Flash Marriage to a Stunning CEO (Alistair and Richard)

Chapter 202 The Father and the Daughter

To keep Mabel from worrying, Leo came up with a harmless lie. He told her he was just trying to lose a little weight.

Mabel gave him a disapproving glare. "Lose weight? What for? You were already handsome enough the way you were. How much better do you want to look? Honestly, I thought you were cutest when you were all chubby as a kid. Why would you want to turn yourself into a skeleton? I'll never understand you young people and your idea of beauty!"

When Leo only responded with a faint smile, Mabel turned to seek reinforcement. "Eloise, don't you think I'm right?"

Eloise nodded like a pecking chick, both hands raised in agreement. "Yes! You're totally right!"

Over the course of one dinner, Eloise had clearly warmed up to

Leo.

Encouraged, Leo turned his attention fully to her, hiding the raw emotion behind

his gaze.

Caroline and Alistair exchanged a glance across the table, quietly reading the unspoken understanding in each other's

eyes.

They were only human. Watching Leo act like this tugged at

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Chapter 202 The Father and the Daught...

something in both of them.

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"Uncle Leo, you really shouldn't lose more weight," Eloise said carnestly. "You're already so skinny! If you lose any more, a big gust of wind might blow you away!"

Leo grinned, trying to coax more words out of her. “Really? But I think I look okay being a little thin."

Eloise furrowed her brow, completely serious. "But if you want people to think you look nice, and they all say you're too skinny, then maybe you should just eat more and listen to Great-Grandma."

Leo stared at her like she was a priceless treasure. Every word out of her mouth sounded like gospel, and he didn't want to miss a single syllable. He nodded solemnly. "You're making a lot of sense. Maybe I'll think it over again..."

He reached out almost instinctively to ruffle her hair.

But right as his hand brushed her soft curls, he paused.

Something held him back. He glanced at Alistair and Caroline, unsure of himself.

Caroline turned her head away, feigning distraction.

slow sip of

back down at Eloise and met a pair of wide,

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Father and the

filled with

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worried about me. My daughter... is worried about

and this time,

still, waiting patiently. Then she tilted her face up and asked, in her sweet, childlike voice, "So? Have you made up your mind

with great seriousness. "Yup! You were right, sweetheart. A person shouldn't be too skinny. What if a

final, reluctant pat

away.

to keep his big, grown-up hand on her small head for

was that Eloise's first impression of him had

and Caroline and whispered, "I seem to remember Leo wasn't too fond of kids. Said they were too loud and rowdy.

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202 The Father and the

17 mln lef

could respond, Mabel added, almost to herself. "But then again,

and Caroline shared

squeeze, and she mischievously ran her fingertip along his

relief. "Then Great-Grandma and

didn't want the conversation to end just

weight do you think I should gain? I don't want to

over to Alistair and

much meat as my daddy, that's perfect! My daddy's

a second, caught

if politely acknowledging

leaned back in her chair, clearly enjoying the exchange far more than she

202 The Father

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absolutely right. Just

pride. "And my daddy has muscles too! I can't even squeeze his arms.

at Alistair, barely masking his

Alistair even been her dad? And she already adores him this

only proved Alistair had treated

simple. They knew

I'll work hard to get

"You

he teased, "I've been really good, haven't I?

replied matter-of-factly, "Uncle Leo, what kind of reward do you want?" Leo pretended to think for a second and then turned to Mabel with a smile. "Well... mind if I steal

202 The Father and the

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for a while?"