Gianna

Beta stood up and left Matilda where she was. "Leave the little girl with you for a while, watch her for me."

Sophia looked up at him. "Do you know where Gianna is?"

Beta replied, "She knows where I am."

With that, he left Matilda and walked out of the office alone.

The top floor of the hotel was an open-air bar, currently empty.

Beta sat alone under a sun umbrella, the night breeze cool. A few minutes later, the crisp sound of high heels clicking on the ground could be heard from behind him, growing closer.

A familiar perfume wafted in. Before Beta could turn around, a pair of soft hands gently rested on his shoulders, fingertips caressing him tenderly.

A warm kiss landed on his cheek. Then, the woman walked around him and sat gracefully in the chair opposite him.

She appeared to be in her late forties or early fifties, dressed in a simple, plain long dress that accentuated her still-slender figure. Her light golden, wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders. Her understated lipstick complemented the necklace around her neck and the golden earrings adorning her ears, while her light gold high heels added to her allure.

The years had etched fine lines around her eyes and mouth, but they couldn't hide the tenderness and smile in her eyes as she gazed at Beta. Her gaze meticulously traced his face, as if wanting to remember every subtle change.

Even with the passage of time, it was clear she must have been a captivating beauty in her youth.

Unfortunately, Beta seemed to have only inherited her light golden hair, not her outstanding beauty. His features were ordinary, lacking any striking qualities. He likely inherited more of his appearance from the other genetic contributor.

Gianna reached out and gently smoothed Beta's messy golden hair from his forehead, her fingertips imbued with a unique tenderness. "I heard you caused quite a stir in England."

Beta nodded slightly. "Indeed. I just didn't expect to run into you here, or to..."

He paused. "...to have this brief reunion like this."

Gianna smiled, a smile that felt like warm winter sunshine, melting away the gloom in Beta's heart. She couldn't help but cup Beta's face in her hands, placing a light kiss on each of his cheeks before finally leaving a faint imprint on his forehead.

As she examined Beta closely, she noticed faint red marks on his neck.

"What's this?" A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes as her fingertip lightly touched the mark. "Salone has someone he fancies? Which lucky girl is it?"

Beta smiled and replied, "When the time is right, I'll bring her to meet you."

Gianna nodded in understanding, the smile lines around her eyes deepening.

Gianna glanced at her phone, then stood up and walked to Beta's side. She gently rested Beta's head against her abdomen, her fingers lightly stroking his hair. "I have to go, my flight is about to take off."

Beta stood up and reached out to support her arm. "I'll walk you to the tarmac."

Gianna shook her head, her fingertip lightly squeezing his palm. "Just to here is fine. It's best if we don't appear together."

Her voice gradually lowered, tinged with reluctance and restraint.

Beta nodded. "Alright."

Gianna turned towards the elevator, her heels clicking sharply on the marble floor.

She pressed the button, and during the few seconds of waiting, her fingertip traced the edge of her phone. When the elevator doors chimed and slowly opened, she didn't step in immediately. Instead, she turned around, her gaze passing through the corridor to land on Beta.

The corners of her mouth curved upwards slightly, revealing a gentle yet somewhat bitter smile, her eyes filled with unspoken words.

The elevator doors began to close automatically, the slender figure gradually obscured by the metal panels, finally disappearing completely behind them with a soft click.

The corridor returned to silence, leaving Beta standing alone, as if he could still smell the faint fragrance lingering in the air.

Beta rubbed his face vigorously, crushing all his emotions in his palms. He stared down at the floor, his Adam's apple bobbing. When he looked up again, the longing surging in his eyes had been brutally extinguished.

When Beta pushed open the door to the office, Sophia was embracing Matilda from behind, teaching her hand-in-hand how to train her two fierce Malinois dogs.

The light fell on them, and Sophia's voice was incredibly gentle. "Yes, just like that. You have to make them remember who's in charge."

Her movements were skilled and patient, her fingertips gently guiding Matilda's wrist through the command motions.

Beta knew that Sophia had a daughter the same age as Matilda. Like him and Gianna, as a manager of the Continental Hotel, Sophia had to personally sacrifice her own vulnerabilities. That girl was likely in a safe place now, living a life where she couldn't see her mother.

"Bite here," Sophia said, holding Matilda's small hand and drawing a red circle on the training dummy. "The third leg."

She whispered into the girl's ear, her tone as gentle as if teaching her daughter to bake cookies, yet the content was chilling. The two Malinois dogs bared their white fangs, poised at their feet.

Sophia gently lifted Matilda's wrist, and the two dogs lunged. They accurately bit the red marked spot on the training dummy. The height had been meticulously calculated so that, regardless of the target's gender, their sharp canine teeth would instantly pierce the most vulnerable vital point.

Matilda's eyes widened as she watched the two fierce dogs violently shake the training dummy, rubber stuffing bursting from the seams.

"See?" Sophia whispered in her ear, her fingers gently stroking the girl's hair. "This spot... even the fiercest enemy will collapse like a rag doll."

Her voice still carried a motherly tenderness. The two Malinois dogs released their debris-covered mouths, their red tongues lolling as they sat back at their feet, as if they had just finished a heartwarming game.

Sophia glanced up and saw Beta. She gently stroked Matilda's hair. "How is it?"

Beta sank into the sofa. The two Malinois dogs came over, their wet noses nudging his trouser legs.

He reached out and petted one of them. "Which aspect are you asking about?"

Sophia led Matilda to sit opposite him. The two fierce dogs immediately abandoned Beta and crawled to her feet, wagging their tails. She scratched one of them under the chin, her gaze fixed on Beta. "Are you alright?"

Her voice was very soft. "It's always like this. Brief meetings with loved ones, and then hurried goodbyes."

Matilda leaned against her obediently, Sophia's other hand resting gently on the girl's shoulder. "It's like this for me and my daughter too."

The last sentence was almost a sigh, dissipating into the warm breaths of the dogs.

Beta managed a relaxed smile. "I'm perfectly fine."

He reached out to tease a Malinois, his knuckles moving through its coarse fur. "I'm used to it, Sophia. I'm 29 years old."

The dog tilted its head and licked his wrist. Beta chuckled softly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

The protagonist's character illustration generated by AI couldn't satisfy all readers, so it was directly removed. Every reader has their own idea of the protagonist's appearance, so there's no need for character illustrations to be redundant.