Mr. CEO, You Have to Marry My Mommy

"Stop! You can't marry that girl, Mr. Louis Harper. I will never give you my blessing!"

Everyone gasped at that cute, high-pitched voice, and Louis was no exception.

He was kneeling on the floor, holding a ring box. When he turned his head, his jaw dropped. His eyes widened, not believing what they had caught.

A little girl was putting her hands on her hips at the entrance of the restaurant!

Her bear jumpsuit made her look super cute, especially with her puffed-up chubby cheeks and forced-to-look-scary eyes.

"Gosh! Who is that little girl? How dare she ruin my proposal?" Louis thought, furious.

A week ago ....

"I'm not sure about telling you this, but I think you deserve to know. Louis is planning to propose to his girlfriend this Saturday. Maybe there's something you want to tell him. Do it before it's too late."

Sky tried to forget that information many times. However, her best friend's voice kept echoing.

The shadow of Louis, her first love, also refused to leave her mind. The longer Sky's eyes were closed, the clearer his face became. Their togetherness in the past was replayed, a togetherness that had never happened again since they lost contact several years ago.

"Tch, why do I keep thinking about him? Come on, Sky. He never even contacted you again. Why remember him?" Sky reminded herself. Every now and then, she wiped the corners of her eyes. "Besides, you're happy with Summer now."

As if knowing that her name was on her mother's mind, the little girl lying beside Sky, sat up.

"Mommy, why aren't you sleeping yet?" the four-year-old toddler asked.

Sky flinched at that sweet voice. She quickly wiped her tears, and turned around. Seeing her daughter's withered face, she stroked it.

"Honey, why aren't you sleeping yet? Did I bother you?"

Summer nodded. "You seemed restless, Mommy. You've been moving around a lot. Are you sad because Uncle Louis is going to marry someone else?"

Sky's eyes widened. "Why did you say that?"

"You have seemed gloomy since you spoke to Aunt Emily on the phone."

"You listened to our conversation?"

Summer nodded. "Will you follow Aunt Emily's advice, Mommy?"

"W-what advice?"

"About expressing your feelings to Uncle Louis."

While Sky was stunned, Summer blinked innocently. She continued her words, "Actually .... I know that you like Uncle Louis, Mommy. Your eyes always sparkle whenever you talk about him."

After one short breath, Summer asked, "Will you ruin his proposal?"

Sky's confusion grew bigger. Her daughter was not even five years old, but why could she talk like that?

"No, Honey. I am nothing to Louis." Sky tried to make Summer understand. "I have no right to ruin his proposal. Just let him be happy with his girlfriend."

"But you like him. Why don't you tell him how you feel, Mommy? Who knows, Uncle Louis might change his mind. Didn't Aunt Emily say you two used to love each other? I'd be so happy if you married him. I'd have a daddy."

Sky sighed in disbelief. Before her awkwardness flared, she let out a laugh, albeit a dry one. She had to stop their impromptu discussion immediately.

"Honey, you're still too young to talk about love. How about we sleep, hmm? It's already too late. You don't want to have panda eyes, do you?"

Sky put her arm around Summer, asking her to lie down. Summer did, but her eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm serious, Mommy. Maybe it's time for me to have a daddy." Summer repeated her words.

Patting her little arm, Sky shook her head. "Haven't we been fine and happy all this time?"

"Y-yes."

"That means nothing needs to be changed. Our life is perfect, Honey," Sky said with finality. "Now let's sleep. Don't think about anything else."

Sky kissed Summer's forehead and closed her eyes. At first glance, she looked like she was about to sleep. But actually, she just wanted to hold back her tears.

"Nothing needs to change," Sky said to herself. "Everything is fine as long as I'm with Summer."

Meanwhile, Summer began to think. She knew that her mother was just trying to look okay.

She grabbed the three stuffed otters she usually hugged, lining them up on her stomach.

"Poor Mommy. She can only cry in her heart," Summer thought as she stroked the mother otter's head. "She must be embarrassed to admit that she's sad."

After a while, her focus shifted to another, bigger plush toy.

'Mommy has been alone for too long. She needs a husband, just like Otter's Mom. It would be easier to take care of me if she and Uncle Louis were together, like Otter's Mom and Dad.'

Summer linked the hands of two big otters so that they looked like holding each other. Then, she slipped the smallest otters between them. Seeing the togetherness of the plush toys, a sad smile was etched on her face.

'Otter must be very happy. He has mommy and daddy. Can I be like Otter, who has a complete family?'

Glancing at Sky, Summer blinked. Even though her mother's eyes were tightly closed, she could still see her sadness.

'Should I help Mommy contact Uncle Louis? Mommy will be happy if Uncle Louis doesn't propose to Grace. She won't cry in secret anymore.'

As she put the otters together to make them look like they were hugging, Summer thought harder. Every now and then, her breath became heavier.

'If Otter's family can always be together, why can't we? Mommy would be so happy if Uncle Louis was with us. She wouldn't be lonely anymore, and I would be happier too. I could finally call someone Daddy.'

