THE BILLIONAIRE'S CRYBABY
Chapter 46: A MIRACLE

Chapter 46: A MIRACLE

Doctor Leighton made the turn to the trauma ward, and stopped when she saw a man standing in the middle of the hallway.

As she drew closer, she spotted platinum hair between his legs.

Drawing even closer, curiosity in her eyes, and a cautiousness in her walk, her heart raced.

She was about to raise an alarm when the little girl moved, and she saw her face.

"Sophie?"

She jerked, and tightened her hold around Ace’s leg.

Gently pulling her away, Ace turned around and came face to face with the doctor.

"Mr Ace Atticus?" She called.

"Yeah, why?"

"What are you doing with the little girl?"

"Talking." He shrugged.

She glanced between the little girl and a haughty looking man who happened to be her best friend’s husband.

"Sophie," she turned to her. "Why are you in the halls? You should be on your bed, resting." She knew she wouldn’t talk. She hadn’t said a word other than ’I can’t remember’ ever since she was brought to the hospital. But she still pushed her luck.

Exactly like she assumed, the girl didn’t say a word. Instead, she went behind Ace, and grabbed his leg.

Leighton really panicked now. She didn’t want to think the worst of the man, but what reason did he have to be alone in the hallway with the little girl? And why was a girl who wouldn’t talk to anyone suddenly so taken with this grown up man?

She didn’t like any of this. Not one bit.

"Hey," Ace surprised her by turning to Sophie. "I think you need to talk to the doctor, and tell her the truth. She’s the one with the clicking heels, right?"

"Yes."

Leighton was completely taken aback by her quick response. She had spent so much time trying to get the girl to communicate, but never really succeeded.

"So? Tell her what you’ve just told me."

"I don’t want to." She shook her head.

"Why?"

"She’ll—" she completed her words by breaking down in tears again.

"Oh Sophie." Leighton moved to hug her, but she pulled away, keeping her hands on Ace’s legs.

"Hey, I told you I have to go back to my wife. You called the doctor nice, didn’t you? She’ll help if you tell her the truth."

In response, she increased the volume of her tears.

"Uhmm, I think she wants you to comfort her," Leighton suggested to him.

"Me? Why?"

She gave him a calculated look. There were still many reservations and fear in her heart, but she decided to give him the benefit of doubt. "Because for the three weeks she’s been here, she hasn’t really talked to anyone else but you."

Tilting his head to the side, he looked to be in deep thought. A few seconds passed before he sighed.

He crouched, and raised Sophie’s face from her chin. "Hey, you really need to talk to the doctor, okay? If you like, I’ll be here with you when you tell her."

"Promise?" She instantly brightened.

"Sure." He nodded.

"Okay."

She turned to Leighton, as Ace rose to his feet.

"Baby, are you going to tell me everything now?"

The little girl nodded. "I’m sorry I’ve been lying all this while."

"You have? About what?" If she was surprised, she didn’t show it. Rather, she put on a composed face so the girl could feel even more comfortable.

"I remember my parents. The accident too."

"You do? Why didn’t you say anything before?"

She grew mum again.

"I understand, Sophie. We don’t have to talk about it now, if it upsets you that much. How about I take you back to your room so you can take your medication for the night?"

"No."

"Hey, you have to take your medicine. It’s important for your health," Ace said.

"But it’s so bitter. Do you like bitter things, Mr Ace?"

"Oh darling, I like a couple of bitter things. Whiskey, even a bit of beer when I’m fee—"

"Mr Ace!" Leighton called in a chiding voice.

"What?"

He looked completely confused, and that was what infuriated her the most.

"That’s a child," she mouthed to him.

"So?" He shrugged, not seeing the problem.

"You can’t tell a child about whiskey and beer!"

"But my grandpa takes whiskey all the time. One time, I heard him say this is a grown man’s drink, while grimacing, and smacking his tongue."

Leighton was flabbergasted. Her gaze lowered to the little girl, and she was completely amazed by the transformation she saw. She was a lot more animated than usual, and all it took was the menacing guy to speak to her? If someone else had told her this story, she wouldn’t believe it.

"He’s a good man, Sophie." Ace gave her a thumbs up.

She returned it.

"Yeah, another reason why you should take your medicine despite how bitter it is, right?"

"No."

Well, she only tried her luck. She couldn’t force the girl if she didn’t want to take any medication.

"It has been really pleasant meeting you Sophie, but I really do need to leave now."

"I want to come with you!" She said, taking the two adults aback.

They exchanged glances, before fixing their gaze back and Sophie.

"That’s not possible, my love. He’s not your family, or your legal guardian. You can’t go anywhere with him," Leighton tried to explain.

"I’ll just see his wife, and come back. I promise," she said, her voice already quivering.

"You’re not about to cry again, are you?" Ace asked, a little alarmed.

"If I do, will you take me with you?"

"I hate tears, little miss sunshine. It grates my ears."

She swiftly wiped off her eyes with the back of her hands. "See? I’m not crying anymore. Can I go with you now?"

Ace moved his mouth to reject the idea, but Leighton spoke first.

"I was going to see her myself. We may as well go together. What do you say Mr Ace? Care to grant a little girl’s request?" The fear in her heart was completely gone now.

He wasn’t hurting Sophie. Sophie actually liked him. As crazy as it sounded in her head, mostly because the man didn’t have a smiling bone in his body, and children were supposed to like people who smiled, she just had to accept it.

"Fine," he relented.

"Could you hold my hands please, Mr Ace?" She looked up at him.

He took a deep breath. She was asking for a lot. He didn’t know if he liked kids enough for all of these, but he could make an exception this time. She was clearly traumatized. As much as she reminded him of Fay, she also reminded him of himself at nearly her age.

"Fine."

Leighton smiled as she watched him hold Sophie’s hands.

A wave of emotions hit her, and she swayed a little. Grateful to be behind, so they couldn’t see her, she pulled herself together, and continued walking.

Three whole weeks of trying to connect with the girl in vain. It has taken him less than an hour to get her clinging to his every movement.

Fay had found herself a conundrum of a husband. On the outside, he looked like he could trample you just by a look. The press called him every horrible name known to man. Thankfully, her dear friend didn’t have a phone in sight. She was clueless to the outside world.

But on the inside, there was a noble man there. She finally understood why everytime the name, ’Ace Atticus’ came up within a group of girls, they all swooned.

From a general point of view, she knew he was a handsome man. Personally, she preferred the heart over looks. Maybe that was why she dismissed every mention of his physical attributes. But now that she had seen a glimpse of his heart he tried his hardest to mask, she could admit he was truly a good looking man.

"Is this the room?" Sophie asked as they stopped by a door.

Leighton blinked, wondering how they got here so fast.

"I can’t believe I found my way here when all the while, I thought I was lost," he muttered under his breath.

"What’d you say?"

"Nothing."

He pushed the door open, and they stepped in. The scene he met wasn’t what he expected.

Landon was in the middle of the room, definitely exaggerating a story that probably never happened.

Marilyn was laughing her heart out, and so was Alice.

And Fay, Fay had a bowl of ice cream in her hand, and a glint in her eyes.

The room went completely silent when they stepped in.

Ace wasn’t the only one that had made an observation trip.

Fay’s eyes went from her best friend to the little girl in Ace’s arms. Her heart skipped a beat at the image they presented, standing together.

They looked like the perfect family.

Every woman Ace stood with, fit him like a glove. Every woman, except her.

A wave of sadness hit her, and suddenly, the ice cream tasted like chalk in her mouth.