SIMON'S POV

My daughter, Aurora meant the whole world to me and I wouldn't trade her for anything else.

Even as a mafia Lord, to others I'm seen as a devil, ruthless and stoic, but when it comes to my daughter, I becomes a golden retriever.

Walking downstairs, I heard her little voice as she argued with her nanny, Mrs Delilah, over the braids she would be wearing to school.

Aurora has always been the other part of her late mom. She loves fashion and would do whatever it takes to look pretty even at home.

“Mrs Delilah, I want Dutch braids not fishtail braids!” Aurora yelled, her arms crossed over her little frame and her lips curled into a pout.

“Aurora, I can't make Dutch braids. Let's go with loose ponytail today. Next time, I would make you a Dutch braids.” Mrs Delilah tried talking my little princess through, but it seems all her words were falling into deaf ears.

Aurora can be stubborn at times. Just like her late mom.

Whatever Aurora wants, Aurora gets; her motto per say.

“Princess,” I called, my deep voice resonating through the walls of the mansion and her eyes snapped up at me.

“Daddy…” she drawled, walking towards me with her round doe eyes simmering with tears.

“Princess. Mrs Delilah can't make Dutch braids but be rest assured, I will get you a hair stylist soon, who specializes on those kind of braids.” I knelt to her level, holding her round chubby cheeks in my calloused hands.

God….. I love my daughter so much.

“Promise?” Drawing out her small pinky finger, she asked and a smile curled up on my lips.

“Promise.” I drew out my own pinky finger, interlocking it with hers. “It is done, Princess. So now, get ready to go to school, Rovero will drive you.”

Bobbling her head up and down, she nodded and went back to Mrs Delilah who already prepared her backpack and her lunchbox.

“But Princess, what prompted your sudden change?” I quirked a brow.

I held her small hand as we made our way to the parking lots where Rovero, my best sport man was waiting.

“There's this girl in my class, Michelle, she has eyes for the boy I like, so she always makes Dutch braids. I want Dutch braids too so my crush can reciprocate my feelings.” She pouted, kicking up a leg as she spoke.

“Aurora…” I drawled and stopped walking, turning to face my little angel.

“I know, Papa, I know. You said no crush until I'm sixteen, but I can't control my heart, can I?” she glanced at me and the next second, her gaze was on the floor.

“You should do your own stuff. Do not copy anyone, even if it's Michelle. You're beautiful, so don't try to change because of anyone. Can you do that for Papa?” I arched my brows and she nodded, her head bobbling up and down.

“Anything for you, Papa.” A wide grin curled up on her lips and I leaned closer, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead.

While we were having the father and daughter bonding, someone walked in, clearing their throat.

“If you don't want a knife slitting your throat, don't make that stupid sound again.”

I pulled away from Aurora and she ran out for the house, heading towards the parking lots with Mrs Delilah behind her.

Turning to Nikolai, my cousin, I warned sternly, my voice sharp like the double-edge of a sword.

“I'm sorry.” His lips paused into a thin line. “You were taking too long with your daughter. I'm jealous.”

“If you're jealous, go fuck some bitch and have her carry your baby.” I walked past him, heading towards the parking lots too.

“Ah, no. I would save myself such stress. As much as I love having a daughter, I don't think I would be able to tolerate their incessant nagging and tantrums. I will pass.” He grinned.

“Now that you're cleared on the matter, get your ass into the car, we need to prepare for my father's burial tomorrow.” I gave him a withering look, got into my car and turned it on.

I was ready to leave him behind if he wasn't ready to cooperate.

“Hey, hey, don't be an ass…..” his lips clamped shut when I threw him a deadly glare. “Fine, I'm sorry.”

He snorted, getting into the car and I drove off at once.

Moments later, I pulled up at the mortuary where my father's corpse was kept.

Upon getting to the morgue, we found my step-mother, Mika wailing and crying like she had just lost her whole world.

Her friends were behind, holding her in place as she threw herself to the ground shedding tears. Crocodile tears.

Any sane person could tell that she was trying to leave an impression on me.

From the very beginning, I already knew what she was up to. How she slept around with other men and even the second day after my father died, I was told by my informant that she partied all day with her friends and a man. Her man friend.

“Simon..” she called, walking towards me. “I'm sorry I couldn't protect your father. He was such a sweet man.”

I felt this strange tug to snap her neck right there and end her pretentious acts.

“Enough with your pretentious acts, you should know by now that I can see through your facade, step-mother.” I pushed past her, walking towards the mortuary attendant. “How about you continue partying with your friends and stop pretending like you care.”

Her jaw dropped and her pupils dilated in shock.

God…. I love the expression on her face. It filled my whole body with thrills.

“I…I..” she stuttered, taking long strides towards me but a glare from me brought her to a halt.

“Take a step closer and you will be joining my father in hell or wherever he might be.”

My warning or rather threat hung in the air and all form of pretentious acts came to an end

“I bet your daughter won't be able to tolerate such hideous acts from you once she returns to Ireland.”

It wasn't necessary for me to bring up the topic of Hazel when we never communicated for five years, but I couldn't help it.

I was wondering if she would make it to the burial of her step-father, after all, he treated her like his own daughter.

Even more than the way he treated me, his biological son.

“She's already back yesterday. She left the house when she saw I was partying.”

A lick of fire brightened the darkness in my eyes as something similar to rage twisted on my face.

Hazel was back to Ireland and I had no idea?

Was she planning to continue the silent treatment after what happened five years ago?