Mommy for Billionaire's Baby
Chapter 28

For Naina, the color red symbolizes courage and great love. Um... it also represents a woman whose presence she suddenly adores. Naina never forgets how late that woman advised her on her first period. Oh... her stomachache back then was so painful it made her want to cry. But who could she complain to?

While she trembled in fear because her underwear suddenly had a red stain.

She thought she was late because of her busy school schedule with no breaks at all. She devoured two servings of chicken nuggets, complete with soda and ice cream. But afterward, she felt the excruciating stomachache again. It was so painful that Mr. Jack had to accompany her to the girls' restroom, where she thought she was just overeating.

But once she found a bloodstain on her pants, she couldn't just stay silent. All that was left was her crying in fear until help arrived.

Seira.

Her words didn't sound gentle, and her eyes looked at her coldly as if Naina had done something wrong. She explained how to use something that Naina found unfamiliar. The girl with long black hair had no idea about things like this. That's why she was in awe of the redhead's personality.

She trailed after her.

She didn't care if she was scolded, scolded, or given the silent treatment by Seira because Naina didn't go home. What was there to do at home? Nothing. One thing drove her to do this crazy act; for some reason, seeing Seira was like seeing her mother. The portrait of her mother in the living room was something she gazed at closely, especially when she missed her. She was left alone when she was still too young. In an accident, they said she was there. One of the lucky survivors. She chased after Seira until the woman got annoyed and angry. Naina didn't care. Her wish was simple: for Seira to become her mother. With Nathan as her substitute dad. That's why she called Nathan 'Daddy,' she just needed to replace a 'Mom,' right?

But not a mom like this!

"Do you like this?" Mirah asked while extending a set of clothes that she thought would suit Naina. She deliberately picked up the child from her school. It wasn't difficult to get the girl's school address from Sunny. Besides, Sunny didn't mind if her granddaughter was close.

She had already laid out many plans to win Naina's heart, including spending time together. Like now. They were in one of the malls in the southern part of Sydney. The target was clear: to get Naina close to Nathan.

"No," Naina retorted firmly. "Auntie, what do you want to shop for? I'm really tired, you know. I want to go home. If it's going to take much longer, you can go on your own."

Mirah sighed softly. "Auntie's intention was to buy you some clothes. Or shoes? Maybe a bag?"

Naina waved her hand dismissively. "I have so many things I haven't worn yet. Daddy might scold me if I buy more. We went shopping yesterday, with Tasya too." She was just being honest, right? "Okay, in that case, how about we have lunch first? You haven't eaten yet, have you?"

"I'm not hungry anymore."

Naina thought, as soon as she stepped into the mall, her first destination would be the food court. She already had her menu options in her head. Slices of meat on rice with melted butter, sweet corn kernels, and the green beans she liked. She had even talked to Mr. Jack about having him pick her up, but unfortunately, this woman with fake red hair claimed she would accompany Naina.

But where was she?

Instead, she was invited to go shopping! Didn't Auntie Red know that when Naina was hungry, she could be even crankier than usual? Hunger made the brain unfocused, right? No matter what you asked, it wouldn't make sense. But why did Mirah keep pressing her to follow her request?

"What do you want to eat? Sweet bread? Chocolate milkshake? Chicken nuggets?"

Naina didn't want to hear Mirah's words anymore. She chose to walk away, leaving the woman behind. For the first time in her life, the beautiful and kind-hearted red-haired woman suddenly became someone she despised. Especially this Mirah. Where did this woman come from, anyway? Was her grandma so bored that she had to introduce Naina to Mirah?

She had said, "Naina, you should be nice to Mirah, okay? She's a good person. You two will surely get along."

What was the point of having a friend like this? If her grandma could, why didn't she bring someone like Mommy Seira? But she couldn't, right? So because of this annoyance, she remembered Seira. Naina had promised not to contact Seira again unless it was urgent...

This is urgent, right?

A thin smile suddenly appeared on Naina's thin lips. She immediately took her phone. Before replaceing Seira's number, she prayed first. According to Tasya, before starting something, you should ask God to make it easier. She just wanted things to go smoothly when contacting Seira and getting picked up here. Hopefully, it would work.

