11 - Daddy

A/N: The chapter ahead is raw, which means it has not yet been proofread or edited.

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"W-WOW! Mommy, I think he's good to be a Sugar Daddy!" Candice blurted while looking stupefied. The restaurant is so big and they could see walking dollars signs coming in and out of its doors! The smell of dollars even!

"Shh! Candice! Where are you learning all that!?" Kalonice spanked her again but Candice did not answer her.

On the hand hand, Midas was red. H-He's so embarrassed! The child's mouth has no filter! And yeah, where is she learning those words!?

"Please come inside," a smiling usher led them inside.

Midas showed his patron card on their way inside to the usher, "VIPs."

"Then, this way, Sir."

Candice screamed in delight when she saw how fancy the VIP floor is. Kalonice immediately covered her mouth but that didn't stop Candice from screaming. Ali and Francis were getting dizzy from the luxuries they've never seen before that are now surrounding them. This is where rich people eat. This is where people buy the bestest food.

Midas pulled their seats before he settled down.

"Menu," he said and the waiter brought menu books to their table.

"Wow! Mommy, look at this food! Hihihi! I want pasta, Mommy! Is this spaghetti!? It says A...Alle... Vong..."

"Vongole," Midas continued, "Do you want to try it?"

Candice's eyes turned hearts. In a blink of an eye, she's already clinging on Midas.

"I'm giving you my blessings! Rich people are good people! You're my Daddy now!"

"C-CANDICE!"

Kalonice nervously looked around, but thank God's nobody was in the same floor other than the (Midas reserved the whole floor for only the).

"Come here!" She tried getting her from him but she's attached on him like glue.

She ignored her!

Candice sat comfortably on Midas's lap and pointed pictures.

"Papa, I want this! And this and this---all of it!"

Midas seek help from Kalonice. How weird is that? The child is calling him her father and somehow---it feels nice?

"Alright, alright. We'll get all that."

"Midas, don't ride her trip. Candice, come here. He's my boss's son. That's inappropriate."

"No! He's Daddy!"

Candice started crying. It's not an act. Her tears were true.

"Mommy, let me play pretend. I want a Daddy, too!"

Silence befell on them, and Kalonice was frozen.

Midas, hesitating at first, land his gentle pats on Candice's head.

"It's alright. It's okay, I don't mind. She's just a child."

Candice looked up to him.

"Little miss, you're cute."

"Thank you. I look like my Mama."

Midas smiled at her and nodded, "You sure do."

She looked like Kalonice indeed.

"Don't cry. Once my little sister is older, I will introduce you to her. You'd be friends. She's still a baby."

"Baby!? I have a baby, too!" Candice asked Ali for her backpack and pulled her Barby doll to show him.

"This is my baby! I named her Candy!"

"Wow, what a cute name!" And they played.

Surprisingly, Midas was so good at it. Well, he had five brothers. Quintuplet. That's a lot worse than handling a gangster 5-year-old girl. Wait, maybe it's the other way around? Well, all is good already between them. He will be fine.

...Right?

"Carobolala!" Candice exclaimed while raising her hands when their food came. The waiters served their food and they all look exquisite.

"Cabonarala! Yey! My favorite!"

"Careful, little miss." Midas sat her properly on her lap and went closer to the table.

"I will feed her. Please don't bother yourself," Kalonice. She moves closer to take Candice from him but he refused.

"It's fine. I don't mind. Right, little miss?"

"Yes, Papa! Aaah~ I wanna eat! I wanna eat!"

Midas chuckled and swirled the pasta using a fork.

"Eat freely, Ali, Francis," he told them when he noticed that they are still shy.

Kalonice helped her other siblings until they're eating by themselves.

"So dark!" Candice looked around while wearing his shades. Midas chuckled and filled himself with his chosen dish. Candice is still on his lap, playing with his shades and she's still eating.

"Come here, Candice. I'll wipe your face,"

Candice turned to her with a pout. Kalonice wiped her messy face because of the pasta sauce.

"Daddy, buy me toys!"

Kalonice then lost it and took Candice by force.

"Candice, that's enough."

"But... But Mommy---"

"NO." she stand up, bringing her, "Please, excuse us. I will talk to her."

Midas touched her by the arm. Both of them were surprised.