After some consideration, Summer made a firm nod. 'Yes, I can't only watch. I have to make a plan right away about how to book a ticket and fly to his country. Uncle Louis must not propose to Grace. He must be my Daddy. He can only marry Mommy. I will ruin his proposal!'

Now, at the restaurant where Louis proposed to his lover ....

The room was filled with whispers. The waitresses, the guards, even the lurking paparazzi-were all busy with their own assumptions. Their eyes were fixed on Summer.

"Oh my! Look at that little girl! Doesn't she look like Mr. Harper?"

"Not Mr. Harper, but his twin. She looks exactly like young Emily. Only their hairs are different. That little girl has curly hair! And look! Even her eyes are the same. They're gray too!"

"But Emily and Louis are twins. If the girl looks like little Emily, then she looks like Louis too. Could she be the child from the scandal five years ago? But why did she only show up now? Where has she been all this time? And where is her mother? Why did she come here alone?"

Hearing those questions, Grace Evans' breath grew shorter. Even though she tried to hold her annoyance in, her shoulders kept moving up and down.

"Louis, explain to me. What is happening? Who is that little girl?" she asked in a thin, emphatic voice. The happiness that Louis had just planted in her heart now disappeared completely.

Louis finally blinked. He looked back at his lover. His confusion was still thick.

"I don't know either, Ace. I've never seen her. Maybe she was sent by someone to ruin our moment. So please, don't be influenced. Let's continue with this proposal, hmm?"

"Then quickly throw her out of here! I don't want our moment to be ruined," Grace replied in an irritated tone.

"No! You can't continue!" The little girl stomped her foot. Her eyebrows knitted together, her lips pursed. The way she angled her eyes upwards was very similar to little Louis.

Louis was flabbergasted at that similarity. However, after blinking, he stood up.

"Who are you, Little Human? How dare you ruin my proposal?"

Louis' voice was cold and firm. Instead of being scared, Summer stepped forward.

The guards on duty were confused about what to do. The little girl looked harmless. However, after a quick discussion, two of them stopped her, three feets from Louis.

"You don't know who I am?" Even though her voice was loud, it still sounded adorable.

Louis snorted. "We've never met. How could I possibly know you?"

"I am the daughter of a woman who loves you and you love. That's why I want you to marry my mommy, not that lady. You must be my daddy!"

Louis was amazed at the toddler's bluntness. After his shock wore off, his laughter filled the air.

"You're good at acting, huh? You know what? Lying is not a good thing. You can cause misunderstandings or even big problems. Therefore, before I punish you, go back to your mother. Tell her not to spread fake news. I've never loved a girl other than Grace."

"You're the one who shouldn't lie, Sir. I know you love my mother. I saw the evidence, and it's very clear."

Louis sighed and rolled his eyes. He was getting tired of dealing with the little intruder.

"Guards, take this little human out! Don't let her come back in! I want my proposal to go smoothly."

"Yes, Sir!"

Knowing her position was threatened, the little girl ran forward. Everyone was shocked at her speed. Even Louis didn't have time to react when her little arms hugged his leg.

"Please don't kick me out, Sir. I promise I won't be a naughty kid. I just want us to be a happy family," she said, pleadingly.

Instead of feeling sorry, Louis became uncomfortable. Moreover, Grace's face had turned sour, and her gaze sharpened towards the toddler. Louis realized he had to take bold action.

"If you don't want to be a naughty kid, let me go. Stop causing trouble and go home!"

Louis tried to keep the little hands away from him, but failed. The toddler hugged him very tightly.

"No way! I won't go home until you agree to marry my mommy. I want you to be my daddy!"

"Guards!" Louis' patience finally ran out. "Why are you all so stiff? Get this dwarf away from me!"

The guards surrounded Summer. They tried to pull her away without hurting her. However, she hooked her legs around Louis' calf. She was like a koala stuck to a tree.

"Sorry, Sir. She won't let go."

"Use your strength!"

"We were afraid of hurting her."

"Use your brain!"

A guard tickled her waist. A crisp laugh immediately filled the air.

"That tickles! Stop it!"

However, Summer still held on tightly. Louis gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"Attack her armpits! Her neck too!"

As the guards obeyed his orders, Summer's laughter grew crazier. However, the effort gave them no results.

Grace could only sigh heavily. She felt tired. Her head was so full of irritation.

"Louis, I want to go home!"

Louis was stunned to hear her sharp voice. "Ace, are you mad?"

After signaling the guards to stop, he turned to face his lover. He didn't care anymore if the toddler was still hanging on his leg.

"You know what? I've been planning this moment since we started dating. This proposal should go perfectly. Please be patient for a moment, hmm? I'll get rid of the obstacles soon," he stroked Grace's arm.

"Our moment has been ruined, Louis. I don't want to remember a proposal gone awry. Do it again when you have the situation under control. And next time, bring qualified bodyguards with you, not a bunch of useless people who can't even chase away a child."

As Grace left with a face full of annoyance and disappointment, Louis' expression turned gloomy. He tried to chase after her, but the weight on his leg was holding him back.

"Ace, wait! Please don't go. Ace?"

As if she didn't hear his voice, Grace kept walking. She walked out without even looking back.

