Chapter 152 Her Shadow
Darwin watched, a sense of déjà vu washing over him. It was as if he saw Fiona's shadow in her—the way her eyes lit up with each delicious taste, stirring a bittersweet ache in his chest.
"Wendy, remember this duck. I want to buy some for my big brother!" The little girl, once at odds with her sibling, now thought of sharing her treats.
"You have a big brother?" Darwin inquired.
"Yes," she said proudly but offered no further details. She had just met Chris and was taught not to discuss family matters with strangers.
Darwin continued to feed her an array of treats. Chicago ate until she was full and sleepy.
"Sir, the young miss is tired. We should return..." Ah Wu interjected.
Darwin asked for their room location.
"It's called... Water Pavilion!"
"Can you find it?" he probed.
Wendy looked down, embarrassed.
"I'll take you." Darwin lifted Chicago and nodded to his table before leaving.
"No... No need!" Wendy followed hastily.
Chicago nestled against Darwin's shoulder, falling asleep. Before reaching their room, Wendy spotted Chris.
"Mr. Chu!" She called him over.
Chris recognized Darwin. "Where did you two run off to?" he asked, his brow furrowed.
"We... got lost," Wendy mumbled.
"Sir, thank you for your help." Chris extended his hand to take Chicago. As Darwin handed her over, he felt an unexpected emptiness.
"She's adorable," Darwin remarked gently.
Chris smiled faintly.
Chicago stirred. "Chris..."
"Little one, say thank you and goodbye to Mr. Chris," Chris prompted.
She managed a sleepy bow. "Thank you, Chris. Goodbye!"
Darwin nodded, smiling. "Goodbye, little one."
Chris carried Chicago away, with Wendy trailing.
Ashton snatched Chicago into his arms once they were out of sight, holding her tight. The encounter with Darwin had shaken him.
"What were you doing?" Ashton scolded like never before, holding the sleeping child in the car.
Wendy was perplexed by her mistake. "I can't read, so I took a wrong turn... The young miss saw that gentleman earlier and wanted to say hello..."
"This afternoon?" Ashton's heart raced. They had met twice in one day?
"It's him, the one the school's flower hit this afternoon..."
Ashton was stunned. Chicago had returned and run into Darwin!
"Ashton, what's wrong? Why the rush?" Chris inquired.
Ashton glanced at him. "It's none of your business."
"Tell Chris I'm heading back," Ashton added, wishing Chris luck on his blind date before slamming the car door. The driver sped off.
Chris clenched his fists, then relaxed, lost in thought.
Darwin returned to his private room, his companions' chatter a blur.
Newton teased him, "Why the long face?"
"She's cute," Darwin admitted.
"You should think about becoming a father," Newton suggested earnestly.
Darwin scoffed, "Not in this lifetime."
Newton frowned. "Nonsense! You need to move on."
Darwin remained silent.
"Chicago does resemble Mr. Solomon," another old man commented.
Newton pondered. Chicago didn't particularly look like Darwin, but her smile... it reminded him of Miss Woods.
The group laughed, but for Darwin, it was a hollow sound.
He found a sparkling butterfly hairpin clipped to his cuff. It must be a gift from Chicago.
Darwin pocketed the hairpin with a smile.
At home, Wendy realized one of Chicago's butterfly hairpins was missing. They were unique, crafted with rare stones.
Wendy wept, planning to resign and inform Janna.
Chicago comforted Wendy, promising to protect her.
Ashton overheard and sighed. Wendy had been loyal, once shielding Chicago from a dog attack. But Ashton knew she could no longer care for the growing girl alone. He decided to keep the Darwin incident from Fiona and suggest hiring another nanny.
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