The Director’s Secret Baby Mission Protect Mommy!

I’ve been able to see floating live chat comments ever since I was born. But I never knew what those glowing words actually meant.

Until the moment Mom collapsed right in front of me. Looking at the words scrolling rapidly across my vision, my heart skipped a beat. [Oh my god, the heart attack is happening!

It’s normal for artists to pull allnighters, but she has no idea her heart has been failing for months!] [This is heartbreaking. The female lead just collapsed right at her easel.

Her daughter is only four years old—she has no idea what to do. She’s just going to watch her mom miss the golden window for rescue...] [I'm crying so hard.

The neighbor finds them tomorrow and calls 911, but it’ll be too late.

Little Lily is going to end up in foster care.] [The male lead, Julian Vance—that worldfamous director—will never know he had a daughter.

He won't ever know that Aria Sterling, the love of his life, died so young because of the toll pregnancy took on her body, compounded by sheer exhaustion.] I looked at Mom, who was lying pale on the floor, and wiped my tears with the back of my hand.

No! I’m not going to foster care, and I won't let Mom die!

I pushed through the crowd at the film set, ran straight to the man frowning in front of the director's monitor, and screamed with all my might: "Daddy! Mommy is dying!

You have to save her!" Ever since I was little, I knew my world was different from everyone else's.

Other kids saw a clear blue sky, but mine was always overlaid with countless colorful, floating text bubbles. Mom was a gentle painter.

She always told me I was her perfect little muse. She thought I was just daydreaming when I stared blankly into the air, and she would laughingly paint me into her canvases.

In reality, I was just trying my best to read the words floating around. Mom taught me well. Even at four years old, I already knew a lot of words. Today, Mom didn't look well.

She leaned heavily against her easel, her face as white as paper. I told her to rest, but she just stroked my hair and smiled. "Be a good girl, Lily.

Once Mommy finishes this piece, I can pay for your next semester’s preschool tuition." Right then, the colorful text bubbles suddenly flashed an angry, warning red, scrolling frantically before my eyes. [High energy warning!

This is the moment!] [The female lead has been pulling allnighters for a week straight to meet her deadline. Her heart is completely overloaded.

She’s going to collapse any second!] [Her poor daughter is just watching, totally clueless. This is so sad...] [Aria, stop painting! No amount of money is worth your life!

Your daughter needs you!] [Where is the male lead right now? Oh, he’s shooting his new blockbuster at a studio in another state.

He’s rich and famous, completely unaware that his lover and child are hovering on the brink of life and death.] My chest tightened.

I ran over and yanked on Mom’s skirt. "Mommy, stop painting! We don't need preschool! Go to sleep, please!" Mom bent down, looking at me gently.

She opened her mouth to say something, but her body suddenly went completely limp, and she fell straight backward. "Mommy!" I shrieked and started sobbing, desperately shaking her shoulders.

But her eyes were shut tight, and she didn't move. The bloodred chat comments almost completely blocked my view. [It’s over, the tragedy has started...

Poor little Lily is going to stay by her mom's body until the neighbor finds them tomorrow.] [Ugh, the upcoming plot is so painful. Her only keepsake of her dad is a single photo.

She never gets to see him again before she goes to the orphanage.] [I hate Julian Vance! If he had just looked for her once, Aria wouldn't have ended up like this!] Julian Vance?

I felt like I had heard that name somewhere before. I dragged a chair over, climbed up, and opened the walnut box on Mom’s nightstand—the one she never let me touch.

Inside, there was only a single photograph. The man in the photo was tall, handsome, with deep, soulful eyes, looking gently at the camera.

The comments popped up right on cue: [Yes, yes, yes! That's him! The famous director, Julian Vance!

Lily's biological father!] [He looks like a perfect gentleman, but he's absolute trash for letting my girl suffer like this!] [Lily, look at him! Remember this face!

He is your only hope now!] I stared hard at the man in the photo, engraving his features into my mind. Daddy, right?

Since you have so much money to make movies, you must have enough money to save Mommy!

Mom was found by our neighbor, Mrs. Gable, and rushed to the hospital just in time. The doctor said it was acute myocarditis.

It was a good thing she was brought in when she was, but her immune system was severely depleted.

She had to be hospitalized immediately for intensive care, or she could relapse at any moment. Mrs.

Gable covered the initial deposit, but as she stared at the long string of zeros on the medical bill, the wrinkles on her face deepened. I knew Mrs.

Gable didn't have much money either. While Mrs. Gable went downstairs to grab me some dinner, I quietly slipped out of the hospital. I was going to find Daddy.

But how could a fouryearold child find a worldfamous director in a massive city? I stood on the bustling street corner, feeling completely lost.

The comments floating in the air were even more panicked than I was. [Where is Lily going? Does she even know where Julian is?] [I know! I know!

