A PAPER FOLD
"Never mind, Qiara. Didn't you promise not to cry earlier when your father left? So why don't you stop crying now? I let you cry but not all this time, honey! He will come back soon and bring your mother who has changed well when your father comes back for you!" Alice's persuasion calmed little Qiara's heart.
"But I'm sad, Auntie. When will dad pick me up? Why can't I just accompany dad while looking for mom? I can massage dad's legs when he's tired. I can also hug dad when we sleep on the street and it's cold. I love my father so much, Auntie!" a pathetic innocent answer escaped Qiara's tiny lips.
'We already forbade him to go, Qiara. But your father is very stubborn,' Alice answered in her heart.
Sean half squatted and touched Qiara's shoulder.
"Little girls shouldn't cry sadly for too long. Her beauty will be lost, honey. Look at Aunt Alice, Aunt Alice never cried like you, and that's why she was always beautiful. Am I right?" Sean spoke with a smile to Qiara who heard Sean's words then turned his face to Alice who smiled.
"Besides, you are not alone. There are Sunny and Shine who will accompany you to play in this house. You will never feel lonely, and without realizing it, your father has arrived again at this house to pick you up, Qiara," Alice continued Sean's persuasion to the little one. Qiara.
Qiara seemed to understand and began to calm her sobs. The little girl nodded and looked into her shirt pocket.
Qiara took out a folded paper from her pocket and gave it to Alice.
"What is this, honey?" Alice asked with a confused smile.
"I don't know, Auntie. Dad told me to give this to Uncle or Aunt after Dad left," Qiara said innocently.
Alice unfolded the paper and read what it contained.
'This stupid man is so reckless!' Alice cursed in her heart. And her clenched jaw was seen by Sean and immediately stood up to take the paper in Alice's hand slowly.
'I entrust my daughter to you. I'm not sure if I'll be back or not. Because I know for sure I will come back empty-handed and fail to bring Helena and then disappoint my daughter again,'
'It's possible that I know where Helena is now, though I'm not entirely sure. What's more, does she also want to come with me again? But, that's not my problem entrusting Qiara to you. I do feel like I'm walking towards death, and I can't fight that feeling,'
'Unbeknownst to you, I have made a power of attorney to hand over custody to Qiara. And you can take it in the civil registry. Why did I choose you? Again because I believe in you more than I believe in myself,'
'Sorry for not listening to your advice and remaining stupid. But, this time let me feel the satisfaction of my mind even though it is a foolishness, and I am ready to receive the recompense of my stupidity!'
'Goodbye. Sorry for bothering you both so much. And thank you, because you are good people who accept Qiara selflessly. Please tell my daughter that I love her. Kendrick...'
Sean covered his frustrated face after reading the contents of the folded paper earlier. How could Ken give them such words? Luckily Qiara couldn't read yet, so she didn't understand what her father was saying on the paper, even though she kept opening and refolding the paper.
Sean looked confusedly at his wife. As if asking what they will do after this.
"I'm going to meet the maid and ask to clear a room for Qiara. I'll be back!" said Alice calmly as she took Qiara's hand to enter the house.
*
It was dark. The light of the sun was replaced with the twinkling of stars scattered in the sky and also the lights along the road where Ken stepped aimlessly.
In a radius of tens of meters, the two subordinates that Alice ordered looked like they were watching Ken from their position.
Along the way, maybe Ken has not counted how many steps he walked. Ken regretted his mind that always refused Sean's help to make it difficult for him like this.
Ken kept walking from place to place. From a crowded place to a place that is now quiet as the night grows late. Likewise, Alice's men continue to stalk him from a distance.
On the seemingly deserted street, Ken was still walking without looking like he wanted to stop, but not as fast as before. Maybe he had run out of steam.
A few meters in front of Ken, walked a man in a leather jacket with a hat and a mouthpiece, complete with sunglasses. Everything is black.
At first glance, there was nothing suspicious when the man dressed in black walked over. However, slowly his footsteps led and approached Ken who was walking slowly.
The man in black was already right in front of Ken and hit Ken on purpose.
Psst Psst Psst
Three shots from silenced firearms pierced Ken's stomach instantly without warning.
Ken winced in pain silently and looked wide-eyed at the man who shot him.
Alice's subordinates who saw the incident immediately ran towards Ken's body position which already looked strange with a foreign man, from a distance.
Ken's body fell to the ground along with a black car that accelerated and braked as hard as it could right next to the man in black.
The man got into the car leaving Ken covered in blood on the asphalt.
Alice's men ran while taking out their firearms and tried to shoot at the car which was going fast and was about to hit them.
Bruum!
"Fuck! Hurry up and look at that man!" shouted one of Alice's men who started to get up from the pain of the body that hit the shoulder of the road.
The two of Alice's men who saw Ken fall to the asphalt along with that car were speeding and continuing towards them rushed to take out their firearms and opened fire on the car.
And unfortunately, the car didn't look like it want to stop even though the windshield had been shattered by the gunfire of Alice's two men.
Bruum! They're gone...
They ran towards Ken who was seen floundering in his blood. And when the two of Alice's men arrived and checked on Ken's condition, Ken's last breath blew pathetically.
"He can't be helped anymore! Tell the boss now! And let's move this man before anyone else sees!" said one of Alice's men.
Along with it…
"Aunt Alice!" shouted Qiara with a pale face.
Alice immediately ran from the kitchen to the dining table where Qiara had been sitting quietly for a long time.
"What's wrong, Qiara? What made you scream and your face so pale?" answered Alice who asked again.
"My stomach hurts, Auntie!" Qiara groaned with a pale face while holding her stomach.
"Why so suddenly?" Alice asked confused, "Sean, hurry over here and call the doctor!" called Alice half-screaming so that Sean who was in the other room heard the call.
'Damn! Samuel isn't here either!' Alice squeaked indignantly.
"What's wrong, honey? Why are you suddenly screaming for a doctor?" Sean asked frantically at Alice's request.
"Don't ask too many questions, call the doctor quickly! Qiara's stomach suddenly hurts!" Alice explained.
"Okay!" Sean answered briefly and immediately reached into his trouser pocket where his cell phone was.
While Sean was busy on the phone, Alice's watch rang.
"Say!" Alice answered immediately in a panicked tone. Right now she was feeling very confused.
"Boss! This man was shot dead by an unknown person!" said her men who said clearly without mentioning Ken's name in their report.
"W-what?!" Alice couldn't believe what she was hearing right now, "This can't be!" she continued as he turned to Sean's face then to Qiara beside her.
"Auntie, my stomach hurts so bad!" Qiara's moans continued to sound from the tiny lips of the little girl who had just lost her beloved father.
Not to mention that Sean called the doctor, and Alice wasn't able to overcome her chaotic thoughts, Qiara's tiny body fell and almost fell from the dining table chair if Sean didn't catch her soon.
"Qiara!" called Sean and Alice together.
***
"The child is asleep, Boss. After waking up her stomach will be fine," said Samuel who had just finished checking on Qiara.
"Is there something wrong with her body, Sam? I'm afraid cause her face was too pale when she passed out!" Alice asked again.
"This child is thinking too much and crying, Mom. It makes her stomach tense. But what is such a small child thinking? What a hassle!" Sunny, who was also in Qiara's room, also watched Samuel while checking on Qiara.
Before Alice looked like she was about to answer her son's words, Sean approached Sunny who looked lazy and didn't like Qiara. Sean smiled and kissed his smart son on the cheek.