Chapter 223 A Change of Face
"Can you take off your mask so that I can see?" he asked gently.
Emma vigorously shook her head. "No, no, no! Daddy says Angela is too pretty, and if people see my face, I might get snatched away."
Gabriel chuckled.
Emma was stunned for a moment. Man, why was Daddy so handsome when he smiled? She wanted to touch the stubble on his chin.
Realizing the child was uncomfortable, Gabriel didn't press any further, but then a little hand reached out and briefly touched his chin before quickly retreating.
"How did that feel?" Gabriel asked casually, playful with the young girl.
"It's prickly."
"Whose is pricklier, mine or your daddy's?"
"Uh, my daddy’s is pricklier."
That wasn't wrong; after all, he was her daddy, and she had only ever touched his stubble...
Ethan, watching from a short distance, silently facepalmed.
Why was Emma chatting with the ‘bad guy daddy’?
The platform host was urging everyone to take their seats. Seeing Gabriel arrive excited him even more—the meet-and-greet was guaranteed to be a sensation.
"Your mommy isn't back yet. How about sitting with an uncle for a while?"
Gabriel, oblivious to how he might resemble a creepy uncle trying to lure a child, had no experience interacting with little girls, and it was certainly different from how he interacted with Sam.
He was extra careful not to say the wrong thing to be disliked or hurt the young girl's feelings.
Emma knew that her godmother wouldn't be back anytime soon, and she hadn't had a chance to play games with Kyi yet, so she wasn’t ready to leave. Ignoring the possibility of Ethan's eyes twitching from sending her signals; she turned away and took a seat in the front row with Gabriel.
Ethan: ...
After numerous failed attempts at catching Emma's attention with his glances, Ethan let out a resigned sigh. He called his godmother on his smartwatch before covertly pulling out an iPad in a corner where the cameras couldn't reach.
The crowd was pleasantly surprised to see Mr. Lancaster had also arrived. The streamers were buzzing with excitement; getting noticed by Mr. Lancaster meant a secure future if they signed a contract with the Lancaster Groups.
Wait, was Milk Sugar sitting next to Mr. Lancaster? And he was talking to her with such affection, even thoughtfully adjusting her skirt when it flipped up.
Could Milk Sugar be Mr. Lancaster's daughter?
Anyone who witnessed this scene couldn't help but comment on Mr. Lancaster's fondness for his daughter.
Alex was sent to buy a bunch of snacks and presented them to Emma, who practically salivated upon seeing her favorites.
She had wanted to get back at her ‘bad guy daddy', but he wasn't really all that bad, was he?
Maybe... she could betray her mom just a little bit?
"Which one do you want?" Gabriel offered, with a stack of snacks and a tender look in his eyes.
Emma wrestled internally but eventually pointed at the cotton candy.
Gabriel opened it for her and handed it over.
Turning away, Emma tucked a piece of cotton candy inside her mask and squinted with contentment.
Meanwhile, Ethan had given up on reminding foodie Emma of anything.
Let Emma savor the feeling of having a dad for a bit.
Soon, the game began, and an elated Emma rushed over to Kyi with her iPad.
"Kyi, you've got to go easy on me," she implored.
Kyi, the eighteen-year-old who loved cute little creatures like her, smiled gently and patted her head.
"Sure, if anyone comes after you, hide behind me, I'll protect you."
"Thank you, Kyi!"
Emma scampered back to her seat with a bounce.
As the game started, Gabriel watched Emma dive into the action with a tender smile.
He didn't play, but he understood. He got anxious whenever someone approached Milk Sugar, ready to attack. And when Emma managed a counterattack, his smile widened.
Alex was at a loss for words to describe his level of shock.
He showed such concern for a little girl he barely knew. If he ever had a daughter of his own, wouldn't she be spoiled rotten?
Unfortunately, the boss didn’t have a daughter.
And who knows when he'll tie the knot with Miss Foster.
Seems like that's never happening, though. The boss has been postpoinng marriage, and his dates with Miss Foster have grown infrequent.
Half an hour later, the gaming contest came to an end, and Kyi sent Emma a friend request. She accepted with a thrilled smile and then Kyi leaned in.
"Later we're going to grab some good food. We'll play together again next time."
Emma was overjoyed. "Yeah, that sounds great!"
She could now look forward to playing games with big brother Kyi often. How awesome!
As Gabriel saw Milk Sugar, chatting closely with Kyi and him carrying her, he felt an inexplicable pang of jealousy. He got up and walked over.
"Mr. Lancaster," a host greeted him, but Gabriel seemed not to hear.
Suddenly, Kyi felt a threatening gaze and looked up to see Mr. Lancaster.
Why did Mr. Lancaster look so intense?
Gabriel reached out to pick up Emma, but she clung tightly to Kyi's neck.
"I want to whisper something to Kyi."
Gabriel’s expression dimmed, while Kyi inexplicably felt like he had stolen someone’s treasured daughter.
"Milk Sugar."
That's when Ethan showed up, his attire covered from head to toe—hat, mask, sunglasses—with only his neck exposed.
Everyone was curious about Ethan's attire, and Gabriel, watching this peculiar kid, felt a sense of familiarity.
"Mommy says it's time to go."
Emma knew playtime was over. She wouldn't be able to have dinner with Kyi, but at least her dream of playing games with him had come true.
She asked Kyi to put her down, and then Ethan immediately took her tiny hand.
"Goodbye, Kyi. I'm off to find Mommy."
The streaming platform host spoke up, "Milk Sugar, you're leaving so soon? We were going to have dinner together. Where's your mommy?"
Milk Sugar had become the darling of the day, with viewers in the live chat constantly mentioning her name.
Now, "Milk Sugar Darling" had even trended on the search charts.
"We can’t stay, Mommy's waiting and she’s getting anxious. Bye, uncle."
The streaming host couldn't trouble a child, so he had the staff help them look for her mother.
Gabriel muttered to himself, "What, no goodbye for me?"
It seemed like he'd been rejected again.
The little girl who was just cozying up to him had turned cold after a single game. No hugs were given, and she left without even a wave or a "bye."
Such an ungrateful little thing.
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