CHAPTER 31: OLD MEN, MEET PARIS

’Damn! They’re two adorable twins!’ Alfonso though while staring at the girls in disbelief.

Dave and Calyx couldn’t help but gape in amazement too.

"Whoa, they look exactly alike! It’s like I’m looking at two dolls!" Calyx blurted out.

His expression, however, only made Paris inch closer to Egypt, her eyes narrowing. From her point of view, Calyx looked like he might just eat them alive.

"Ahem... What’s your name, baby girl?" Dave asked Paris, trying his best to stay composed in front of the unbelievably cute twins.

"I—I don’t talk to strangers..." Paris replied coldly, her eyes sharp and guarded.

Alpheus couldn’t help but chuckle. Just last night, Paris had treated him like a stranger too. Good thing she seemed to be that way with everyone she had just met.

"Ahem, we’re not strangers," Alfonso said, offering a gentle smile. "We’re actually friends of your Uncle Alpheus."

"So what?" Paris shot back, brows furrowed as she crossed her arms.

The three men glanced at one another—momentarily stunned, yet equally amazed by her wariness.

"And we’re also not bad people." one of them added.

"So what?" Paris repeated.

The three exchanged looks again before simultaneously scratching their heads while chuckling.

"Why does her personality remind me of someone I know—h-haha. I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about him." Alfonso blurted out.

Paris simply raised an eyebrow at him, which made Calyx and Dave burst out laughing too.

She turned her gaze to Calyx and Dave. "What’s funny, old man?"

Calyx and Dave pointed at themselves, stunned.

"O-Old man... A-Are you talking about us?"

"Yes."

"Pffft—old man?! Bwahaha!" Alfonso laughed loudly.

"I can’t believe a kid just called me an old man! I’m only 27!" muttered Calyx.

"Paris! Don’t be like that! Didn’t you hear what they said? They’re friends of Mr. Alpheus, so they’re not strangers!" Egypt scolded.

"And who told you that? Knowing you, you wouldn’t even know how to tell if someone’s a stranger or not."

"But Mom let Mr. Alpheus into our house, so he’s not a stranger anymore!" Egypt replied, frowning.

The four men couldn’t help but chuckle as they watched the two argue like little adults.

Paris, however, didn’t let up. She turned to Egypt with a disapproving frown. "And what makes you think Mommy has known Mr. Alpheus for a long time? Didn’t we just meet him last night? So technically... he’s still a stranger."

Alpheus’s smile immediately froze.

"A-Ahm... P-Paris?" he stammered, eyes widening. "You still see me as a stranger... even after I walked you to school earlier?"

Paris didn’t answer. Her serious gaze remained fixed on the three unfamiliar faces in front of her, completely ignoring Alpheus.

"Pffft... S-So you’re Paris?... And you’re Egypt?" Calyx asked, glancing back and forth between the two girls, as if trying to piece something together.

Paris’s glare sharpened even more, making Calyx take a step back.

"Chillax, baby girl. I’m just amazed by both of you..."

"Yeah, your names are beautiful and unique. We actually know someone whose name is also a place, that’s why," Alfonso added with a light laugh. "Anyway, who’s your mommy again?"

They already had a strong hunch about who the father might be—they just needed confirmation about the mother to complete the picture.

"Why would I tell you?" Paris snapped, lifting her chin proudly as she stared them down.

Instead of being intimidated, the three men couldn’t help but laugh.

"Whoa... even if I don’t know who their mother is, I think I already know who the father is," Alfonso muttered, half-joking. "She’s basically the girl version of our friend—same face, same attitude!"

Dave quickly elbowed Alfonso and shot him a warning glance. He had noticed the twins’ brows furrow in confusion.

"Our dad? You know who he is?" Egypt asked politely, stepping out from behind her sister to look up at them with wide, curious eyes.

"A-Ahaha... ahmm—anyway, girls! How about some ice cream?" Alpheus quickly cut in. "I saw a really good shop just outside. Come on, let’s go get some!"

He stepped in front of the three men, blocking the girls’ view and steering the conversation away while sending a silent warning to the others not to press the topic any further.

Paris simply stared straight at Alpheus, while Egypt looked at him with curious, shining eyes.

"No... we’re not going with you," Paris said firmly. "Mommy told us that strangers usually offer ice cream or candy just to lure kids into hidden places... so they can steal their organs."