He’s shooting 'The Long Night' at Pinewood Studios! Paparazzi just posted some behindthescenes leaks on Instagram!] [Someone tell Lily! It's about an hour's drive from here!

Does the kid even have money?] I reached into my pocket and felt the twentydollar bill Mom had given me for snacks. Was it enough?

Mimicking the adults I’d seen, I raised my small hand and hailed a yellow cab. The driver rolled down his window. "Hey there, kiddo. Where are your parents?

Where are you heading?" I handed him my twentydollar bill and read out the location I’d just seen in the comments: "Sir, to Pinewood Studios, please.

My daddy is waiting for me there." The driver looked at me, then down at the bill, and chuckled. "Little one, twenty bucks isn't going to get you all the way there." My eyes welled up with tears. [Oh no, someone teach the kid what to say!] [Lily, don't cry!

Tell him your dad will pay the rest when you arrive!

Tell him you're Julian Vance's daughter!] I immediately lifted my chin and looked at the driver with the most sincere eyes I could muster. "Sir, my daddy is the big director Julian Vance.

If you take me there, he will give you a lot of money!" The driver blinked, probably finding the whole situation amusing.

But in the end, he unlocked the door and let me in. "Alright, kiddo. I'll trust you just this once." Pinewood Studios was much bigger and far more chaotic than I had imagined.

There were people dressed in strange costumes everywhere, and crew members carrying massive, hightech cameras. The driver was a nice man.

He dropped me off at the main gate and even helped me ask around for the set of The Long Night. I walked through the maze of the studio lot on my short legs.

The floating comments became my navigation system. [Lily, turn left! See that big white tent over there?

That’s it!] [Do you see the guy with the terrible attitude yelling behind the monitors? That’s your dad!] [Go get him, my sweet internet daughter!

We believe in you!] I spotted him immediately. He was wearing a baseball cap and headphones, shouting something at an actress.

His brow was furrowed so deeply it looked like he could crush a stone between his eyes. Though he didn't look as gentle as he did in the photo, I would never mistake that face.

The set was incredibly loud, and nobody paid attention to a tiny toddler like me.

I took a deep breath, gathered all the strength in my little body, and screamed toward him: "Daddy!" The chaotic set suddenly seemed to hit a giant pause button.

Every single eye turned to look at me. The angry man stopped midsentence. He pulled off his headphones and turned his cold, impatient gaze in my direction. I didn't back down.

Meeting his stare, I called out again, my voice cracking with tears: "Daddy! Mommy is dying!

You have to give her money to save her!" In an instant, the entire studio went dead silent.

The man—my father, Julian Vance—finally looked at me properly. His gaze was as sharp as a scalpel, as if trying to drill a hole right through my face. "Whose kid is this?

Where is security? Get her parents to take her away!" His tone was dripping with annoyance and cold detachment.

A young man who looked like an assistant quickly ran over, trying to take my hand. "Hey there, sweetie, you can't run around here.

Where are your parents?" I shook off his hand and stood my ground stubbornly, staring straight at Julian. "He is my daddy!" The crew began whispering to one another.

The gossiping, curious stares made me incredibly uncomfortable. Julian clearly felt the shift in the room.

He stood up, took a few long strides, and stopped right in front of me, his tall shadow completely eclipsing my small frame.

He crouched down to eye level, his gaze utterly devoid of warmth. "Kid, this isn't a very funny joke.

Tell me, who sent you here?" "My mommy's name is Aria Sterling." I stated the name clearly and directly.

I saw the pupils of Julian’s eyes contract violently the second the words left my mouth.

For the first time, a crack appeared on that cold, handsome face that looked so much like mine.

He fell silent for a long time—so long that I thought he might just stay frozen there until sunset. The live chat in front of my eyes had completely exploded. [Look at him!

He's panicking! His hands are literally shaking!] [Aria Sterling is his ultimate trigger! I knew it!] [Why is he still acting tough? This little girl is literally his clone!

The eyes, the nose—they are identical!] Julian’s gaze swept over my face inch by inch, as if desperately trying to confirm something.

In the end, without saying a single word, he scooped me up into his arms, turned around, and walked straight toward his luxury trailer parked nearby.

His embrace was wide, but incredibly stiff.

It wasn't soft and warm like Mommy’s at all. "Director Vance?" the assistant called out from behind, utterly confused. "Wrap it up for today.

Everyone is dismissed." He threw the words over his shoulder without looking back, then slammed the trailer door shut behind us.

The trailer was quiet, completely unlike our tiny, cozy apartment that was always overflowing with painting supplies.

Everything here was sleek, expensive, and smelled of a clean, subtle cologne. Julian placed me gently on a soft leather sofa and sat down opposite me, keeping some distance.

He took off his cap, revealing the exact face from Mom’s photograph, though his deep eyes were now filled with a turbulent storm of emotions. "Your mother... Aria.

