2. BABY GIRL

"Are you lost, little girl?"

Selene swallowed her saliva when she heard the baritone voice speak again, repeating the same sentence, because she had never responded to the blue-eyed middle-aged man in front of her.

The man, who was probably in his forties or early fifties, still looked young. If you look closely, you can see that his face is still fresh and... handsome. 

"I'm the owner of the Motel you chose to stay at before, miss," the man said, trying to assuage Selene's curiosity and suspicion.

"Jamie. Jamie Krueger" The blue-eyed man stated.

Jamie pulls back his right hand, then folded it politely across his chest while flashing a warm smile at Selene, who remained frozen — seemingly observing Jamie's expression as well as every sentence Jamie said. 

Not only observing, but for Selene, who was so young, she should be suspicious of all the hospitality that foreign men extended to her, especially one whose age seemed to be much younger than hers.

Jamie softly chuckled at the change in Selene's expression. He understood the meaning of the young girl's gaze in front of him. Caution, fear, and suspicion merge into one.

"Visualize me as a father deeply worried about his daughter, who is wandering around looking for a safe place to stay." Jamie finished in a single breath.

Three seconds later, the blue-eyed man smiled again and said, "You can stay the night at my Motel for free."

Selene made a shaky motion with her head. "No. Thank you for your consideration, Mr. Krueger. But I'd rather spend the night here." She actually refused.

Jamie laughed once more. "Listen. I understand your concerns and suspicions, baby girl." Say him the truth.

Jamie moved in closer, catching up between himself and Selene.

Selene swallowed her saliva slowly before looking up, her gaze fixed on the blue-eyed, blonde-haired man in front of her. 

"You must be hoping for something from me, Mr Krueger." Guess Selene.

Jamie laughed once more. He seemed very impressed with the courage that Selene showed in front of him. He's not sure if it's because today's youth are overly sensitive, or if his attitude is straightforward to see from Selene's perspective.

If Jamie had been asked to be completely honest from the start, he would have stated that he adored Selene.

The young lady appeared tough while also being adorable. Not only did he appear to be attracted to Selene's affections, but some Men were as well. 

What set Jamie apart from the others was that if Selene wanted it, Jamie had everything, including simple things like a free night at the Motel that Jamie had previously claimed was his.

In fact, Jamie was willing to give Selene anything she desired in exchange for her willingness to accept his help and support.

"Sorry to be presumptuous, but are you often treated disrespectfully? Like I'm doing right now?" Investigate Jamie.

Jamie cleared his throat and closed his mouth, his blue beads meeting Selene's emerald eyes with a solemn expression. 

"At least you seem more polite than the men who would pay for my body." Answer Selene clearly as she is.

"I'm not interested in your body." Jamie spoke up unexpectedly.

"So, Mr Krueger, what do you want from me?" With her blaring highlight, Selene must be challenged.

Jamie took a step back, feeling challenged, and erased the remaining distance.

Jamie lowered his head without hesitation after receiving permission to touch Selene's frail shoulders, aligning himself with the young girl in front of him.

"I'm only going to say it once, Miss. So pay attention and remember everything I said." 

Selene replied with a nod "That's fine. I'll remember and hear it for the rest of my life." Selene spoke up unexpectedly.

"I lost both my wife and my child." Jamie hushed. "All I need is you by my side."

Selene burst out laughing. She pushed Jamie's big hands off her shoulders at the moment.

The girl took regular steps back while adjusting the position of the backpack straps on both shoulders. She shook her head slowly and looked into Jamie's blue irises for a moment before finally turning her back on Jamie. 

"Please excuse me, sir. You sound like a pedophile bragging —tricking his prey."

Selene moved her legs away from the shadowy alley. Jamie managed to stop her in the next split second.

"Are you the best student at the D School, with a full scholarship?" Guess Jamie.

When his blue eyes caught sight of a logo engraved on one side of the backpack Selene was wearing at the time, he smiled.

"I can provide you with protection and a means of subsistence for as long as you want to spend your 24 hours a day around me." Jamie came to a quick conclusion. 

Selene turned around. Staring at Jamie with an incomprehensible look. In the next split second she shook her head as she voiced a small chuckle to open the dialogue.

"Stalker!" Selene cursed.

Instead of responding to Selene's allegations, Jamie chose to say something else.

"Be my baby, and I'll be your dad." Jamie inquired quietly.

Selene gave a snort. "Listen. Mr. Krueger, this sounds so fucking funny. Stop. Everything is ridiculous." She made sarcastic remarks.

"You're going to need some protection, aren't you? I can give it to you right now." 

"Okay. Show me your strength."

Selene folded her arms and looked at Jamie with a defiant expression.

Jamie pulled a gold smartphone from the pocket of his white silk coat without thinking.

He pressed a few numbers before finally placing the object to his left ear and conversing with someone on the other end.

"Marcus Mendes," Jamie said to whoever was on the other end of the line.

Jamie tucked the flat gold object back into his coat pocket five seconds later, then fixed his gaze on the young girl standing two meters in front of him. 

"You— how did you— ?" Selene rubbed her cheeks lightly before returning her gaze to Jamie.

"Mr Krueger, what are you going to do with my stepfather?"

"Protecting you from him."

"What exactly do you mean?"

"My men will execute him." 

Selene's eyes had become round balled.

"What do you mean? You're gonna kill him?"

Selene expressed her curiosity, which she had felt since hearing Jamie mention her stepfather's name to someone.

Jamie gave a nod. "I'll protect you." He responds.

Selene brought her legs in front of Jamie with long, wide strides, standing on the same spot as the man she had called Mister a few minutes before. 

"Is that true?" Selene raised her head and gazed deep into Jamie's blue irises.

"Are you capable of doing it?" Selene's feminine and gentle voice returned, filling the void in the small space. 

TING

Jamie's phone received a notification. He pulled the flat colored object from his silk coat's pocket with haste.

After successfully entering several passwords, he looked at the object's flat screen. Then, in the next split second, Jamie held out his smartphone in front of Selene, showing her something.

Once again, Jamie managed to get Selene's round eyes wide open. 

"H— Hey! What exactly are you doing?" Selene was in a panic. "Did you really kill him?"

"Men must keep their promises." Jamie replied curtly.

Panic. Selene began to panic. All of the questions and suspicions she had for the middle-aged man in front of her vanished into thin air.

Everything was replaced by fear, which managed to ambush in such a way.

Jamie showed her a dreadful photograph. Marcus Mendes, her stepfather, was covered in blood and had several gaping wounds on his neck and stomach in the front yard of an empty house behind theirs. 

"Gracie Williams." Jamie mentioned Selene's adoptive mother's name aloud.

Selene quickly shook her head. Jamie's large hands were caught in her tiny fingers as a reflex.

"Enough, sir." Selene asked quietly.

When her emerald beads touched Jamie's blue irises, they looked watery—almost crying.

Jamie's beautiful face lit up with a smile. "You can call me daddy, baby girl."