Seeing that, Summer felt victorious. She laughed. Her voice made Louis furious.

"Are you happy that you thwarted my proposal?" His hands were tightly clenched.

Summer stopped laughing. She looked up. As it turned out, Louis' face had turned horrifying.

"Sir, can you smile a little? You look more handsome when you smile. Aaakh!"

Summer finally got away from Louis. She was wincing in pain as she held the hand that was twisting her ear.

"Sir, why are you pulling my ear? I am a good kid," she said with her head tilted.

"This is the consequence of you disobeying my warning. Call your mother now!"

"Mommy's not there. I came here alone."

"I won't let go of your ear until your mother comes here."

The little girl frowned even deeper, her eyes filled with tears. "Then just keep pinching until my ear falls off. Mommy won't come. She doesn't even know I'm here."

Louis' eyebrows knitted together suspiciously. He glanced away, trying to get a clue. That's when his eyes caught the presence of paparazzi at the window.

"You guys," he glanced around at the guards, "catch those rats! Delete all the photos on their cameras. I don't want this incident to spread. And you ...."

As the guards moved out, Louis stared at Summer with an unfriendly expression. Her little face reminded him of someone. It made his heart more annoyed.

"You have to take responsibility for the mess you have made!"

***

Meanwhile, in the country where Summer came from, Sky was sitting in a police station. She tried her best to remain calm. However, her heart was still restless. Her hands couldn't stop squeezing each other.

"Can you tell me the chronology, Miss?" a police officer asked after looking closely at Summer's picture.

Sky took a deep breath. "My daughter asked me to make biscuits this morning. She helped until she said she wanted to sleep. I wondered why because it wasn't even midday. But then, I let her sleep while I finished my work. When I checked her room, she wasn't there. I looked everywhere, even to the nearest neighbor's house. I still couldn't find her."

"Was your house locked when it happened?"

Sky nodded confidently. "I always lock all the doors when it's just the two of us at home."

"What about the windows?"

"Summer's bedroom window was open. That's what made me so worried."

"Do you think this is a kidnapping?"

Sky shook her head hesitantly. "I'm not sure. I checked the closet. Several of her clothes were missing. Her backpack was gone too. I'm worried that Summer has secretly planned an adventure of her own. Besides, her phone is off. It seems like she left on purpose without my knowledge."

"Your daughter has a phone? Can you give me her contact number?"

After Sky gave him what he asked for, he asked again, "Where do you think your daughter might have gone? Did she mention any places lately? A dream vacation destination, for example?"

Sky fell silent for a moment. Her eyes moved left and right. "My daughter is adventurous. In just one day, she can name dozens of places. I think it's a bit hard to guess where she's going."

"Any places she mentioned around here?"

Sky shook her head. "She's been mentioning places abroad more often lately. Oh, wait! She mentioned Lake Louise yesterday."

"Okay, we will track her phone and check her call history. If there is no result, we will send personnel to check the area around your house and also Lake Louise. Your daughter is still very young. She can't have gone far. In addition, we will also check CCTV at various points."

Sky tried to nod, but her neck was too stiff. Her heart doubted the police's statement.

She knew very well that Summer could go anywhere. Now, she could only hope that her daughter was in a safe place with a kind person.

"Oh, God .... Please protect Summer. Don't let anyone hurt her," Sky prayed with her eyes closed and a restless face.

***

Upon arriving at a penthouse, Summer was stunned. She didn't care about her ears still being red. Her eyes were already mesmerized by what was in front of her.

"Mr. Harper, I heard you have many houses. Is this one of them? It's so beautiful and cool. Like a palace!"

Louis snorted at the chatter. He was increasingly convinced that the person who sent the toddler was a gold-digger.

"Come in," Louis stepped forward toward the couch. His tone was flat, unfriendly.

However, the toddler didn't mind at all. She sat next to a shoe rack with a cheerful face.

"What are you doing?" Louis wondered.

The little girl looked up while pulling on her shoelaces. "Mommy said, we are not allowed to wear shoes inside the house, especially in other people's houses. It will make the floor dirty."

"Are you trying to get my attention by pretending to be a nice kid?" Louis' eyes narrowed.

"No," Summer shook her head casually. "That's the rule. Mommy always reminds me to wash my feet, face, and hands before getting into the bedroom, so that germs from outside don't get carried in. We can also change clothes if we want to be safer. And when we want to sleep, we must not forget to brush our teeth. If we don't, our teeth can get damaged."

After taking off her shoes and socks, the little girl put them neatly on the rack. Her shoes looked so tiny next to the other shoes.

"Oh, Sir? Why don't you take off your shoes? Your floor will get dirty."

Louis sighed indifferently. "Someone will clean it up later. Now come here! Don't act up. Sit!" He pointed to the couch in front of him.

The little girl obeyed. She put her backpack on the table. Then, she crawled up onto the couch. When she managed to sit there, she hummed and looked around. She was adorable, but Louis was disgusted at her.

"There's no one else here. You can be honest now," Louis said coldly.

Summer turned her head to him. "Honest? About what?" Her gray eyes were perfectly round.

"Who sent you to ruin my proposal?" Louis started his investigation.