A new day, another chaotic event. Unfortunately, Damian and his wife were not available to take care of Lina, so I would have to take her with me to work.

I woke up as early as seven AM, bathed Lina, and dressed her in a jean short and a white tee-shirt that matched my pencil skirt. I also had my bath and wore a black button-up shirt. I placed my heels and her sneakers outside on the porch, ready for when we would leave.

For breakfast, I quickly prepared garlic naan with spicy chicken sauce and fried chicken, along with pancakes and Choco tea for Lina, since it was her favorite. After we ate, I packed up my laptop and phone, added her drawing tab, and carried her after we both put on our shoes.

I booked an Uber, and to my surprise, it arrived faster than I expected. We got in, and I gave the driver my destination while setting some ground rules for Lina to follow, hoping she wouldn’t embarrass me or cause any trouble at the interview.

Thirty minutes later, we arrived at the company. The place seemed deserted, except for a man standing at the front, scrolling through his phone. I paid the driver and hurried to approach him.

Lina and I bowed slightly, showing our respect. I was always surprised when Lina bowed so naturally, but I was proud of her for being such a good kid. I made a mental note to reward her if she behaved well today.

"Can I help you, miss?" The man in the black suit asked without sparing me a glance, clearly focused on something important.

"Sorry, I’m here for an interview with Mister Drake. I’m Miss Illena Giovanni, and this is my daughter Lina," I introduced myself politely, mindful of my past tendency to be disrespectful, especially towards men who didn’t know how to treat others.

The man looked up from his phone when I mentioned Mister Drake's name. His eyes widened for a brief moment before he returned to his neutral expression. He glanced at Lina and then gave me an oddly polite smile.

"The boss is not in at the moment," he said, still giving me that strange look. "He’s busy with personal matters, but he’ll get back to you once he finishes with her." He then added, "I must say, your daughter is very pretty."

His comment took me by surprise, but what really caught me off guard was when he turned off his phone and tucked it away. He crouched down and gently raised his hands to Lina’s cheek, squishing it lightly. Lina giggled and tilted her head toward his touch, clearly at ease with him. 'She already likes him after barely a second,' I thought to myself, smiling in spite of myself.

"Illena," he called, lifting Lina into his arms. She held onto him, squishing his cheeks and nose with her small hands. "Is it alright if I call you Illena?"

"Yeah, sure," I replied, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear, suddenly regretting how my body was reacting to him. His height, dark almost unnoticeable silver eyes that pierced into my soul... it was all hard to ignore.

"You don't mind having a quick breakfast with me before your interview, right?" he asked with an inviting smile.

"I don't mind," I said, trying to keep my composure. "To be honest, I rushed to make it here on time for my interview." I paused, glancing at Lina. "Sweetie, do you want to have breakfast with Mister—" I looked at him for his name.

"Mister Terrence Velasquez," he replied with a short bow. "So, little Lina, what would you like to have?"

"Spicy and sweet chicken and mushy rice!" Lina squealed, throwing her hands up in excitement.

Alright, today wasn’t turning out as bad as I thought it would. Lina had taken an instant liking to this man, and oddly, so did I. Nothing seemed like it could go wrong now.

We made our way into the company and took the elevator to the top floor, where Terrence led us into his massive office. It was spacious, with a kitchen in an adjacent room. As soon as we stepped in, the aroma of rice and various sauces hit me, combined with the tempting scent of chocolate cake.

Lina, impatient as ever, immediately rushed to the cake and dipped her fingers in it, taking a large chunk and stuffing it into her mouth. My cheeks turned red with embarrassment as I watched her eat cake like a tiny monster. I wanted to laugh but realized there was a total stranger beside me.

I turned to Terrence , half-expecting to see a frown, but instead, his grey eyes were gleaming with excitement as he watched Lina munch on the cake. He looked pleased, not bothered at all by her messy eating habits.

I let out a small sigh of relief, realizing that maybe today wouldn’t be so awkward after all.

"She loves food just like her mother," he mumbled, the last part trailing off, but I assumed he said mother. I quickly moved to Lina's side, trying to pry her away from the cake. I grabbed a wet wipe and began cleaning her up, though I knew it was a futile effort as she was covered in frosting from head to toe.

With a sigh, I turned to Terrence . "Can I wash her up in the bathroom, please?"

He smiled and nodded, and I hurried toward the bathroom. I stripped Lina of her sticky clothes and gave her a quick shower. As a mother of a three-year-old, I always made sure to carry extra clothes because Lina had a knack for making messes wherever she went.

I changed her into a white skirt and black top that matched mine—because I loved coordinating outfits with my daughter. I cleared up the mess, folded her stained clothes, and placed them in a bag before heading back to the kitchen. But Terrence was nowhere to be found.

I dished out some food for Lina, seating her in a spot where she would be comfortable enough to eat. I put a leather jacket on her to protect her new clothes from stains, then headed toward his office.

However, as I walked down the hallway, I saw him seated in a swivel chair, signing something while a man stood next to him, keeping his head down. I stopped in my tracks to avoid interrupting their conversation. Then, the man spoke words that made my heart skip a beat.

"Boss, the cars are being shipped to Texas as we speak. Is there anything else you might need?"

"Yes, get an event planner. Tell them to plan a wedding using the color silver and—" he glanced up at me, scanning me from head to toe, a smirk playing on his lips, "silver and blonde. I'll send the couple's names later," he ordered. The man nodded and quickly scurried out of the office.

I stood frozen, shocked but mostly relieved and embarrassed. I felt foolish for not realizing sooner. And now, I had made a complete fool of myself in front of him.

"I am so sorry, sir, for the inconvenience I've caused," I said in a rush, my voice full of nervous energy. "I promise to replace everything, even the cake she ruined."

"Illena," he called softly, holding my hands and making me look up at him. "You see—" He paused, lifting me onto his desk, positioning himself between my thighs before I could even react. He moved with an almost unsettling speed. "I don't have anything against you or Lina. The only problem I might have is why you decided to stay hidden for so long."

I stared at him blankly, struggling to process what he had just said. When my thoughts finally aligned, I whispered, "I don’t understand what you’re saying, sir."

"Okay," he said, his voice steady, "Three years ago, Madison Hotel. You booked the same room as me by mistake, and, well, things happened."

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I stared at him, trying to make sense of it all. For a split second, I thought I saw silver flicker in his eyes.

"No," I whispered, my voice shaky. "You can’t be him. You left."

"I agree that I did," he said quietly. "But I couldn’t stay. I didn’t want you to get into trouble. I booked the hotel to get away from business and family matters, but I ended up having the perfect night with you. I’m so sorry I left you that night." His apology was sincere, and I hated how much it affected me.

But why was he back now? He was the reason we had lost everything. The reason I couldn’t sleep at night, knowing one day Lina would ask for her father.

"I already got in trouble for what we did that night," I said, my voice bitter. I was still shocked, but my anger was slowly rising. Despite the apology, I couldn't forget the pain he had caused. "So why are we like this now? Do you want to finish what you started? Or do you plan on taking my kid away?"

He chuckled darkly, leaning closer. His lips were barely inches away from mine, and I could feel my heart racing, my skin heating up from his proximity.

"I want my daughter."