Where is she right now?" He finally spoke, his voice hoarse. "In the hospital," I answered obediently, nervously clutching the hem of my shirt. "Mrs.

Gable said Mommy is really, really sick, and it takes a lot of money to make her better." "Who is Mrs.

Gable?" "Our downstairs neighbor." He seemed to be processing the information rapidly, his eyebrows still tightly knit. [He believes her! He definitely believes her!

But he's naturally paranoid; he's going to want one more confirmation!] [Quick, Lily! Give him a sign! Tell him a secret that only he and Aria would know!] [Oh, I remember!

The original novel mentioned that Aria has a very faint starshaped scar on the inside of her wrist.

They got it in college when they rescued a stray kitten stuck in a tree!] A secret?

Looking at his probing eyes, I summoned my courage and said: "Mommy has a little star on her wrist. She told me Mr. Moon put it there so he could always find her." Mr.

Moon? The scrolling chat bubbles went silent for a brief second, and then flooded my vision at a manic speed. [Oh my god! Mr. Moon!

That was Julian’s nickname in college because his middle name is Lucius! Aria used to call him that!] [It’s their special inside joke! He’s completely broken now!

Look at his face!] [Holy crap, my daughter is a literal genius with godtier information!] I saw Julian’s entire body shudder.

The cold wall he had tried so hard to maintain collapsed instantly, replaced by a wave of pure shock.

His hands, resting on his knees, clenched into tight fists, the veins bulging on the back of his hands. He stared at me, his lips trembling, but he couldn't form a single word.

Finally, he bolted upright and began pacing the narrow trailer like a caged, wounded beast.

He yanked out his phone, his fingers flying across the screen as he dialed a number. "Connor," he said, his voice as taut as a piano wire. "Go. Right now.

Check City General Hospital. See if there is a patient named Aria Sterling. Do it immediately!

Use whatever resources you need and get me every piece of information on her!" He hung up, and the trailer fell back into a suffocating silence. He didn't sit down again.

He just stood by the window, his back to me. I couldn't see his face, but I could see his shoulders trembling slightly. I felt like... he was very sad.

In less than ten minutes, Julian’s phone rang. He picked it up instantly, putting it on speaker.

On the other end of the line was the young assistant from earlier, his voice breathless and laced with shock. "Director Vance, I found her.

Aria Sterling is in the ICU at City General. She was admitted this afternoon. The diagnosis is acute myocarditis complicated by heart failure. Her condition... is critical.

The hospital just issued a critical condition notice." I couldn't hear the rest of what he said. Because Julian’s phone slipped from his hand and crashed onto the floor.

He stood there, completely paralyzed, like a statue. [Holy shit! A critical condition notice! This is even worse than the original book!

Thank god Lily moved fast!] [Julian, what are you waiting for?! Get to the hospital!] [He’s terrified.

He probably thought Aria just had a minor illness, he had no idea she was fighting for her life...] The urgency of the chat comments seemed to snap him out of his trance.

Julian suddenly came to life. He scrambled to grab his phone from the floor and roared into the receiver: "Get the best specialists in the country to her room right now!

I don't care about the cost! Just save her! I'm on my way!" He didn't even look at me as he rushed toward the door.

I panicked, scrambling off the sofa and running to throw my arms around his leg. "Daddy, I want to go too! I want to see Mommy!" He froze, looking down at me.

His eyes were filled with a wild panic and a profound, aching pain that I couldn't quite comprehend.

Without a word, he gathered me into his arms and sprinted out of the trailer. "Connor! Get the car! City General!

Now!" His voice echoed across the quiet studio lot, trembling with an uncontrollable fear. The car tore through the night, the city lights blurring past the window.

Julian didn't say a single word the entire drive. He just gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned stark white. The air tension inside the car was terrifying.

I didn't dare to make a sound, sitting quietly in the child safety seat that his assistant had hastily transferred from another car.

I stole a glance at him and realized his eyes were completely bloodshot. [This is heartbreaking. He must be drowning in regret.

If he hadn't been so stubborn five years ago and had actually gone to look for her...] [The misunderstanding back then was too deep.

Julian’s mother gave Aria a massive check and told her to get lost. Aria was too proud to accept the humiliation, so she walked away without explaining a thing.

Julian actually believed she left him for the money.] [He searched for her for five years, almost losing his mind, and now their reunion is at the doors of the ICU.] So that was what happened.

Mommy didn't take the money. Mommy was just too proud to be stepped on. I looked at Julian's tense jawline and spoke softly: "Daddy, Mommy didn't take anyone's money.

She told me she's an artist who loves the sun. She only needs the light and her paintbrush." The car veered slightly.

Julian turned his head to look at me, his eyes as deep and turbulent as the ocean.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but instead, he reached out a trembling hand and gently, awkwardly patted my head. "...I know," he whispered.

His voice was heavy, thick with unshed tears.