Chapter 2

A pretty woman stood before the boy and said sweetly, "Hello. I'm Susan Hall. I'm a pretty good doctor, and I'd love to help your daddy." When Kayden heard Susan introduce herself, he scrunched his face in annoyance. Although he was here with his father to seek medical aid, he never said anything about choosing a stepmother. He wondered where in the world that ridiculous rumor came from. Besides, where did this lady with a face full of thick makeup get the confidence? Disgust was written all over Kayden's face. Charlotte watched the whole scene, looking at his expression closely. Although Kayden didn't say anything, she could feel exactly what he was thinking. Charlotte couldn't help but chuckle. Her sudden laugh attracted the attention of everyone else. When they saw her, they straightened up immediately and greeted in unison, "Dr. Mandy!" Someone whispered under their breath, "Damn, how could we forget about her? Her skills are legendary, even if she's only here temporarily for surgery. Susan doesn't even compare." Charlotte quickly realized she had unintentionally become the center of attention. She wiped the smile off her face and said politely, "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I just think maybe there's been a little misunderstanding. I don't think this boy is shopping for a stepmom out here." Everyone looked at Kayden suspiciously, wondering if they had misunderstood him. But they got the news straight from the janitor, who had overheard it outside the director's office. It had to be true. "How would you know he's not?" Susan snapped, clearly annoyed that her moment had been interrupted. Charlotte shrugged. "It's just a hunch." Susan frowned and was about to say something when Kayden jumped down from his seat and interrupted innocently, "She's right. I wasn't planning on looking for a stepmom. But now, I've changed my mind. Ma'am, I've fallen in love with you at first sight. Would you like to come home with me and be my mommy?" Everyone was stunned to hear that, including Charlotte. She hadn't expected Kayden to confess his love to her. After a moment, she broke into a smile. This boy looked like he was being serious. She looked at him with a gentle smile. "Sweetheart, picking a stepmom is not a joke. Does your daddy know you're doing this?" Kayden replied earnestly, "At home, I make the decisions! Anything I say goes!" Charlotte laughed helplessly, thinking that Kayden was playing around. After all, Amber was also as cheeky as Kayden was. Sometimes, when Amber saw a handsome man, she'd whisper, "That guy has real dad potential!" Kayden looked around the same age as Amber. Charlotte kneeled down and gently patted his head. "Sorry, sweetheart. I'm not in the market to become anyone's stepmom. Maybe try someone else, okay? I have to leave now." Then, she pulled her hand back and quickly returned to the lounge to change. Charlotte didn't think much of the encounter just now. Still, running into such an adorable kid stirred something in her. It made her think of her own son, who had passed away. He would have been around that age if he had lived. Six years ago, after her divorce from Brian, she was briefly homeless. She tried to find a job to support herself, but the Perry family had put out the word so nobody would hire her. Just when she was at her lowest, her birth parents and brothers appeared out of nowhere and took her back to Juxburg. Later, she became pregnant and gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. But the boy had died at birth, leaving only her daughter behind. The memories brought a wave of sorrow over Charlotte, and her good mood from earlier vanished instantly. She quickly finished changing and got ready to leave. After such a complicated surgery, she was pretty exhausted. All she wanted was to go home and rest. But once she opened the door, Kayden greeted her at the doorway. Charlotte raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected Kayden to have followed her. He was really persistent. Kayden smiled sweetly at her. "Wow! I knew it! Earlier, when you wore a mask, I couldn't see your whole face, but I knew you were gorgeous. And I was right! I have quite an eye! You're so pretty!" Charlotte couldn't help but laugh—Kayden was way too good at sweet-talking. She wondered where he had learned it from. At this point, he would be unstoppable when he grows up. She couldn't resist reaching out to pinch his cheek. "Even if you flatter me, I still won't agree to be your mommy." Kayden's smile faltered a bit. "Why not? My daddy is super handsome! Like, really handsome. You guys would look great together!" He was doing his best to pitch his dad. But Charlotte just gave a dismissive shrug. "There's no reason. I don't even know your daddy. And being good-looking doesn't mean anything. More importantly, I'm not looking to get married, so give it up." Kayden looked genuinely disappointed. Even though it was his first time meeting this lady, he couldn't explain why something about her felt naturally warm and familiar. He didn't feel that with anyone else. But clearly, she wasn't interested. He had no choice but to accept it. "Okay." Then, he quickly changed the topic. "Ma'am, could you help treat my daddy? I asked around, and they said you're the best. They called you a miracle doctor and said you just finished a tough surgery! My daddy has been sick for a long time. He's seen tons of doctors, but no one can cure him. "So, can you please help him?" He looked up at her with a hopeful expression. Charlotte hadn't planned to spend more time on this. She had a lot of work to do in Marindale, and she'd only agreed to perform that surgery as a favor. But something about Kayden's hopeful expression softened her heart. She let out a sigh. "If it's just a consultation, I suppose I could take a look. Is your daddy in the hospital? If he is, take me to him. I'll try my best to help him." Kayden's eyes lit up instantly, and his excitement bubbled over. "He's here! He's in the director's office. I'll take you!" He reached out with his hand and grabbed hers as if afraid she might slip away. In return, Charlotte laughed softly and gently held his hand, letting him lead the way. … Meanwhile, Brian had just finished discussing business with David Foster in the director's office. Today, he'd come to the hospital specifically to ask David to introduce him to a doctor named Mandy. As a show of goodwill, he'd even donated a batch of medical equipment for free. David smiled as he walked him out. The moment they stepped outside, Brian noticed that his son was nowhere in sight. His sharp gaze scanned the hallway, but Kayden was gone. He frowned and asked, "Where's Kayden?" His assistant, Henry Houston, embarrassedly explained, "He ran off. Word got out that you were here today. Somehow, someone leaked it, and now the whole hospital's buzzing with rumors that whoever can cure you gets to marry into the family and become Kayden's stepmom! "Kayden said he wanted to investigate who started the gossip."