Chapter 23
The sudden movement startled Paisley, who had been hiding behind the curtains. Instinctively, she covered her face.
‘Paisley? What’s she doing here? Nathan’s eyebrows raised in surprise. Then, he recalled Cassidy bursting into his office in a panic, exclaiming. “Paisley is missing” Suddenly, it all made sense to him.
Paisley peered through her fingers, only to see a pair of long, straight legs. Looking up, she met Nathan’s stern face, which instantly filled her with fear.
“Waah!” She gasped softly, her innocent doe–like eyes brimming with tears. Jayden’s dad looks so intimidating! Paisley thought to herself. Terrified by his stern expression, she nervously clasped her hands, tears welling up as she stared at him helplessly.
Seeing her frightened face, Nathan set the drawing aside and knelt down on one knee. Despite that, he still towered over her. “She’s so tiny, he thought.
Even with him kneeling. Paisley still had to look up at him. To her, Nathan, towering at six feet four inches, appeared colossal. Paisley instinctively felt fear, unconsciously clutching her collar with small hands, too scared to even cry. Tears glistened on her eyelashes as she gazed at him innocently, her back pressed against the curtain, unsure where to hide. ‘He looks so fierce, she sobbed silently.
Nathan studied Paisley’s delicate face, her innocent eyes looking up at him with silent accusation. Though he hadn’t done anything wrong, he felt an inexplicable sense of guilt, thinking. She looks like a helpless, pitiful little rabbit. How did she end up here, and why is she hiding?
Looking at her with a mix of surprise and scrutiny, Nathan found that her small face was roughly the size of his palm, with her large eyes taking up a significant portion of it.
Her eyelashes were curled and thick, resembling eyeliner from a distance. Her eyebrows were subtle yet neatly shaped, and despite her petite frame, her nose bridge was already well–defined.
Her hazel eyes, a rarity, shone brightly and seemed to convey deep expression. They contrasted beautifully with her creamy. skin, giving her the appearance of an exquisite doll, especially with those remarkably beautiful eyes. Yet, at that moment, she looked at him with a fearful expression.
Nathan reached out and held her hands gently with his long fingers. Her hand felt remarkably small in his, her skin delicate and fragile, as though it could be injured with the gentlest touch.
Paisley was scared, yanking her hand back but unable to break free. Her anxiety grew as she inched farther into the corner, her lips turning into a worried pout, trembling a bit
Nathan frowned, unaware that the slight arch of his sharp eyebrows only intensified her nervousness, causing her tears to flow even more freely. As she tugged awkwardly at her hand, a crystal bracelet slipped off with a snap, clanging to the ground.
She hurriedly bent down to retrieve it, but Nathan reached it first. Paisley widened her eyes warily and began to whimper with anxious concern. Looking at the bracelet in Nathan’s hand, she eagerly reached out, then withdrew timidly, her brow furrowed in distress.
After a tense silence, she finally summoned the courage to speak up. “T–That’s mine… Her voice was soft and remarkably pleasant to the ear.
Somehow, Nathan felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest. She was Cassidy and Josiah’s child, so he should have felt some aversion. Yet, as he looked into her eyes, he had no negative feelings toward her. “What’s your name?” he asked, even though he already knew it
Paisley just pursed her lips.
“Don’t want to share?” Nathan prompted further.
“I can’t tell you,” Paisley responded.
“Why not?” Nathan asked curiously.
“Mommy says not to tell strangers my name,” Paisley explained.
Nathan smirked slightly. “If you don’t tell me, I won’t give this back to you.”
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Chapter 23
Paisley tried to reason with him. “It’s mine. Mommy bought it for me. You can’t take my things.”
Seeing her earnest face, Nathan instinctively raised his hand, intending to ruffle her hair.
But that simple gesture startled Paisley once more, causing her to burst into tears unexpectedly.
Nathan’s hand froze in mid–air, his eyes wide with surprise. He hadn’t expected her to be so timid or to break down so quickly.
Footsteps neared the study door. Jayden, carrying a mirror, approached. He quickened his pace upon hearing Paisley’s distressed cries and spotting the open door.
Arriving at the doorway, Jayden found Paisley was cornered by Nathan, her innocent eyes filled with tears. Anger surged within him. He swiftly positioned himself between Nathan and Paisley, casting a cold glance at Nathan.
Nathan had never seen such a chilling expression directed at him from Jayden before.
“You bullied Paisley?” Jayden couldn’t believe that Nathan had pushed her to tears.
Nathan looked at him quietly before inquiring. “Why is she here?”
Jayden hesitated, struggling to explain. After school, Paisley had followed him, gripping his hand and pleading to stay with him. No one at the Howell residence knew about that. He secretly brought her to the study and hid her there as she was scared of strangers.
Observing Jayden’s silence, Nathan pieced together the situation. Rising abruptly, he nonchalantly set the bracelet on the table. “So, you brought the little one home. Won’t her folks be worried?”
Jayden lowered his head and realized the gravity of the situation. He cared deeply for Paisley, despite his difficulty expressing it verbally.
Nathan discovered and was also somewhat surprised. He hadn’t expected Jayden to form a close bond with anyone besides him, let alone stand up for her. “T’ll take her back later, Nathan stated.
“All right, Jayden agreed.
Nathan tousled Jayden’s hair gently. “Take her out to the backyard to play.”
“Got it,” Jayden responded, turning to Paisley. “Let’s head out to the yard.”
Paisley obediently took Jayden’s hand and followed him to the back garden.
Meanwhile, Nathan retrieved his phone and dialed Cassidy’s number. The call disconnected immediately. Frowning, he tried again, only to encounter another disconnection. On the third attempt, the call failed completely, indicating that he had been blocked. Nathan’s expression darkened instantly,
