Chapter 10 Are You Teaching Me How to Raise My Daughter?

Lily Garcia froze for a moment, then quickly forced a smile. "Of course I know... I was just saying, designing the jewelry first, I... I'm not in a hurry to ask you to marry me..."

Christopher didn't say a word.

Lily Garcia carefully watched his expression, not daring to ramble on.

After a moment of silence, he spoke again but changed the topic, "Did you visit Wendy yesterday?"

"Yes!" Seeing that he was willing to talk, Lily perked up and cooed, "Wendy said she was bored and asked me to keep her company. She also had a whim to use me as her model. Sitting for several hours was really tiring!"

"It was tough on you."

"Oh, not at all, not at all. To do something for my sister-in-law is my duty and obligation as her elder sister-in-law."

"Thank you." Although it was a word of gratitude, the man didn't seem sincere.

Lily Garcia smiled gently, appearing incredibly kind, "Buddha said, 'Saving a life is better than building a seven-level pagoda.' I saved Wendy, and although it was a big sacrifice, it was worth it for her to live."

"Hmm." The man responded but said no more.

The air fell into an awkward silence once again.

Suddenly, a loud "thud" from upstairs followed by crying sounds.

"Oh my little treasure! Why did you climb so high!"

The butler's voice was panicked, and down below, Christopher's complexion changed drastically, and he had already dashed upstairs.

"What happened?" He pushed open the door to see the butler holding his daughter, with various items scattered on the floor and a chair overturned.

"Wuuuu—" The child cried miserably, with blood on her forehead.

Christopher quickly took the child from the butler, overwhelmed with distress, "How could you let this happen?"

The butler and the maid, terrified, almost kneeled to beg for mercy, "Sir, I had just stepped away to get a coat for the young miss... I never thought, the young miss would climb onto the chair, I deserve to die... I failed to take care of the young miss... Please punish me!"

The bodyguard Fuller quickly brought the medical kit, advising, "President Hart, let's treat the young miss's wound first, see if we need to go to the hospital."

Christopher, holding back his fury, looked at his daughter crying loudly in his arms, his eyes reddening, tears almost falling.

Fortunately, after a checkup, the little girl only had a superficial cut on her forehead, and it was fine after applying a bandage.

Seeing Christopher still grim, and all the servants barely breathing, Lily approached with the posture of the lady of the house, "All right, you all can go now, be more careful in the future! Don't you know how delicate the young miss is? If something worse happened, you couldn't compensate even with your lives!"

But all the servants kept their heads down, motionless, none daring to leave.

Lily felt slightly embarrassed, then turned to look at the man holding his child on the sofa.

"Christopher, it's normal for kids to be active, don't be too... overboard. Sometimes, being too protective and pampering isn't necessarily good. She needs to learn her lesson from a fall, next time she won't dare..."

Before she could finish, Christopher looked up and interrupted, "Are you teaching me how to raise my daughter?"

"I..." She was at a loss for words, suddenly confused, "I didn't mean that, I just think... your protection of her is indeed a bit too—"

"My daughter, my choice!"

"..."

Hope stopped crying, uninterested in the adults' heated exchange, only squirming in her father's arms wanting to jump down.

Christopher quickly stopped her, "Healed wound forgotten already? What are you going to do?"

The little girl, with red-rimmed eyes, a red nose tip, and a forehead red from the fall, looked both adorable and pitiable, melting anyone's heart.

"I want to get a photo... mommy's photo..." Seeing her father angry, Hope didn't dare to act up again, and gestured towards the drawer in the armoire.

Everyone finally realized!

Turns out, the little girl climbed so high to reach a photo of her mother placed in the armoire.

"What do you want the photo for?" Christopher Hart didn't understand.

"I want to show it to my big brother, I have a mommy, and my mommy is very, very beautiful!" Hope Hart explained between sobs, her eyes earnest and persistent.

Christopher Hart had always found it hard to refuse his daughter, so he hugged her and fetched the photo from the wardrobe.

Lily Garcia watched the father and daughter with the photo in their hands, her hands involuntarily clenching and her jaws tightly shut.

Amelia Garcia had been dead for four years, yet her belongings were still kept in this villa—from photos to clothes, from the bedding to daily necessities, not a single item was missing.

When she later got married and became the lady of this house—how could she bear it if these old things were not thrown away?

Thinking of this, Lily Garcia felt indignantly unfair again.

"Christopher, Hope is getting older, don't you think it's time to tell her some truths? By keeping it from her, you're only allowing her to live in a fantasy, how will she accept me in the future?" Knowing that speaking out might anger him, she couldn't help herself.

Sure enough, Christopher Hart looked at her and said bluntly, "Haven't I repaid enough for the favors the Hart Family owes you? You still want my daughter to accept you?"

The implication was clear, at most marrying you is enough, it has nothing to do with my daughter, don't expect me to make her recognize you as her mother!

"I—" Lily Garcia was stunned, staring at him, choked with no words to say.

So, this is what he thought!

Christopher Hart picked up his daughter and went straight out.

Lily Garcia turned around, her words halted, her eyes fiercely fixed on their departing figure, her mind buzzing with fury!

As the father and daughter descended the stairs, the little girl spoke softly, "Daddy..."

"Hmm?"

"I don't like Aunt Lily to be my mom."

"Hmm, then we won't make her your mom."

"Daddy, I don't want you to marry Aunt Lily either."

"Why?"

"I just don't like her."

"But Aunt Lily saved your aunt's life, she has done us a great favor, and she has health issues that will need someone to look after her in the future. Marrying her is a responsibility," the man explained patiently.

The little girl pouted, muttering softly, "You could just give her money… After all, you're the richest daddy…"

Hearing this, Christopher Hart's gentle and profound eyes dimmed slightly, then he changed the subject, "Does your forehead still hurt?"

"Daddy kisses make it better."

The man smiled, his large palm cradling the back of his daughter's head, drawing near and kissing her forehead several times.

"Daddy, take me out to play, I want to show the two boys the photo of mommy!"

"Alright."

Downstairs, Lucas King had come to pick up the boss for work and couldn't help but remind him, "President Hart, there's an important meeting this morning."

"Let Benny Palmer go."

Lucas King found it difficult, "President Hart, Young Master Palmer is also very busy today..."

"Then let him be busier, he doesn't have a wife or kids, what else should he do if not strive in his career?"

"..."

Seeing the boss's mind was made up, Lucas King had no choice but to phone Benny Palmer, the Executive Vice President and the third young master of the Palmer Family.

Moments later, Lucas King brought the phone, his face filled with despondence, "President Hart, Young Master Palmer wants you to listen to the phone."