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Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Dans CAP PME L’Hebdo, Julien Gagliardi réunit trois dirigeants engagés, Franck Teboul (Président & Country General Manager de Gi Group), Jérémy Setbon (Président de Recyc Matelas Europe), Jean-Christophe Pruvost (Directeur général de Cleanea) et Isabelle Leganne (Directrice des opérations des Hôtels Prince Albert). Ils partagent leurs expériences, décryptent les enjeux du moment et apportent des solutions concrètes pour les PME. Découvrez un extrait de l’émission et accédez au replay complet ici 👇 [En partenariat avec GI GROUP]
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
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Stellenbeschreibung: Wir suchen Kfz-Mechatroniker/Mechaniker für Nutzfahrzeuge in Dormagen bei cotac europe GmbH, einem Unternehmen der HOYER Group. Dein Profil: Abgeschlossene Ausbildung als Kfz-Mechaniker/Mechatroniker für Nutzfahrzeuge, erste Erfahrung, Führerschein Klasse B und CE wünschenswert, gute Deutschkenntnisse. Deine Vorteile: Sicherer Arbeitsplatz, hohe Sicherheitsstandards, Fortbildungsmöglichkeiten, betriebliche Altersvorsorge, teamorientierte Kultur, Betriebsrestaurant. | Stellenbeschreibung: Wir suchen Kfz-Mechatroniker/Mechaniker für Nutzfahrzeuge in Dormagen bei cotac europe GmbH, einem Unternehmen der HOYER Group. Dein Profil: Abgeschlossene Ausbildung als Kfz-Mechaniker/Mechatroniker für Nutzfahrzeuge, erste Erfahrung, Führerschein Klasse B und CE wünschenswert, gute Deutschkenntnisse. Deine Vorteile: Sicherer Arbeitsplatz, hohe Sicherheitsstandards, Fortbildungsmöglichkeiten, betriebliche Altersvorsorge, teamorientierte Kultur, Betriebsrestaurant.
Stellenbeschreibung: Wir suchen Kfz-Mechatroniker/Mechaniker für Nutzfahrzeuge in Dormagen bei cotac europe GmbH, einem Unternehmen der HOYER Group. Dein Profil: Abgeschlossene Ausbildung als Kfz-Mechaniker/Mechatroniker für Nutzfahrzeuge, erste Erfahrung, Führerschein Klasse B und CE wünschenswert, gute Deutschkenntnisse. Deine Vorteile: Sicherer Arbeitsplatz, hohe Sicherheitsstandards, Fortbildungsmöglichkeiten, betriebliche Altersvorsorge, teamorientierte Kultur, Betriebsrestaurant. | Stellenbeschreibung: Wir suchen Kfz-Mechatroniker/Mechaniker für Nutzfahrzeuge in Dormagen bei cotac europe GmbH, einem Unternehmen der HOYER Group. Dein Profil: Abgeschlossene Ausbildung als Kfz-Mechaniker/Mechatroniker für Nutzfahrzeuge, erste Erfahrung, Führerschein Klasse B und CE wünschenswert, gute Deutschkenntnisse. Deine Vorteile: Sicherer Arbeitsplatz, hohe Sicherheitsstandards, Fortbildungsmöglichkeiten, betriebliche Altersvorsorge, teamorientierte Kultur, Betriebsrestaurant.
Stellenbeschreibung: Wir suchen Kfz-Mechatroniker/Mechaniker für Nutzfahrzeuge in Dormagen bei cotac europe GmbH, einem Unternehmen der HOYER Group. Dein Profil: Abgeschlossene Ausbildung als Kfz-Mechaniker/Mechatroniker für Nutzfahrzeuge, erste Erfahrung, Führerschein Klasse B und CE wünschenswert, gute Deutschkenntnisse. Deine Vorteile: Sicherer Arbeitsplatz, hohe Sicherheitsstandards, Fortbildungsmöglichkeiten, betriebliche Altersvorsorge, teamorientierte Kultur, Betriebsrestaurant. | Stellenbeschreibung: Wir suchen Kfz-Mechatroniker/Mechaniker für Nutzfahrzeuge in Dormagen bei cotac europe GmbH, einem Unternehmen der HOYER Group. Dein Profil: Abgeschlossene Ausbildung als Kfz-Mechaniker/Mechatroniker für Nutzfahrzeuge, erste Erfahrung, Führerschein Klasse B und CE wünschenswert, gute Deutschkenntnisse. Deine Vorteile: Sicherer Arbeitsplatz, hohe Sicherheitsstandards, Fortbildungsmöglichkeiten, betriebliche Altersvorsorge, teamorientierte Kultur, Betriebsrestaurant.
