Chapter 8

Helios has left for his lunch meeting, but here I am, just staring into space. I should be finishing the report he asked for, but I can’t stop thinking about what happened earlier.

He already knows Summer's full name. That means he is investigating. Sooner or later, he will find out who Summer's real father is. I don’t know what I will do when that happens.

But he will definitely take my child. I know that for sure. He'll do anything to get Summer. Even if I fight for my rights in court, I know he will win. He’s a billionaire. With just one payment, he can get what he wants.

The only way I can think of is to hide the billionaire's daughter again. When he finds us, then I will worry about that.

I jumped in surprise when my cellphone rang. I picked it up and was surprised to see Mrs. Gallagher calling.

"Hello, Ma'am?" I said when I answered.

"Zuri! I'm at the restaurant near the building. Join me for lunch, hija."

I frowned. But I'm not done with the task my boss gave me; he might get angry again.

"Ma'am, it's just that—" I started to explain, but she spoke again.

"Don't worry about my son. I've already told him you'll have lunch with me. I'll wait for you, okay? Bye!" She hung up before I could say anything else. At least she said goodbye before ending the call, unlike her son.

What else can I do? This might be a good opportunity to talk to Mrs. Gallagher about my problems. Maybe she can help me decide what to do.

I quickly packed up my things at the table before leaving; it’s better to be safe than sorry in case my boss returns early and gets mad at the mess.

When I arrived at the restaurant, I saw Mrs. Gallagher right away. We ordered our food before she started talking to me.

"How are you, hija? I hope Helios isn’t making your work difficult?" she asked as she took a bite of her pasta.

"I'm fine with my work, Ma'am. He’s not making it hard for me," unlike before.

I saw her frown slightly. "Zuri, I've told you to call me Tita. You are the mother of my grandchild, so stop calling me Ma'am."

I grimaced a little because she has told me this many times before, but I still don’t do it; it makes me uncomfortable since she is still my boss's mother.

"Sorry, Ma'am. Helios might wonder why I'm calling you Tita."

"The hell with him!" My eyes widened in shock as she cursed her own son. "Ignore that child of mine! Just call me Tita."

"Okay, Tita," I said just to get her to stop insisting. She smiled at that.

"Good." We ate quietly for a while until she spoke again. "How's Summer by the way? How's my adorable granddaughter?"

I smiled when she mentioned my child; Summer really is my happy pill.

"That’s cute," I said with a smile, making Mrs. Gallagher laugh.

"Hades should see her too! I'm sure my husband will love Summer!" she said with a grin, but I frowned.

I really didn’t want anyone to know about Summer. The fewer people who knew, the better chance I had of keeping her hidden from her father. Mrs. Gallagher only found out about Summer by accident. She recognized the child was Helios's because they have the same eyes. One look at Summer's eyes and you can tell she is a Gallagher. Mrs. Gallagher noticed I was quiet, so her expression became serious.

"Don't you plan to tell Helios about Summer, dear?" she asked, surprising me.

This was the first time she had asked about it. When I asked her to keep it from Helios, she didn't question me. She respected my decision as Summer's mother, and I was grateful for that. But I knew she really wanted to understand my reasons.

"Dear, I'm not trying to interfere with your decision," Mrs. Gallagher said after I was silent for a moment. "But don't you think it's time to let Helios know he has a daughter? That he is already a father? You can’t deny Summer her father, dear."

"I know that, Ma'am—"

"It's 'Tita,' please."

"I know that, Tita," I repeated. "The truth is, Helios has already seen Summer. He suspected right away, and I know he is investigating my child now."

"Really? And you know he'll find out the truth soon, right?" I nodded sadly at what she said. "What’s the problem?"

"I'm scared he will take my child away from me, Tita," I admitted. "Summer is my everything. I can't lose her."

Mrs. Gallagher held my hand and wiped the tears from my cheeks. I didn’t even realize I was crying.

"Don't worry, Zuri. I'm here for you. I won’t let Helios take your daughter away from you. I'll help you, okay? I know you've struggled with Summer too."

I nodded at Mrs. Gallagher's words. I'm glad she was the first to find out about Summer.

But am I really ready for this? Am I sure? What if Mrs. Gallagher is wrong? What if Helios still takes my child away from me? I have no power against him; he is stronger than me because he is a billionaire.

I can't take that risk.

"I can show you the world. Bright, shining, beautiful. Tell me, princess, let your heart decide."

I smiled when I heard Summer's voice singing as I passed by her room. I opened the door and found her getting her clothes ready for our flight tomorrow. When I walked in, I continued her song.

"I can open your eyes..."

"Mommy!"

"Take you wonder by wonder. Over sideways and under on a magic carpet ride."

Summer came over to me and wanted to be carried. I picked her up and we sat on the bed while I gently brushed her hair with my hand.

"What are you doing, baby?" I asked after finishing the song. This made me remember when she was a baby. I always carried her and sang to help her sleep. Somehow, she really loves the sound of my voice.

"I'm helping you pack my things, Mommy." Then she turned to face me. "Mommy, I'm really excited for tomorrow!"

"You're excited to leave the Philippines?" I teased her, and she pouted.

"Yes..." she said softly, which made me laugh at her admission. "They always say things about my eyes. Even my classmates act like it's their first time seeing someone with blue eyes. Poor them," my daughter said with a sassy tone, making me laugh even more.

"That's why you love New York because there are many people there with blue eyes like yours, right?" I said, knowing my daughter well.

"Yes, Mommy. Here, they treat me like I'm an alien when they look like aliens themselves! Hmp!"

Wow! My daughter is so fierce!

"What about your boss, Mom?" she asked after a moment. I paused. "Do they treat him like an alien too?"

I fell silent. It seems that even though Summer doesn't know the whole truth yet, she's already curious about Helios because they have the same eye color.

What will Summer feel when she meets her father?