"Don’t misunderstand. I’ve been sponsoring this welfare home, and I’ve visited a few times before. She’s an orphan—she just got attached to me and started calling me that."
I nodded and smiled, reaching out to gently touch the child’s face.
"She looks a lot like you. If you hadn’t told me otherwise, I would’ve assumed she was your daughter."
"What’s her name?"
"Cassie. She’s the one I plan to adopt."
Before she could say anything else, Cassie suddenly burst into tears and cried out, "Daddy!"
Virginia’s expression turned deathly white in an instant.
She glanced at me nervously, trying to gauge my reaction.
I met her gaze with an easy smile.
"I’m fine. Go comfort her. She’s a beautiful child—I like her too."
My words seemed to reassure her.
Without another thought, Virginia carried Cassie into the office, leaving me alone.
Seizing the opportunity, I excused myself, pretending I needed to use the bathroom.
Outside, the voices of the welfare home staff drifted through the hallway.
"Why is Virginia pretending her child is an orphan? Look at those clothes—each piece costs more than my monthly salary. Who would believe she’s not from a wealthy family?"
"You don’t get it. Virginia planned all of this. It’s the only way to get the child into the Stuart family without raising suspicion. Be careful of what you say outside—Mr. Klein mustn’t find out."
"Figures. Virginia has always loved Mr. Wheeler the most. Back in college, they used to visit this place together all the time. I saw it with my own eyes. Guess it finally worked out for them. A man and a woman spending nights together… you do the math."
Laughter, laced with suggestive undertones, echoed through the hallway.
A sharp pain stabbed through my chest, suffocating me.
I gripped the wheels of my chair and moved closer to the office door.
Inside, a familiar voice spoke in a hushed tone.
"Is she good to you?"
"Very. But since she spends most of her time abroad, there are things she doesn’t know about. It’s actually better this way—she’ll never find out about Cassie. Ironically, she’s even pushing for us to have a child together."
Virginia's lips curled into a smile, but the sorrow in her eyes was unmistakable.
"You don’t have to worry about Cassie once she’s in the Stuart family. If there’s anything that needs handling, just send me a message."
She paused for a moment before handing over a small gift box.