He called her over and introduced, âThis is Mr. Peeple, the investor of Stardust. If you join Stardust, you will inevitably interact with him frequently. Please greet him.â
Helena gestured towards Larry and greeted, âHello, Mr. Peeple.â
Larry nodded. âYouâre very beautiful. Once the news gets out, it will certainly create a huge wave of excitement.â
Recalling the recent argument among the young men, Helena gave a bitter smile and said, âThey must be cursing me fervently.â
Mallory chuckled. âIf you want to step onto the stage, thereâs bound to be malice. Itâs best to just bear with it.â
Larry pulled out an invitation and said, âThis is from the boss of Stardust. On the day of your performance, I will be there to watch your competition.â
Helena was quite grateful. âThank you, Mr. Peeple. Iâve heard about the mysterious financial backer of Stardust for a long time, but I didnât expect you to be so pleasant to deal with.â
However, it was out of respect for Mallory.
Larry stood with his hands behind his back. âActually, Iâm not the initial investor in this projectâ¦â
Halfway through his speech, he glanced in the direction where Mallory had been looking earlier. The figure by the window had already disappeared. He sighed almost inaudibly. âForget about it. Itâs nothing.â
Mallory listened to their conversation when suddenly, a small figure appeared in her peripheral vision.
She focused her gaze and saw Grape sitting on the doorstep. Her chubby face was a mix of fear and anxiety as she looked at them, unsure whether she should enter or not.
âWhere did this child come from?â Mallory rose to her feet.
Taken aback, Helena looked around in surprise. âGrape! How did you manage to follow me here?â
Upon closer inspection, there was no one following her, which meant she had gone off on her own.
Upon seeing the strangers, Grape said in a soft voice, âI want to be with you, Hellie. I donât want to be with the boys.â
For a moment, Helena didnât know what to say. Faced with Malloryâs questioning, she was at a loss for a response. âThis⦠Actually, I also donât know whose child this isâ¦â
Helena had only met Josie once, so she didnât even know Josieâs name.
Mallory, impatient, slapped her forehead. âTell the hotel to help find the childâs parents.â
However, when she looked closely, she felt a sense of familiarity with the child. âThose large, sparkling eyes look like someoneâ¦â
Larry seemed to also find some resemblance. He exchanged a glance with her, and in the end, shook his head, implying that it was impossible.
âMr. Peeple.â
At that moment, a deep male voice resonated. Grape turned towards the source of the sound, only to see a tall, aloof man standing at the doorway. His gaze was intense, and the way his eyes fell upon her was dangerously captivating.
Yet, there was an inexplicable allure.
Grape couldnât take her eyes off him. He was truly handsome. She had never seen a man as attractive as him before.
Helena was also taken aback. She hadnât expected to encounter such a character there.
Larry quickly turned around. âMr. Russell, sheâs a lost child. Iâll have someone handle it immediately.â
It was Dexter.
He stood under the spring sun, bathed in slanted sunlight, gazing at the child for a long while.
Surprisingly, the child was not afraid of him, meeting his gaze.
He furrowed his brows slightly, a harbinger of his displeasure.
Mallory didnât dare to linger for even a second. She pushed Helena, urging, âLetâs go quickly.â
Just as Helena was about to take a step, she heard that dangerous voice say, âSince sheâs lost, letâs keep her for now.â
Helena found herself caught between a rock and a hard place.
Five minutes later, she found Michaelâs contact information. She sent him numerous messages, asking him to come and take Grape away.
Despite this, it seemed he hadnât looked at his phone at all, and there was no response.
Little did she know that the teenagers had just realized the child was missing and were nearly driven to madness with worry.