The little girl had tidied her room immaculately. A few cute ceramic flowerpots sat on the balcony. Though they were still bare with nothing growing inside, they looked entirely adorable.
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Ruby grunted with effort as she neatly folded her bedding and clothes. Only then did she slip into her fuzzy bunny slippers and scamper out of the room on her short little legs. She didn't want to miss breakfast with her father.
Just as she reached the top of the stairs, Ruby spotted her father already seated at the dining table, hard at work. She couldn't see clearly from afar, but he was definitely interacting with a holographic projection. She had seen Mila use one before, and it was super magical!
A steaming cup of coffee rested at his elbow. He sat with perfect posture, radiating the quiet, lethal stillness of a sheathed sword.
"Good morning, Daddy."
Ruby could hardly wait to greet him, her soft, sweet voice carrying a slight, nervous tremor.
Shawn gave a faint nod and returned to his work. Yet, from the corner of his eye, he watched the soft, snow-white little dumpling tentatively inch her way toward him. The grim line of his lips curved upward into an imperceptible smile—one he likely didn't even realize he was making.
Ruby shuffled closer and closer until she reached the chair next to his, grunting softly as she clambered up onto the seat. She made hardly any noise during the process. Once seated, she rested her tiny hands politely on her knees, the picture of perfect obedience.
"Miss Rowland, your milk." Mila arrived from the kitchen, bringing her a warm cup.
"Thank you, Mila."
After her sweet-voiced thanks, Ruby cupped the glass with both hands and took tiny, delicate sips. The father and daughter sat side-by-side in comfortable silence, wrapped in a rare moment of perfect harmony.
When breakfast was served, the meager portion placed in front of Ruby made Shawn frown. "Why is it so little?"
Hearing her father speak, Ruby looked up with sparkling eyes. "Are you asking me, Daddy?"
"Yes."
The delicate, well-behaved little girl beamed, her eyes crinkling into happy crescents. She was so soft and tiny, her bright, sunflower-like smile sweet enough to melt even the coldest heart.
"I can only eat this much. I get super full after!"
Shawn glanced at her plate, then recalled how much his three sons had eaten at her age. Her portion was less than a third of theirs.
"What is your beast form?"
Ruby's small face instantly drained of color. She pursed her lips in silence as her eyes grew wet and rimmed with red, threatening to spill crystalline tears at any second.
Shawn remained speechless, sudden panic flaring within him. Why was she crying?! He maintained a calm exterior, but internally, he was entirely at a loss.
"Daddy, please don't throw me away, okay? I'll be really good. I won't cause any trouble." She was genuinely terrified, completely unable to hold back her tears.
Her beast form was a Ragdoll cat no bigger than a palm. Elena Spencer had looked at her with utter disgust every time she transformed, and had even tried to abandon her when she was just a year old. From Elena's cruel words, Ruby knew her form was abnormal. The Starbeast Clan had never produced a cub so tiny and frail.
She was a Defective Beast. No one would ever love her. Now that her father knew, would he throw her away too?
The more she thought about it, the more heartbroken she became. Tears spilled down her cheeks, splashing PATTER PATTER onto her lap.
"Daddy, I'm a good girl. Please don't abandon me." Her sweet, childish voice cracked with pitiful sobs that could shatter anyone's resolve.
Shawn pressed his lips together, silent for a long moment. Utterly unsure of what to say, he simply reached out, scooped the little thing up, and set her on his lap.
Weeping pitifully, Ruby sniffled and gripped a tiny handful of his shirt with her pale, slender fingers.
"I'm not going to abandon you."
Her father's deep, steady voice rumbled from above. Though devoid of dramatic emotion, his tone carried the weight of an ironclad promise. Ruby tilted her delicate little face upward. Her clear, ocean-blue eyes shimmered with tears as they reflected her father's impossibly handsome, statuesque features.
"I... I'm just a really small, really weak Ragdoll cat." Choking back sobs, she anxiously revealed her beast form. She even made a defeated little gesture with her hands to show she was barely larger than his palm. "She said I'm a useless, unwanted Defective Beast."
At the mention of those words, Ruby lowered her gaze. She clenched her fingers tighter around his shirt, terrified he might toss her aside at any second. She didn't even dare to look at his face, dreading the disappointment and disgust she might find in his eyes.
A large hand gently ruffled her soft hair. Ruby looked up. In her father's icy blue eyes, there was no trace of revulsion or disdain—only his usual, unwavering calm.
"Daddy." She tilted her head to nuzzle into his broad palm. Sniffling, she suddenly felt the urge to cry all over again. "Do you still want me?"
Shawn hummed in affirmation, offering no extra words. "You are not a Defective Beast."
Ruby stared at him, her eyes shining bright.
Shawn's tone grew deeply serious. "There is no such thing."
The corners of Ruby's mouth lifted into a sweet, tender smile, even as fresh tears tumbled uncontrollably down her cheeks. "Daddy, you're the best."
In her past life and her current one, he was the absolute best father she had ever known.
With the heavy knot in Ruby's heart finally loosening, the bond between father and daughter deepened significantly. After breakfast, it was time for Shawn to head to work. Ruby shadowed his every step, trailing him all the way outside to watch him board his hovercar.
"Bye-bye, Daddy." The soft little girl's eyes were brimming with reluctance to see him go.
Shawn pursed his lips. Suddenly, he reached out and rubbed the top of her little head. "Go back inside."
A radiant, beautiful smile bloomed on Ruby's face, her eyes curving with pure joy. "Okay! Are you coming home today, Daddy?"
Little Ruby looked up at him with immense anticipation.
Shawn hesitated. "I should be."
"Then I'll wait for you. Come home early!"
She waved goodbye, keeping her eyes glued to the hovercar until it disappeared into the far distance. Only then did she finally, reluctantly look away.
"Miss Rowland, would you like to watch some cartoons?" the butler asked gently from behind her. Internally, he was astonished by how rapidly the father and daughter had grown close.
The Family Head had never held anyone before. He hadn't even held his three young masters when they were infants, let alone comforted a crying child. Yet today was entirely different. Then again, Miss Rowland was so sweet, obedient, and utterly pitiful. Perhaps it wasn't so surprising after all.
Ruby's little face flushed pink as she nodded. "Yes, please."
Mila hurried back to the kitchen to fetch her a glass of milk-fruit juice, as if terrified the little girl might starve. Clutching her juice, Ruby sat with her knees neatly pressed together on the special little stool the butler had prepared just for her. It was a pink stool shaped like a cat's paw, complete with a plush, squishy cushion resting on top.