"Uncle Bryan!" Aria jumped into his arms as soon as she saw him. Adriana smiled and glanced at James. "You guys can go ahead and leave with your aunt. I will go to my interview." She told them.
Aria and James walked away to go meet up with Crysty while Bryan and Adriana walked away to where the interview would be held.
"You are acting weird today. Is something wrong?" Bryan asked with a frown. "Their father is here," Adriana confessed with a sigh. Bryan halted his steps and widened his eyes. "No way?!" He looked at her in shock.
"Yes, now let's go!" She hurried him inside the room where she would be interviewed. "Wait! Adriana." He called her out. "I forgot to mention that he is also being interviewed." He yelled.
"What?! Bryan seriously? You forgot such an important fact?" She massaged her temple in frustration. "I'm sorry. You can stay in the changing room until it's all over. I will answer the questions for you. Just text me the answers." He offered. Adriana sighed and did as he said.
She went inside her kid's changing room and stayed there.
Meanwhile,
"James, I need the bathroom so stay here," Aria told James and, she ran off without an explanation. "Wait! Stay safe." He reminded her from far. "I promise I will!." She yelled and disappeared into the hallway.
James shook his head and walked towards Crysty. Knowing this is their mother's event, it's undoubtedly safe for Aria to go to the bathroom on her own. If only he knew what his sister's plans were.
….
"I think it was somewhere around here. The handsome uncle should appear here." Aria mumbled to herself and continued looked behind her and to the sides as if looking for someone.
"The interview room is a bit far. I will guide you there myself, President Preston." She heard someone calling out, and her eyes sparkled.
"Handsome, uncle!" She yelled and ran into Noah's arms. "Do you remember me? You met me in the orphanage a few years ago!" She smiled brightly and excitedly.
Noah held her in his arms, afraid that she would fall. He frowned at her words and tried to recall. "You have the wrong person." He told her and turned to the man behind him. "Help her look for her parents." He ordered and put Aria down on the floor.
Aria pouted. 'I can't have the wrong person. He has those blue eyes!'
She removed her mask with teary eyes. "You don't remember me anymore?" She decided to use her secret weapon, and she started crying loudly. Noah halted his steps and glanced at her with surprise.
He clenched his fists inside his pockets when he looked at the girl's features. Grey eyes, small nose, and long brown hair, It reminded him of that woman.
"You were only four years old. How do you still remember me?" He asked curiously. That day he was checking on the orphanage he was funding, and he met her. He asked a nurse to attend her because she was injured. In short, she saved her, brought her to a hospital and took care of her.
"Yup! You are my savior. I would never forget." She smiled brightly again and wiped her fake tears away. She reached out her arms cutely. Noah frowned. "Where are your parents?" He asked.
Aria puffed her cheeks. 'I can't let him send me back to mommy. How am I going to get them together?' She thought to herself and came up with a bright idea.
"Can you adopt me? My parent's abandoned me." She hugged his leg tightly wetting the fabric of his pants with her tears. Noah closed his eyes impatiently.
'I really have no patience for kids.' He sighed and glanced at the man behind him, who had a confused expression on his face. "If you don't have your parents with you, then how did you get here?" He asked.
Aria bit her lips nervously. 'Oh, no. I will get caught!' She panicked silently. "They picked me up to model for them because of how pretty and cute I am." She responded confidently.
'This kid is such a narcissist.' The man behind them thought inwardly. "Cancel the interview. I'll take her with me." He ordered. "But-"
"I said to cancel the interview." Noah sent him a glare, and the man ran off. "Can I give my friend a note first? I don't want them to think I got kidnapped." Aria pouted.
"Sure," Noah replied emotionlessly. If he did not feel responsible for the child, he would have sent her back to the orphanage immediately.
'Yess!.' Aria cheered inwardly. Holding his hand, she dragged him to the dressing rooms, which was empty because all the models were being photographed at that time. She opened one of the desks and took out a pen and paper.
Noah watched her from a distance silently.
*****
Mommy, don't worry, and I didn't get kidnaped. I will be back soon. I just went to visit a friend. He is really handsome, and I think he might make a great husband. I promise I will be back as soon as possible. I will just live with him for a few days and test him out. I love you mommy~
From:
Your favorite child~
❤
: )
Take care, mommy!
******
Her words were a bit sloppy, and some were misspelled but overall, it was understandable. Before that final letter, she re-wrote it three times. She made sure to do her best handwriting so that her mom could understand her words well. While she wrote, she made sure Noah would not read the letter.
She walked towards Jame's and her dressing room and slipped the note under the door. She then walked back to Noah and held his hand. "Let's go!" She gave him a grin.
Noah brought her inside his car.
Angel, his best friend and assistant, stared at him in shock. "When did you get a child?!" He yelled. "I picked her up. Get the adoption papers ready." He ordered and closed the car door.
Angel turned on the car and started driving, trying to recover from the shock. Through the rear mirror, he would glance at Aria multiple times to see if he was not hallucinating.
Aria smiled brightly, obediently sitting in the car with no self-awareness. She had no idea of the angry mother she left behind, nor did she ever imagine her mother would send thousands of people after her to find her.