Chapter 6

In the rented apartment. Luna leaned back on the sofa with a cold smile on her face as she looked at the man who busied himself in the kitchen. Back then when they were together, whenever Joshua said he was hungry, she would get up to cook for him no matter the time, even if it was at two o’clock in the middle of the night. He never cooked before. He never even walked into the kitchen, yet all of a sudden, he was cooking very seriously, all for Nellie whom he had met less than a day ago. She closed her eyes. It seemed that he could cook all along, yet it was because she was not worth the effort to him that he did not. Thankfully, his attitude toward Nellie was pretty good. He was not as cold-blooded and ruthless as he was to her back then, at least. … Blue Bay Villa. As she sat on the children’s chair, Nellie eyed the sorry-looking dishes in front of her and silently dragged the cookies Luna made in front of her. “I’m not very hungry anymore, Daddy, so I’ll just eat this.” Joshua frowned as he looked at the cookies that were only slightly bigger than peanuts. “Is this enough?” Nellie pursed her lips, worried he would make her eat his terrible cooking, and hurriedly covered her plate. “I’m just a kid and I don’t eat much, so this is more than enough!” With that, she involuntarily looked at the black lumps on the table as a flash of terror passed through her eyes. Joshua read her every subtle movement and expression, and a trace of irritation appeared on his face. A few minutes later, the little girl finished all the biscuits. She put the plate down, smiled, and looked up at the tall man. “Daddy, I’m going upstairs for a nap!” Joshua got up, picked her up, and carried her upstairs. “I want to listen to the story of the little mermaid.” As she laid on the little pink bed, Nellie’s large, dewy eyes blinked at the man by her bedside. “Daddy, are you good at telling stories?” Joshua flipped through the fairy tale book. “Maybe.” After a while, the man frowned and began, “A long, long time ago, there was a sea, and a group of beautiful mermaids lived in the sea...” “Daddy.” The little girl raised her head to look at him. “You sound so fierce!” Joshua was slightly taken aback. He tried to soften his usual cold and deep voice, so he slowed down again, “One day, a little mermaid...” “Daddy, don’t you know how to tell stories?” The little girl flattened her lips as she muttered, aggrieved, “Nellie’s Daddy is so powerful, but he can’t tell stories...” Joshua fell silent as he sucked in a deep breath. “Let’s not listen to stories. Just go to sleep, okay?” “Not okay…” Tears started to roll down the Little Princess’s cheeks. “If I don’t listen to a story, I’ll get nightmares…” Joshua’s heart melted into a puddle as he gazed at the little girl’s teary-eyed face. He ruffled the girl’s hair lovingly. “I remember your mother doesn’t like to cry. This bad habit of yours, crying so easily, who did you get it from, hmm?” Nellie pouted. “Mommy likes to cry too. When I was younger, every time I woke up in the middle of the night, I’d see Mommy secretly wiping her tears.” The girl’s childish voice hit him as if something punched him in the gut. He stared at her in a daze, voice slightly husky, “Your Mommy… Does she cry often?” “Yeah.” Nellie pursed her lips. “But since Daddy said Mommy doesn’t like to cry, maybe you’re right. Maybe my bad habit of crying so easily is inherited from you, Daddy!” Joshua did not know whether to laugh or to cry. He said helplessly, “Daddy never cries.” Nellie leaned against the headboard of the bed as she wrung her small hands together, as if she hesitated to say something. After a moment, she raised her head, looked at his cold, stony face. “When Mommy left Daddy, did you not even cry then?” Joshua stiffened at her words. He looked at her meaningfully but said nothing else. A moment later, he stood up, “Go to sleep, I still have some work to do.” Nellie pursed her lips as her small hands clutched at the edges of her blanket. “But Daddy…” “Be good.” The man opened the door without looking back. “Daddy will find the right person to take care of you.” With that, the man took his long legs and walked away. Nellie laid on the small bed as she tossed and turned, worried and confused. What could she do? She seemed to have made her Daddy mad again... …… Luna prepared a simple lunch for Neil; she had no appetite at all. Even though Nellie kept sending messages to her saying she’s okay, it was the first time her daughter had left her side, and it worried her still. After lunch, Neil carried his bag and left. “Mommy, Auntie Anne is waiting for me downstairs. I’m going to school now!” Luna nodded as she sent him off downstairs. Neil had always been smart. Before returning, he had already signed himself up for a programming class specifically designed for children. The center was near Anne’s hospital, so she picked him up on the way to work. Luna felt safe as she sent her son to Anne. After all, they had been through life-and-death situations together. After sending Neil off, Luna returned home and cleared away the dishes, but just as she finished, the doorbell rang. She just moved in yesterday. Who would visit her? Did Neil forget something? She sighed helplessly and opened the door as she complained, “When will you be able to...” The words died on her throat the moment the door opened—a tall man stood outside. Joshua wore a gray windbreaker. He seemed aloof and indifferent. “Hello.” Different from the domineering attitude he displayed in Blue Bay Villa, he was surprisingly calm. “Ms. Luna, I’d like to have a chat with you.” Luna crossed her arms at her chest and leaned against the door as her eyes swept across his face calmly. “What about?” The corridors of the rental apartment were cramped and dark, and the wet smell mixed in the air made Joshua very uncomfortable. The man scrunched his eyebrows slightly. “Can we talk inside?” “No.” Luna changed her posture, blocking him. “Mr. Lynch, whatever you have to say, just say it here. “I’m a single woman, and I think it’s better for you not to come in, just in case you try to say that I’m plotting against you.” Joshua screwed his eyebrows tightly together at her words. She was the first woman who dared to talk to him like that, and this woman was a maid who applied to help him take care of his daughter! Under normal circumstances, he would turn around and walk away directly, warning her who she was dealing with. The circumstances were different, alas. He still remembered that the woman in front of him was Nellie’s favorite, thus he said again indifferently, “Luna, you’ve been hired. From now on, you’ll continue taking care of Nellie’s daily life.”