Chapter 275 - White Penguin

Chicago, at noon.

It's a bit cold, even though it's a sunny day today. Maybe it's near the winter season, and the weather starts to change in a particular country. While Luna looks around the Cloud Gate area, she keeps looking for Alex's figure among the crowd.

Dania and Rose are now standing at the safe perimeter from them. They both also dress up as tourists and enjoying this little getaway.

The Millennium park looks a bit crowded with tourists from all over the world. Just like how the Central Park in New York crowded with tourist around these months.

Jamal, who finally arrives at the location, brings Alex out from the car and holding Alex's hand toward his parents, who currently at the giant bean statue. It's his first time coming here and saw something like that. He wonders what history lies behind the giant bean statue?

"Oh, look! It's your parents." Jamal said with excitement lay on his voice, but Alex still looks the same. Smile a little before he focuses back on looking at his parents.

It's been in his mind since yesterday. As to why Alex looks a bit different? He does not talk much, and only does what he usually doesn't do. Such, reading and solving a puzzle while he's on the plane? It's so not like him, just like a different person with the same face his and same voice too.

Jamal remembers that Alex likes to play his games on his tablet or do something physical, like exercising when he's bored. Play with his set of tools, modified his own toys, or built his own town using his lego but never read! He was kinda lazy to read anything on his typical day.

Reading for Jamal is only be done by Lily, and Alex typically had a little too much question for him. But, since yesterday, Alex seems like he's not himself. 'Did Alex fall sick? Or is he bored of me?' he scratches his head a little. 'Nah…that can't be, right?'

Seeing Alex with Jamal, Luna cupped her hands to her mouths before running to both of them. "Alex!" she calls her son before she opens her arm widely. 

Nod his head to Raymond, Jamal went to the post where Dania and Rose have been blend in the crowd. Acting like an ordinary citizen while ensuring their master's safety.

Alex walks to Luna and hugs her waist before Luna release it and squatted down. Leveling their eyes so that Alex could see her clearly.

"How are you, baby? Did you miss me?"

"I'm good, mama..of course, I miss you." He smiles, but it's still lacking, and Luna squinted her eyes a little. Thinking that probably Alex was being shy when she hugs her in front of many people right now.

"Mmm...I was so worried about you that I can't sleep at all last night." Luna standing again and hold Alex's hand. While Raymond already at her side. Looking at his son with his gentle smile.

"Want me to carry you, buddy?" he offers Alex, and Alex shakes his head, rejecting his idea. "No, thanks, Papa.."

Chuckles, Raymond, also holding his hands at the other side, which makes Alex at the center of them both. "What do you want to do today? Shopping? Eating ice cream, or we could just visit the art museum here."

Luna did not say anything as she let Alex make his own choice. As long as they together, she couldn't feel happier than now. 

"Mm…zoo? I like to see the animal." Alex makes his own choice, which then Raymond nod his head, agrees. "Okay, to the zoo then."

…

Lincoln Zoo,

Alex seems natural seeing those animals, and his expression does not change much. However, he is always smiling to both of them but never say more word than how he used to.

"Alex, baby..are you not feeling well?" Luna still feels like Alex is not like himself. It's probably a maternal instinct to always know if something happens to their child.

Shake his head, Alex said, "I'm okay, mama. Do I look like I'm not feeling well to you?" he asked back the question to his mother, which then, Luna slowly shook her head before looking at her husband.

Raymond raises his eyebrow to her, asking her 'why' and she only sighs a little. With that deep sighed, Raymond rub on Luna's back. "He's a boy. Maybe he got a little problem regarding…a girl? Don't worry too much, okay?"

Luna blinks her eyes to her husband while still walking behind Alex. 'Seriously? He just five years old..he didn't even know what is love yet..'

"I know... but when I was in his age, I also got curious, and I like to hide from someone. Maybe I was shy.." Raymond said when he saw Luna's expression like he can read it like an open book.

"Uh-huh? Is that girl is your ex-girlfriend? I know you love her since young, you must be sad, aren't you?" it irked Luna a little when Raymond mention his past. Of course, she knows who he's been talking about. It's Sarah, the snake!

Chuckles, Raymond shakes his head a little. "You're jealous, aren't you?" it's kind of refreshing to see her jealous face.

"No, I'm not." Luna denied it as she turns her face to the other side and folds her arm to her chest.

"Really? Well, I'm sad, though."

"Maybe we shouldn't come here and let you help her family to arrange her funeral, huh?"

Again, Raymond was secretly laughing while hearing her answer. Before Luna could walk away from him, he holds her hand and matches his pace with hers.

"I'm sad because my wife says she's not jealous, not because of my ex-girlfriend's death," he whispers to her ear before he looks at her eyes. Alex is still within his sight.

Luna did not reply to him as she lowered her eyes and staring on the floor. "I do feel a little jealous of her. Even though I shouldn't now. But, I still feel bad for her death. I didn't mean for her to…die." Luna said with a low voice that only Raymond could hear it.

Hug her, he said again, "It's not your fault. She took her own life when she tried to harm you. Even if she didn't die yesterday, I'd still be the one who took her life to dare to harm you repeatedly. I have my limit too, but she always steps on my limit line when she was still alive. So…don't blame yourself."

Luna hugs him back while nodding her head a little. "Mm…but…I don't like to hear your childhood love story again. From now on, you can only tell the love story of us to our children." Luna lifts up her head and stares at Raymond's grey eyes intensely.

Smiling widely, he nods his head. "Yes, darling." he replies and leans closer to her, but just when his lips want to touch hers, "Mama, is that a white penguin?" Alex ruins the moment for his parents to make a romantic scene.

Pushing Raymond's chest gently, Luna notices that a few parents who bring their child to the park look at them while covering their child's eyes. It makes her blush a bit.

Raymond turns his body around and walks to Alex, who was still focusing on the penguin he saw earlier. "It's not a white penguin, Alex. It's an albino penguin. Kinda rare and precious species too." Raymond explains it to him.

They then continue exploring the park while holding hands. It really looks like a perfect happy family. Little that they know the real Alex is now in trouble at the faraway place.

…

Somewhere near the icy mountain. A few hours earlier.

"Is he here?" James took off his gloves while asking one of the men who greet him at the entrance.

"Yes, sir." the man said before the clapping sound echoes from the second floor to the whole room.

James smirked, looking at the middle-aged man who only a few years younger than him, wearing a thick fur coat walk down the stairs with a bunch of security behind him.

"You're here fast, partner." He said and sneered at the old man.

"Hmph! Just because you hold something I don't want doesn't mean you can do anything you like to both of them. I'd like to see them before I can finally say goodbye to either one of them. You don't mind, do you?" James took off his coat with a thin layer of snow and handed it to his bodyguard before taking a seat on the big fluffy sofa in the hall.

"Of course, I don't mind. But, I have to remind you that our deal is for me to have the Gen-X and Kiera's tech." the man sits down on the sofa which is only a few meters away from James. 

Facing a big glass window, the man signals his right-hand man to show them the condition of the two children he retrieved yesterday.