Chapter 357: Just the beginning

Zoe Davis was a cute little tot of three years old. She had personally selected her birthday dress in her favorite colors, baby pink and lavender.

Wearing the princess gown, she got ready with her mother's help. She excitedly received everyone's compliments of the family before they went to the party hall.

Carried inside in the arms of her grandfather, Zoe clutched him tightly looking at the many people. She whined, "Granda, I want to go home… Mommy…"

She shrunk in her grandfather's arms looking at people going towards her. Everyone started wishing them, greeting them which panicked her more. She never interacted with unknowns so it was difficult for her to adjust for so many people.

Her grandfather thought she would get adjusted to it soon but it didn't happen. Her eyes filled up and saw her mother at distance. She forced her grandfather to let her down, "I want Mommy, I want Mommy…"

Since she was at a higher height when her grandfather was carrying, she could see her mother easily but after standing on the floor she couldn't make out where her mother was.

There were many traveling back and forth in gowns and suits which confused her more.

Going in one direction, she tried to find her mother but failed. When she turned behind, she couldn't see anybody she knew. She was frightened by seeing unknown faces and started crying but nobody was there to tend to her. She had tried to ask somebody but she was knocked down on the floor.

Crying, when she saw the door and the other end didn't have anybody, she went out to the garden and continued to cry.

The security over there soon found her but Zoe shrunk in shrubs and wailed seeing unknown people while the family soon found out Zoe wasn't with any of them.

They couldn't hint the guests so everyone in the family started searching for Zoe in the party hall followed by the whole hotel until security head reported Ceon a little girl probably from the party was crying in the garden in the dark.

He soon reached to see Zoe. Her face was all turned red streaked with tears, her voice had turned hoarse but she didn't stop crying.

"Kitten, come here. Look, your Uncle is here. Nobody will take you, come to me. Kitten, look at me…"

He tried many times but Zoe didn't come out of the shrubs. The security was ready to cut down the shrubs around so that they could reach her but was afraid that might scare the little tot.

Zoe was scared that her uncle and family might take her back to so many people so she didn't dare to go out of the shrub even though it was poking her soft baby skin.

Ceon was still trying to call her out when a slender palm patted his shoulder. He turned to the person thinking it was his sister in law but an unknown lady.

"I will try." That woman's tone was soft like feathers on his ears.

Before he could even react, a security man had already helped him aside to give space for the lady. "She doesn't talk to unknowns." Ceon tried to identify if she was their party guest but she was in formal dress.

That lady ignored him completely and extended her hand to Zoe with a gentle smile and little worry on her pretty face, "Princess, you are wearing such a beautiful dress. Is it your favorite color?"

Her soft soothing voice calmed everyone including Zoe. She sniffled and nodded.

The lady smiled at Zoe and asked, "You know, my favorite color is pink too. Will you show me your pretty dress?"

Zoe blinked but didn't react.

The lady continued, "Which is the color with the pink? Why don't I know it's color?"

Zoe replied in her adorable voice, "Mommy says it's lavender."

The lady gave an astonished expression as she said, "Aish, I don't even know it. Little Princess is so smart, will you teach me about more colors?"

Zoe contemplated but nodded. When the lady extended her hand further, Zoe held her palm and crawled out.

Zoe seriously taught about colors to the lady, "You are wearing white and blue. These leaves are green. That lamp color is yellow…"

She continued to point things around them telling about the colors while the lady gently kept humming to her as she wiped Zoe's little face, helped her to drink water, dusted her pretty dress, and checked if scratches were deep.

When Zoe finished every possible color around her, the lady praised the girl, "You are so smart. Did Mommy teach you? Or are you going to school?"

Zoe seriously responded looking at the lady's beautiful face, "Mommy said I can go to school from this year. Mommy, Daddy, Granda taught me the colors. They know many colors. I will ask them to teach you too."

The lady smiled hearing her, "Sure, now shall we go inside?"

Just hearing the word, 'inside' Zoe remembered the party and people so she started crying, "I don't want to go." Before the lady could react, Zoe wrapped her little arms around the lady's neck and cried hugging her tight.

Ceon who was zoned out looking at the lady got back to his senses hearing Zoe cry. "Kitten, come here. Let aunty go."

But Zoe wrapped her arms tighter and cried harder, "Aunty I don't want to go…"

The lady stopped Ceon and carried Zoe up, "Okay we will not go inside, do you want to play with me in the kids' play area?"

Zoe nodded, holding her tight afraid the aunty might pass her to Ceon or anybody else who didn't hear her at the party. The lady continued to console her and played as she asked Zoe's name, why she was scared, and the rest.

The whole family blankly looked at two for nearly fifteen minutes before Zoe happily agreed to the lady and went over to them.

While the whole family apologized to the little girl for not concentrating on her, the lady had left. Ceon had searched the hotel and asked the guards who were around them. They just said, 'Miss left a while back."

Ceon had thought it was just an unexpected event and moved on but it was just the beginning.