Chapter 161: He’s lost

The chaos over the mysterious "wild animal" had finally come to an end.

Now, the four women sat around the dining table, their attention completely fixed on the tiny toddler happily munching on the stolen cookies.

Crunch.

Crunch.

Crunch.

Not a single crumb escaped Penelope’s mouth as she ate with remarkable concentration.

"She seems really hungry," Lily whispered, gently stroking the puppy curled up on her lap while watching the little girl.

Despite Penelope having raided the cookies they had spent the entire morning baking, none of them felt upset.

If anything, they wanted to bring her another plate.

The sight of her puffed-up cheeks and serious expression while eating was simply too adorable.

Silvia rested her chin on her hand before glancing at Clara.

"Madam... are you absolutely sure you don’t have a secret daughter somewhere?"

Clara frowned.

"What kind of question is that?"

"The way she eats..." Silvia pointed at Penelope. "It’s exactly like you. As if the food is about to run away."

Everyone instinctively looked at Clara.

Even Gen slowly nodded.

"...She does have a point."

Clara nearly choked on her tea.

"I think I would’ve known if I’d secretly given birth to a child."

She paused before adding flatly,

"And for the record, I don’t have any children out of wedlock."

Silvia quietly looked away.

"...Fair enough."

Gen folded her arms and looked at the clock.

"As cute as she is, we can’t spend the whole day watching her eat."

The room fell silent.

"You all still have to attend today’s event," Gen reminded them. "If you’re late, you might end up making a terrible first impression on the CEO of Prestine Group."

Lily, Silvia, and Gen all turned toward Clara, silently waiting for her decision.

After a long sigh, Clara scooted her chair closer to Penelope.

Her voice softened in a way that made everyone freeze.

"Sweetheart..."

The three women stared at her.

This... This couldn’t possibly be Clara.

She had never heard their madam speak so gently before.

Usually, Clara either caused trouble or spoke with absolutely no filter.

Yet now... she sounded like the world’s kindest mother.

Penelope looked up from her cookie. Her big round eyes blinked innocently.

"How did you get inside?" Clara asked patiently. "And... why wasn’t your mother with you?"

Penelope pointed toward the front door without a hint of panic.

"I came through there."

Everyone followed her tiny finger.

"The lady left the door open while talking on the phone."

She casually stuffed another cookie into her mouth and continued eating as though she hadn’t just exposed the culprit.

Three pairs of eyes slowly turned toward Clara.

"..."

A wave of embarrassment washed over her.

She immediately looked anywhere but at them.

"I-I’m human," she defended herself awkwardly. "Humans forget to close doors sometimes."

Silence.

Nobody believed her.

"...None of you are going to help me out here?" Clara muttered.

The others politely pretended not to hear.

Realizing she had lost that battle, Clara cleared her throat and returned her attention to Penelope.

"Anyway..." she said with another warm smile. "What’s your name? And why are you here all by yourself? Where’s your mommy?"

For some reason, Clara couldn’t stop herself from smiling at the little girl.

A strange warmth filled her heart.

If my child had survived...

She would’ve probably looked this adorable too.

The thought made her chest tighten.

In her previous life...

She had destroyed that happiness with her own hands.

A flicker of guilt crossed her eyes before determination quickly replaced it.

Not this time. I’ll have lots of babies with Dominic. And he’ll have no choice but to spoil every single one of them.

Her lips unconsciously curled into a small smile.

Penelope finished chewing before answering.

"My name is Penelope."

She gently patted the puppy sitting beside her.

"We came to look for his mommy."

The puppy gave a tiny bark.

"He’s lost."

She lowered her tiny head and sighed dramatically.

"And while trying to save him..."

She looked around the bakery.

"...I got lost too."

The room fell silent.

The four women exchanged confused glances.

She wasn’t crying.

She wasn’t scared.

She wasn’t even asking for her mother.

Instead, she calmly explained the situation as though she were giving a weather report.

Silvia leaned back in disbelief.

"...Are we absolutely sure she’s a toddler?"

Lily nodded seriously.

"When I got lost in a shopping mall as a kid, I cried so hard the security guards had to calm me down."

She scratched her cheek sheepishly.

"...Actually... I got lost in the market last year too."

Everyone looked at her.

