CHAPTER 41

"Do you have work today, mommy?" she asked me as we were having breakfast one morning.

Jaxon is still sleeping on the couch in the living room so we ate first. Maybe that ‘one’ got tired of moving his belongings to the unit on the other side. I was just shaken when I remembered what he did again.

"I'm busy today, baby. Why?" I softly asked her and she looked busy eating.

I smiled when I saw her eyes focused on me. Her blue eyes make me feel calm and alive. Not boring to look at.

“Uncle Jaxon promised to take me to the mall today. Can you come with us?” she innocently told me the reason for me to look in the living room where Jaxon was.

"When did he say that?" I asked her then turned to look at her.

She let go of the fork she was holding and smiled broadly at me. I don't want to admit it but she really didn't get anything from me when it came to physical appearance. Everything is his. Her blue half-moon-shaped eyes, were bright and full of emotion. Sharp nose, and heart-shaped lips. It also has long eyelashes and very black eyebrows. Somehow, I was nervous about her resemblance to her father. I can’t deny it to him because she looks so much like him.

"Please, don't say no, mommy, and come with us," my daughter added and she took my hand and kissed me.

“Just agree, mommy,” I heard Jaxon say so I quickly turned to him.

It will still crack as it approaches us. He just smiled for a moment and then went straight to the sink to wash and brush his teeth, before finally approaching my daughter and kissing her on the head.

“Lorraine wants to spend more time with you because you always come home at night. Give it to your child,” he stated to me and sat down next to my child.

She even hugged him and started taking food. I just kept looking at the two of them as if they were even closer than me.

Instead of answering Jaxon, I just looked at my daughter who had already drunk the water, a sign that she had finished eating.

“You can wash up. Mommy is next,” I told her and led her to her room.

When I got back, I slapped Jaxon on the shoulder for what he said. It looked at me in surprise while still chewing.

"What?"

“Why did you say that to her? You know my situation, don’t you?” I almost whispered to him because my daughter might hear it.

He just shrugged and continued to eat.

“I’m with you, Rae. Stop being paranoid,” he uttered then look at me again.

“I’m not, Jax. I'm just being careful. I don’t want the two of them to meet so as much as possible, I don’t want to let her out,” I told him and I couldn’t hide the irritation in my voice.

He frowned and moved the chair to me. When he approached, he slightly stretched the wrinkle of my forehead and then looked at me intently.

“That's why I am here... to protect you two. You just don’t want to let me, but that wouldn’t be enough reason for me to stop, Rae,” he said softly to me. His eyes were full of sincerity.

I immediately averted my eyes from him and shook at the idea of ​​him. Ever since we last talked, Jaxon hasn’t allowed him to get any closer to me. That night was not the last we talked about what happened five years ago. Before I left for New York, he chased me a few more times to talk, but Jaxon always kept me from him. Until one day, he stopped chasing me suddenly. I do not know why. It just occurred to me that Marichu and I were about to get married because something had happened to them. Mari’s family is sacred so that’s probably how eager they are to marry the two.

"What if he sees her?" none of my own question to him when Asteria got inside his car.

Jaxon stilled my face on him.

“Then tell him I’m the father, Rae. Simple as that,” he simply said to me which made me wonder.

"Are not you scared?"

It’s too late for me to even think about my question because it’s already laughing. He opened the passenger seat of his car and then looked at me again.

"He’s not a threat to me, Astraea. He is still my cousin. The only difference between us is, I’m the one here, he’s gone,” he replied proudly to me so I just shook my head.

"You and your arrogance," I told him shaking my head and then finally got into the car.

Jaxon just laughed before following me.

When we got to the mall we went straight to the play place on the 4th floor.

Jaxon and my daughter had a great time with each other and if I just didn’t know the two of them, I would assume they were father and daughter. I didn't realize that they were so close because I was busy with my work abroad while he was often left with my daughter. He is good with children. I had told him several times before that I did not want to have a connection with any of his family, but he insisted. He even introduced himself to Asteria so I didn't do anything. After all, they are really blood relatives because he is his cousin.

“Aren’t you playing with us?” Jaxon asked me for a moment when he come to me.

I even saw two children approaching my daughter who looked like she was the same age.

“It's just you, Jax. I feel a little bad,” I answered him while I still looked at Ria.

I felt him sitting next to me and gently stroking my neck and forehead.

“Are you sick? What do you feel?" he immediately asked me.

I just circled him and looked at him for a moment. “I’m fine, Jax. Can we go through the cemetery after here?” I asked him and he immediately nodded.

“Should I buy you medicine?” he asked so I immediately shook my head.

"No need, silly."

That was the last thing I said even though he carved me a few more times. We stayed there for a few more hours before Ria finally invited us to eat so we went to a restaurant inside the mall.

"I want pasta, mum," Ria requested so I looked at her.

"You really love pasta, huh?" I told her as I laughed. Same as your dad.

Jaxon ordered our food. While waiting, I said goodbye to go to the toilet first because I had already really felt the pain in my abdomen.

While I was washing my hands, I heard someone talking inside the cubicle. Its voice is loud so even though I don't want to hear it, I can still hear it.

“Stop treating me like it's all my fault! Are you going to keep throwing that at me until now?!” I heard an angry scream in a woman's voice.

