"Mom, you uttered a bad word!" Precious gasped and gazed up at her mother with wide, azure eyes, making her look even more cuter.
Liam nodded in agreement with his sister's statement. If Precious didn't beat him to it, he would have been the one to reprimand their mother. That's how well thought their mother brought them up.
She undoubtedly love them with every ounce in her body. However, she also made sure to put their character in check for the betterment of their upbringing.
"I'm so sorry, my darlings. Please sit here while I take a brief leave to use the restroom. I assure you, I will return promptly!" The woman spoke, finding a suitable spot for the children to wait for her.
"Okay, Mommy, but don't be long!" Precious insisted, settling down as her tiny legs swayed back and forth.
"Liam, please keep a close watch on your sister. I'll be back soon." The woman beseeched her son.
"Do not worry, Mom. She is in my reliable care!" Liam asserted, eliciting a smile from his mother as she placed her bag with them and quickly left to use the restroom.
*******
Moments passed, and Precious could not sit still. While Liam was occupied with his phone, the little girl slipped away upon seeing a Mickey Mouse costume.
"Wait! Wait! I want to touch you! Please!" Precious pleaded, chasing after the beloved character. But alas, her miniature legs were no match for the costumed individual.
She kept chasing after the costume person, wanting to just touch and play with them, yet she still couldn't catch up with the person.
However, it wasn't long before the little girl realized she was in a predicament. Lost and unable to find her way back to her brother, she wandered among the crowd, searching.
With no solution in sight, Precious stomped her feet and began to cry. The attention of many was drawn to her, wondering which negligent guardian would leave their child unattended in such a crowded place as the airport.
After bawling her eyes out for a while, Precious wiped her teary eyes and started to walk away, but someone accidentally nudged her.
She cried out as she braced herself for impact, yet tender and strong arms caught her just in time.
Precious rubbed her watery eyes and slowly opened them. Her tears ceased as she locked her gaze with the person who saved her.
Her small mouth hung open slightly as she continued to stare into the face of her rescuer.
"Hello there! Why are you all by yourself? Where are your parents? It's dangerous here, little one." The man holding her in his embrace asked with a cheerful grin.
Gleaming with delight, Precious reciprocated the grin and embraced the man tightly. She wrapped her tiny arms on the man's neck tightly and giggled.
The people around the man were taken aback. Who was this little girl hugging their boss so intimately?
Wait! Her eyes... they were the spitting image of their boss. Could she be a relative? The people, who seemed to be the bodyguards of the unfamiliar man, pondered to themselves.
"Excuse me, little one. .. may I know who your parents are and where they are right now? Why are you here alone and crying?" The man questioned the young girl, even offering loving gestures of comfort.
If one was unaware of the situation, they might mistake them for father and daughter. After all, their eyes color looked exactly the same.
"I'm Precious. I don't have a Daddy. I only have a Mom and a brother, Liam. They are very good to me." Precious spoke joyfully before her expression turned sorrowful once more, as if she wanted to weep.
"Hey, sweetheart, don't cry. You are so adorable. Beautiful girls shouldn't cry." The man consoled her with a warm smile.
Precious wiped her large cerulean eyes before responding... "My mom left me with Liam because she needed to use the restroom. I left Liam's side when I saw Mickey Mouse. Now I'm lost and I can't find Liam." Precious explained in a sorrowful tone, puffing her cheeks and sobbing again.
The man furrowed his brow before comprehending the situation. He shook his head and smiled. It seemed the little girl was mischievous when she left her brother side without the latter's notice.
"It's alright... Let's go find your brother--"
"PRECIOUS!!!"
The man was in mid-sentence when he heard another tiny yet panicky voice.
"Liam! It's Liam!! He found me!!!" Precious exclaimed cheerfully, wriggling out of the man's embrace. She ran over to her brother when she saw him.
"Liam!" She called out, catching her brother's attention.
"Precious! Where did you go? Why did you leave my side? Are you alright?" Liam asked with concern, embracing his sister.
The fear that consumed him when he realized his sister was missing was almost too much to bear.
"I'm sorry, Liam. I shouldn't have left you alone. I promise I won't do it again!" Precious said, her eyes welling up with tears once more.
It still baffles Liam how his sister could easily cry the moment she blinked her eyes.
"It's fine! Just don't tell Mommy that you wandered off on your own. We don't want her to be mad at you." Liam said and wiped his sister's tears," Liam gently said as he wiped away his sister's tears. "Enough crying, we must go before Mother returns," he added, tightly gripping her hand.
The spectators gazed at them affectionately once more, amazed by Liam's display of tenderness. He looked mature at his age.
"Look, Uncle helped me when I was nearly about to fall. He is quite handsome," Precious exclaimed, pointing her small finger towards the man who still stood, mortified as he observed the little boy.
Liam's gaze met the man's, and his expression immediately soured. Even the surrounding individuals looked at the strange pair with confusion. Could they truly be father and son?
The man was stunned to see the little boy approaching him. It was almost as if he was looking at his younger self.
How was this possible? Who was this boy who bore such a striking resemblance to him?
"Huh? Liam, why do you look so similar to this uncle? He even has the same eyes as me," Precious interrupted, breaking the intense gaze between Liam and the stranger.
"Precious, come on, let's go. Mom must be worried about us," Liam disregarded her words and quickly ran, his grip on her hand unwavering.
"Wait!" The man called out, but the two figures had already vanished into the crowd.
A frown creased his face. His brain was working overtime than usual.
"Boss, the boy--" His secretary began to say, but he stopped himself upon seeing his boss's icy stare.
"Investigate the identities of those two children. I want all the information immediately," he ordered coldly before walking away, causing the small crowd that had gathered around him earlier to disperse.
'Something seems off. Who are those kids? Most importantly, that little boy. He looked exactly like me. And the little girl, she looked like-- wait! Serenity!!!'
The man thought inwardly as his heart sped up....