Chapter 10: Don't Reject Me, Daddy

Another boring elevator ride - or at least that's what Adam and Thomas thought until a tiny whirlwind in a blue dress came bursting through the doors.

"Daddy!"

Before either man could blink, a pair of tiny arms had wrapped around Adam's wheelchair like a baby koala. The whole thing happened so fast, they just stood there gaping at the pint-sized intruder who'd literally come out of nowhere.

Seriously, she was adorable. Like, designer-kids-catalog adorable, with bouncy dark curls and the sweetest little face ever. But when she looked up at Adam... okay, weird moment alert. Something about those eyes had him doing a total double-take.

"Kid, you've got the wrong guy," he tried to shut this down fast, going for his best ice-king voice. "I'm not your dad."

But Miss Tiny and Determined wasn't having any of it. Her grip on the wheelchair just got tighter, and those eyes - freakishly similar to his own - were full of pure five-year-old conviction. "No way... you're totally my daddy! I just know it!"

Then came the kicker. Her little voice started wobbling, hands clutching his armrest like a lifeline. "Daddy, how come you're pretending you don't know me? Is it 'cause I did something wrong? I'll be super good, I promise - just please don't say you don't want me!"

Oh boy. Thomas jumped in with his best damage control face. "Sir, she's probably just lost. Must've mixed you up with her real dad."

Adam tried softening his approach. Like, how do you even talk to a random kid who's convinced you're her long-lost dad? "Look, sweetie, you've got this all wrong. I'm not your dad. Did you lose your family somewhere? What's your room number? We can get someone to take you back."

Lily wasn't budging. Her curls went flying as she shook her head so hard it was a miracle they stayed attached. "Nuh-uh! You ARE my daddy! I know you are..." Cue the trembling lip and - oh god, were those tears? "Daddy, please don't make me go away. Don't you want me? sniffles Please don't say you don't want me! Mom's not here, and I dunno which room we're in..."

"Hey kiddo, got your mom's number maybe?" Thomas tried his luck, crouching down for maximum friendly vibes.

"Nope... don't have it..."

Great. Just great. Adam could feel a headache building behind his eyes. Like he didn't have enough on his plate today, between hunting down that missing specialist and that bizarre run-in with mystery woman in the hallway. And now this?

The elevator dinged. Saved by the bell - literally.

"C'mon, we're here." He tried for firm but not scary.

Lily let go of the wheelchair like it physically hurt her, but the look on her face? Pure mini-CEO determination. Thomas wheeled Adam out with their tiny shadow trailing behind, her fancy little shoes click-clicking on the marble like the world's smallest fashion model.

"Daddy..." And wow, that whispered word just did things to his chest.

Adam sighed. What was he supposed to do, leave her wandering around like a lost puppy? "Take her up to the suite," he told Thomas. "Figure out who her folks are."

"Right away, sir."

---

The presidential suite was doing its best impression of a fancy timeout corner. Adam had parked his wheelchair by those massive windows, pretending to be super interested in his phone while actually watching Lily in the reflection like a hawk.

She was doing this whole perfect-princess-posture thing on the couch, but those eyes? They were basically x-raying him. Every couple minutes she'd sneak these little peeks when she thought he wasn't looking, like she was working on some top-secret daddy-detection mission.

"Want some water or something?" He finally caved, feeling weirdly responsible for this tiny human who'd basically staged a one-kid invasion of his space.

Lily's head shake was pure sass, still studying him like he was a particularly fascinating puzzle.

The quiet was getting kind of intense. Adam kept catching her doing this adorable thing where she'd notice something about him and you could literally see the little checkmark going off in her head. He tried not to find it cute. He failed spectacularly.

This one curl kept falling in her face, and she had this absent little habit of brushing it back with these tiny fingers that was just... Wait, why was his hand itching to fix it for her? Since when did Adam "Ice Man" Haven get all mushy over some random kid's messy hair?

Then his legs decided to remind him why stairs were his mortal enemy. He tried to be subtle about rubbing the aching muscles, but...

Zoom! Lily was off that couch like she had teleportation powers, those familiar eyes all worried. "Your legs hurting, Daddy? I can fix that - I'm super good at massages!"

And before he could say "personal space," these impossibly small hands were working his leg muscles like a pro. He'd had professional physical therapists who were less skilled. What even was this kid?

"Thanks, kid." It came out softer than he meant it to, this weird warm feeling spreading through his chest. Her tiny fingers somehow found every sore spot like she had some kind of pain-radar.

The smile she gave him? Pure sunshine and dimples. "No biggie!"

Oh.

Oh no.

Something about that smile just steamrolled right over all his carefully built walls. Those dimples, the way her whole face lit up like he'd just given her the best present ever just for saying thanks... He was in trouble. Big trouble.

He couldn't help studying her closer now. The determined little chin that screamed "future CEO." The way she moved like she was taking a tiny ballet class even when just shifting position. That head tilt that was giving him serious déjà vu...

She started humming while she worked, this soft little melody that made something in his chest do weird flippy things. She fit here, in his space, like she'd always belonged. Which was ridiculous because Adam Haven did NOT do feelings or family or any of that stuff. But watching her so focused on making him feel better, those phoenix eyes (his eyes, if he was being honest) all scrunched up in concentration...

He shook his head. Nope. Not going there. So what if she had his eyes? So what if something in him went all protective and soft every time she... No. Focus. Find parents. Return child. Ignore how much that last thought felt like getting punched in the chest.

---

Outside, reality came crashing back in the form of a taxi pulling up. Irene had barely put one foot on the curb when her boys came flying through the revolving doors, panic written all over their faces.

"Mom! Mom! Lily's gone missing!"

Irene's heart did a backflip straight into her stomach. "What do you mean 'missing'? What's going on?"