The nanny raised her voice and said, "It's all my fault! There was a little accident on the way just now, but I've already taken care of it. I'm really sorry to trouble you. The child's father happens to be at home today, so I'll feel at ease if you hand him over to his dad!"

The child's father is actually at home?

William Brooks blinked.

She had just been looking for a chance to talk to him, and she didn't expect the opportunity to come so soon.

"Alright, I got it."

After hanging up, William Brooks patted Edward Sutton's head. "Auntie said your dad is home today. The teacher will chat with him for a bit. Is there anything you want me to tell him for you?"

But when Edward Sutton heard this, it meant something completely different to him.

He jolted all over.

Chat with Dad? Isn't that tattling?!

What if he finds out I got into a fight at school today...

Just then, the elevator stopped at the 28th floor. As the doors opened, Edward Sutton stiffened, quickly ran two steps ahead to block William Brooks's way, and bowed deeply.

"I don't—I don't have anything to say! Thank you for bringing me home, teacher! Goodbye!"

William Brooks wasn't in the mood to expose Edward Sutton's little scheme for now. She just said offhandedly, "I'm not here to criticize you," then reached out to press the doorbell.

"Ding dong" rang twice, sounding especially clear in the empty entryway.

"Teacher, don't, don't..."

At that moment, a man's voice came through the video doorbell speaker.

"Who is it?"

Both William Brooks and Edward Sutton froze.

It was just one word, but William Brooks felt as if her eardrums had been gently scratched.

Even the faint static from the speaker couldn't mask the clarity of his voice.

William Brooks quickly glanced at Edward Sutton.

She hadn't expected this single father's voice to be so pleasant.

And he sounded so young.

Chapter 2

"I'm Edward Sutton's teacher."

After saying that, William Brooks thought for a moment and added, "I just transferred this semester to teach Edward Sutton."

There was no response from inside.

This was a video doorbell, so the person inside could definitely see what was happening outside.

She pressed her lips together, unsure what else to say, so she lowered her head and asked Edward Sutton, "Why isn't your dad opening the door?"

"Huh?"

Edward Sutton blinked rapidly, but couldn't hide the panic on his face.

He stammered for a long time, just about to say something, when the door finally opened.

A blast of cold air from the AC rushed out, hitting William Brooks in the face.

She instinctively frowned, thinking, There's a child at home—how can the AC be set so low?

She looked up, but the greeting she'd prepared got stuck in her throat.

The room was dim, almost no lights on.

Only a small lamp hung in the entryway, barely illuminating a corner of the hallway.

A slender man stood under the light, looking as if he'd just woken up. His white T-shirt was a bit wrinkled, and his hair was slightly messy.

Bathed in the gentle warm glow, his sharp features were softened by a faint halo, making him look a bit gentler.

His eyes, reflecting the light, appeared almost transparent amber. When he looked straight at her, William Brooks's breath caught.

Ling... Ethan?!

William Brooks stared at him in a daze, unsure if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

But that face.

That face you could see everywhere, yet there was no second one like it in the world.

The scene before her and her memories collided at lightning speed. Countless thoughts flashed uncontrollably through her mind.

Actually, ever since graduating high school, this classmate with whom she had little interaction had quickly faded from William Brooks's memory.

After starting college, she had almost forgotten about him.

Until five years ago, when the singer Ethan Sutton burst onto the scene.

He shot to fame like a rocket, his original songs sweeping all the major charts. Every year, he had a spot at the most prestigious award ceremonies, and his endorsements were everywhere you looked.

William Brooks wasn't a fan, nor did she care much about the entertainment industry, but news about him was everywhere.

As Ethan Sutton's image on screen changed over the years, William Brooks watched from afar as his features became sharper and more defined, the once-slim teenager growing tall and upright like a pine tree. Even his always-downcast eyes became sharp and confident under the spotlight.

William Brooks gradually accepted that Ethan Sutton was now the superstar Ethan Sutton, not just the classmate who always sat in the back row.

She never expected to run into him again, so suddenly, on such an ordinary day.

William Brooks just stood there, dumbfounded, unable to snap out of it.

Until a crisp voice broke her thoughts.

"Dad!"

William Brooks: "?"

Who are you calling??

She jerked her head down to look at Edward Sutton, then up at Ethan Sutton. After looking back and forth twice, her pupils contracted.

D-dad?!

With the light behind him, William Brooks couldn't see Ethan Sutton's expression clearly, but she heard him say, "You're calling—"

Before he could finish, the little one suddenly darted in front of him and hugged his leg tightly.

"Dad! I missed you so much!"

"...?"

William Brooks's pupils nearly split.

She looked at Edward Sutton again, then at Ethan Sutton.

And then back at Edward Sutton.