Chapter 784 - 772: The Little Detective (2)

Chapter 784: Chapter 772: The Little Detective (2)

"Hmm? What’s this big secret?" Archie Lockwood asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Shirley Lockwood thought for a moment, then stared into Archie Lockwood’s eyes. With a mischievous, gossipy look, she asked, "So... that pretty lady who danced with you tonight, she’s an old flame of yours, right?"

Her words finally made Archie Lockwood recall Fiona Vance from the party. He gave a weary smile and gently patted Shirley Lockwood’s head. "Heh. You little rascal, aren’t you the clever one."

Shirley Lockwood raised her eyebrows smugly, replying with immense pride, "Of course! I mean, look whose daughter I am. Obviously I’m smart."

"That’s right. It’s a good thing you take after me. Otherwise, if you..." He trailed off, his handsome face suddenly growing cold and grim.

Shirley Lockwood’s heart skipped a beat. "If I were what?" she asked, her voice laced with anxiety.

Archie lowered his head with a self-deprecating chuckle. "It’s nothing," he answered lightly. ’If you took after your birth mother, that would be a disaster! If only she were half as smart as you, things would be so much better.’ But these were thoughts Archie could only have in the privacy of his own mind, never to be spoken aloud.

Seeing that her dad still wouldn’t tell her the truth, Shirley Lockwood replied in a small, disappointed voice, "Oh." ’Fine. If that pretty lady really is my mother, I’ll figure it out sooner or later anyway...’

"Silly girl, stop overthinking it. Put away those little schemes of yours. When we get home, remember to be a little nicer to that woman." ’Even though she was heartless enough to abandon Rory, he’d be magnanimous. Given her disability, he’d at least be kind enough to let Rory spend some time with her.’

"Huh?" Shirley Lockwood, lost in thought, furrowed her delicate brows in confusion at her dad’s baffling words.

’When we get home, remember to be a little nicer to that woman???’

’Does he mean the pretty lady??’

’But why would I have to be nicer to the pretty lady? Is it because Dad wants to give me a stepmom? Is it because she’s about to become my stepmom?’

The more Shirley Lockwood thought about it, the more upset she grew. "Dad, are you really planning to give me a stepmom? But you promised you wouldn’t!"

"When I promise you something, I always follow through," Archie Lockwood said with a hint of displeasure, tapping Shirley Lockwood on the head.

"Okay, Dad. Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease. As long as you’re not giving me a stepmom, I promise I’ll be very, very nice to the pretty lady." ’Besides, it wasn’t like she actually disliked the pretty lady. In fact, being around her gave her a familiar, comforting feeling.’

’As long as she wasn’t going to become her stepmom, Shirley was more than happy to be friendly with the pretty lady for the time being, at least until she found out who and where her real mother was.’

...

「The Lockwood Residence.」

The moment Shirley Lockwood stepped into the house, she saw Eleanor Bishop and immediately started running toward her.

"Pretty lady!"

Hearing the voice, Eleanor Bishop looked up. When she saw Shirley Lockwood running toward her with an upturned, smiling face, she instinctively stretched out her arms to welcome the little girl.

It was a conditioned reflex, perfectly mirroring the scenes from long ago when a little Rory would run to her just like this whenever she came home.

Just as Shirley Lockwood was about to leap into Eleanor Bishop’s arms, the back of her collar was suddenly grabbed, and she was lifted into the air.

"Shirley Lockwood, you’re not a toddler anymore. Why are you still so impetuous?" Archie Lockwood snapped, struggling to control his temper.