids, tell the camera if you’re happy to welcome Yanny!"

She nodded at the children.

The two children immediately broke into bright smiles. “Yes! We’re here to take her home!”