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
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Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."
Chapter 1 Being a Nobody Is Perfect In her last life, Maya Jackson was the biological daughter of the richest man, lost and living outside the family. She thought that once she was found and brought back, she'd be the center of everyone's love, but it turned out someone else already held that role. After she went missing, her father, devastated with grief, had taken in an adopted daughter as a substitute. When Maya returned home at the age of eight, she found Kaia Jackson, bright, lively, and beautifully dressed, nestled in her father's arms and acting spoiled. Meanwhile, she was awkward and shabby, like an outsider who had wandered into a family that didn't belong to her. In front of her biological father, she couldn't even bring herself to say "Dad," and naturally, no one liked a child who barely spoke. Meanwhile, everyone, men and women alike, adored Kaia. And those striking, high-status men with their polished backgrounds all seemed to enjoy picking on Maya, using her as a way to curry favor with Kaia. In the end, at 16, Maya chose to end her miserable life. She thought that was it for her, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing at the entrance of an orphanage. Maya looked down at her short arms and legs. She'd already been sitting at the entrance in a daze for an entire afternoon. After a long while, the girl blinked hard, finally snapping out of the shock of being reborn, her thoughts drifting in confusion. This was an absurd world. Human lives were cheap, and riots and attacks broke out on the streets like they were nothing. For the wealthy, the law might as well not exist. Power and money meant everything. Following the script of her past life, in three years, her biological father would find her, and she'd once again be dragged into a life of endless comparisons, rejection, and exclusion. Given a second chance, she didn't want anything else. She just wanted to stay far, far away from those elite, untouchable people. An ordinary, quiet life was all she wanted. Maya took a deep breath. The cold wind whipping down the street rushed into her lungs, clearing her head. She glanced around, hoping to find someone nearby willing to adopt her so she could avoid ever being taken back. The orphanage gates stood wide open, cold wind howling through, with barely any passersby in sight. Maya waited there for a long time before finally spotting a man walking by, dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants. He wore glasses and had black hair and eyes, with no logos or brands on him. His face was as plain as water: forgettable and nothing remarkable. To Maya, who was used to seeing domineering CEOs with sharp features, there were only two words for someone like him: a nobody. But who said being a nobody was bad? Being a nobody was amazing! After everything she'd endured in her past life—scheming women and cold, calculating men around Kaia—she only liked ordinary people now. Hesitation leads to defeat. Maya sprang to her feet, rushed straight at the "nobody," grabbed tightly onto the hem of his pants, and blurted out something utterly shocking. "Hello, sir. Can you be my dad?" Raymond Clark came to an abrupt stop. He'd been deep in thought, reviewing last night's mission and debating whether to turn down a troublesome assignment. Then suddenly, his pant leg was tugged, followed by a clear, childish voice in his ear. Be her dad? Startled, he lowered his gaze. In his dark eyes, the reflection of a small child appeared. She was a dirty little thing, looking like she'd been pulled out of a trash heap. Her grip on his pants was tight, her tone urgent. "What?" Raymond raised an eyebrow, finding the situation absurd as he looked at the child who had popped out of nowhere. Maya tilted her head up at him. Under the dim light, her pupils looked unusually round. "I'm very smart. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If I get sick, I'll just end my life. I won't cause you any trouble. "Please adopt me!" she said, bowing deeply. He paused. Huh. She's oddly polite. The man crouched down. That movement brought him to eye level with Maya. Raymond didn't touch her. He simply looked more closely at her dull hair and the red, swollen frostbite on her face. She looked pitiful. "Why me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't think he had anything about him that would make a child choose him so decisively. Still, she really was... surprisingly bold. Meeting his dark, steady gaze, Maya decided honesty was the best option. "I like ordinary people. "You look very ordinary," she said, scanning his unremarkable features, her voice filled with hope and a touch of delight. "We're the same kind of person." She was ordinary, and so was he. For once, Raymond fell silent. After all, calling him "ordinary" was, in a way, darkly ironic. As for Maya's request to be adopted, Raymond's instincts told him this little girl would bring trouble