"...I cried then as well."

Gen couldn’t help laughing.

"So you’re telling us an adult cried more than this three-year-old?"

Lily lowered her head in shame.

"...Yes."

Clara rubbed her forehead.

"I can only imagine what her poor mother is going through right now."

Gen’s expression turned serious again.

"We shouldn’t waste any more time."

She looked at Penelope before turning back to Clara.

"I think we should take her to the police station."

She gently smiled at the little girl.

"If her mother is looking for her, she’s probably already reported her missing."

"And that’s the fastest way to reunite them."

The moment Gen suggested going to the police station, Penelope immediately shook her head.

"I think I’ll be fine, Miss."

She dusted the cookie crumbs off her tiny hands before speaking with complete confidence.

"My stomach is full now, so my brain can think faster than any computer."

"..."

Silence filled the bakery.

Lily’s jaw slowly dropped.

Silvia stared at the little girl as though she had just witnessed the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Meanwhile, Gen simply folded her arms.

"...Silvia was right."

She looked at Clara before adding,

"She doesn’t behave like a normal toddler."

Clara let out a long sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose.

No matter how mature Penelope sounded, she was still just a little girl.

There was no way Clara could let her wander around the city alone.

Penelope carefully climbed down from her chair before giving everyone a polite bow.

"Thank you for your hospitality."

Her tiny voice was calm and sincere.

"And... I’m sorry for eating your cookies."

She smiled apologetically.

"I’ll ask my Big Sister Jenny to pay for them."

The four women looked at one another in stunned silence.

She even remembered to apologize...

Before anyone could respond, Penelope walked over to Lily and gently picked up the puppy from her lap.

"Thank you for taking care of him."

She hugged the little puppy against her chest before turning toward the exit.

"I’ll be leaving now."

"Penelope, wait."

Clara’s voice stopped her just as she reached the door.

The little girl obediently turned around.

Clara walked over and crouched until they were at eye level.

Without saying a word, she gently brushed a few loose strands of hair away from Penelope’s face before softly patting her head.

The little girl was simply too well-behaved.

Too polite.

Too independent.

And somehow...

That worried Clara even more.

She stood up and turned toward the others.

"Lily, Silvia..."

The two women looked at her.

"You both head to the event first."

"But, Madam—"

"I’ll catch up after I help Penelope find her family."

Neither of them argued.

They knew there was no changing Clara’s mind once she had made a decision.

Clara then looked at Gen.

"And you..."

She smiled at the puppy.

"Please take care of this little fellow."

"I don’t want him getting lost again."

Gen nodded.

"Leave it to me."

Clara turned back to Penelope.

"You can trust Gen."

She pointed toward the puppy.

"She’ll help him find his mother."

Then she extended her hand toward the little girl.

"And I’ll help you find yours."

Penelope blinked once.

Then she quietly shook her head.

"I don’t have a mother."

The smile on everyone’s face disappeared.

The atmosphere inside the bakery suddenly turned heavy.

Clara’s hand froze in midair.

"...You don’t?"

Penelope simply nodded.

"What about your father?" Clara asked gently.

The little girl shook her head again.

"I don’t have a father either."

She smiled as though speaking about the most precious person in her life.

"I only have my Big Sister Jenny."

The warmth in her eyes made Clara’s heart ache.

She looked at the child with a conflicted expression.

No wonder...

No wonder this little girl was trying so hard to act mature.

She had no parents to rely on.

Clara took a slow breath before smiling warmly.

"Then let’s go find your Big Sister Jenny."

She extended her hand once more.

"But you have to promise me something."

Penelope looked at her curiously.

"You mustn’t let go of my hand until we find her."

The little girl lowered her eyes to Clara’s outstretched hand.

She had only known these women for a short while.

Yet every single one of them had treated her kindly.

They had fed her.

Played with the puppy.

And not once had they raised their voices at her.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Penelope smiled brightly.

"Okay..."

She slipped her tiny hand into Clara’s.

"Yes, Big Sister."

"I won’t let go."

Clara felt the tiny fingers wrap around hers and finally let out a relieved sigh.

"Good girl."

Without wasting another moment, she gently held Penelope’s hand and led her out of the bakery, determined to reunite the little girl with the only family she had left.