Chapter Three : An Unexpected Protector
1142 Words
When he said ‘like’, the little boy sounded a bit shy.
Anya Fairfax hadn’t expected to be ‘confessed’ to by a child she’d just met.
But who could resist such a soft little bundle?
Especially since this little one had just helped her.
Anya smiled warmly, readjusted her hold on him, and agreed, “Alright, I won’t put you down then.”
Her easy compliance made the little boy’s cheeks flush pink. He looked unbearably adorable.
The bodyguards witnessing this exchanged looks of utter astonishment.
This was the first time the Young Master had ever shown such closeness to a strange woman…
Unaware of the shock he’d caused, the little boy, comfortably nestled in Anya’s arms, turned his gaze back to Brenda Greene. His small face was serious again. “I said, apologize to the auntie!”
The bodyguard immediately tightened his grip on Brenda.
“Ow! Ow…”
Brenda’s face turned ashen with pain. She couldn’t break free.
She felt that if she resisted further, she might lose her hand today.
Reluctantly, she capitulated. “S-sorry! I apologize, alright?!”
The little boy snorted coldly. “That’s more like it.”
He then signaled for the bodyguard to release her.
Brenda, thoroughly intimidated, scrambled back to the far corner of the room, her earlier bravado completely gone.
Anya smiled faintly, deciding it wasn’t worth further confrontation. She carried the little boy out of the break room.
Outside, she thanked him. “Thank you for standing up for me just now, sweetheart.”
The little boy shook his head, his voice sweet and earnest. “You’re welcome! It was nothing! I just couldn’t stand how that person was talking to you!”
Anya chuckled, ruffling his hair. “What are you doing at the hospital? Where’s your family?”
The little boy answered readily, his voice soft and clear. “They’re here. Daddy’s sick and came to see a doctor. I heard a super amazing ‘Hand of Healing’ has come to the hospital, someone who can cure anything! So I came with him! Auntie, are you the ‘Hand of Healing’?”
As he spoke, his gaze held a strange hopefulness, as if he desperately wanted Anya to be that miracle doctor.
Seeing his expression, Anya smiled. “I’m not sure, but I did just arrive here today.”
Hearing this, the little boy’s face lit up with joy. He clapped his hands together. “Then it must be you! Daddy’s been to this hospital many times before, and they couldn’t cure him. The director told Daddy the famous ‘Hand of Healing’ was coming, so that’s why we’re here today…”
His expression grew excited. He clutched Anya’s shirt. “Auntie, can you help my daddy get better?”
He’d just heard how amazing she was—she had to be able to cure Daddy!
Anya’s expression faltered slightly.
“Auntie… you can’t?”
“Well… I could,” she hedged, “but I’d need to know what illness your daddy has, how severe it is now. Only after understanding can I say for sure if I can help!”
The little boy nodded vigorously, whether he understood or not. “Auntie is so amazing, you definitely can! I’ll call Daddy right now…”
He rummaged in his little backpack and pulled out a phone.
As he retrieved it, he noticed several missed calls from his father.
He’d been too distracted earlier.
The little boy hurriedly called back…
The call connected instantly. Because of their proximity, Anya clearly heard the deep, chillingly familiar voice on the other end: “Henry Beaumont, where did you run off to?”
Hearing that voice, Anya froze completely.
Unless she was mistaken…
That was… Xavier Beaumont’s voice???
Little Henry didn’t notice Anya’s shock. He answered in his sweet, childish tone. “I got bored waiting there, so I went for a little walk. Daddy, I have great news! I met a super amazing doctor auntie! I’ve already convinced her to help you get better!”
His voice was bright with excitement as he shared the good news.
Anya felt her scalp prickle. Her emotions were a tangled mess.
No wonder the little boy had looked familiar!
He was Xavier Beaumont’s son!
The man’s son was already this big…
If she’d known the ‘daddy’ he referred to was him, she would never have agreed!
Just then, little Henry finished giving his location.
Xavier’s voice, devoid of inflection, replied, “Wait there.”
The call ended.
Little Henry put his phone away and turned to Anya. “Beautiful Auntie, my daddy is coming right away!”
Anya’s heart churned with conflicting emotions. After a long hesitation, she finally spoke. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I might have to take back what I promised earlier. I just remembered I have to leave in a couple of days. I’m not from here. I only came to Coastal City for this surgery as a favor to a friend. So… treating your daddy… I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it.”
“Huh?”
The little boy’s face instantly fell. He pressed urgently, “Beautiful Auntie is leaving? Where?”
“Home. I’m not from this city. So, I’m truly sorry…”
Anya’s voice was filled with genuine regret. “Thank you so much for helping me today. Let me give you a little gift as a thank you.”
She took a small crystal airplane keychain from her bag—exquisitely made and quite valuable—and handed it to him.
The little boy accepted the gift but didn’t look happy.
Anya couldn’t dwell on it. Once he had the keychain, she said goodbye. “I have things to do, so I need to go now. Bye!”
Without waiting for a response, she hurried away…
It wasn’t that she truly had urgent business; she simply had zero desire to see Xavier.
Her trip to Coastal City wasn’t just for the surgery; she was also here for a company research project.
Her biological father’s surname was Hawthorne. He was the head of the Hawthorne family—the premier medical dynasty in the capital.
The Hawthorne family built its fortune on medicine. Their holdings spanned medicinal herbs, medical equipment, hospitals, pharmaceutical research—everything related to healthcare.
A pharmaceutical research project at the branch company here had encountered problems, requiring her intervention.
So Anya would be staying in the city for a while, until the issues were resolved, before returning to the capital.
Even though she was revisiting old ground, she’d never intended to get entangled with people from her past.
Hence the white lie to the little boy.
The events in Coastal City felt like a distant memory.
Her life now was good. She didn’t want any connection to those people or those times…
- Writer
