Surrogate Mom, Rescuer Dad

Chapter 6 Your Eyes Are Beautiful

"I'm sorry, Mr. Molan. I apologize for my attitude earlier." Leah twisted her fingers nervously, lowering her head.

She had felt Enzo's overwhelming presence before—it was nothing like the brutal dominance of the prison guards. His power was more like that of a panther ready to strike, paralyzing her with just a single look.

Her gaze drifted to Elisa. Somehow, seeing the little girl gave Leah the courage to speak again.

During her time at the Molan Mansion caring for Elisa, she had barely seen Enzo spend time with his daughter.

Elisa was only three years old, battling a terrible illness, and this was when she needed her parents the most. Leah didn't know what had happened to Elisa's mother, but as a father, Enzo was failing miserably.

Enzo was still surprised by Leah's fierce defense of Elisa, completely unaware that after apologizing, she was silently cursing him in her mind.

He thought back to the look she had given him earlier. Suddenly, he took a step forward, closing the distance between them. He then bent down slightly, locking eyes with her.

Leah stiffened in shock, her back going rigid.

Elisa was right there, so even if he was going to hit her, he'd do it away from the child, right?

During her prison days, Leah had gotten used to being hit for any reason, so when Enzo raised his hand towards her, she instinctively closed her eyes.

But Enzo didn't hit her. Instead, his fingers brushed lightly near her eye, the pad of his thumb grazing her eyelashes.

Leah flinched and opened her eyes in surprise.

His face seemed to soften for a moment, his sharp eyes showing a flicker of curiosity.

"Mr. Molan?" Leah whispered.

"Your eyes are beautiful."

Enzo stared into her eyes, feeling a strange sense of familiarity. Upon closer inspection, he realized her eyes were strikingly similar to Elisa's. They were like beautiful gems, full of clarity and vulnerability when they widened.

Leah's heart began to race under Enzo's intense gaze. In her 24 years of life, she had never experienced anything like this before.

"Sir."

A voice broke the moment, snapping Leah back to her senses. She clenched her fists in embarrassment. What had she been thinking just now?

Andrew stood respectfully at the doorway. "The car is ready."

Enzo nodded, his gaze lingering on Leah's flushed ears. With a smirk that he quickly concealed, he said, "I'll be accompanying you to the hospital for your follow-up today. Go change and meet us downstairs."

As she left the room, Leah overheard Enzo telling Elisa, "Your mom's coming back. She'll meet us directly at the hospital."

Elisa's delighted squeals spurred Leah into action, and she rushed to her room to change clothes quickly.

Elisa was probably eager to see her mother, and Leah didn't want to keep them waiting.

Enzo rode with Elisa in one car, while Andrew joined Leah in another.

Once at the hospital, they split up into different departments, and Andrew left Leah in the care of the nurses before returning to Enzo.

The check-up didn't take long. With Andrew's approval, Leah found herself sitting quietly on a bench in the hospital's garden, waiting for them to finish.

She figured they would need more time together now that Elisa's mother had returned.

Leah watched from afar as a young couple played with their child, who looked to be about three or four years old. She couldn't help but smile as she thought of Elisa's tear-filled face during her shots. With both parents by her side, Elisa probably wouldn't fear the pain anymore.

As the child ran after a butterfly, she tripped and fell with a thud. The little girl's lips quivered, but before she could start crying, her mother scooped her up, soothing her softly until the girl began to giggle again.

The mother gently brushed the dirt off the child's clothes and exchanged a smile with the father. The couple whispered something to each other, then each took one of the child's hands, and the family strolled out of the garden, laughing together.

Watching the happy family walk away, Leah felt an uncontrollable pang of envy in her chest.

Her mother had died in childbirth, so Leah had grown up with her grandparents. While her father, George Anderson, had shown her affection, he rarely came to see her.

"Leah?"

The unexpected voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She frowned slightly and slowly turned her head, only to see two familiar faces.

Standing not far away were her stepsister Kathy Anderson and her ex-fiancé Edward Duran.

It was the first time Leah had seen them since she was imprisoned three years ago.

Kurt, the bodyguard Andrew had assigned to her, was nearby. When he spotted Kathy and Edward, he immediately started to approach Leah, but she shook her head slightly.

He hesitated before stepping back, giving her space.

Kathy, arm-in-arm with Edward, strutted towards Leah with her chin held high, looking like a proud peacock.

"My mom said you were released on medical parole, and I didn't believe her. But look at you, my dear little sister. What kind of shameful illness did you come down with to get sent to the hospital?"

Kathy never had anything nice to say. Ever since their father had brought Kathy and her mother into their home, Leah had treated her stepfamily with kindness. In return, Kathy had repaid her with tons of insults and schemes.

Leah glanced at Edward, the man who had once followed her around, showering her with affection. No matter how many times she rejected him, he would insist on acting like her devoted fiancé.

Yet when the Gatlin Group's finances collapsed, and she needed his help, he disappeared. When she was framed and sent to prison by Kathy and her stepmother, Edward publicly claimed they had never had any relationship.

Now he was dating Kathy?

Edward couldn't bring himself to meet Leah's eyes. He dropped his gaze and instinctively stepped behind Kathy.

Kathy shot him an annoyed glare before turning her venom back on Leah.

"What are you staring at? You've been without a man for three years in prison—getting desperate, huh? Well, let me tell you, Edward is my fiancé now. Wipe that slutty look off your face before I have someone gouge your eyes out! That will be the end of the world for you!"