Adelyn froze.
For a second, her mind refused to process what she had just heard.
Her gaze dropped to the little figure standing beside her —small fingers wrapped around her hand.
Soft.
Gentle.
Yet impossibly firm, as though unwilling to let go, no matter what.
"Wait!" Alia almost shrieked. "Did she just call you Mama?"
Adelyn lifted her head to look at her, and for once, she didn’t know how to respond. "I —"
"Didn’t you say you are not romantically involved with anyone?" Alia was already spiralling. She had only just forced herself to believe in this fragile hope of success —and now, once again, it felt like it was slipping through her fingers.
Could heaven please have so rcy on her?
"Adelyn," Freya began softly, yet seriously. "What’s happening?"
Adelyn’s brows drew together. She wanted to explain, but she didn’t know how to. She t Freya’s and Alia’s gaze once before looking back at the little one.
The way the girl looked up at her —with bright, searching eyes, hope shimring so openly that it caught Adelyn off guard.
She thought for a mont before lowering herself to her knees to match the girl’s height.
"Baby," she called softly. The mont she did, the girl’s eyes lit up with sparkles. "Have you lost your way?" Her gaze searched around instinctively, looking for soone who might be nearby. "Where is your mother?"
The girl didn’t answer. She neither nodded nor shook her head. She just stared at Adelyn, her eyes slowly welling up with tears.
Adelyn was taken aback. She hadn’t expected her to cry like that suddenly.
"Hey, little one, shhh!" she shushed softly, trying to soothe her tears. Her hand moved to slowly caress her cheek. "Don’t cry. If you are lost, we will help you find your mother. She must also be around, looking for you."
The girl still didn’t respond. She only stared at Adelyn, as tears rolled down her cheeks, painfully.
Seeing that, Adelyn reached out to wipe them away. However, the mont she tried to pull her hand back, the girl’s grip tightened.
Adelyn stared at the tiny fingers curled firmly around hers, unsure of what to say.
"You don’t know her?" Freya asked, beginning to understand.
Adelyn shook her head. "I think she’s lost and looking for her mother."
"Didn’t she just call you Mama?"Alia asked, her eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion. "How can you be so sure?"
Adelyn glanced at her and pursed her lips.
"Because she called out Mama, and I am obviously not her mother," she said calmly. "Which ans soone else is —and she is looking for her."
Alia opened her mouth, then closed it again. When she thought about it, it did make sense.
"I guess we should inform the restaurant manager," Freya suggested. "He can help better."
Adelyn nodded, "I also —"
Before she could finish, a voice interrupted from a distance.
"Eira!"
Adelyn turned toward the sound and saw the sa woman from earlier, standing not far away.
But instead of relief or concern, there was terror etched across her face.
As though she wasn’t afraid of losing her child —but of what would happen if she did.
And that difference made Adelyn frown a little.
The woman’s s gaze remained fixed on the little girl. She visibly sighed in relief before striding closer.
"Why did you run away?" she demanded, reaching out to pull the girl.
However, Eira only tightened her grip around Adelyn’s hand, refusing to let go.
When Adelyn looked at her and saw the big, fat tears still clinging to her lashes, her heart softened.
But just then, from the corner of her eye, she caught sothing.
The woman tried to pull again —this ti with so force.
But just as she did, Adelyn caught her wrist and twisted it sharply, applying just enough pressure to cause piercing pain.
"Ahh—" the woman cried out.
"Watch out, ma’am," Adelyn warned coolly. "You will hurt her."
The woman glared. "You —"
Adelyn twisted her wrist slightly more, cutting her off. "Be careful around her too. You are just scaring her."
The woman’s eyes darted down, only to see Eira clinging to Adelyn’s legs, her face buried against her.
She frowned —but the pain beca unbearable.
"L–Let go of my hand," she almost begged.
Adelyn didn’t release imdiately.
Instead, she tightened her grip just a fraction more, watching her wince.
"This should have been your expression when you were looking for her", she said calmly, before finally letting go.
The woman imdiately clutched her wrist. There was no visible bruise on her skin, yet the pain still throbbed unmistakably.
"You —how dare you?"
"Dare?" Adelyn echoed casually, though her eyes held a sharp warning. "It was instinctive. I didn’t need courage to teach soone basic lessons."
"I don’t need you to teach anything?" the woman snapped, taking an intimidating step forward.
Freya stepped in, before things could escalate further.
"Adelyn," she whispered gently. "It’s getting late. I think we should leave now."
Adelyn looked unconvinced, but when she t Freya’s eyes, the silent insistence was clear.
"Since we found her mother, we can leave her with her and go," Freya added.
She then turned to the woman, her tone softer. "Calia, Adelyn was just concerned for the child. She didn’t an anything else."
"Freya Finn? So, it’s really you," Calia said in surprise. "Well, long ti no see." Her lips curved mockingly. "I wasn’t expecting to see you here. But then again, considering how cheap this place is, it suits your current state and status."
She laughed arrogantly.
Freya remained calm, almost unfazed.
But Alia was not.
"Calia Jones, watch your words," she snapped. "Don’t forget the hands that once fed you."
"Once fed ?" Calia folded her arms and scoffed, "Don’t try to associate with her anymore. I have long moved on from that dark side of my past. Now, I am shining. And that’s all thanks to learning my lesson sooner."
"You —"
"And wait," She raised a finger up to pause briefly. "Did I say sothing wrong?" She glanced back at the restaurant. "You can’t convince that this is fine dining. So facts don’t change, no matter how much you argue."
Alia fud. "You —"
"There’s nothing to argue about," Adelyn cut in smoothly. "After all, the standards here must be above basic."
Calia smirked —until Adelyn continued.
"Otherwise, how could it host the rising star like Calia Jones?"
Calia saw red. She lunged forward, ready to strike.
Freya noticed and was about to intervene
But just then —
Calia’s phone rang in her other hand.
Warren’s na flashed across the screen.
And she froze.
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