Chapter 14

Marissa was momentarily stunned, then displayed a look of confusion.

Theodore leaned against the doorway, one hand in his pocket, his face calm and unreadable as he waited for her to speak.

Marissa's eyes moved from him to the little girl holding tightly onto her leg.

"My daughter?" she repeated. Her calm tone sounded less like a question and more like a quiet confirmation.

The man on the floor wouldn't stop yelling, his voice grating on her nerves.

Marissa's patience snapped, and she kicked him again,harder this time.

Theodore's face betrayed no surprise He watched calmly as Marissa kicked the man so forcefully he couldn't even roll over.

Marissa had planned to knock the idiot out cold with a solid kick.

But whether it was his stubbornness or her restraint to keep things from getting messy, the man only howled

in pain instead of blacking out

She hesitated, wondering if she should give him another one just to finish the job.

Before she could decide, the little girl toddled over and, trying to copy Marissa, lifted her tiny foot to kick the man too.

Her balance wobbled, and as she raised her short leg,she started tipping backward.

Marissa didn't move until the very last moment. When the girl was about to fall, she casually reached out,grabbed her by the back of her collar, and hauled her upright.

"Don't cause trouble," she said flatly.

"Mommy?" The girl wriggled as the collar held her in place. Seeing Theodore, her almond-shaped eyes widened."Daddy!"

Her call of "Daddy" came out louder and clearer than her earlier "Mommy."

She stretched her chubby arms toward Theodore,trying to reach him.

Marissa blinked once, then tilted her head toward Theodore.

"Your daughter?" she asked, carrying the girl as she

walked closer to him. "Here"

Her tone was calm, but a faint chill lingered in her eyes.

Whether he accepted the girl or not didn't matter to her. Once the child was within reach, Marissa released her hold and stepped back, making it clear she wanted no part in the matter.

But Theodore unexpectedly stepped away, and the little girl dropped toward the floor with a startled cry.

A nurse gasped and turned her head away; she couldn't bear to watch what happened next.

"Daddy?" the girl called again.

Standing between Theodore and Marissa, she looked at him, who ignored her entirely.

Then she turned to Marissa, who remained just as indifferent.

Her small face scrunched in frustration, her eyes darting between them like she couldn't decide who to be angry at first.

"The man is a human trafficker?" Theodore finally broke the silence, his eyes scanning the prone man.

"I'm not sure," Marissa replied calmly, taking out her phone. She noticed the earlier call had already ended but didn't bother to call back. Instead, she quickly

drafted a message to report the incident to the police.

The man was stunned.

Marissa hadn't even confirmed if he was a human trafficker, yet he had already been beaten.

"I'm not a human trafficker!" he shouted, panic flashing in his eyes as he stared at Marissa. "She's my daughter!"

His tone was desperate, but no one responded,

Theodore studied the man impassively for a moment before turning to Marissa. "Did you contact the police?" he asked.

The man's jaw dropped. They were talking about calling the police right in front of him, like he wasn't even there.

"I said I'm not a human trafficker! That's my daughter!"he yelled again, but it was as if his words fell into a void.

No one acknowledged him.

"Yes," Marissa replied, giving her phone a small shake.

Theodore glanced over at Wilbur, who immediately caught on.

He made a call right away.

Within moments, a few burly men in black suits emerged, moved swiftly toward the thug, and covered his mouth before dragging him away.

Marissa rubbed her wrist and watched quietly as the man was dragged off. Those bodyguards looked capable and probably packed quite a punch,too

She wouldn't mind having a few of them under her command.

Pulling herself from the thought, she decided there was no point in wasting another second on that man.Once he was out of sight, she turned to head back toward the ward with Theodore.

Wilbur, meanwhile, had crouched down, intending to hand the little girl to the nearby nurse

But the nurse shook her head quickly, stepping back in alarm. "She's not mine!" she blurted.

"Put out an announcement," Wilbur suggested. "Her parents are probably still somewhere in the hospital."

Judging by the girl's neat outfit and accessories,she clearly belonged to a well-off family.

The nurse hesitated, clearly terrified of getting involved. "You should come with me instead!"

"Wilbur,"

Wilbur turned at the sound of his name and saw Andrew walking toward him.

"Mr. Curtis," Wilbur greeted him respectfully.

"This child..." Andrew leaned closer, studying the girl's face.It looked strangely familiar.

"Your sister saved her from a suspected human trafficker," Wilbur explained briefly.

Before Andrew could respond, the little girl suddenly squirmed in Wilbur's arms, reaching eagerly toward Theodore.

Wilbur reacted fast, instinctively tightening his hold before she could slip away, but the girl pouted, pushing against him with surprising strength for her size.

Marissa chuckled softly and gave the girl's chubby cheek a playful pinch.

The child's lips trembled instantly, tears welling up as if she were about to burst into a loud cry.

"Miss Curtis!" Wilbur's patience was wearing thin He gave her a helpless look before shifting his gaze toward Theodore for help.

"I wasn't rough," Marissa said coolly "Maybe you should hand her to the police. Or is she Theodore's secret daughter?"

Her voice carried a teasing edge. In dramas and novels, men like Theodore' always seemed to have some hidden child appear out of nowhere.

"That's a terrible misunderstanding," Wilbur blurted,quickly setting the little girl down on the sofa. "Mr.Brooks has never had any relationships."

"Oh." Maríssa's reply was flat, her interest fading as fast as it came.

Her eyes roamed over Theodore, studying every detail,but she found nothing that hinted at a flaw So why hadn't he ever been with a woman?

Then she looked him squarely in the eye and asked without hesitation, "Are you impotent?"

A ghost of a smirk touched Theodore's lips."Would you like to find out yourself?"

His calmness only made him more intimidating. The sharp lines of his features gave off a cold, powerful presence that made it hard for anyone to look him in the eye.

He slowly moved to stand up, his every action carrying quiet strength.