into his otherwise quiet home. Refusing would be the simplest choice. He never went out of his way to invite trouble. But... His wife, Wendy Clark, was always complaining that the house felt too empty, constantly egging him on to go out and snatch a girl off the street to fill the void. Her exact words were, "It's not that I prefer girls over boys. I just want both sons and daughters. "I only want one daughter. I don't care if she's stolen, tricked, or kidnapped. "Chubby, skinny, pretty, or ugly—anything works!" Thinking of his wife's relentless nagging day and night, Raymond found himself actually considering the idea of adopting a girl. After a brief moment of thought, the man let out what seemed like a helpless sigh. He lifted his hand, his skin a faint, unhealthy pale, and gently touched her face, his cool fingertips brushing against her frostbitten, flushed cheeks. Her whole body felt soft and fragile. He had no clue whether he could really keep her alive. "I can adopt you," he said quietly, "as long as you behave." Raymond was an assassin. He preferred a quiet, controlled environment. He didn't need a noisy child who would create problems. "I'll be good, I promise." Maya quickly crossed her heart in a vow. "I definitely won't cause you any trouble!" Raymond reluctantly chose to believe her. After he agreed to adopt her, she'd been a little uneasy about the paperwork, but in reality, the director didn't even bother asking much about his background. She simply processed everything quickly, pushed a few forms in front of Raymond, and pointed to where he needed to sign. Maya stood on her tiptoes, straining to see the name he wrote on the form. Raymond Clark. The name fit him, carrying a faintly detached, almost indifferent chill. Once the adoption was handled, he took her away on the spot. She decisively dropped her old last name, hurrying to keep up with his stride, her voice soft. "Sir, my name is Maya Clark." She didn't want anything tying her to that trash father from her past life. Raymond slowed his pace, watching her awkwardly try to keep up, then casually hoisted her onto his shoulder and corrected her. "You should call me Dad now." Caught off guard, Maya ended up draped over his shoulder, instinctively pressing her face against the cool back of his neck as she murmured, "Dad." Her voice came out muffled, nearly swallowed by the sound of his footsteps. The sudden physical contact made Raymond pause for a fraction of a second. Hearing that soft, hesitant "Dad," he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her aside and gave a quiet acknowledgment. ... They took a bus all the way to an apartment building and stopped outside a unit. The one who opened the door to greet them was a gentle, elegant-looking woman. But the moment she noticed the small figure in Raymond's arms, her calm expression vanished, replaced by a delighted scream. "Oh, my god! Honey! Y-you actually kidnapped a child?!" Raymond lazily lifted his eyelids, not even getting the chance to grunt out a response before Wendy cut him off. "I told you forever ago you should just kidnap one! You know I've wanted a daughter for so long. Thank you, honey!" She planted a loud kiss on him, then completely ignored her husband as she eagerly pulled Maya into a tight hug. Wait, kidnap a child?? S-she thinks that's okay? Maya froze for two seconds, but before she could process it, she was swallowed up in Wendy's warm embrace. "Sweetheart, what's your name?" The woman smelled like fresh laundry. The apartment was comfortably warm, and children's building blocks were scattered across the living room carpet. Everything about this place radiated warmth. That faint sense of something being off instantly became insignificant in the face of how desperately Maya longed for a home. She wanted a family like this so badly. Almost instinctively, she hugged Wendy back, tilting her little face up with a bright, radiant smile. "Ma'am, my name is Maya Clark." "Maya." Cradling the girl affectionately, she naturally added, "I'm your mom." Compared to Wendy's overflowing enthusiasm, Raymond had already collapsed into the couch, looking like an overworked office drone whose soul had been drained dry. After being used to those broad-shouldered, sharp-featured CEO types, suddenly seeing a man who looked realistically worn out made Maya feel an overwhelming sense of safety. With complete sincerity, she said, "Dad, you're amazing." This kind of harmless, non-threatening man was exactly the kind of security she'd always wanted. Her eyes were full of admiration. The completely unexpected reaction made Raymond's brain stall for a second. This kid's way of thinking... is definitely not normal. I look this worn out, and she's still looking at me like I'm some kind of hero. At that moment, soft footsteps sounded from the staircase. A boy suddenly appeared at the turn of the stairs. He looked about her age, dressed in casual home clothes, with delicate features. His gaze was empty and hollow as it rested quietly on Maya, as if he were observing her, or maybe just spacing out. Wendy