Chapter 13

She stared right back. This went on for several seconds before I closed my eyes briefly and sighed. “So you thought this was the right thing to do?”

She remained still and silent, and I struggled to control my anger. I pinched the bridge of my nose and exhaled.

“You understand, right? You kept my daughter from me. Five years. Five years of her life I missed.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I was selfish, but—” Freya’s eyes flashed with remorse before she looked down at her hand, which was clenched into a fist against her dress. “At that time, Gia was the only one I had left. You have to understand, I couldn’t afford to lose her.”

There was more to that “you have to understand” statement; I felt it. Something painful, something personal she couldn’t articulate.

I wasn’t in a mental state where I could comprehend Freya’s actions. But I decided to let it be. She would tell me when she was ready.

“What does she know about her father? She must have asked.” Freya nodded timidly. “Where did you tell her her father is?” I suspected she’d fabricated some story about me, but I clung to a small hope that she hadn’t. If my daughter saw me as the villain, I didn’t know how I could repair the damage.

“Nothing. I told her I didn’t know where to find you.”

Good. She definitely didn’t know my house. It’s not like she’d spent a night there, and definitely not in my bed.

Leaning back, I drummed my fingers on the table. “I want to see her. And not just today.”

Freya’s face clouded over. Her eyes widened in panic, as if I’d asked for her kidneys. “You can’t take her away!”

“Christ, woman! I’m not taking her away!” I felt like banging my head against the nearest wall. “How many times do I have to tell you I’m not some poorly written antagonist in your family drama? I want to be a part of her life; I want to know her, as her father. That’s all I’m asking.”

I took a deep breath. She needed to understand. “I get to be a part of her life. I get to know her.”

Freya cautiously met my gaze. I don’t know what she was searching for, but she probably found it. She gulped before finally agreeing, “Okay.”

I sighed. That took effort. “Good. Now, is she here?”

“No. I need to pick her up from school,” Freya said, glancing at her watch.

“Let’s go then.” She looked confused as I stood and buttoned my suit jacket. As soon as she understood, she stood up.

“You coming with?” I saw the hesitation in her question.

“Yes,” I said. I wasn’t waiting any longer.

FREYA

The smell of Aiden’s midnight-blue Maserati filled my nostrils: rich leather, musk, spice. If there were a smell of luxury, this was it.

I stole a glance at Aiden, trying to gauge his mood. It was pointless. He was the epitome of calm and composed. That made him all the more intimidating. You couldn’t read his emotions.

During our conversation at the bakery, he never raised his voice or showed aggression. Clenched jaws and deep exhales were his peak frustration.

Speaking of which, the whole thing played out far differently than I’d imagined. My worst fear came true, and it wasn’t that bad! It just made me feel guilty for what I’d done.

I sighed.

Aiden parked the car, and we got out. We were just on time.

Chapter 15

Gia burst from the school, sprinting towards me. She was always this excited to see me after school, and I cherished every second. Yesterday, she and her best friend…

Arlen waited until Gia’s eyes found him. She pulled back from my arms to get a good look at him.

He greeted her with a gentle “Hey.” His eyes held the same soft look they had yesterday when he spoke to Gia. As soon as I put her down, she walked towards him.

“You’re that nice man,” she said, pointing at him.

Arlen’s lips curled into a gorgeous smile. “I am!”

Gia nodded enthusiastically and smiled back. “Are you Mommy’s friend?”

“Yes, and now I want to be your friend too.” Aiden crouched down in front of her. With anyone else, a stranger, I’d be extremely wary of them being so close to Gia. But I didn’t feel that protective urge, as if I already knew he wasn’t a danger. It was absurd, considering I only had his word to go on.

“But there’s a rule.” From her smile, I knew it wouldn’t be good. She had something in mind.

“What’s that?”

“You’ll have to buy me ice cream first.”

I blinked. Did she just—she actually said that! And she was so smooth, so effortlessly negotiating an ice cream for a moment of her attention.

“Gia!” I flushed red with embarrassment. He probably thought I’d taught her to be opportunistic and greedy—or maybe I was overthinking. At least, that’s what Aiden’s face suggested. His mouth stretched into a wide grin. He looked impressed! “That’s all?” The little devil nodded. “Then let’s get you ice cream. Come on.”

He stood and held out his hand for Gia. She took it without hesitation, and I watched them walk towards Aiden’s car.

The provided text had significant grammatical errors, inconsistent punctuation, and confusing sentence structures. This revised version addresses these issues, aiming for clarity and readability. Some minor interpretive choices were made where the original text was unclear.