Where IS MY CHILD!

While Lia took a comfortable nap on the firm chest of a stranger, Lin was outside in the ball room, panicking.

Lin's brows furrowed as she craned her neck, standing on tiptoe in her three-inch heels to peer over the heads of partygoers swirling through the ballroom. Lia had been gone for nearly an hour now, and Lin was getting impatient. It had been hard enough to convince Lia to come out tonight, and now, she had pulled a disappearing act.

Lin pursed her lips, eyeing the elegant waitstaff bustling around with trays of champagne. They moved seamlessly through the crowd, balancing crystal glasses on silver platters with a calm, practiced ease that only made her more irritated.

Right, Lin thought. If you want something done, you've got to do it yourself.

She squared her shoulders, her dress glittering under the chandeliers, and marched toward the nearest waiter, who looked momentarily alarmed as she approached him. He was a young man, probably in his early twenties, with a nervous smile that faltered the moment he saw Lin's determined look.

"Excuse me!" Lin said, trying her best to sound polite but coming off just a bit forceful. "I'm looking for my daughter. Her name's Lia, she's about my height, wearing a navy dress with… um… a general look of wanting to escape." She said with a scary frown.

The waiter blinked, glancing around uncertainly. "I… I'm not sure I've seen her, Madam Qin," he stammered, edging backward slightly.

Lin was well known in these circles as a famous academic and the heir to a large fortune.

There wasn't a single person here who wouldn't recognize her.

But a daughter? No one here seemed to know about her.

Lin narrowed her eyes. "I find that very hard to believe. She's quiet but stunning. Dark hair, big eyes, hates crowds. She was practically glued to the wall when we came in."

"Oh, uh…" He gulped, giving Lin a tight smile. "I can ask around?"

"Yes, please do." Lin crossed her arms, the sparkle on her dress glinting dangerously under the lights. She watched him walk away with such fervent focus that she didn't even notice the elderly lady next to her holding a canape with an expression of mild shock.

"Madam Qin sure looks panicked," she muttered as Lin charged off to confront another unsuspecting server. "That's unusual."

Lin swept through the room, interrogating waiters and even a few poor guests who happened to be standing in her line of vision. Her usually calm demeanor had given way to a fervent determination that was causing a mild stir, with whispers and raised eyebrows following her as she stormed across the floor.

"Where's MY CHILD?" she demanded of the third waiter she approached, a harried-looking middle-aged man who clutched his tray as though it were a shield.

"Um… I… we haven't seen her, madam Qin," he replied nervously.

"Listen, if you see a girl about this tall—" she held her hand near her shoulder "—extremely pretty, that's her. She couldn't have just evaporated!"

The man stammered out a response, looking thoroughly flustered, and Lin huffed, turning on her heel and marching toward the doors leading out to the balcony. As she pushed them open and stepped into the cool night air, she scanned the dimly lit patio and found it… completely empty.

"Oh, perfect," she muttered to herself, hands on her hips.

Lin stomped back inside, now garnering more than a few curious glances from the crowd. She had to admit, she might have been making a bit of a spectacle. But what was she supposed to do? Just stand by and assume Lia was fine?

She was known to be a calm, elegant and respectful madam, but with Lia missing all of that had gone up in smoke.

She'd dragged the child out here, and she'd never forgive herself if it ended in Lia getting hurt.

A waiter approached with a tray of champagne flutes, and Lin waved him down, reaching for a glass. She took a sip, her eyes still scanning the crowd, her mind whirling with a mix of worry and frustration.

Raising her glass, she tapped it firmly with a fork. The high-pitched ding echoed through the room, and for a moment, all eyes turned toward her. Lin cleared her throat, tossing her hair back and trying to look as dignified as possible.

"Attention, everyone," she announced, her voice ringing through the ballroom with an air of authority. "If anyone has seen a woman in a navy dress with a vaguely tortured expression—dark hair, big eyes, looks like she'd rather be anywhere but here—please let me know."

There was a beat of silence before the crowd, clearly unsure how to respond, began murmuring amongst themselves. A few amused glances were exchanged, and someone at the back let out a stifled chuckle.

Lin glanced around, more than angry but determined to press on. "SHE'S MY CHILD!" She lowered her glass, giving a final, pointed look to the guests and staff before stepping back and allowing the murmurs to resume.

She'd clearly terrified everyone around her.

Lin's eyes lit up with a new idea. She set her glass on a nearby table and hurried off, a whirlwind of sparkles and barely contained panic.

She slipped into the side hallway, her heels clicking determinedly against the marble floor as she pushed open door after door, ignoring the odd glances from couples or groups she accidentally interrupted.

Nope, not Lia. Not Lia. Definitely not Lia, she thought as she hurried from one room to the next.

Finally, she spotted an open door near the end of the hall, and as she peered inside, she froze, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

There, on a small, cozy couch, was Lia. But she wasn't alone. She was nestled against a man, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder, her face peaceful in what appeared to be a very cozy nap. The man's arm was around her shoulders, his gaze soft as he absently brushed a strand of hair from Lia's face.

They looked… perfectly content.

For a moment, Lin just stood there, wide-eyed, completely thrown off. This wasn't at all what she'd expected.

"Oh. My. God," she muttered under her breath. She felt like she'd stumbled into some kind of romance novel, and a weird mixture of relief and annoyance welled up inside her.

Unable to contain herself, she slipped into the room.

The man's gaze snapped up, and Lia stirred, blinking sleepily as she looked around, her eyes landing on Lin's raised eyebrow and crossed arms.

"Lin?" Lia's voice was groggy, and she rubbed her eyes, slowly realizing her surroundings. She straightened up, looking a bit sheepish.

Lin's expression softened as she took in the sight of Lia's flustered face, but she couldn't resist adding, "I was out there yelling for my child, Lia. I think I may have even scared a waiter or two."

The man chuckled, and Lia shot him a playful glare before turning back to Lin, looking somewhat mortified. "I didn't mean to make you worry."

Lin huffed, though there was a glint of amusement in her eyes. "Well, now that I've found you, I'll let you get back to your… nap." She wiggled her eyebrows, giving Lia a knowing look.

Lia sighed, but a smile tugged at her lips as she met Lin's eyes, grateful and a little embarrassed. "Thank you, Lin. Really."

Lin's expression softened, and she patted Lia's shoulder gently. "Just… next time, give me a heads-up before you go off, alright?"

With that, she gave Lia one last look, winked, and sauntered back out into the hallway.