stood up, smiling gently as she introduced them in a warm, natural tone. "Alfred, look, this is your sister. Maya, from now on, we're family." She brought the boy downstairs and had him stand in front of Maya. Up close, Maya could clearly feel that this kid felt almost like a ghost. Wendy brushed her hair behind her ear, looking at her youngest son as she spoke slowly and clearly, smiling. "We need to protect our family. You'll protect your little sister, right, Alfred?" She deliberately emphasized the words "your little sister." Alfred's dark eyes shifted toward Maya. The little girl seemed completely out of the loop, staring at him blankly. The boy paused for about two seconds, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I understand. "I'll protect Maya." Wendy let out a breath of relief. Out of all her children, Alfred was the one she worried about the least. With him around, she didn't have to worry about Maya quietly dying somewhere she couldn't see. "Alright," she reached out and gently patted both children on the head, smiling brightly. "Alfred, take Maya to play. There are snacks in the cabinet." Wendy hurried into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the kids. Alfred still looked completely emotionless. He didn't go for the snacks. Instead, he walked up to Maya and began introducing the family on his own. "I'm your fourth brother, Alfred. "Dad isn't home very often. "Our eldest brother, Edric, is a doctor. He works late treating patients, so he usually doesn't come home either." Maya hugged her knees as she sat across from him. "Then Edric must have it pretty hard, right?" She'd grown up in an orphanage. She knew how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living. Alfred thought about Edric's sky-high fees for showing up and answered with two simple words. "He's fine." He paused, then continued, "Our second brother, George, works as a police officer. Our third brother, Toby, has been sick for many years and stays with Grandpa. "So it's just us at home." What he didn't say was that, after getting his medical license, Edric Clark had been working overtime lately, staying out late killing people. George Clark had lost count of how many fellow officers he'd secretly taken down behind the scenes. And Toby Clark was completely insane. If no one kept an eye on him, he'd cause serious trouble for the whole family. But in Maya's ears, all of that was automatically translated into kind-hearted Edric saving lives. Righteous George was serving as a police officer. And her simple, caring grandpa was looking after his sick grandson. What a wonderfully kind family! Chapter 2 My Internationally Wanted Father That night, after getting cleaned up, Maya sat obediently on the bed in her pajamas. The woman beside her dabbed baby cream onto her fingertips and patiently rubbed it in circles over the frostbitten patches on the girl's face. "Maya, do you wanna sleep with me tonight? "Alfred used to be scared of ghosts too and wanted to sleep with me all the time, so don't be shy." Worried the child might not adjust to a new environment, she spoke softly, "I will always stay with you." Hearing that, Maya was actually a little surprised. Even someone like Alfred, with that calm, almost robotic personality, got scared of ghosts? "It's okay, Mom, I can sleep alone. I'm not scared of ghosts." The girl shook her head quickly, looking like she was trying very hard to refuse, which made Wendy smile. Not wanting to pressure her, she didn't insist. "Alright, then. Goodnight, Maya." The woman gently kissed her cheek, patted her head, and helped turn off the lights. Maya waved her hand, her voice soft. "Goodnight, Mom." After the door was fully closed and the room fell dark, Maya opened her eyes wide, staring at the faint sliver of light coming through the crack under the door, slightly lost in thought. Maya could tell this family was a little strange. She had always been highly perceptive growing up. Her sense of smell, taste, hearing, and even her learning speed all put her ahead of everyone around her. Maya lightly rubbed against the soft blanket. But she really liked Wendy. Besides, she wasn't actually a real child. So even if this family was a little strange, it didn't matter. She would try her best to pretend not to notice and ignore anything that didn't make sense. ... At the same time, after closing the door, Wendy immediately returned to the living room and called for a family meeting. Looking at Raymond sitting in the chair and her youngest son, who was engrossed in building blocks with his head down, she clapped her hands sharply to get their attention. When both of them looked over, the woman sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. "About how we're going to live from now on, do you have any thoughts?" Thoughts? Under the lights, Raymond's complexion looked even paler. He smiled slightly. "Honey, you don't seriously think one child is gonna change our lives, do you?" He liked things to stay exactly the same. Bringing this child back wasn't meant to change anything. "Why