Chapter 51: Iris, Do You Truly Despise me?
“Y-you!”
Iris exclaimed in fright, pointing tremblingly at Leon, as if unable to believe what she was witnessing.
She was certain that this man had been twenty meters away from her hiding spot just moments ago!
How could he suddenly appear behind her!?
Iris quickly looked back at the place where Leon was standing before.
Sure enough, it was already empty, indicating that he had sneaked up on her without her noticing!
Nervously, her gaze returned to Leon, and her usually indifferent demeanor flickered with uncertainty.
After all, she hadn’t been eager to meet Leon so soon; her decision to follow him was merely to see what he wanted to do.
Yet she hadn’t foreseen that her actions would result in such an immediate meeting.
On the other hand, as he observed Iris’s nervous and frightened expression, Leon smiled faintly and leaned against the pillar, scrutinizing her carefully.
This was the first time he had met Iris, his second daughter.
Simply put, upon closer examination, there was hardly any noticeable difference between Iris, Charlotte, and Fiona.
All three were equally beautiful and adorable, making it challenging for others to differentiate between them.
However, for Leon, distinguishing among the three was effortless. With just a glance, he could easily discern who was who.
After pondering for a moment, an involuntary, mischievous smile graced his lips as he regarded Iris with a playful expression.
“Oh? Is my second daughter, Iris, so afraid of meeting me?” Leon chuckled, his tone playful.
Upon hearing this, Iris quickly reverted to her cold and indifferent demeanor.
“Humph! Who’s afraid?” She snorted coldly, crossing her two short arms with arrogance.
Her attitude, which was strikingly similar to Liliana’s, almost tempted Leon to burst into laughter.
Previously, he had only heard that Iris’s attitude and nature mirrored Liliana’s, and witnessing it firsthand confirmed the truth of those rumors.
Despite sharing his facial features and eyes, this little girl had wholly inherited her mother’s personality!
“Is that so? Are you sure?” Leon raised one eyebrow in a playful manner, not at all perturbed by her demeanor.
To be honest, in his current perception, Iris’s attitude came off as more cute and endearing than intimidating and cold like Liliana’s.
Perhaps it was her youthfulness and chubby face that didn’t quite align with her indifferent demeanor.
Iris, sensing that Leon was teasing her, couldn’t help but puff out her round cheeks.
“You! Are you playing games with me!?” Iris’s face turned fierce as she asked Leon angrily.
She never imagined she’d be provoked like this by the man who was supposed to be a “father” figure!
Furious and upset, she refused to tolerate being toyed with like this!
Observing her cheeks puff up like a blowfish, Leon couldn’t suppress his laughter any longer and approached her.
“Hahaha! My dear little daughter, you’re simply too adorable.” Leon chuckled before lifting Iris up into his arms.
Caught off guard by being suddenly lifted, Iris naturally panicked and struggled.
“Put me down! I don’t want to be carried!” Iris glared fiercely at Leon, continuing to resist being held.
However, how could she possibly contend with Leon, an adult man who was tens or even hundreds of times stronger than her?
Realizing her efforts were futile, Iris resorted to her last and most effective tactic: tears!
“Wuuuuuuu! You’re bullying me! I’ll tell Mommy about you! Wuuuuuuu!” Tears brimmed in the corners of her eyes, her expression adopting a pitiful demeanor, as if Leon had bullied her.
Unfortunately, Leon, with his Hollywood-level acting skills, saw right through this little girl’s charade.
It was just that he couldn’t help but feel surprised by Iris’s rejection of him to this extent, resorting to such dramatic measures as pretending to cry.
Was her animosity toward him truly that profound?
Doubts immediately arose in Leon’s mind, and he regarded Iris with a weighty expression.
“Iris, do you truly despise me?” Leon’s abrupt question halted Iris’s feigned tears instantly, shock overtaking her expression.
As she gazed into Leon’s earnest expression, devoid of the previous pretense or humor, a wave of nervousness washed over her instantly.
Did she genuinely harbor such animosity toward the man standing before her?
The answer was unequivocally yes!
She resented him deeply because this man had never been present since she and her two sisters were born.
He had also been absent when the three of them needed the warmth of a father figure.
Yet, despite her intense hatred, it couldn’t overshadow her longing for this man, who represented the father figure she had yearned for.
Observing Iris’s silence and inability to respond, Leon could only sigh with a mix of regret and relief.
He regretted his own hastiness while also feeling relieved that Iris didn’t seem to harbor as much animosity toward him as he had feared.
After careful thought, Leon gently released Iris from his embrace.
With a tender gaze, he affectionately stroked her white hair.
“Well, I apologize for teasing you, Iris. Honestly, I’m truly delighted to see you here. I wanted to bond with you just as I have with Charlotte and Fiona.” Leon’s smile held a tinge of sadness as he bared his heart to her.
Upon hearing this, Iris’s palms clenched, her chest aching inexplicably, as if deeply saddened by his smile.
“I…” Before Iris could finish her sentence, Leon playfully pinched her chubby cheeks, interrupting her.
“Alright, I need to speak with your mom right away, and she’s probably been waiting for too long. I’ll be off now,” Leon said casually before turning away from Iris, who appeared taken aback.
As Leon walked away, Iris’s expression darkened with sadness.
She reached out her arm, her mouth parting as if to call out to him.
However, her words caught in her throat, leaving her only able to watch silently as Leon walked away.
Tears welled up in her eyes, streaming down her cheeks as she stared at his retreating figure.
Meanwhile, after walking a hundred meters away from Iris’s location, Leon’s sad expression quickly faded, replaced by a faint smile.
“Well… No need to rush,” he said casually as he strolled away, gradually disappearing around the corner of the hallway with a whistle escaping his lips.
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