I can now hear her shaking voice as she continues to scream inside the cubicle.

“It's not my fault that she left you and went with your cousin! Why are we going back to this conversation? Is it because she's back?”

I stopped washing my hands when I heard that woman properly. It was quite familiar and her words were like knives. The anger and pain in her voice did not escape my hearing.

"I don't care — no! Whatever you are going through now is also your fault!” It finally said and the next thing I heard was the door slam there.

When I felt that she was going to come out of there, I prepared myself to come out. But before I could step towards the door, my feet were spontaneously nailed to the floor when I saw who it was.

Her sharp gaze immediately focused on me. I could clearly see the redness in her eyes and it was obvious that she had just started crying. She suddenly laughs at me full of resentment and agony.

"Of all people, you're the one who saw me in this situation," she uttered and walks towards the sink.

I could see her constantly staring at me in the reflection of the mirror so I also focused my gaze on her. She changed a lot. She no longer has her thick makeup and fancy attire. It’s pretty simple when you look at it, but there’s still a hint of luxury.

“How are you, Rae? I heard you came back with Jaxon. It is true that you are still together,” she also added.

My forehead furrowed because of what she said.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I told her lazily, trying to hide my curiosity because of what she said.

Mari immediately looked at me and laughed. She sighed violently and continued to face me. I suddenly remembered what I had just heard earlier. Is she referring to me? And who is she talking to?

“Playing innocent again, huh? That’s how you got Levi back then, aren’t you still changing? After you slept with Jaxon and betrayed him, do you still have the guts to come back here? How dare you,” she told me emphatically.

My jaw dropped because of what she just said. My brain started working as I stared at her. Before I could react, she laughed at me sarcastically again and quickly left me there.

What nonsense is she saying? I didn’t sleep with Jaxon and especially since we're not in a relationship! Where did she get that story?

When I got back to our table, my mind was still full of what Mari had said. I shouldn’t have listened to her but my mind couldn’t stop. That never leaves my mind. Why are they still bothering my mind?! Did Jaxon know this?

"I'll sit with Ria in the back," I told him lazily as he guided me into the passenger seat.

His forehead furrowed for a moment but he nodded immediately. Shrugging, I entered the backseat where my daughter was already busy watching what. When she felt me ​​beside her, she quickly turned off her iPad and then turned to me.

"Are you happy?" I immediately asked her as she archived her hands on my arm.

I felt her successive nods so I kissed her on her head.

“Are we going to live here? I like this place more than our house. The kids here want to play with me, unlike there,” she gently said to me, pertaining to our house in New York.

I was surprised for a moment by what she said but when I remembered what happened at her school, I immediately understood it. One of the reasons why I let her go home to school first was because she was being bullied. Ria’s the same as me. Shy and unassuming. Contrary to what her classmates want so she always fights.

I suddenly bit my lower lip when I think of it more. Still looking for the right answer to what she said. I honestly don’t want to live here anymore because I know that what happened will come back to my brain over and over again. But while thinking of my daughter being bullied just because she’s shy and timid, I need to maybe think about just staying here until she understands everything.

“We’ll stay here, love. You’ll get a lot of friends here, don’t worry.”

That was the last thing I told her before she went to sleep. We traveled for a while until we reached the cemetery.

“Just a minute, Jax. I'm just going to visit mama,” I said goodbye to him and then pointed out to Ria who was still asleep.

He just nodded so I headed inside. When I arrived at her grave, I lit a candle and laid the flower I had brought. I prayed for a while and stayed for a few minutes when Jaxon suddenly appeared at my side. I was even surprised because he wasn't with Ria.

"Why did you leave her?" I hysterically asked him and put away my belongings.

It scratched his head.

"She's awake, she asked me to get you. Your car is open," he said with a grin.

I could no longer contain my sigh of emptiness.

"Whatever you are really told, you will follow. I don't know about you two,” I irritatedly told him.

I even heard him laugh before I left him there.

As I got back to the car, I saw Ria out of it and looking away. When I looked at what she was looking at, my chest throbbed when I saw a man. It was turned away and far from where my daughter was.

“Ria! Who is that? Why are you outside?” I asked her one question after another out of sheer nervousness.

“I asked him where were you. I want to go home...” she almost whispered to me so I quickly put her in the car.

When we entered, I could still see her strange smile until we reached the condo. I didn’t ask her because she was already busy watching. Even Jaxon was wondering so when I got dressed I went straight to her room.

I found her lying down while holding something.

“Aren’t you sleepy yet?” I asked her as I approached her on her bed.

When she saw me, she quickly sat down and smiled at me. Its eyes will be wide open.

“Someone gave this to me, mum. His name is Emmanuel,” she said innocently to me and held out her palm in front of me.

When I looked at it, it was a pink hairpin with tiny diamonds. I quickly turned to her.

"Emmanuel?" I uttered.

She innocently nodded at me.

“The man in the cemetery earlier. I look like him. He also has blue eyes just like mine,” she added which made me scared.

I could no longer speak especially when I remembered the name she mentioned. That was his second name. Oh, no...

"... I hope we meet again and he also wants to meet you," Asteria added again so I was completely disappointed in my mind.

Is it only now that she has met her birth father?