"W-What the—Hahaha!"

The three men behind Alpheus couldn’t help but burst into laughter at Paris’s blunt yet serious remark.

"Hahaha! Seriously?!" Calyx laughed out loud. "And here I thought you were finally getting along with the kids, Alpheus—but I guess not!"

Alpheus shot Calyx a sharp glare, then did the same to the other two.

"Paris," Alpheus said gently, crouching a little to meet her eye level. "Do you really think I’d do something like that to you and your sister? You saw that your mommy knows me, right? And these guys—" he gestured behind him. "They’re my close friends. Even if they don’t look like the nicest people, I know they wouldn’t do anything bad to you two. Because if any of us did... your parents would definitely skin us alive."

"Paris, don’t be like that to Mr. Alpheus!" Egypt chimed in. "Even though his three friends do look kinda suspicious... I don’t think they’d actually do anything bad."

"S-Suspicious? M-Me? I could accept it if you were talking about those three, but me? I’m the most decent one among us!" Calyx said, unsure whether to feel flattered or offended by Egypt’s attempt to defend them.

"Stop playing the victim, Calyx—you’re actually the reason we’re being suspected too. It’s because you look like a drug addict!" Alfonso shot back.

"With a face this handsome, you’re calling me a drug addict? Are you blind?!"

"Hey, you two. Cut it out!" Alpheus scolded. "The kids might pick up your bad behavior. Have some shame—the twins are more mature than the two of you."

Paris glanced back and forth at the four men. She wasn’t easily convinced. Her sharp eyes scanned them from head to toe—like she was reading everything their appearance could tell her.

Then, to everyone’s surprise, she began circling them slowly, like a tiny detective making sure no detail escaped her watchful eye.

The men struggled to hold back their grins. As serious as Paris looked, the sight of her doing such an intense inspection was just too adorable.

"Names.." Paris demanded curtly, suddenly stopping in front of them like she was about to begin an interrogation.

"Huh?" Calyx blinked.

"Give me your name, address, job, job position, favorite color, and favorite food." She rattled it off in a no-nonsense tone, arms crossed like a little officer on duty.

Once the three realized what she was doing, they couldn’t help but laugh.

"Haha! Alright then—I’m Calyx Fonte," he began with a playful salute. "I live at Southville Residence. I’m the CEO and principal architect of my own firm, Fonte Build and Design Corp. My favorite color is blue, and my favorite food is pizza. Ma’am."

"I’m Dave Perez, residing in Southville Residence and a CEO of Perez Incorporation. My favorite food is pasta, and my favorite color is black. Reporting, ma’am!" he said, giving Paris a salute just like Calyx did.

"Ahem... my turn," Alfonso chimed in. "I am Alfonso Abcd Guerer, living in Southville Residence. Also a CEO—of Guerer Food and Brewery Corp. I like anything sweet, and my favorite color is red, ma’am."

They couldn’t help but secretly chuckle when Paris returned the salute. She was serious, but undeniably adorable.

"Good," Paris nodded firmly. "Since you all seem rich enough and clearly don’t need money, that means you probably won’t kidnap us and sell our organs. But just to be sure..."

She turned to her twin, who was now holding a piece of paper and a pencil, as if taking notes.

"Egypt, did you get everything they said?"

"Yes, ma’am!" Egypt replied with a salute.

"Good..." Paris responded with a proud nod before turning to Alpheus. "Uncle Alpheus, are all these things they said actually true?"

Alpheus couldn’t help but chuckle at how seriously she was taking it.

"Yes, ma’am!" he answered, playing along with a grin.

"Then, do you swear you’re not just covering for them and that everything you said is absolutely true?" Paris added.

Her cold and serious tone was so adorably firm that even a few passersby couldn’t help but chuckle.

"Yes, ma’am!" Alpheus replied through his laughter.

"Even if I say that if you’re lying, you’ll never be allowed to approach us again for the rest of your life—and karma might catch up to you?"

"Pffft—yes, ma’am!"

"Good. You’re no longer strangers to us," she said with a satisfied nod. "Anyway, I am—"

"Hey, ma’am. Seems like you forgot something."

A cold, stern voice suddenly cut her off, interrupting whatever Paris was about to say next.

"Didn’t I tell the two of you not to talk to strangers so easily?"