Why was he here?
Nora was wondering about that when Joel walked over. There was also surprise on his countenance as he asked, “Why are you here?”
Nora raised her eyebrows and answered ambiguously, “I’m a doctor. Why are you here, though, Mr. Smith?”
She was a doctor?
Joel narrowed his eyes a little and looked at the operating room.
Anti had an operation here today, so he had especially rushed over here to ask Anti to treat his uncle’s illness.
Due to Anti’s presence, only one operation had been arranged on this particular floor.
Since she was here, then didn’t that mean that she just met Anti?
Joel’s gaze returned to the operating room. The operation should have ended by now, right?
He didn’t have any more time to spend going back and forth with Nora, so he nodded and replied, “I’m here to look for someone.”
After he said that, the doors to the operating room opened.
Michael walked out with the others. Joel strode over to them right away.
Michael had already finished the sutures long ago. The operation went perfectly.
Nora had only left after she was informed about it.
At the sight of Joel walking toward the operating room, Nora strode off and left.
She could finally go home and have good sleep now.
Joel didn’t pay any more attention to her. Instead, he went straight to Michael and said, “Hello, Anti.”
Michael, “?”
He took off his surgical mask and stared at Joel in astonishment. “I’m not Anti.”
Joel was taken aback. “Then where’s Anti?”
“Anti has already left a long time ago.”
“What?”
Joel broke into a frown. He was already here when the operation was nearing its end and had been waiting outside the whole time. The only person that left at the end of the operation had been…
Just as Joel’s suspicions were starting to develop, Michael thought of how Nora hadn’t wanted to reveal her identity, so he said, “Yes, Mr. Anti has already left.”
Mister?
Was Anti male?
This wasn’t that surprising, though. Most surgeons were men.
Joel frowned. Although his uncle’s diagnosis hadn’t yet been confirmed, it would always be safer if they could find Anti.
He didn’t expect to actually miss him.
He heaved a sigh, left the operating room, and went downstairs. When he entered the car park, he happened to see the familiar jeep driving past him in front.
He glanced at it—the young woman in the driver’s seat stared straight ahead. As though she was in a rush to go home, she didn’t even glance at him when she passed by.
Joel shook his head and got into the car.
“Are you going home, Mr. Smith?” asked the chauffeur.
“I’m going to pick up Mia.”
“Okay.”
The chauffeur started the car and drove to the Golden Sunshine Kindergarten.
On the way there, Joel turned his head to the side and stared into the distance. The amicable look on his face had long since disappeared, and he fell silent. He had been sending and picking Mia up from school himself lately, but he hadn’t seen her ever again…
When he asked Mia about it, she said that Ms. Turner was still working in the kindergarten. So, did that mean that he hadn’t seen her because she was hiding from him?
—
At the kindergarten.
The last lesson of the day was a dance class.
The kindergarten’s anniversary celebrations would be held in a few days. They would be performing on stage during the celebrations, so they had arranged extra dance classes recently.
Pete pulled a long face and danced expressionlessly with the rest of the children.
Fortunately for him, kids’ dances didn’t differentiate between boys and girls, but even so, he still felt a slight sense of embarrassment welling up in him.
Because!
He had to wear a skirt in the dance!
Pete couldn’t help but heave a huge sigh while he danced.
Was Cherry so happy being with Daddy that she had forgotten about returning? To think they hadn’t switched back yet! Should this go on any longer, he would become a little dancing genius very soon!
After another round of practice, Tanya clapped her hands and told the children to have a quick rest where they were.
Pete needed to take a leak, so he got up and walked over to the bathroom outside.
As soon as he exited the dance studio, he spotted a little fellow dancing outside the door.
Mia was frail, so she never attended any of the sports and dance classes. Yet, she was tiptoeing and gently turning her body at the moment.
It was the dance that they were doing just now.
Pete walked over. Seemingly having spotted him, Mia stopped moving. She stared at him with her big eyes and small oval-shaped face and said, “You guys looked great dancing just now, Cherry!”
“…”
Pete kept quiet for a while. Then, he asked, “Why are you here?”
The little Mia lowered her head and twiddled her thumbs. “I… I was too bored.”
There were also painting lessons and writing lessons being conducted elsewhere during the dance lesson, yet Mia hadn’t gone there but came over here to secretly watch them dance instead…
Pete suddenly understood something. He asked, “Do you like dancing?”
Mia hesitated for a moment before she nodded. However, she also shook her head right after that.
Her timid appearance was such that even Pete, who had never been one to be meddlesome, couldn’t help but ask another question, “Do you like it or not?”
Mia had always been an introverted child who kept everything inside her.
But for some reason, when the one she was facing was the little boy version of Cherry, she was able to speak up. She replied, “I do, but my mommy doesn’t allow me to dance.”
Mia sadly hung her head a little.
She had always liked dancing, and could never resist dancing along whenever she heard music.
Yet, her mother had claimed that she wasn’t in good health and forbade her from learning.
The doctor had obviously said before that they could consider letting her exercise and train her body, so why was Mommy always stopping her from exercising?
While Mia was puzzling over this, Pete suddenly took her hand, walked into the dance studio, and went up to Tanya. Then, he said to Mia, “Dance the routine from just now.”
Tanya, “?”
Mia, “?”
Mia glanced at Tanya cautiously and then at Pete.
Seemingly having received encouragement, the timid girl performed the dance in front of Tanya.
Tanya’s eyes lit up.
To be honest, all these years, she had been wanting to take an apprentice and let them participate in competitions in the future.
However, she had never found a suitable candidate.
She didn’t expect the young Mia to be so talented in dancing!
She was practically the best dancer among all the children in the class!
Moreover, she was born with a small frame and was flexible, which made her very suitable for dancing!
Tanya gazed at her and asked, “Do you want to learn to dance?”
Mia looked at Pete.
Pete nodded at her.
Mia nodded fiercely. “Yeah!”
Tanya became tempted at once, and she almost blurted out the question ‘Are you willing to learn from me?’.
But when she thought of Mia’s identity, she hesitated for a very long time before she finally heaved a sigh and got onto her feet. She ultimately didn’t say anything.
She was that man’s daughter; Tanya mustn’t take her as an apprentice. Otherwise, she would end up becoming entangled with him again.
The school bell just so happened to ring at this point, so Tanya said, “Alright, let’s go back to your respective classes and get ready to go home!”
The students scattered and left. Mia was the only one who kept looking back at her.
Tanya steeled her heart and looked away.
At the entrance of the kindergarten.
Joel’s cell phone rang while he was waiting for Mia. Quentin’s voice came from the other end when he answered.
“The DNA test report is out.”