21: CHILD, WHY ARE YOU HERE?

CHILD, WHY ARE YOU HERE?

OUTSIDE, Cliff arrived at VeanCo Square from his father's company, and he was slightly tired. His strides were swift, knowing that he has lots of works to do for this company. His cellphone rings.2

"Hello, Rona."

"Cliff, can we talk later, I have something to ask you." He heard seriousness from her voice.

"About what? Can we talk about it over the phone?" he said, looking at his watch.

"Uh nope. Let's just meet if you're no longer busy."

"Is it important?"

"I guess it is. I don't want to talk about it over the phone, because I want to see your reaction if I asked you the possibility of it." Clifford creases his right brow.

"Later, bye!" he was then baffled about his sister's actions. But then he shrugged about it, thinking that maybe it is one of her pranks.

On his way to his office, Cliff suddenly heard a child's cry; he furrowed his brows and looked where the sound came from. In a little corner, he saw a child trembling while sitting on the carpeted floor, his face buried on his knees and his hands wrapped around it. He thought that it maybe it is one of the employees' child wandering and got lost.

"Child, why are you here?" the boy then looked and stared at him, and he stretched out his arms to be embraced by him and said,

"Daddy!"

...

At Rona's office, she discovered that the two boys were unusually quiet, so she went to the room where they played earlier, only to find out that it was empty and the toys were scattered. The pounding of her chest started. She hurriedly went outside to look for them. She saw her child looking confused and was teary-eyed.

"Oh Tristan, where have you been?" her voice quaked with a little fear.

"Clark and I were playing hide and seek. I was the one to look for him, but mom–" the boy started to cry.

"Ssshhh, please tell mom what happened first." She cradled him and went back to the office first. The boy hiccupped while telling his mom about what happened.

"A-after I-I co-counted o-one t-to th-thirty, I-I l-looked f-for C-Clark," he paused and took a deep breath. "...a-and I-I co-could not f-find h-him mom.. waahhhhh" the boy again cried.

"Hush now, we will look for him okay?" the boy just nodded.

She called the security personnel and instructed them to look at the CCTV cameras around the executive offices and looked for a boy.

...

'Daddy?!' an overwhelming sensation rushed through his body, and he was even shocked upon seeing the boy's face, wet with tears, and his eyes were puffed up. His emotions were in chaos upon seeing the child in a mess. In the spur-of-the-moment, he bent and carried the child in his arms. The child is still trembling and had a silent cry.

Without any second thought, he brought the child in his office.

"Good morning, Mr. Briggs." The secretary greeted. Then her eyes widen when she saw the CEO cradling a child.

"Bring me some snacks for the child, please." The secretary could not get a glimpse of the child's face because he hid the child's face in his chest. However, she immediately noticed that the two have the same color of hair.

When he entered his office, the child was already fast asleep. Then he lay him gently on the sofa not to awake him. He took a wet tissue and gently wiped it on the boy's face. He looked so innocent and peaceful in his sleep.

Their resemblance is vaguely unquestionable. From the hair color. The shape of the face. And up to the nose's shape except for lips were not the same as his. A small knock takes him back to his senses. His secretary is carrying a healthy snack tray, coffee for him, and a cup of milk for the child.

"Is there anything you want, sir?" the secretary wanted to take a stolen glance at the boy, but she could not since his body is blocking it.

"Thanks, you can go now." He immediately dismissed her when he sensed that the secretary's intention. He again looked at the boy and touched his face, and sighed deeply.

"Who are you exactly, child?"

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