?Chapter 1655:


    Seeing the raw fear in Hurley’s eyes and the slight tremor in his body, Christina felt a sharp pang in her chest. The thought of losing her again terrified him so deeply that his fear was palpable.


    “Dad, rx. I can handle myself — I really do know how to fight,” Christina said, offering him a small, reassuring smile.


    “Even if you can fight, I still worry about dangers you might not seeing,” Hurley replied, his voice tight.


    “Then let’s give him some money and head home,” Christina said softly, trying to settle him.


    “Fine. We’ll give him all of it.” Hurley gathered the bills back into his own hand. “Stay right here. I’ll give it to him myself.” He refused to let his daughter have even the briefest contact with a stranger. At that moment, every unfamiliar face seemed like a potential threat.


    Christina smiled faintly, resigned. As her father walked over to hand the man the money, she pulled out her phone and quietly instructed someone to follow the homeless man and uncover everything possible about his past. If he hadmitted serious crimes, she would not help him — she was not as innocent as her father believed. When necessary, she could be decisive.


    Her gaze drifted back to the homeless man’s eyes. The longer she stared, the stronger the sense of familiarity grew. Her brows knit together, her eyes narrowing slightly.


    Then something soft wrapped around her thigh.


    Christina looked down to find a small child clinging to her leg. The girl appeared to be around five or six, with strikingly vivid emerald-green eyes. Slight curls framed her ck hair, and her features were delicate — one nce was enough to tell she was of mixed heritage. The child hugged Christina’s leg tightly, tilting her head as she studied her face with focused curiosity, as if searching her memory.


    The sight softened Christina instantly. Smiling, she crouched down. “Sweetheart, did you mistake me for someone you know?”


    The girl pressed her lips together without responding, her gaze never leaving Christina’s face.


    “Where’s your family?” Christina asked, scanning the area around them. Still, the girl offered no reply.


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    A slight crease formed on Christina’s brow. Could this child be unable to speak? “Can you talk? Come on, try saying something,” she coaxed gently. The girl remained silent — aside from staring, she showed no reaction at all.


    “Where are your parents? Do you want me to help you find them?” Thinking the child might not understand Apresh, Christina switched to thenguage of Lionesspaw. Yet the girl continued to give no response, standing quietly and barely blinking. If Christina hadn’t known better, she might have mistaken her for a beautifully crafted doll.


    “What’s going on with this kid…” Hurley said as he returned, stopping short when he saw the small girl in front of his daughter.


    Whether startled by his presence or simply acting on impulse, the child suddenly threw herself into Christina’s arms, wrapping her soft, chubby hands tightly around her neck. Children were stronger than they looked — caughtpletely off guard by the sudden force, Christina gasped, struggling for breath. In thenguage of Lionesspaw, she managed to say, “Loosen your arms. You’re choking me.”


    The instant she finished speaking, she felt the girl’s grip cken slightly. Christina’s eyes brightened. This child was likely from Lionesspaw and could understand what was being said — she simply couldn’t exin why the girl had refused to respond earlier.


    Christina tried to gently pry the girl’s hands away, but the child clung on stubbornly, unmoved by soft persuasion.


    “Dad, let’s take her to the police station,” Christina said. “We’ve waited long enough and no one’se looking for her. If we check the records there, we should be able to find her family quickly.”


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