Chapter 41
Chapter 41: Good Memories
Moana
“I’m sure he’ll visit soon,” I said, quickly blinking away the tears that came to my eyes when ra
asked so innocently about Edricking to visit the orphanage.
Neither ra nor E seemed to notice my emotional demeanor, and ra burst out into cheers. I
watched with a smile as they ran off to continue ying. Sophia chuckled behind me.
“The children really do like him,” she said, taking a sip of her tea. “I honestly thought that he was just
another emotionless drone, focused solely on business, but he’s really much more than that. It seems
that our cookie baking session might have softened him a bit.”
I nodded thoughtfully, thinking back to the day that we all baked cookies in this very kitchen. Edrick had
begun that day so coldly and had been so distant from the children, but he eventually warmed up to
them as we spent the day together. I realized that day that the Alpha billionaire actually did like
children, although I wasn’t certain if he would ever admit it. Secretly, I wished that he would be so warm
toward me at home, despite the termination of our sleeping arrangement.
Finally, I was broken free from my thoughts by Sophia once again. She gave me a concerned look as
she raised her cup of tea to her lips. “Are you sure you’re alright?” she said. “Are you sick?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m really fine. Just a little tired today, that’s all.” I took thest sip of my tea then
and stood. “Thank you for the tea. I’m going to y with the children for a while, if that’s alright.”
Sophia nodded and shot me a smile, although I could tell that she didn’t entirely believe me when I said
that I was fine. Before she could inquire further, however, I returned to the yroom and spent the
afternoon with the children.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.
E and I, as well as the other children, had a wonderful afternoon that day. We spent the day ying
hide and seek, having tea parties, and doing arts and crafts, and by the end of the day E had made
quite a few friends. She couldn’t stop chattering about ra and all of her other friends for the entire
ride home, and continued to chatter all the way up the elevator to the penthouse.
When the elevator doors opened and we walked into the dining room, Edrick was already home and
was sitting at the dining table with a cup of coffee and a stack of what looked like financial reports.
“Daddy!” E eximed when she saw him. She bounced up to him with a surprising amount of energy
after having spent the entire day ying. I watched from the doorway as Edrick smiled and scooped
her up into hisp. “Guess where I went today?” she asked.
“Hm,” Edrick said, his eyes flickering over to me only momentarily before returning to E. “I don’t
know. Where did you go today?”
“Moana took me to the orphanage!”
There was a moment of silence, and during that moment, I thought for sure that Edrick was going to
say something to indicate dissatisfaction with the fact that I took E to the orphanage. While I did tell
Selina where I was going, I didn’t necessarily ask Edrick for permission, and so I braced myself for a
scolding.
Much to my relief, however, Edrick only smiled at E.
“Did she, now?” Edrick asked. “And how was it? Did you make new friends?”
“Mhm!” E replied. “I made lots of friends, and we yed games all day. I even made one new best
friend named ra. Look! We made friendship bracelets.” E held out her tiny wrist to show off her
new friendship bracelet that she made with ra using colorful beads and string.
“Oh, wow,” Edrick replied, feigning fascination with the simple little trinket. “I’m sure you’d like to see
ra again.”
I couldn’t help but smile as I watched Edrick with E. It was heartwarming to see him being so sweet
and kind with E, and to see him being so open about her new friends. As far as I was aware, E had
rarely spent time with other children outside of her training sessions and the asional family
gathering. It was important for any child to have plenty of opportunities to socialize and y with other
kids.
As I watched Edrick and E together, however, I noticed that his eyes darted over to me one more
time — and they were not nearly as warm and open as they were with E. They weren’t angry or
bitter, but simply rather cold and indifferent. It was both unsettling and painful to see him look at me in
such a way after our history together.
Meanwhile, E only continued to prattle on about the orphanage, entirely oblivious to the energy
between myself and her father right now. “Daddy? ra said that she knows you,” she said. Edrick’s
gaze returned to her and warmed instantly. He nodded.
