My IQ is greater than yours

After getting out of the hospital, Kaia had to continue going to appointments as well as having daily check-ups. After she was sure she could fully focus her attention onto Alexa--who she was itching to hold in her arms again--she called Naomi. When Naomi received the call, she made sure to bring baby Alexa over to see Alex for the last time. She told him that her friend had gotten a lot better and wanted Alexa back.

When Alex found out, he was reluctant to let Alexa go. She had been with him almost every day for the past month. He had felt a deep connection to her for some strange reason, and felt strong paternal love towards her. But he knew that Alexa had to leave some day and he couldn't have her accompany him for the rest of his life because she wasn't his daughter...

When Alexa was brought back to Kaia safe and sound, she was overjoyed. Naomi filled her in on the necessary details and other information on how to take care of a baby. She even stayed for two days to help Kaia get used to the daily routines and other things. The days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. Naomi would sometimes make trips to the countryside to visit Alexa and check in on Kaia.

When Kaia got a job at a school nearby teaching kids music, she would sometimes let Naomi take care of Alexa, mostly upon request. Naomi couldn't forget how Alex and Alexa bonded, so she always asked if Kaia needed help taking care of Alexa. There were quite a few times where she was able to bring Alexa back to the city for a few days to meet Alex again.

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A few years passed and Alexa was now at the age of four. She stood at a height of three feet four, which was slightly above average for her age. She had long pale blonde hair that flowed all the way to her lower back. Often times, Kaia put her hair up into cute pigtails.

It was summer and Kaia was teaching some extra music classes at a summer program so she was constantly busy. Naomi pleaded Kaia to have Alexa over for the summer since Rose was going to be at her father's. Naomi's daughter, Rose, was now 14. She was super smart and constantly ranked top three in her classes. She consecutively got A honor roll and also became an active member in her school's student government just in her first year of high school. She had a voluminous amount of natural curls and was taller than most of the girls her age.

It was a last minute decision from her father for Rose to spend the summer with him. Since Rose wanted to go spend time with him for the summer, Naomi was left without someone to accompany her and felt somewhat lonely despite being knee deep in work. She did her best to persuade her best friend into handing over Alexa and Kaia agreed with a sigh. She knew that the bustling city would have more sights to offer than the quiet countryside where she lived. Plus, she didn't want to neglect Alexa and deprive her of a fun summer. Since she was hiding, she wasn't really in a place to take Alexa on trips or vacations, especially because the nearest places for kids to have fun required a car ride. She knew that Alexa would have fun with Naomi because Naomi was practically a second mother to Alexa.

~~

Kaia carefully picked out clothes for Alexa to wear. She also packed other things such as Paca, her stuffed alpaca. Alexa suddenly ran into her bedroom from the living room. She excitedly jumped around. "Momma! Is Auntie Naomi here yet?" she asked, looking into her suitcase and then at Kaia. Kaia smiled as she glanced at Alexa briefly as she folded a dress and tucked it carefully into the suitcase. "Yes dear, she arrived at the airport already and should be in a car and on the way here now." Alexa giggled happily while clapping her hands. Kaia let out a small sigh, reaching out to hug her child. She took a deep breath. "I love you baby girl…mwa," she said in a slight whisper before giving Alexa a peck on her forehead. Alexa hugged her back. "Love you too momma! Don't be too sad without me. I'll make sure to facetime you every night from Auntie Naomi's phone." She smiled sweetly at Kaia. Kaia hesitated slightly before pulling away. She gently took Alexa's cheeks into the palm of her hands. "Alexa? Have you ever been to Auntie Naomi's job?" Alexa blinked before nodding excitedly. "Yea! A few times! It's a really really biiiiiig building! And everyone there is super nice." Kaia's face went pale.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Alexa squealed in delight and ran towards the door. "AAAUUNNTTIIEE!" She tugged the door open and jumped into Naomi's arms. Kaia slowly emerged from the room, watching Alexa pounce onto a startled Naomi. She pursed her lips. "Come in, Naomi," she said with an unreadable expression and Naomi did. Naomi walked over to the couch and sat down. "I have a lot of things planned for us, Cupcake!" Naomi looked up at Kaia and noticed her strange expression. She tilted her head slightly, then turned back to Alexa. "Hey Alexa, why don't you pack a few stuffed animals while I talk to your mommy." Alexa nodded eagerly and ran back to her bedroom.

Naomi stood up, walking over to Kaia. "Ka--Mia, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly. Kaia went to the kitchen with Naomi in tow as she prepared drinks. "Naomi…has she...has she met him?" she asked bluntly. She clenched her shaky hands onto a empty glass. Naomi frowned lightly with a small sigh. "Yes, but neither of them know...I had to do work and I figured the best way to keep an eye on her was in the office with me…" Kaia's face suddenly grew serious. "He doesn't know where we are does he? Naomi it's dange--" Before she could finish, Naomi cut her off. "Kaia, he doesn't know and it'll stay that way…" she said while giving Kaia a reassuring and pointed look.