He loosened his grip on her and sat back, "It's fine. Really. Think of this as my way of peace offering. No need to feel bothered by it, Montecristo. I don't really mind."

"Thank you, but good for you. I don't want eyes on us. I want to keep them private. I don't want to drag them in this mess. People will talk---"

"So, let them talk."

He crossed his arms, tapping his crossed foot.

"I don't care. The world stays the same whether they gossip or not. So what if they see us hanging around? Let them call me names; I'm still Midas Yzaguirre and they're still inferior to me."

He fished for his phone and dialed a number. The call ended soon and he asked for the tab.

"Do some retouch, I will wait."

Kalonice took that signal and brought Candice to the restroom to scold her from the very beginning to this moment. Candice cried.

"But Mommy, I want a Daddy, too. I'm not a bad girl, but why don't I have a dad, too, like the others?"

Kalonice was taken aback. Stunned.

"I'm so jealous of them. They have daddies. Where's my Daddy, Mommy?"

"Your daddy...is a bad person." Candice opened her eyes and looked up to her.

"He doesn't love you, he wanted you gone, that's why your Mommy took you away and hid you. I'm sorry, baby, but your daddy is a bad man."

Kalonice braved through it. She listened to Candice's cries. Seeing her cry is so heartbreaking. It's tearing her apart. Candice is already a daughter to her. She's the one who took care of her from the very beginning. She spent sleepless nights guarding her, even took her to school because she can't trust and rely on her mother to look after her. Yes, she's Candice's mother. She's her mother because she raised her.

"But... But that man...is not really, really bad at all."

"Candice," she knelt in front of her, "He's my boss. His father is my boss. Don't you think it's inappropriate to call him that when we're just linked together because of work? He's different from us, okay? And people outside are scary. We can't be attached to him too much. Scary people will devour us and we're helpless against them."

Candice is a bright child and Kalonice knew she understands. Still, it's not wrong for Candice to desire a father figure. Kalonice was once a child like her and she had hidden feelings like that. Somewhere in her heart, there was hope. Hope that her biological parents will look for her. Now that she's making her name loud, she hope that they will hear it and recognize her as their child. Like Candice, she wanted a father, too. And a mother.

"I'm sorry, baby. I'm sorry,"

She pulled Candice for an embrace. The child did not embrace back.

When she's calm, they went out of the restroom. She's holding Candice's hand. She's silent and looking down but not sulking. She's just in low spirits. Very gloomy.

"We're going home. I still have to return to our office, too."

"What? But we will still go to the mall," Midas.

Candice's hands shake when she heard that he's pushing the plan. Her tears welled again, but she can't act up anymore. Kalonice is right. He can't be her father because after all, how dare she ask for something so impossible? Midas is different from her. She's a peasant and he's literally one of the richest men alive.

"I want to go home..." She said with a shaky voice. Kalonice gave Midas a look before shaking her head to him.

"I see," he felt bad for the child. She was looking forward to it. She was so excited.

"Then, I'm sending you home. Let's go."

On their way home, their atmosphere was so dense and silent. Candice sat with Ali and not with Kalonice. She's hugging Ali and she knew Candice was crying. When they got home, Candice was the first to get inside and locked herself in Ali and Francis's room.

"I'm sorry, Midas," Kalonice faced Midas. They're outside and she will soon send him off. He didn't get inside their house. Maybe next time.

"No, I'm sorry."

Midas sighed.

"I shouldn't have done that. I'm an awful person, I'm aware. I should've seen what they did. I always let my attitude get ahead of me, especially to people. I hate people. But I don't hate you."

"You should be because I hate you."

Midas grabbed her by the head. His hand is big enough to fit the size of her head.

"And here I am, apologizing sincerely and you will ruin the moment? I'm gonna blacklist your name again."

"Aww, you can't, Daddy's Boy. Your Daddy likes me a lot."

He pushed her but not too strong and opened the door of his car.

"Goodnight, Montecristo."

"Night."

He glared at her.

"Good night, Master."

His eyes widened a bit, and he smirked.

"Thats right, slave."

He finally went inside the car and started the engine. Before leaving, he looked back to their simple house and found Candice watching them by the window. Shes still crying. When Kalonice looked at where he's looking, Candice closed the curtain and sobbed on the bed.

Poor girl.