not?" Wendy said seriously. "Don't you think there isn't a single normal child in this house?" Raymond didn't think much of it. His wife's desire for a daughter had already reached a borderline crazy level. When Alfred was born, the first thing she did was pull back the swaddle to check the baby's gender. He still remembered how Wendy froze after looking, then muttered blankly, "Honey, why does my daughter have a little dick?" He didn't know what to say. "So what do you wanna do, Mom?" Alfred put down the toy in his hands. He knew very well that once his mother made up her mind, nothing would change it, and arguing was pointless. The boy spoke calmly, "I don't hate her. I'll do whatever you say." Wendy's voice instantly turned soft enough to melt. "Alfred, you really are my good boy." She bent down and rubbed her son's face. "First, we can't let Maya know what our family does." Wendy had never raised a normal child. Her sons had been born into a life of constant assassination attempts from enemies. When she gave birth to George, on the very first day after leaving the hospital, she held the baby in one arm and shot down an attacker from about 300 feet away. The record was solid proof. Her sons had basically faced assassination attempts and gunfire since they were only a few years old, moving from place to place across the world. Their adaptability was extremely strong. They could watch their parents kill without even changing expression and could even calmly finish someone off. In other words, only the strong were worthy of being their children. But Maya was a completely ordinary little girl from an orphanage. They had to treat her differently. "If Maya finds out what we do, she'll be terrified." Wendy spoke with clear reasoning, one arm draped around Raymond's neck as she said softly, "Honey, you don't want our daughter telling people at school that her father is the leader of an international assassin organization, do you? You're still on the bounty list, dear." Raymond met his wife's serious gaze and raised an eyebrow. "So?" Wendy pressed on, "You don't want her future essay topic to be ‘My Internationally Wanted Father,' right?" Meeting his wife's gentle yet dangerous gaze, Raymond finally let out a long sigh and gave in. "I'll do my best to cooperate." ... Wendy went on a late-night online shopping spree and showed up at Maya's door the next morning, still full of energy despite not sleeping. Maya rubbed her eyes, half-lidded and still drowsy. "Mom?" Her pronunciation was clear, but her voice naturally sounded soft and sweet. Wendy, who had given birth to four sons, was instantly enchanted by that "Mom," clutching her chest like she'd lost all sense of the world. I'll kill the president for her if she wants, as long as she calls me "Mom"! Wendy had once stood at the absolute top of the assassination world. After carrying out an assassination on a newly appointed powerful figure, just as she elegantly concealed her weapon and turned to leave, she ran into Raymond, who had also come to carry out a long-range sniper assassination. On the top floor, amid the screams and chaos as people fled after the president's assassination, the two of them fell in love at first sight and got married. Wendy wasn't some bloodthirsty killer. Compared to drifting from place to place, she'd always wanted to settle down as soon as possible. And after washing her hands of that life, her only wish was to have a daughter. After four straight sons, Wendy started blaming everything—including Raymond's family grave. One night, fed up and not thinking straight, she went out and dug it up. When she came back, Raymond lazily lifted a strand of her dirt-streaked hair and said with regret, "I think I remembered wrong. My dad's still alive. You dug up the wrong grave, honey." The whole farce ended with Wendy punching Raymond so hard that his head slammed into the wall. "Maya, I got you new clothes!" Early in the morning, the woman showed up holding a fluffy bunny onesie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maya. She looked like she couldn't wait to dress her up. Maya pursed her lips and obediently let Wendy do as she pleased. Her long hair, dry and dull from years of malnutrition, was forcefully combed smooth by Wendy, yet she didn't feel any pain at all. Wendy worked miracles through sheer force, smoothing out every knot in her hair, tying it into a bun with a light yellow band, and clipping it in place. The bunny onesie made the five-year-old with her short arms and legs look especially cute and round. Once she was dressed, Maya was led downstairs. The father and son below were each doing their own thing—one quietly playing with a Rubik's cube, the other lying back with a book covering his face, half-asleep. Hearing the noise, Alfred looked up and saw the freshly dressed Maya. Her hair was tied into a bun with a pale yellow tie, the fluffy onesie draped over her, white bunny ears drooping behind her, and her amber eyes were clear and bright. She actually looks... pretty pleasing to the eye. But he frowned, not understanding why he