After packing up, Naomi and Alexa said their goodbyes before hugging one last time and leaving. The plane ride was quiet and calm. Alexa either read or listened to music before taking a nap. They transferred from the plane to a car sent by someone from the company once they made it to the city. Alexa kicked her feet lightly. "Is sister Rose going to be home?" Alexa asked with an expectant look. Naomi shook her head. "No, Rose is staying with her daddy for the summer," Naomi stated with a weak smile. She wasn't a hundred percent on board with that decision but she decided to let Rose choose for herself.

Alexa wore a simple light green sundress that had flowers all around the hem of the skirt. It was medium length and revealed her knees when she sat in the back of the car while Naomi drove. Alexa was giddy with excitement. She knew exactly where they were going and she couldn't wait to go inside the large glass building again.

They finally arrived in front of the main branch of Sabor Sights, which had expanded over the years with Sabor Sights' rise to the very top of the entertainment industry. Naomi parked the car in her designated parking spot. Alexa stepped out of the car with a wide grin on her face. She looked up at Naomi. "Auntie Naomi, Is Papa Alex here?" she asked excitedly. Naomi froze when she heard Alexa call Alex "Papa". Naomi knew Kaia had found out that Alexa met Alex but didn't expect Kaia to already tell Alexa that Alex was her father. "Why did you call him papa, Cupcake?" she asked, almost scared to find out if she knew the truth or not. Alexa smiled freely. "Well, he's like a daddy to me..." she said. She noticed Naomi's strained and conflicted facial expression and frowned with upturned eyebrows as she looked up at Naomi. "Is that not ok?" she hesitantly asked. Naomi grimaced slightly before shaking her head. "No, it's fine." She gave her a soft smile, putting her index finger to her lips. "You can't say anything to your momma though, okay?" Alexa grinned while nodding as they walked into Sabor Sights.

Naomi rolled Alexa's suitcase behind her as Alexa skipped through the halls while looking around. The company was crowded with different actors and singers and V.I.P. guests. Mi Sung, the daughter of a massive corporation in Korea, as well as Alex's fiancee, was also there. After Kaia's "death," his family wanted to help Alex "move on" and decided to contact his old fiancee to help him recover. He adamantly refused, but finally agreed to it after being pursued on the subject for years. Mi Sung had been on board with their engagement from the beginning, so she was eager to take up the offer again.

On the way to the elevator, Alexa stopped and looked at Naomi. "Does Papa Alex know that I was coming? He usually waits for me by the elevators." She had a slightly saddened expression on her face as she spoke. Naomi looked down at her and shook her head with a secretive smile. "Alex has been under a lot of stress lately...I was thinking that we should surprise him," she said. She heard a 'ding' and looked up, seeing the elevator door open. Naomi froze when she saw Alex with Mi Sung. 'Why is she here? She shouldn't have arrived until next week,' she thought.

Alex fixed his tuxedo and stepped out of the elevator. It took Alexa a second before she recognized him due to his new hairstyle. He had it cut and styled to a medium-sized Quiff hairstyle. After a few interviews with his new haircut, he was announced as the sexiest man in the UK. Even though he changed his style, it didn't take long for Alexa's crystal blue eyes to find him. Before Naomi could stop her, Alexa ran over with her arms outstretched. "PAPAAA ALEEEEX!" she shouted rather loudly as the sound of her tiny little feet running across the marble-tiled floors resounded throughout the large lobby. Almost everyone on the first floor stopped to look in the direction of the childish voice that called Alex "Papa".

Upon hearing the outburst, Alex's gaze turned to the side to see Alexa's bright smile. He couldn't help but grin as he bent down, opening his arms to catch her. She practically catapulted into his arms, causing Alex to wobble over slightly. "Alexa! I didn't know you were coming!" Alex exclaimed before noticing all the eyes that were on him. The smile on his face disappeared without a trace as it was replaced with a stern expression. "If you have time to stare, you have time to work," he announced. Naomi quickly walked up to them. "I'm sorry Mr. Sabor, we didn't mean t--" Before she could continue her sentence, Alex shook his head. "I always have time for Alexa." He grinned at the little girl before looking over at Mi Sung who froze on the spot with a slightly stiff smile from when she had been talking to Alex just seconds ago.

Mi Sung was in dismay as she glanced between the two. "Alex? You have a...kid?" she asked, stunned by how much they looked alike. Naomi froze in place, a bead of sweat trailing down her temple. Alex looked up at Mi Sung and smiled. "She's like a daughter, but Alexa isn't mine. Naomi is Alexa's godmother, so she basically grew up in these halls. Her first footsteps were in my office..." He grinned as he reminisced Alexa's baby years. Mi Sung narrowed her eyes slightly with a suspicious glint in her eye. She leaned in closer to take a careful look at the two. "Call me crazy but...she looks so much like you AND her name is Alexa." Alex waved her off and said that it was merely a coincidence. It was also not uncommon for people to have blonde hair and blue eyes, so she was just being paranoid. He picked Alexa up into his arms and said, "C'mon, let's go to my office." He turned around and pressed the elevator button. The doors slid open, and he walked in. Naomi followed behind with Alexa's suitcase and Mi Sung followed behind her.