“Daddy!” E aximad whan sha saw him. Sha bouncad up to him with a surprising amount of anargy
aftar having spant tha antira day ying. I watchad from tha doorway as Edrick smd and scoopad
har up into hisp. “Guass whara I want today?” sha askad.
“Hm,” Edrick said, his ayas flickaring ovar to ma only momantarily bafora raturning to E. “I don’t
know. Whara did you go today?”
“Moana took ma to tha orphanaga!”
Thara was a momant of snca, and during that momant, I thought for sura that Edrick was going to
say somathing to indicata dissatisfaction with tha fact that I took E to tha orphanaga. Wh I did tall
Salina whara I was going, I didn’t nacassarily ask Edrick for parmission, and so I bracad mysalf for a
scolding.
Much to my raliaf, howavar, Edrick only smd at E.
“Did sha, now?” Edrick askad. “And how was it? Did you maka naw friands?”
“Mhm!” E rapliad. “I mada lots of friands, and wa yad gamas all day. I avan mada ona naw bast
friand namad ra. Look! Wa mada friandship bracts.” E hald out har tiny wrist to show off har
naw friandship bract that sha mada with ra using colorful baads and string.
“Oh, wow,” Edrick rapliad, faigning fascination with tha sim lit trinkat. “I’m sura you’d lika to saa
ra again.”
I couldn’t halp but sm as I watchad Edrick with E. It was haartwarming to saa him baing so swaat
and kind with E, and to saa him baing so opan about har naw friands. As far as I was awara, E had
raraly spant tima with othar childran outsida of har training sassions and tha asional family
gatharing. It was important for any child to hava nty of opportunitias to socializa and y with othar
kids.
As I watchad Edrick and E togathar, howavar, I noticad that his ayas dartad ovar to ma ona mora
tima — and thay wara not naarly as warm and opan as thay wara with E. Thay waran’t angry or
bittar, but simply rathar cold and indiffarant. It was both unsattling and painful to saa him look at ma in
such a way aftar our history togathar.
Maanwh, E only continuad to prat on about tha orphanaga, antiraly oblivious to tha anargy
batwaan mysalf and har fathar right now. “Daddy? ra said that sha knows you,” sha said. Edrick’s
gaza raturnad to har and warmad instantly. Ha noddad.
“Yes. I know all of the children there. In fact, I went there not long ago with Moana, and had a nice time
baking cookies.” As Edrick spoke, his face seemed to soften once again. It seemed as though the cold
CEO was actually looking back on the day we spent there fondly, which was surprising, and when he
finished speaking, his eyesnded on me once more. I could sense a hint of what almost seemed like
mncholic nostalgia behind his gaze, which lingered on mine for a few aching moments, before he
quickly looked away once more. Could he not look at me for five seconds without looking away?
“Can I go back to the orphanage, daddy?” E pleaded. “I really want to see my friends again.”
Suddenly, I had an idea; maybe the Alpha billionaire just needed another nice day out with the children
to calm his nerves. “I’m nning on going back next Sunday,” I finally chimed in, stepping forward.
“Maybe we could all go together.”
Just then, Edrick’s entire demeanor changed. He set E back on the floor, then pushed his chair back
and stood. “That’s alright,” he said, shuffling his papers together and gathering them along with his
coffee. “I’ll go on my own time, when I’m free. There’s no need for all of us to go at once, and besides:
you don’t need to wait around for me to have a day off in order to go and visit your friends.”
E seemed somewhat satisfied with Edrick’s response, but I was not; I knew that he wasn’t telling the
full truth. The Edrick who I hade to know on that day that we baked cookies would have dly
taken time off of work to visit the orphanage with his daughter so she would y with her friends. There
was another reason why he was refusing to go as a trio with us, and I was entirely certain that reason
was me.
I watched as he turned on his heel and began walking toward his office. In my mind, I already began to
contemte why he was acting like this with me. Hadn’t we ended our sleeping arrangement
amicably? Why, then, was he taking so much care to avoid me like the gue?
All I knew as I fed E dinner and got her ready for bed that night was that I had to test the waters and
see if it truly was me that he was avoiding, or if it was something else.