would think that. At six years old, Alfred didn't yet know there was a word called "cute." He just felt that Maya looked especially nice today. So, thoroughly charmed without realizing it, Alfred stood up and generously decided to give her his toy. "For you." The boy spat out two stiff words. Maya took it. She had never played with a six-layer Rubik's cube before, and it took her a slow five minutes to solve it. She really is kinda dumb. After observing, Alfred reached his conclusion and looked at her with the kind of pity one might reserve for someone not very bright. Maya asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" He answered bluntly, "You're dumb." "I'm not dumb." It was the first time Maya had ever been called dumb. She blinked, trying to give examples. "The staff at the orphanage all said I was smart." Even her trash father from her past life had admitted she was the smartest child he'd ever seen. "That's because everyone around you is dumb," Alfred spoke while his fingers moved rapidly, spinning the cube at a speed far beyond what a normal child could do, restoring it in an instant. Then, in a flat, emotionless tone, he delivered the final blow. "This is boring." He took 58.39 seconds. Not even a full minute. Maya's eyes widened in amazement. "Okay, I'm dumb." She immediately admitted her shortcomings. Raymond lowered the book from his face, having witnessed the interaction between the two children. The corner of his mouth lifted as he let out a small laugh. Maya looked toward her father, who was slumped on the couch. The man had a thin frame, delicate features, a book in hand, and glasses on his face. He looked like some kind of intellectual authority figure. But when Maya looked closer, she saw the title clearly printed on the cover. "Postpartum Care for Sows"?? Maya's eyes widened in shock. She already had round eyes, and when she widened them, she looked especially adorable. Paired with those innocent bunny ears, it piqued Raymond's interest. He curled his finger lazily. "Come here, Maya." Maya immediately gave up on the cube and scrambled onto the couch. Raymond lounged there, placing the book on top of her head, then tugged lightly at the bunny ear on her outfit. With the book on her head, Maya shook it off and then reached out and took off his glasses. "Dad." Caught off guard when his glasses were removed, the man seemed slightly unaccustomed, narrowing his eyes. His dark gaze was completely emotionless, and for a split second, it gave her the unsettling feeling that he was dangerous. Maya forcefully suppressed that instinct, straightened her back, and tried to relax as she sat there. He yawned, and that dark aura disappeared, his tone turning lazy and drained. "What is it?" Maya shook her head. Pointing at the fallen book, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "I'm studying hard for our future happy life," he told his daughter in a completely serious tone. "Studying?" Maya pointed at the pig illustration on the cover, pursing her lips as she spoke vaguely. "So you're learning how to take care of pigs, Dad?" His expression didn't change. He didn't care that she could read and just made something up. "My job is raising pigs. "We have a very large pig farm. Learning how to care for sows after they give birth is one of the required skills, Maya." After explaining, Raymond looked at his daughter, who had fallen into deep thought, assuming she might feel a little disappointed about this kind of job. After all, kids cared about appearances too. Just as he was about to say something else, the next second, his body stiffened slightly. He looked down to find Maya had thrown herself straight into his arms. The girl happily crashed into him, warm and soft, smelling nice, her voice bright and cheerful. "That's great, Dad! I support your job! I'll study hard to take care of pigs too in the future." Hearing such a stable and grounded job filled Maya with a strong sense of security. In her excitement, she buried her head into his chest, waving her arms as she declared, "I'm gonna become a pig farm manager when I grow up!" That's a guaranteed, stable career. Raymond couldn't react for a moment. The moment Maya finished declaring her grand ambition, a fruit knife flew out from the kitchen and stabbed cleanly into the apple on the table in front of Raymond. With a sharp crack, the apple split cleanly in half right in front of him. Raymond froze. Wendy poked her head out from the kitchen, smiling sweetly, her tone soft. "Honey, what are you two talking about?" Chapter 3 Riding An Old Lady Across the Street Raymond glanced at the distance from the kitchen to the living room, then at the apple that had been cleanly split in two, and couldn't help letting out a silent whistle. Damn, what a shot. But when his peripheral vision caught Wendy's ominous expression, he wisely swallowed that praise. At the same time, Maya had burrowed completely into his arms, wrapping tightly around his waist. The girl's body was small and soft, so light that it felt like holding a cloud. Before this, Raymond had only