Miracle Cutie Chapter 445: This Was His Fault

Nina wailed, her chubby little body trembling violently.

Lester bent down, scooped her up, and held her tight against his chest. At that moment, even he let out an unconscious sigh of relief.

Finally finding Lester, Nina was crying so hard she couldn't speak.

Lester held her but didn't rush for the main gate to leave. Instead, he took her back to a room first.

Nina's sudden appearance had caused some commotion; he needed to handle the fallout. But before dealing with that, Lester locked the door and focused on comforting the terrified little girl.

"It's okay now," Lester murmured, supporting her back and gently rocking her small body. "I'm right here."

He repeated the words in his low, steady voice, and slowly, Nina's sobs began to subside a little. She finally managed to speak through her tears.

"Nina so scared!" she sobbed, her little voice choked. "Bad guy! Where you? Nina no find!"

Nina cried in hiccupping gasps, her little face a picture of misery.

Seeing her like that, and remembering that Nina had come looking for him... and that his offhand invitation had led this fearless little one to turn herself into a "baby package" to find him... Lester felt a pang.

I almost got her hurt.

Lester was not a kind man. He never dwelled on his mistakes or wallowed in guilt. He pitied no one. He was his own biggest supporter, never admitting fault, even for the cruelest acts.

Yet now, looking down at Nina's tear-streaked face nestled against him, he felt something unprecedented. This was his fault. He was the one who lured her here.

An adult's casual words carried a different weight in a child's world.

"Nina," Lester said, his voice quiet but clear as he held the still-complaining girl. "I'm sorry. I should have come to get you. I shouldn't have let you come find me."

"Nina, I'm sorry," he repeated.

Nina heard the apologies through her tears. Her tattling paused. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffled, offering a jumbled response.

"You welcome!" she said, mixing up the phrase before adding, "Bad guy here!"

The Powell Estate did have its share of bad people. Lester patiently soothed her, assuring Nina he would protect her.

Gradually, her fear lessened. And as the fear faded, her hunger took over.

"Tummy no food," Nina whimpered, looking down at her belly.

Lester's room had a small fridge and some supplies. He got milk, warmed it in a pot of hot water, and found some bread. He tore off the crusts and fed her the soft center.

Once the bread and warm milk were gone, Lester washed her little face.

He also changed her clothes. Her pants were damp; she had wet herself while hiding for so long.

With practiced ease, Lester cleaned her up, wrapping her snugly in a towel. Nina sat bundled in his lap like a plump caterpillar.

Lester then video-called Benjamin. They had exchanged private contact info when Lester went inside to look for Nina.

The call connected. Seeing Nina's little face appear on the screen, Benjamin, who had been waiting on edge all this time, felt a sudden spark of life in his exhausted, red-rimmed eyes.

"Nina," he breathed.

Benjamin knew exactly how vile Philip was. The Powell Estate was no simple place; it was a den of hidden filth.

Every second Nina spent there had stretched Benjamin's nerves to the breaking point.

William hadn't been idle either. His influence in Marisavia was no match for the entrenched local power of Philip, but he had called in every favor.

The Bernard family, Catherine, Elizabeth, and his other allies... he had rallied them all, preparing to confront Philip.

This video call from Lester brought William back to life, too.

Nina, sitting on Lester's lap, saw her daddy on the screen, then her mommy, her grandpa, and her uncle crowding in... Fresh tears welled up in her eyes.

"Mommy!" Nina cried, her voice thick with emotion. "Nina miss Mommy!"

She missed her daddy and everyone else too, but she missed her mommy the most.

Amelia had been holding herself together since Nina went missing.

She knew everyone was frantic, and William was mobilizing forces. She bottled up her own fear, not wanting to add to the tension.

But now, seeing Nina's face, Amelia completely broke down.

"Oh, Nina," she sobbed, her composure shattering. "You scared Mommy to death."