I LIKE YOU

Robert's warm breath brushed against Sophia's neck, making her tense up and resist.

"No."

She didn't know if Uncle Mark did it on purpose or not, but he made her dress like that and Robert misunderstood her.

The dress she was wearing tonight was definitely appropriate. She couldn't be misunderstood again, could she?

"Um...Master Miller...no..."

At the moment she spoke, Robert had already left her.

"Get some rest." Robert's phoenix eyes burned hotly, filled with restrained desire as he looked at Sophia before leaving.

Sophia lay in bed, her heart beating fiercely. In a daze, Robert's breath was still in her ear, making it impossible for her to fall asleep.Sophia walked out into the courtyard, feeling uneasy in the unfamiliar environment. The cool breeze blew, making her shiver, but a small white figure by the lake caught her eye.

She was startled and her heart raced. Sophia hurried over and picked up the little person in her arms.

"Baby, you're not allowed to come to the lake alone." She held Anthony tightly in her arms and returned to her own bedroom.

Anthony was in Sophia's arms, his small body tense, his pale lips pursed, and his big black eyes filled with fear and timidity as he looked at her.

Sophia knew about Anthony's illness. She smiled brightly and said in a gentle voice, "Baby, tell me why you're not sleeping so late?"

Anthony just looked at Sophia without saying a word.

"You're too cold." Sophia didn't mind that Anthony wasn't talking. She just held him in her arms and used her body heat to warm him up, singing a lullaby in a soft voice.

Anthony seemed to feel Sophia's tenderness, and he slowly relaxed in her arms.

"Daddy..." His voice was soft and childish.

Sophia was startled by Anthony's voice and quickly turned to look towards the door. But Robert hadn't come back yet. She was surprised and delighted that this was the first time Anthony had spoken to her.

"Your daddy isn't sleeping here," she soothed Anthony gently. "I don't know where he is sleeping, but it's too late to go searching for him all over the house. So, you can sleep with me tonight, and you'll see him tomorrow. Is that okay?"

Anthony looked up at Sophia with his big eyes and nodded after a while.

Sophia hugged Anthony and lay back in the warm bed. The little boy curled up in her arms.

Sophia tightened her grip on Anthony's hands slightly, giving him a sense of security that was important for a child with autism.

"Aren't you afraid of me?" Anthony asked her cautiously, looking up at her with his small head.

"Why should I be afraid of my baby?" Sophia kissed his forehead gently. "You are the cutest person in the world, and I don't fear you. I like you very much."

Anthony's calm eyes rippled with Sophia's kiss.

"You are warm and gentle, different from others. They say I'm a monster and they all laugh at me," he said.

Sophia was stunned, and she spoke softly to Anthony, "You are not a monster. You are my cutest baby. Don't pay attention to others. They only say inappropriate things because they are jealous of you."

"What is cute?" Anthony asked Sophia, puzzled. "And what is jealousy?"

"Cute means something that I like," Sophiapatiently explained to Anthony. "Jealousy... jealousy is a negative emotion."

"Negative emotion..." Anthony looked confused, then a glimmer of understanding appeared in his eyes. "Cute is when you like me."

"Yes, I like you, baby," Sophia replied affirmatively.

"Really?" Anthony asked timidly. "Are you saying that on purpose?"

"I really like you," Sophia told Anthony sincerely. "You are my favorite baby."

A faint smile appeared on Anthony's small face. He moved his body and rested his head on Sophia's shoulder, closing his eyes.

"Can you sing the song you just sang? I really like listening to it."

"Sure." Sophia sang softly.

The next morning, when Robert entered the bedroom, his eyes widened in surprise.There were two people lying on the bed - his son Anthony, with his little arms wrapped around Sophia's neck, and his son's furrowed brow relaxed in sleep.

Sophia's white arms tightly held Anthony, and she slept with a smile of indulgence on her lips.

They were as intimate as a mother and son.

He walked over, bent down and kissed Anthony's forehead, then lightly kissed Sophia's cherry lips.

When Sophia woke up, the first thing she saw was Anthony staring at her blankly, which made her pause for a moment before she smiled sweetly.

"Good morning, baby," Sophia greeted Anthony with a bright smile.

Anthony blushed and stuttered, "G-g-good morning."

"Madam, besides the young master, this is the first time he has been so close to someone," Uncle Mark said happily, looking at Sophia."Even Madam hasn't received this treatment."

Sophia didn't have a good impression of Uncle Mark, after all, it was because of him that she was misunderstood by Robert on the first night. But she couldn't say anything as she was a guest in their home.

"I like Anthony," she said, looking down at Anthony, who was holding her hand tightly. "Does Anthony like me?"

Anthony nodded his head.

"Master is in the dining room, please come this way," Uncle Mark said happily.

To everyone's surprise, Anthony didn't run towards Robert in the dining room. Instead, he held Sophia's hand tightly and refused to let go.

"Anthony, this makes it difficult for your mother to serve breakfast," Robert said softly to Anthony.

"It's okay, I can eat with one hand," Sophia said, looking at Robert before playfully winking at Anthony. "Baby, can I feed you breakfast?"Anthony nodded his head.

Robert watched as Sophia took care of Anthony, and for the first time, he saw a glimmer of light in his son's usually dark eyes that wasn't directed at him.

"Don't leave me," Anthony held onto Sophia tightly.

"I'm just going to the bathroom, I'll be back soon, I won't leave my baby," Sophia promised Anthony.

Anthony finally released Sophia.

"Have you heard? The young master and his new wife Sophia slept in the same room last night."

"What new wife? The young master doesn't even like Sophia. He never sleeps in the same room with her at night. I suspect this woman is not a new wife, she can't even be considered a lover."

Sophia stopped in her tracks when she heard someone whispering about her.

"Whether she is a wife or a lover, she is not the woman the young master likes. Otherwise, why hasn't he married for so many years? I guess Sophia should be the nanny hired by the young master to take care of the little master."

"I think so too. After all, I heard that the young master was so in love with Anthony's mother that he would rather die than marry someone else. Think about it, a man can die for a woman, how deep must the love be? How could he easily accept Sophia?"

"Anyway, when the young master's mother comes back, Sophia will have to leave. A family cannot have two mistresses."

"And you see the young master's appearance, he looks like a monster, scary. He's just an evil spirit. He's definitely not going to grow up and will die young."

"The little brat, it's better for him to die early. He comes and goes like a ghost all day long. Sometimes he comes out in the middle of the night, and I thought I saw a ghost. He scared me to death. If he dies early, he won't scare me anymore!"

"Ma...ma...madam..." The maid was in the middle of speaking when she saw Sophia appear, and her face turned pale with fright. "Madam, what are you doing here?"