ever held his sons, and he was used to their solid, almost concrete-like build. Suddenly holding a daughter who was soft all over, he found himself at a rare loss. In the end, the man chose a stiff, almost robotic motion, lightly patting Maya's back. Clearly, even the coldest killer had no defense against a child like this. Seeing this, Wendy wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. She crouched down and opened her arms. "Maya, what were you talking about with Dad that made you so happy?" Maya threw herself into Mom's arms and eagerly shared her wish. "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna raise pigs with Dad." Wendy shot Raymond a sharp glare, though her voice stayed gentle. "Why is that?" Maya buried her head into Wendy's neck and smiled but didn't explain. It was a habit she'd developed in her past life at the orphanage. She never took the initiative to build a relationship with her father. In contrast, Kaia had been bright and carefree, never afraid of Thomas Jackson's indifference, warming him like a little sun. Naturally, compared to Maya, the unlikable daughter, Thomas had wanted Kaia to stay by his side and had sent Maya off into a political marriage with a wealthy family. That was how she ended up with a fiancé. Maya didn't want some rich fiancé at all. The more ordinary the family, the more secure she felt. Besides, raising pigs properly really could be a stable, lifelong career. While Maya drifted into her memories, Wendy grabbed Raymond, who was trying to lie lifelessly on the couch, and dragged him into the kitchen for a "meeting." Bang! The kitchen door shut behind them. The smile vanished from Wendy's face instantly. She gripped a kitchen knife and pressed it coldly against the artery at Raymond's neck. "If you ever spout nonsense to Maya again, I'll chop you up." Raymond didn't even bother moving, leaning lazily against the counter as he recalled the excited look on his daughter's face just now. "Who told her to be that easy to fool? "Based on my evaluation, Maya's intelligence is roughly equal to that of an adult Labrador." She might not be smart, but she's way more fun than my scheming, stiff sons. Wendy tightened her grip on the knife and took a deep breath, barely stopping herself from making him bleed out on the spot. She let him go irritably and began pacing around the counter, thinking through solutions. No matter what, she couldn't let her daughter be led astray by Raymond. She had to think of something. Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks and slammed the knife into the cutting board. "At Maya's age, she should be in preschool. "I think only school can give her proper values. "What do you think, honey?" Wendy knew perfectly well that their home environment wasn't suitable for raising a normal child. "Really?" Raymond slowly flipped through a cookbook in the kitchen, his tone indifferent. "I don't think school can teach her anything useful." "At the very least, it's more reliable than learning how to take care of pigs from you." Now that Wendy had a solution, her mood noticeably improved. She kicked Raymond and ordered, "Go find a school for Maya right now." Raymond lifted his gaze from the cookbook and saw the seriousness in his wife's expression. He sighed, understanding there was no room for negotiation. In that case... "How about Kingsley Preschool? "It has a good reputation, the campus is very safe, and most wealthy families send their kids there." His eyes lowered slightly, his tone calm. "I'll go have a friendly discussion with the principal later. If all goes well, she can enroll tomorrow." Wendy added, "We should have Alfred enroll with her. With Maya's gentle personality, what if she gets bullied?" The way she looked like a mother worrying about her child traveling far made Raymond chuckle. "Of course. "Maybe being together will even help Alfred learn how to make some useless friends." ... Finally, it was time for dinner, and the whole family gathered around the table. At the table, Raymond barely touched his food. He lazily pushed his food around like he had no appetite at all. Maya happily gnawed on the chicken wings Wendy made, completely ignoring the green vegetables beside her. Alfred, meanwhile, quietly ate his plate of broccoli and steamed pumpkin, carefully avoiding all meat. The siblings had completely opposite tastes. Looking at the two problem children plus one overgrown child, Wendy felt a headache coming on again. She turned to her youngest son first. "Alfred, you can't just eat vegetables. You need to eat meat to grow tall." Alfred lowered his head and slowly chewed his broccoli, as if he hadn't heard a thing. She turned to her daughter, her tone softening even more. "Maya, you need to eat more vegetables to stay balanced and healthy." Maya looked at Wendy, then at the chicken wings on her plate. After struggling for two seconds, she obediently picked up a piece of greens and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, dinner was coming to an end. Once both kids were more or less finished eating, Wendy