Chapter 714

“But I think you’re the best, most amazing person in the whole world!”

Marico’s heart softened. He looked up at Kristin, who was looking right back at him, her face full of concern.

“They don’t love you, but I love you.”

The words made Marico’s eyes sting. He quickly covered his face, pushing down the surge of emotion, and then forced a smile.

“It’s okay, I don’t care anymore. I’m a grown-up now. I don’t need love.”

“Grown-ups need love even more,” Kristin said, blinking. “Because being a grown- up is hard. When someone loves them, it makes all the hard work feel worth it.”

Marico felt his heart melting. “Who taught you that?”

“Nobody. But I see how hard my mommy works, so I tell her I love her every night. Oh! I have to call my mommy now.”

Realizing she hadn’t told her mom she loved her yet, Kristin quickly made a call on her smartwatch.

The call connected almost instantly. “Sweetheart, where are you?”

“I’m having dinner with my friend.”

“Was the movie good?”

“Yes, it was really good.”

“And are you having fun?”

“Lots of fun.”

Watching the little girl, Marico felt his heart soften completely. As he listened to her talk, a smile spread across his face, and his eyes filled with an affection so intense it felt like it would spill over. The feeling was completely foreign to him, and it made him deeply uncomfortable.

While she was on the phone with her mother, he slipped outside with a cigarette. The cold wind on his face helped cool the burning sensation in his chest.

How pathetic had he, Marico, become, that he had to seek warmth from a six-year- old child?

After finishing his cigarette, Marico went back inside, only to see a woman in her fifties sitting across from Kristin, questioning her.

“Your name is Kristin? How old are you?”

“Oh, you’re six. Who brought you here?”

“A friend? Where are your mommy and daddy?”

“Mommy’s at work, and I don’t have a daddy?”

“What do you mean you don’t have a daddy?”

Marico frowned. Although the woman was decked out in jewels, her line of questioning sounded suspiciously like she was a kidnapper.

“Ma’am, who are you?”

The woman shot to her feet when she saw Marico approaching. “And you are?” “I’m her father.”

“Her father?”

The woman paused, confused. “But the child said she doesn’t have a father.”

Kristin sensed something was wrong with the woman and grabbed Marico’s hand. “He is my daddy. You must have misheard me, ma’am.”

The woman, not ready to give up, asked again, “Is he really your father?”

“Yes.”

Marico glared at the woman. “If you’re still concerned, I can call the police and have

them confirm it for you.”

“No, that won’t be necessary.”

The woman waved her hands and

hurried away. Marico snorted. The mere mention of the police scared heroff, she was definitely up to no

good.

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The woman paused at the restaurant entrance, unable to stop herself from looking back.

“The resemblance is uncanny,” she muttered.

After a moment’s thought, she discreetly took a photo of Kristin and sent it to her

son.

“Hamilton found that little girl from

the photo She looks exactly like you

did as a child. How is that possible sure you didn’t have a fling

Are you

and the woman had the baby in

secret? Your baby?”

Hamilton was having drinks with Simon and some friends. When he received the photo from his mother, his brow furrowed. Reading her text, he fell into deep thought. .net

He had planned to take Kristin for a paternity test a while ago. Why hadn’t that happened?