Chapter 183



Why was he here?

Nora wondered that as Joel approached. There was also surprise on his countenance when he asked, “Why are you here?”.

Nora raised her eyebrows and answered ambiguously, “I’m a doctor. But, why are you here, Mr. Smith?”.

Was he a doctor?

Joel narrowed his eyes slightly and looked around the operating room.

Anti had an operation here today, so he had especially rushed to ask Anti to treat his uncle’s illness.

Because of Anti’s presence, only one operation had been arranged on this particular floor.

Since he was here, didn’t that mean he had just met Anti?

Joel’s gaze returned to the operating room. The operation should be over by now, shouldn’t it?

He didn’t have any more time to waste going back and forth with Nora, so he nodded and replied, “I’m here to pick someone up.”

After saying that, the doors to the operating room opened.

Michael came out with the others. Joel approached them right away.

Michael had already finished the sutures some time ago. The operation had gone perfectly.

Nora had only left after being informed about it.

Seeing Joel walking toward the operating room, Nora turned away and left.

She could finally go home and get a good night’s sleep now.

Ⓜⓞⓡⓔ ⓤⓟⓓⓐⓣⓔⓢ ⓘⓝ ⓖⓐⓛⓝⓞⓥⓔⓛⓢ.ⓒⓞⓜ Joel paid no further attention to her. Instead, he turned directly to Michael and said, “Hello Anti.”

Michael, “?”

He took off his surgical mask and looked at Joel in amazement. “I’m not Anti.”

Joel was taken aback. “Then where is Anti?”

“Anti is long gone.”

“What?”

Joel frowned. He was already here as the operation neared its end and had been waiting outside the whole time. The only person who had left at the end of the operation had been….

Just as Joel’s suspicions were beginning to develop, Michael thought about Nora not wanting to reveal her identity, so he said, “Yes, Mr. Anti is already gone.”

Mister?

Anti was a man?

However, this was not so surprising. Most of the surgeons were men.

Joel frowned. Although his uncle’s diagnosis had not yet been confirmed, it would always be safer if they could find Anti.

He hadn’t expected to have lost him.

He let out a sigh, walked out of the operating room and down the stairs. As he pulled into the parking lot, he happened to see the familiar jeep driving past.

He watched it: the young woman in the driver’s seat was staring straight ahead. As if in a hurry to get home, she didn’t even glance at him as she passed.

Joel shook his head and climbed into the car.

“Going home, Mr. Smith?” the driver asked.

“I’m going to pick up Mia.”

“Okay.”

The chauffeur started the car and drove to the Sol de Oro International Kindergarten.

On the way, Joel turned his head to the side and looked away. The kind look on his face had long since disappeared and he was silent. Lately he had sent Mia out and picked her up from the garden himself, but he hadn’t seen her again….

When he asked Mia about it, she told him that Miss Turner was still working at the kindergarten. So did that mean he hadn’t seen her because she was hiding from him?

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Kindergarten.

The last lesson of the day was a dance class.

The kindergarten anniversary celebration would take place in a few days. They would be performing on stage during the celebrations, so they had organized additional dance lessons recently.

Pete made a long face and danced expressionlessly with the rest of the children.

Luckily for him, the children’s dances didn’t distinguish between boys and girls, but even so, he felt a slight sense of embarrassment welling up in him.

Because…

He had to wear a skirt to the dance!

Pete couldn’t help but let out a huge sigh as he danced.

Was Cherry so happy being with Dad that she’d forgotten to go back? And to think they hadn’t even changed back yet! If this kept up, he would soon become a little dancing genius!

After another round of practice, Tanya clapped her hands and told the kids to quickly rest where they were.

Pete needed to pee, so he got up and headed for the outside bathroom.

As soon as he came out of the dance studio, he saw a little classmate dancing in the doorway.

Mia was frail, so she didn’t attend any of the sports and dance classes. However, she would stand on her tiptoes and gently turn her body at the time.

It was the dance they were doing now.

Pete approached. Apparently seeing him, Mia stopped moving. She stared at him with her big eyes and small oval face, then said, “They looked great dancing just now, Cherry!”

“…”

Pete was quiet for a while. Then, he asked, “Why are you here?”.

Little Mia lowered her head and twiddled her thumbs. “I… I was really bored.”

There were also painting and writing classes going on elsewhere during dance class, but Mia had not gone there but had come here to watch them dance in secret….

Pete suddenly understood something. He asked, “Do you like to dance?”

Mia hesitated for a moment before nodding. However, she also shook her head right after.

Her shy appearance was such that even Pete, who had never been nosy, couldn’t help but ask another question, “Do you like it or not?”

Mia had always been an introverted child who kept everything inside.

But for some reason, when the one in front of her was the child version of Cherry, she was able to speak up. She replied, “Yes, but my mommy won’t let me dance.”

Mia lowered her head a little sadly.

She had always loved to dance, and could never resist dancing whenever she heard music.

However, her mother had claimed that she was not in good health and had forbidden her to learn.

Obviously, the doctor had said earlier that they could consider letting her exercise and train her body, so why did mom always prevent her from exercising?

As Mia wondered this, Pete suddenly took her by the hand, walked into the dance studio and approached Tanya. Then, he said to Mia, “Dance the routine from just now.”

Tanya, “?”

Mia, “?”

Mia looked at Tanya warily and then at Pete.

Apparently, after receiving encouragement, the shy girl executed the dance in front of Tanya.

Tanya’s eyes lit up.

To be honest, all these years she had wanted to take on an apprentice and allow her to participate in competitions in the future.

However, she had never found a suitable candidate.

She hadn’t expected young Mia to be so talented at dancing.

She was practically the best dancer of all the children in the class.

In addition, she had been born with a small frame and was flexible, which made her very well suited for dancing.

Tanya looked at her and asked, “Do you want to learn how to dance?”

Mia looked at Pete.

Pete nodded his head.

Mia nodded vigorously. “Yes!”

Tanya was immediately tempted and was on the verge of blurting out the question, “Are you willing to learn from me?”

But when she thought about Mia’s identity, she hesitated for a long time before letting out a sigh and standing up. In the end she said nothing.

She was that man’s daughter; Tanya was not to take her as an apprentice. Otherwise, she would end up tangling with him again.

The garden bell rang at that moment, so Tanya said, “All right, return to your respective classes and get ready to go home!”

The students dispersed and left. Mia was the only one who kept looking at her.

Tanya plucked up her courage and looked away.

At the entrance to the garden.

Joel’s cell phone rang as he waited for Mia. Quentin’s voice came out the other end as he answered.

“The DNA test report is out.”

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