gently set down her utensils. She adjusted her posture, folded her hands on the table, and swept her gaze over Alfred and Maya. In her softest, sweetest voice, she dropped the biggest bomb of the night. "Come to think of it, you two are at the age to start preschool." She paused, waiting for their reactions. Maya blinked, not reacting much. But Alfred suddenly looked up, shock appearing on his usually expressionless face. "Mom?" "What?" Wendy glanced at her overly reactive youngest son. "You're six this year, and Maya is five. It's the perfect age for preschool. Once you're there, you can meet lots of kids your age. Do you have any objections to my decision?" "Why would I need to meet a bunch of amoebas?" Alfred frowned coldly, not understanding at all. "I can learn everything on my own. I don't need to know them." Maya gained a whole new understanding of her brother's arrogance. Of course, Alfred's protest was completely ignored. Under Wendy's firm insistence, the very next morning, she rushed out and bought school bags, turning the two little kids into brand-new preschool students at lightning speed. Maya actually found the whole experience pretty novel. In her previous life, she had never gone to school. She'd always had private tutors teaching her at home. Living and studying in a group setting with kids her own age was something she had never experienced before. And under Wendy's overwhelming maternal instincts, terrified Maya might catch a cold. She ended up bundled into a round little ball on her first day of preschool. She tried hopping a couple of times to loosen up, but the thick layers of clothing made her movements clumsy. From behind, she looked like a walking snowball. Raymond walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he watched the scene. Just as Maya tried to hop again, he casually stepped forward and lightly stuck his leg out in front of her, as if it were completely natural. Thump. The girl went down in a textbook faceplant. "Ugh..." Maya instinctively whimpered twice. Seeing this, the corner of Raymond's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement. By the time Maya slowly pushed herself back up, she stared at Raymond, who looked completely innocent, as if nothing had happened, in disbelief. This was the first time she had ever seen someone this awful. Is he even human?? Tripping a little kid like that? The more Maya thought about it, the angrier she got. Staring at his back, a sudden burst of mischief rose up in her chest. She lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg. When Raymond suddenly felt a light kick against his calf, his body's instincts almost reacted instantly with a counterattack. But he forcefully suppressed every reflex and slowly turned around instead. There was a clear little footprint on his pant leg. And the culprit, that little snowball, had already darted behind Alfred, clutching his jacket tightly, peeking out with big eyes and a hint of provocation. Alfred, who had been used as a human shield, was exasperated. He noticed that the relaxed expression on Raymond's face turned cold almost instantly. Sensing the shift in his father's mood, the boy went on alert immediately. He stepped forward half a step, shielding Maya more completely behind him. Alfred's small face tensed as he stood in front of the girl like a protective hen. He was clearly just a chick himself, yet already trying to protect Maya. The slightly ridiculous scene made Raymond snort in laughter. The invisible pressure eased in an instant. He reached out and ruffled Alfred's curly hair into even more of a mess, then grabbed Maya's hand as she peeked out from behind her brother. "Let's go," he said with a faint smile, as if that brief tension had never happened. "We'll be late if you keep dragging your feet." ... At first, Maya had assumed the preschool she was going to would be something ordinary and lively, like the ones near their neighborhood. But when she saw the tree-lined road outside packed with cars that looked like a mini auto show, she fell silent. In her previous life, she had at least been the daughter of the richest man. She recognized luxury cars. The ones parked outside easily started at seven figures, and anyone who could afford those... Their families definitely weren't ordinary. "The one you're attending is Kingsley," Raymond said casually, as if nothing seemed out of place. "I once did a good deed, helping an old lady cross the street. Turns out she was the principal's mother. To thank me, she arranged for both of you to enroll." Maya just stared at him. Her face practically screamed, Do I look like an idiot to you? She pressed her lips together, finally unable to hold back. "Dad," she said sincerely, "do you look like someone who would help an old lady cross the street?" She paused, watching his slightly raised brow, then continued seriously, "Someone like you, who's too lazy to even sit if you can lie down..." Maya spoke with perfect logic. "If you ran into an old lady, you'd probably ride her across the street instead. Walking is way too tiring for you."