Chapter 3 Three.

A few hours later, the staff were on break and Stacy used the chance to quickly finish up her extra work instead of going on break.

"Aren't you going to have something to eat yet?" Samantha asked.

"No, I'm not. I need to finish up with these files first before having anything to eat," Stacy said, fully focused on her PC.

Samantha rolled her eyes and shut Stacy's PC right before her.

"What are you doing? I don't want Mr. Yates to get mad at me for not finishing up with these files. Go, I'll join you soon,"

Samantha paid no attention to Stacy's words and grabbed her arm.

"You're following me no matter what you say. Do you know how many times your stomach grumbled beside me? Have something to eat first then you can return to your work," Samantha said, pulling Stacy towards the elevator.

Stacy let out a sigh in defeat. "Alright," Stacy pouted.

On getting to the roadside outside the tall company building made of solid glass Samantha cussed.

"Dammit! I forgot to take my purse along with me. Hold up here for a little while, I won't take long," Samantha said to Stacy and hurried back to the elevator to grab her purse from her desk.

While waiting for Samantha, Stacy noticed a stray Pomeranian puppy with fluffy white fur hiding under a chair at the roadside.

Captivated by the adorable sight, Stacy couldn't resist pouting at the little puppy's cute eyes and crouching down, making gentle sounds to attract its attention.

"Come here, come here," she coaxed, beckoning with her hands.

Initially hesitant, the puppy warily emerged from its hiding spot and cautiously approached the unfamiliar but inviting stranger.

As Stacy cradled the puppy in her arms, she lovingly stroked its soft white fur, prompting the puppy to shower her face with affectionate licks, eliciting giggles from Stacy.

"You're such a precious and lovely little one. I can't imagine who would leave such a gem like you out here," Stacy mused, her heart melting at the sight of the adorable puppy in her arms.

"Daisy! Where did you run off to?" A little voice scolded and Daisy immediately leaped off Stacy's arm and ran to the little girl who was approaching them with worry.

Barking excitedly, Daisy nuzzled against the girl's legs, who scooped her up into her arms with a mix of relief and scolding.

"You're being so naughty, Daisy. You had me so worried. I thought you were lost, but here you are in the arms of this lovely lady," the girl sighed, shaking her head in amusement.

Stacy was touched by the bond between the two little ones. They made such a cute pair. The little girl had striking grey eyes and blonde hair styled in two ponytails held by a red bow. She wore a red flared skirt and a Barbie top that matched her vibrant outfit.

As Stacy gazed into the girl's eyes, a sense of familiarity struck her. "Why do her eyes remind me of Mr. Yates's?" she pondered silently.

"Thank you so much, Auntie, for finding my Daisy. I was so scared I had lost her. I'm glad you found her," the little girl expressed her gratitude with a beaming smile.

Returning the smile, Stacy replied warmly, "It was my pleasure, dear. Your puppy is adorable. I might have wanted to keep her if you hadn't shown up," she chuckled, sharing a light moment with the girl.

Curious and drawn to Stacy's amber eyes and gentle demeanor, the little girl inquired, "Auntie, what's your name?"

"Yes of course! I'm Stacy Hills," Stacy extended her hand to her with a genuine smile which the little girl shook with hers.

"What's your name, My dear? Where are your parents?" Stacy asked, wondering if she had gotten lost or something.

"I am Cherry Yates. My daddy works here in this company," Cherry pointed at the tall glass building behind Stacy.

Approaching them, a man clad in a security guard uniform bowed respectfully. "Young Miss, your father is requesting your presence in his office," he informed Cherry.

Disheartened by the failed surprise, Cherry sighed, "I wanted to surprise him by visiting here for the first time, but it seems impossible to catch him off guard."

Waving a quick goodbye to the slightly stunned Stacy, Cherry chirped, "Bye Aunt Stacy!"

Startled out of her reverie by Cherry's departure, Stacy waved back gently. "Goodbye, Cherry."

With her puppy cradled in her arms, Cherry followed the security guard into the building, disappearing from view.

"Oops! You look out of space. I guess I wasted a lot of time to return. I'm sorry," Samantha apologized.

"No problem at all," Stacy reassured her, though her thoughts lingered on the encounter with the young girl and her furry companion.

Seeing Mr. Yates's daughter at the company for the first time surprised Stacy. The contrast between the cold and stoic CEO and his lively daughter intrigued her.

Unbeknownst to Stacy, every moment had been observed by Mr. Yates through his PC, his stormy grey eyes reflecting his intrigue with a hint of a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

*****

A resonating slap ran across Stacy's face, forcefully making her head turn to the other side, leaving her whole body trembling for his mercy.

Tears rolled down Stacy's cheeks as she held onto her reddened cheeks with her dad's fingerprints marked on her face.

"Why didn't you go to Mr. Hawk's mansion as I had instructed you yesterday, Stacy?!" Stacy's father barked at her furiously, glaring daggers at her. His mouth was filled with the stench smell of alcohol.

Stacy's body kept quivering, unable to look into her father's bloodshot eyes as she stared at her feet with tears in her amber eyes.

Everything around her was a blur due to the tears and she could not hear a thing clearly cause the slap still affected her eardrum.

Her father let out an impatient hiss, completely furious at how timid and quiet his daughter was even after all the yelling and slaps she had received from him for her to speak up.

He hated everything about his daughter and he felt like killing her in an instant cause she was a nuisance replica of her late mother both in looks and personality.

Within a heartbeat, Ethan Hills curled his large fingers around Stacy's slender neck, choking her up as he pushed her till her back slammed against the cold wall behind her and Stacy let out a yelp.

"Daddy, please. You're hurting me," Stacy whimpered in a pleading tone, unable to breathe due to how hard he held her little neck in his large palms.