"Naina?" called Mirah, who was quite surprised by her sudden change in behavior. There was nothing strange in the car earlier. The child was willing to talk and occasionally told her about her school. Naina answered all her questions. But why was she different now?

She had even offered her food, right?

"Mommy," Naina stopped in her tracks. "Uh... Auntie, am I bothering you?"

"Why, Naina?"

"I'm at PIM. Can we meet?"

"Oh, I happen to be at PIM. At the Steak House. Who are you with? If Mr. Jack is there, give him the phone. Let me ask him to accompany you to meet me."

"No need. I can go by myself."

"Can you not argue with me?"

Naina pouted. "Fine." She turned around. "Auntie Mirah, please take me to the Steak House."

"Huh?"

"Can you?"

***

Seira watched closely as the child in front of her ate. Occasionally, she sighed in frustration as Naina chewed without much care. "Would you like more potatoes?" "Yes, please," Naina smiled broadly.

"You really are a messy eater, Naina."

Naina laughed. "Daddy has some meeting, I don't know what it's called. It's making Tasya busy too. So, no one's paying attention to me anymore, Mi, uh... Auntie." "Never mind. You can call me whatever you want. Mommy is fine too."

"Seriously?" Naina blinked in disbelief. "Mommy isn't lying, right?"

Seira shook her head gently. "Finish your meal." Then her eyes shifted to the woman who had come with Naina. They didn't talk much because they hadn't met before. "Are you going to eat, Mirah, or are you on a diet?" Mirah smiled tightly. "No, Miss. Just limiting carbs."

Seira nodded in understanding and leisurely took a bite of her ordered salad. She was here just to pass the time. She was quite surprised to receive a call from the annoying child, but on the other hand, she felt sorry for her. "I guess, Miss Seira, you're the Mommy that Naina talks about a lot."

"Maybe," Seira replied briefly. "Naina, that piece of meat is too big. You won't be able to chew it properly." Seira sighed again. "I'll help you cut it."

"Naina is a big girl now, Mi. She can do it herself. Tasya said I need to be independent."

"What Tasya said is correct. But not like that. What if you choke?"

Naina grinned widely. "Usually, Tasya helps, but since she's not here, can Mommy help?"

Seira rolled her eyes. How could she refuse when those eyes looked at her so cheerfully? Naina was just a lonely, selfish girl.

"Have you called Daddy yet?"

Naina nodded quickly.

"Daddy and Tasya will follow later. So, can I play here until they're done?"

Seira nodded slowly. She cut the meat into smaller pieces so that Naina could eat it easily. She asked for more potatoes because it seemed like the child hadn't eaten yet, even though the clock was pointing at three. Goodness. If it continued like this, Naina might get acid reflux. Seriously!

While Mirah remained like a statue, not understanding anything, she had wanted to offer help to Naina, but the little girl didn't want any assistance. However, in front of Seira, it was evident that there was some pampering going on. Mirah had intended to get closer and build a rapport with Naina over time. But... she ended up with something like this.

"I can't accompany Naina any longer, Mirah. I hope you'll take good care of her."

"Sure, Seira. Don't worry about it."

Seira's smile appeared again, but this time she leaned slightly towards Mirah, who was sitting next to her. She couldn't talk where Naina could overhear. "Kids know best what's sincere and what's not. I don't care what your intentions are, but you need to know that Naina is a girl who needs double the attention. It's not easy to break her stubbornness."

Mirah swallowed nervously.

"I only briefly met Nathan. We didn't talk much except about Naina. Seeing you here now, I feel like you have a special connection?"

"You could say that."

Seira smiled broadly again. She returned to sitting casually, folding her legs gracefully. Her soft cream dress reached just below her knees, revealing Seira's well-maintained, smooth, white legs. Her slightly darker hair complemented her face beautifully. "I pray that your relationship goes smoothly."

"What's going smoothly?" Naina interrupted.

"You have an exam coming up soon, right, Naina?" Seira quickly changed the topic.

"Yes. Tasya has been teaching me about the material I didn't know."