TEN

"Hello?"

Caroline winced in surprise when Zillion's voice disappeared again from the loudspeaker on her cellphone. Since earlier this man seemed not too focused on their conversation and often left her alone with various chatterings to advise him.

Darling....

Caroline frowned in surprise. Putting the white cell phone away from her ear then staring at the screen of her cellphone with a frown.

"Is he with his wife?" muttered Caroline to herself. She then brought the white cellphone closer to her ear and slightly overheard Zillion's conversation with his wife.

Even though it was rude, she was a little curious about the figure of his wife who was quite mysterious and carried a bit of a bad stigma in her mind because of the man's negative story about his wife. But from what she just heard, it didn't seem like the figure of Zillion's wife was that bad. Although she could indeed perceive a spoiled tone in every sentence that made her shudder in disgust. However, it seemed that the man's wife was not the kind of cruel woman full of dictators he had said.

After overhearing a few words from her client's conversation with his wife, Caroline decided to turn off the line. There was no point in keeping waiting for Zillion to finish talking because she was sure he would no longer feel alone after his wife came home. Yeah... that's her fate as a psychologist. She will be abandoned by her clients once they get what they want.

With slow steps, she immediately walked to Aleyna's room next to hers and put her cell phone in her cupboard in the corner of the room. Tonight she must forget all her client problems. All she had to do was focus on Aleyna, and her little daughter's happiness. And tomorrow, she will return to struggling with other problems which of course will make her mind even more dizzy.

-00-

In a park that is quite busy, Zillion seemed to observe a group of children who were playing here and there cheerfully. The man with black glasses occasionally smiled a little seeing their very innocent and funny behavior while playing chasing carefree.

Seeing them made him remember his childhood which was not much different from the children playing in front of him now. His childhood was also filled with joy and happiness. In fact, he never thought that in the future he would grow up and carry so many burdens like now. In the past, all that was in his mind was just playing, playing and playing. There is no day without playing until he often gets scolding from his mother who is too tired to advise him which is difficult to manage, especially when ordered to study. He is the type of lazy bad guy who doesn't like to study. Maybe just really realized to learn and prepare for his future when sitting in the second grade senior high school. The rest, he never thought about his future at all and only considered life to be beautiful. No burden, no sorrow, and no worries about the future fate.

Suddenly a ball of blue striped foot rolled down near his foot and stopped at the end of his shiny black loafers. With a frown, Zillion raised the ball while looking for the owner of the ball who might be confused because the ball had just disappeared.

"It's my ball."

A little girl in a yellow hair tie with round eyes suddenly approached him with a breath that appeared to be out of breath.

"You just ran?"

"I'm looking for my ball rolling away from there," pointed the little girl at the playground area that was filled with boys that little girl's age. He then looked back at the little girl with ponytails and gave the ball that he had previously held to her.

"This is your ball. What is your name? Do you live around here?"

“Mommy said I can't say my name and give my home address to people I don't know. Are you a bad person?"

Instantly Zillion's laughter burst out after hearing a series of innocent words given by the adorable little girl in front of him. Really this little girl is so adorable. What was it like her mother who had taught her to say that?

"Do I look evil in your eyes?" asked Zillion with a sweet smile. The little girl shook her head while looking at Zillion with round eyes that were so adorable.

“You don't seem bad. You look good and handsome," said the little girl blushing.

Zillion then took off his sunglasses and gently stroked the top of the head of the little girl in front of him.

"Then where are your parents? It's late afternoon, the sun will set in a bit. "

“My mommy is at home, and I'm going to come home. After taking my ball, I'll be home soon."

"Do you want me to take you home?"

The little girl seemed to think for a moment. She with her funny style acted like she was in deep thought that made Zillion annoyed and wanted to pinch the little girl's chubby cheek.

“Emm... actually Mommy doesn't like receiving guests at home. But since you don't seem like a bad person, you can take me home."

The girl in a cute style grabbed Zillion's hand and took the man's hand like a friend she had known for a long time.

