Chapter 4: The Iceberg Uncle and the Strange Heartbeat
866words
I watch her eyes grow bigger and bigger as she listens. Her face flushes pink, like a surprised kitten. When she hangs up, she scoops me into a hug and spins me around and around!
"Leo! We're saved!" she cries out, laughing.
I hear the little bird in her heart singing: [Oh my God! The Sterling Group! That bearded director is giving me a chance to design invitations for their charity gala! THE Sterling Group! This is huge!]
I don't know what "Sterling Group" is, but it sounds like a magic spell that can turn storm clouds into cotton candy.
So when Mom says she's taking me to the "Sterling Building" to deliver her designs, I'm super excited.
But when we actually stand in front of the building, I feel a little scared.
It's so tall it makes me dizzy to look up—like a giant made of shiny glass and gold. Sunlight bounces off it so bright I have to squint. Inside, it's whisper-quiet. The floor is so shiny I can see my face in it, and the ceiling is so high I bet clouds could live up there.
Mom and I stand there in our regular old coats, feeling like two little mice who accidentally wandered into a king's castle. I'm so nervous my tummy feels like it's tying itself in knots.
Mom's heart is pounding like a drum: [Keep it together, Claire! You're a professional! Don't gawk like you've never seen a fancy building before… Good grief, that vase probably costs more than our rent!]
I'm clutching Mom's hand and staring at everything when disaster strikes. Mom is looking up at a painting and doesn't see where she's going—and WHAM! She crashes right into someone!
"Oh! I'm so sorry! I'm terribly sorry!" Mom's face goes white as paper. She looks like a startled cat with her hair practically standing on end, pulling me back while apologizing over and over.
I look up to see who she hit—it's a very tall man.
He's wearing a perfect black suit like armor, and his face has zero expression—like it's covered in a thin layer of ice. His mouth is a straight line, and his eyes are cold as he barely glances our way.
I swear the air around us just dropped about ten degrees.
But then his eyes land on my face, and he freezes mid-step. The ice on his face seems to crack, just a little.
I stare right back at him. His eyes are blue—not just any blue, but the most amazing blue ever, like my favorite marble in my treasure box.
Then I hear his thoughts.
His thoughts don't flow like a stream like most people's—they CRASH like an earthquake!
[Those eyes… impossible… it can't be… what the… am I losing my mind? Why is my heart racing like this?!]
His heartbeat is so loud it's like thunder in my ears—BOOM BOOM BOOM—making them ring.
This man is really weird.
Just then, the little bell in my head goes "DING!" louder and more excited than I've ever heard it.
[ALERT! ALERT! S-level family bond detected! Extremely important target identified!]
[S-level epic quest activated: 'First Step of Family Recognition'!]
[Mission: Make physical contact with target (Alex Sterling) and earn his positive response.]
[Reward: 'Affinity Aura' (Basic), Cuteness +50!]
Whoa! An S-level quest! And an "Affinity Aura"—I've never even seen that before! This is like the ultimate game challenge!
Mom is still apologizing: "Sir, I'm so sorry, we didn't mean to bump into you, I hope we didn't mess up your suit…"
No time to waste! Saving the world (and completing quests) can't wait!
I let go of Mom's hand and launch myself like a tiny missile, wrapping my arms around the ice man's leg!
Wow, his leg is hard and cold, like hugging a tree in winter.
The man's entire body goes rigid. He looks down at me, those blue eyes wide with shock.
I tilt my face up, give him my best sunshine smile (the one that melts everything), and say in my sweetest voice: "Mister, you look like you need a hug. Are you sad?"
The air turns solid. Mom looks so horrified she's forgotten how to breathe.
Ice Mountain Man stands frozen, staring down at me. The earthquake in his heart is still rumbling, but now there are new sounds mixed in.
[He's… hugging me? My God… this child… so small… so warm…]
After what feels like forever, he seems to thaw. Slowly—very slowly—he crouches down to my level. He moves stiffly, like someone who's forgotten how to bend.
Then he reaches out one hand, very gently, and pats my head.
His hand is big and cool, but when it touches my hair, I feel a tiny spark of warmth, like sunshine on a cold day.
[Ding! S-level quest completed! Congratulations, little master! You've melted the first corner of the ancient glacier!]
[Reward: 'Affinity Aura' (Basic) equipped! Cuteness +50, current total: 75!]
I do a little victory dance in my head.
This ice-cold man may look frozen on the outside, but his heartbeat doesn't sound so scary anymore.