When they arrived at the top floor where Alex's office was, Naomi took the suitcase and put it in the corner of his office before leaving to handle some business. Mi Sung sat down on a small couch in the middle of the large office. She watched Alex and Alexa chatting about stuff that she couldn't butt into. They seemed to have already forgotten her presence in the room, lost in their conversation with each other. Letting out a small sigh, Mi Sung gazed around the room. Only now did she notice the various baby pictures of Alexa hung on the walls, placed on the desk, cabinet tops, and bookshelf. 'So he really did watch her grow up?' she thought before leaning back into the couch. Truth was she didn't like kids or even wanted any of her own. She never cared for the diapers, the crying, and everything else that went along with it.

Finally, Alex remembered Mi Sung was in the room and he stood up from his desk, bringing Alexa over to meet Mi Sung. "Alexa, this is Auntie Mi Sung. Papa Alex and Auntie Mi Sung are going to get married," he stated while looking at Alexa expectantly as if he was waiting for her confirmation. Alexa stared at Mi Sung for a second before tilting her head. She couldn't see a single shred of warmth or affection in Mi Sung's dark brown eyes. She continued to study Mi Sung without saying anything. Finally, she just turned around and said, "Papa Alex, I'm hungry." Alex let out a small sigh before smiling. "Alright, I'll be right back. Will you watch Mi Sung for me?" he asked with a big goofy grin. Alexa giggled, nodding. "Ok!" Alex chuckled and ruffled her hair before standing up and leaving the office.

Once he was gone, Alexa turned to look back at Mi Sung, crossing her arms. "Why are you marrying Papa Alex?" she asked, staring at Mi Sung straight in the face. Mi Sung's eyebrow twitched slightly. She quickly recovered from the slight surprise. As someone who had secured quite a few large contract deals, she remained unfazed by the little girl. She faked her best smile, the kind people practiced to perfection for pictures and videos. She leaned in, reaching over to pinch Alexa's adorable little cheeks. "Look at you, aren't you cute…!" Alexa tilted her head away, successfully avoiding Mi Sung's hand. Her face remained stern as she continued to stare at Mi Sung with a look that pretty much said, 'spit it out'. Mi Sung smoothly retracted her hand, smirking inwardly at the little brat. She leaned back, resting her hands on her lap. 'So it's true what they say about kids having an extremely sharp eye,' she thought. Since it was like that, she decided to cut the crap with Alexa. "I'm marrying Alex because I can. That's what grown-ups do." Alexa glared at her. "My momma told me you're only supposed to marry someone you love." Mi Sung's calm expression stiffened slightly before she mockingly looked down at the naïve child in front of her. This kid had some fire under her. "Look..." She cleared her throat. In a lecturing tone she said, "Alexa, Alex and I are going to get married, and being in love or not doesn't really matter. You're still a little girl, so you probably don't understand. Besides, only stupid people think that you have to marry for love." Alexa smirked with disbelief at the stupidity of the grown woman in front of her. "My momma is a genius. She said I took after her in that department." She proudly paused, smiling indulgently before continuing, "My IQ is probably higher than yours, and I'm only four and a half..."

Hearing this, Mi Sung glared at the little brat, heatedly ready to smack her. Mi Sung instinctively lifted her hand in the air swiftly, making Alexa flinch a bit in shock. When her hand swooped down to make contact with Alexa's face, a hand roughly grabbed her wrist midair. Alex stood above Mi Sung with a scowl. "You need to leave. Go clear your head, or do whatever you need to do. But don't ever think you have the right to put your dirty hands on Alexa." His voice was rough, almost like a growl which sent shivers through Mi Sung's spine. Mi Sung abruptly stood up from the couch. She was embarrassed at being caught in the act. Trying to regain her composure, she cleared her throat and shook off Alex's tight grip. "Excuse me then..." she said softly without looking at him before leaving.

Alex turned to Alexa, kneeling down to look at her with a worried expression. "Are you ok?" he asked, gently caressing her cheek. Alexa nodded and sat on the couch. She hesitantly looked at him before asking, "Papa Alex, why are you marrying her? She's scary..." Alex sat down on the couch beside her with a sigh. He handed her the sandwich he got for her. "It's...complicated…" He leaned back on the couch. Alexa snuggled in next to him, taking a bite of her sandwich. Alex looked at her and smiled. "I was actually married before. You would've loved my wife, Kaia." He stopped just as her name came out of his lips. The name he hadn't said out loud for a while. Alexa looked up at him, seeing his broken hearted expression. She reached up and gently tapped his face with her hand, which made Alex smile instinctively. "I'm ok, don't worry," he said, as his thoughts drifted back to memories of Kaia...