From the side Zillion observes the girl without a name is cute while imagining how her mom will look when she sees his coming with her daughter. Hopefully he won't be considered as a criminal or something like that who suddenly comes with her daughter.

“Hey, what's your name by the way? Am I still not allowed to find out?"

The little girl looked up and looked thoughtful. It seemed like she wanted to say what her name was to a strange man, but she still remembered her mother's words clearly that she shouldn't tell strangers her name.

"Actually I wanted to say my name, but—"

"Aleyna!"

Instantly the little girl looked up while waving her hand at a young woman who was waiting for her in front of the gate with a man in a blue shirt and black pants who looked neat beside her.

"That's my mommy," exclaimed Aleyna, pointing at her mother who was staring worriedly at her because she had come with a stranger.

Zillion narrowed his eyes slightly and appeared to be trying to identify the young woman in the knee-length pink dress who seemed familiar to him.

"Miss Chauffer?"

Once their distance was shortened, Zillion immediately exclaimed softly while pointing at Caroline with a surprised look. Meanwhile, Aleyna immediately ran into her mother's arms, pointing at Zillion who was standing behind her.

“This is handsome uncle who found my ball, mommy. Can I tell him my name, he's not a bad person, mommy."

"Yyeah you can," replied Caroline haltingly.

Aleyna immediately smiled happily as she pulled Zillion's shirt for the man to look her way.

"My name is Aleyna Chauffer, what's your name?"

Instantly the man next to Caroline turned confusedly at Caroline while asking her for further explanation through his eyes.

"Caroline—"

“I will definitely come to your son’s birthday party. Shouldn't you have  to pick up your son," cut in Caroline quickly and seemed like she was driving away.

Zillion, who quite recognized Rein, also looked at Caroline to demand an explanation from the woman.

"Ahh yes, then bye. I look forward to seeing  you next week. Don't disappoint me."

Rein then smiled gently at Caroline and immediately walked away to his car which was parked in front of the house. The man occasionally glanced at Zillion with narrowed eyes. But when Zillion saw him back, the man immediately turned his gaze towards Caroline while waving.

"You know Rein?"

"So what?"

Caroline suddenly became dizzy because today two men she didn't expect came to her house by chance. And what worried her the most was Aleyna in their midst. The man would surely hunt her down for answers. But hopefully Rein will get over it soon and just focus on his son's birthday party next week. She really couldn't imagine if that man knew that Aleyna was not her real daughter. That man would definitely find her life sad after their divorce four years ago.

"Aleyna come on in."

Caroline pulled Aleyna's hand a little hard and tried to ignore Zillion who had been standing there faithfully, waiting for her answer.

"You haven't answered my question, Miss Chauffer."

“Mommy, what's wrong? Aleyna can not met this handsome uncle."

Caroline rolled her eyes lazily as she stared fiercely at Zillion. Currently she is lazy to explain anything about her life to other people. Especially stranger like Zillion with whom he had absolutely nothing to do with. But it seemed that she would not be able to dodge that easily, because the man beside him was a stubborn, grumpy man. In fact, she has been the victim of coercion more than three times.

"This is uncle Zillion dear, now let's go in."

"You're just going to leave me here?" prevent Zillion while pulling her arm.

Caroline glanced sarcastically at the arm Zillion was holding while motioning the man to let her go. But Zillion, with his arrogant attitude, pulls her even stronger and doesn't seem willing to let her go until she explains all the awkwardness that had just happened. At least that's what he caught from the interaction between Caroline and the famous actor who had just left the three of them.

"Then what do you want Mr Malloy? It's not counseling time, so you can't force me whatever you want.”

"Then consider me as your friend from now on."

"What?"

Caroline gave the man a strange look, giving him a look of disbelief and rage. Once again she has to deal with Zillion Malloy whom she desperately wants to avoid. And just now that guy told her to make him her friend?

Is this guy crazy? Caroline thought lost in thought as she walked in and left the man outside the house.