Chapter 2

I had to perform well.

If I could stay, at least I would not have to sleep on the street tonight.

Holding the bowl, I smiled gently and walked toward Leo.

But before I could take two steps, Leo shot under the dining table.

Only a pair of dark, grape-like eyes remained visible.

He shouted angrily at Adrian.

"No! Make her leave! I don’t want her to feed me! They are all bad women!"

It seemed that before me, Leo had already met several "stepmothers."

I looked around and noticed superhero figures everywhere in the house.

An idea immediately came to me.

I picked up a superhero figure and placed it under the table beside Leo.

Then I smiled and said, "Don’t worry. I’m not here to feed you. I’m here to feed Spider-Man."

After saying that, I pretended to feed Spider-Man.

"Eat more. You need to be full before you can save New York."

"A child who doesn’t eat will have skinny arms and legs. If he can’t even protect himself, how can he protect the city?"

Leo lay beside me with a pitiful look, as if he had been completely forgotten.

He smacked his lips several times.

I pretended not to notice.

Only when his nose turned red from anxiety and he was about to cry did I act as if I had just discovered him.

"Oh my! Why is there a tiny hero here too?"

"Spider-Man, can you share the rest of your food with him? Only after he eats can he grow as strong as you."

I lowered my voice and pretended to speak like Spider-Man.

"Of course. Only when you’re full will you have the strength to save the world."

Then I returned to my normal voice and smiled as I brought the spoon to Leo’s mouth.

"Do you want to eat now?"

Leo nodded hard and immediately took the spoon into his mouth.

After several big bites, he even glared at me accusingly.

"Why aren’t you feeding me more? Are you scared I’ll become stronger than Spider-Man? Bad woman!"

I laughed.

By accident, I met Adrian’s eyes.

I saw the tension between his brows ease.

He gave me an approving smile.

I knew I had passed the interview.

That night, I stayed in the estate.

Four-year-old Leo and I lived on the second floor.

Adrian lived alone on the third.

Butler Whitman reminded me again and again.

"You must never go to the third floor. A woman once got bold and sneaked upstairs in the middle of the night, trying to climb into Mr. Blackwell’s bed. Mr. Blackwell had security throw her out on the spot."

I nodded repeatedly and promised I would never cross the line.

Leo was very independent.

At only four years old, he could sleep by himself.

That saved me a lot of trouble.

The next afternoon, when Adrian came home from work, I was feeding Leo at the front of the mansion.

There was a pet leash around Leo’s neck.

He sat side by side with a Golden Retriever on the lawn.

The Golden Retriever took one bite.

Leo took one bite.

They were both enjoying themselves.

Adrian’s face darkened on the spot.

"Nora, what the hell are you treating my son as?"