The guest room, once reserved for occasional visitors, had undergone a magical transformation. It was now a wonderland—a toy room fit for a little princess. Plush animals, dolls, blocks, and toy sets of all kinds filled the space. And in the center of it all sat Vivi, her eyes gleaming like stars as she bounced between toys with endless energy.
Mrs. Grover stood nearby, watching with a fond smile on her face as the little girl gleefully hugged a stuffed bunny, then moved on to build a colorful tower out of blocks. Her laughter filled the room, echoing with innocence and joy.
"Princess," Mrs. Grover said gently, glancing at the clock, "do you want to eat your dinner? It's almost time, and good girls always eat their dinner on time."
But Vivi only pouted, her lips curling down as she clutched a teddy bear. "No! I'll have my food with Daddy," she declared stubbornly.
Mrs. Grover let out a soft sigh. After bringing Vivi to the toy room, Stanley had left strict instructions: Do not disturb me under any circumstances. And now she was caught between obeying those orders and feeding a clearly hungry little girl.
Though Vivi tried to act defiant, it was easy to see the hunger behind her stubborn expression. Her small stomach gave away her secret with soft growls, but still, she crossed her little arms and plopped herself onto the living room sofa, determined to wait.
An hour crawled by.
Finally, the study door opened, and Stanley stepped out. His face was tired, his steps slow from a day filled with back-to-back meetings and no breaks. As he passed through the hallway, his eyes landed on the small figure curled on the couch. Something about the silence made him stop.
He walked over with a skeptical brow. "What happened to you, brat?"
Vivi's head shot up at the sound of his voice. She scrambled off the sofa and jumped into his arms, wrapping her arms around him. "Daddy! You're back! I missed you!"
He squinted down at her, suspicious. "Did you do something?"
"Nooooo," she said sweetly, eyes wide with innocence. "Daddy, why were you so late? Vivi is hungry. Come, let's eat now."
Stanley blinked. "Wait. You didn't eat?"
She shook her head. "Nooo. I was waiting for you."
He turned his sharp gaze to the staff nearby. The servants, sensing the heat of their boss's displeasure, quickly stepped forward.
"Young Miss insisted she wanted to eat with you," one of them explained hurriedly.
Stanley's frown deepened. "Then why didn't any of you call me? Were you just planning to keep her hungry?"
Mrs. Grover walked in just in time to catch the comment. "Of course not! How could you even think I'd let the princess go hungry?" she said indignantly. "She already looked like she was going to faint from hunger."
"You can't just give in to her whims. You have to be strict sometimes," Stanley said, following them into the dining room.
"Oh?" Mrs. Grover raised an eyebrow. "And now you're going to teach me how to raise a child?"
He shrugged, brushing past her gaze. "I'm just saying. Don't let it happen again." He acted nonchalant, lifting Vivi into the baby seat at the table.
But the little girl was quick to protest. "Nooo! I want to sit beside Daddy!"
"Just sit where you are and eat your food," he said firmly.
Vivi's bottom lip trembled. "Nooo, I won't eat then…"
He was just about to shoot back with another snarky remark when Mrs. Grover, without a word, picked Vivi up and moved the baby seat right next to Stanley's chair.
"A family should always sit together," she said firmly, adjusting the seat like it was final law.
Stanley frowned, but before he could protest, Vivi clapped her hands in delight. "Mrs. Grovi! You're sooo strong! Like Moolan!"
Mrs. Grover chuckled warmly. "No, no, this is nothing. Now here—eat everything. I made all your favorites. You must be starving after waiting so long."
Vivi's eyes lit up as her plate was filled with food. Then, being the thoughtful little soul she was, she turned to Mrs. Grover and said, "Mrs. Grovi, come have food too!"
"I'll eat later, princess. You eat first," Mrs. Grover replied, patting her gently.
Stanley watched the interaction with a flat look and muttered under his breath, "I guess I shouldn't expect anything from you anymore now that you've got a new favorite."
Mrs. Grover didn't miss a beat. "You don't have to be jealous of the kid, Stan. You'll always be my favorite." With that, she placed a few chicken nuggets on his plate.
Just then, a tiny hand reached toward him.
"Here, Daddy, have this," Vivi said sweetly, placing a few capsicum slices on his plate. "Don't be sad. If you become sad, Vivi will be sad too."
The room fell into a brief hush. Her innocent words were like a soft hug to everyone's heart. The servants, Mrs. Grover—they were all touched. Their young miss, in her own pure and earnest way, had tried to comfort her father without even knowing how deeply she'd spoken.
Stanley, however, handled it in the only way he knew how—by teasing.
A slow smirk formed on his lips as he pushed the capsicum slices back toward her plate. "I don't want your capsicum. If you're offering something, give me some of your chicken nuggets instead."
Vivi pouted, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she pushed the green vegetable back onto Stanley's plate. "Daddy, you should eat your green veggies. They're good for your health."
Stanley raised an eyebrow, playing along with her antics. "Okay, then give me chicken nuggets, and I'll eat your capsicum," he teased.
Vivi's eyes sparkled with excitement as she picked up a chicken nugget, holding it up in front of Stanley's mouth. She giggled, her voice playful. "Daddy, say 'ahh.'"
Stanley, momentarily surprised by the little girl's genuine offer, couldn't help but smile. Without hesitating, he opened his mouth and took a bite of the nugget. The room fell into an expectant silence as everyone watched the scene unfold.
The fact that Stanley—normally so serious and unyielding—was eating from Vivi's plate left everyone a little stunned. But he didn't say anything, simply enjoying the crispy nugget. It was a strange sight, but a pleasant one.
"Mmm, this chicken nugget is so yummy!" Vivi exclaimed, her eyes wide in joy as she watched him.
Stanley chuckled softly. "I eat these every day."
Vivi, her face lighting up with admiration, added, "Daddy is so lucky to have chicken nuggets every day."
Stanley's smile faltered slightly as his mind wandered to Natalie—Vivi's mother—who had never been able to provide meals like this. Maybe it wasn't that she didn't care, but more like she didn't know how to cook. He remembered the days before they'd separated, and the emptiness that still lingered in the house, now filled with the sound of Vivi's laughter. Yet, despite his mild regret, he knew things had changed, and that change was something he couldn't undo.
This little moment, this innocent exchange with Vivi, marked the beginning of a new kind of relationship—a tentative, but growing bond between father and daughter.