“I can’t love her. It would be easier to pay someone to take care of her. She’ll be better off far from me. I’m willing to pay whatever it takes, but…”
“What are you so afraid of? Look at her—she’s a beautiful, sweet, well-mannered child. Why are you punishing and blaming her? Why are you denying yourself the chance to love her?”
Confused, Derek turned his gaze to where the little girl stood, clutching her doll and staring at him intently. He lowered his eyes and sighed, knowing deep down that the woman was right. His family would be thrilled to welcome a new member; his parents and twin sisters had been urging him to have children for years.
“Fine, I’ll try. But if it doesn’t work, if the girl causes problems or I feel I can’t care for her, I’ll send her back, and no one will force me to take responsibility. I’ll always be willing to provide financial support, but if it doesn’t work out, I don’t want her in my life. My family is traveling right now, but once they return, they can take her in. That settles it. Can we go now?”
“No, I’m definitely not interested in your family taking over. You’re her father, and what I want is for you to be directly involved, though you can rely on your family if you choose to…”
“What’s your problem with me? I’m offering a solution. It’s the best I can do,” he said, attempting to walk away, but her words stopped him in his tracks.
“Yes, Derek, I’ve read about you: a womanizer, indecent, cynical, arrogant. But what they don’t mention is that you’re a coward,” she challenged, cutting off his escape.
“How dare you speak to me like that?” he stepped closer, his tone defiant. “Do you know who I am? Do you have any idea what I could do to ruin your life, your career?”
“I couldn’t care less who you are or what you can do,” she shot back with unwavering resolve, pointing a finger at his chest. “You’re heartless, cynical, and a coward, Derek. That little girl needs you. She’s not her mother. She’s not to blame for anything. She didn’t choose the parents she was born to. In the end, you’re right—she’d be better off far away from a man like you. I wish you luck with your bitter, miserable life.”
She pressed her finger into his chest, glared at him with fury, and turned to comfort the child, frustrated and unsure how to explain that, just as Ellen suspected her mother didn’t love her, her father didn’t either.
Caroline paused, sighed, glanced at the girl from a distance, shrugged, and approached her, feeling overwhelmed by the situation.
“Am I going to stay here forever?”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I tried, but don’t worry. Soon your mom will wake up and…”
“I don’t want to! I don’t want to go with her. Can you take me with you, please?”
The little girl hugged her tightly.
“I can’t. I’d have to adopt you, and for that, I’d need to be married and…”
“Please, I don’t want to go back to Mommy. She’s mean. She says she doesn’t love me. She pinches me, gets angry, and hurts me. I don’t want to go back to her, please.”
Clutching her doll, the little girl continued to plead not to be left behind. Caroline swallowed hard, unsure of what to say or do. She hugged Ellen, who glanced at Derek standing a few steps away. He had overheard everything and felt a pang of pity for her.
Ellen looked at him with sadness, and Caroline, believing the child’s words, knew her mother was capable of anything.
“Ma’am,” he said quietly.
Caroline stood, holding Ellen’s hand.
“What do you want, Derek?”
He looked at the girl, her eyes still wet with tears, sighed, and then turned to Caroline.
“You win. I’ll take responsibility, but…” He fell silent as the little girl wrapped her arms around his legs.
A strange sensation washed over him. He looked down and, for the moment, simply let her cling to him.
Ellen stepped back and gazed up at him.
“Am I going to live with you, Daddy?”
“With a few conditions, and only if she supervises us. I want you available 24/7, otherwise, this won’t work.”
“I have a job and a life. I can’t…”
“Please, please,” Ellen begged, holding her hand.
“You can think of it as a job. I’ll pay you well for it,” Derek added.
“Fine, but on the condition that I keep my current job. Many children depend on me, and I must continue my work. However, I agree to support you both through this process. I’ve already made progress on the paperwork. You just need to sign a few documents, and then we’ll visit your home to ensure it’s a suitable environment for the child.”
“If necessary, I can make adjustments. I just ask that the girl doesn’t become a burden, and to avoid that, I need your cooperation.”
“Let’s drop the formalities, Derek. As I’ve said, I don’t care who you are. My only concern is ensuring Ellen’s well-being.”
“I’m not looking to argue. What’s the next step? I can’t waste too much time.”
“First of all, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t consider this a waste of time. Taking responsibility for your daughter isn’t that. Clearly, she doesn’t want to return to her mother, and it seems the talk of her being a bad person isn’t an exaggeration.”
“Anyway, what’s the next step?” he asked impatiently.
“Please come with me to sign the documents and gather her things. Come on, Ellen,” she offered her hand, but the girl refused it, reaching for Derek’s instead.
He hesitated, leaving his hand in the air for a moment before finally taking hers, moved by the pleading look on her face.
Ellen smiled as Derek let himself be led, listening to Caroline while feeling a growing irritation. How could she treat him this way? How could she not care who he was?
“Daddy, do you want to meet my doll?” Ellen asked with a hint of excitement.
“No, I don’t…” He shook his head, catching Caroline’s narrowed, piercing gaze. “Okay, what’s her name?”
“Penny. My dad gave her to me.”
“Your dad?” Derek asked, puzzled by the odd feeling her words stirred in him.
“Her mother’s husband,” Caroline clarified. “She knows you’re her father, Derek, but she also considers him a father figure.”
Derek sighed. That man was the reason he’d been left at the altar, the reason his beloved had abandoned him and had him sent to prison to keep him from interfering with her plans—and, as he now realized, to hide the existence of their daughter.
“I’m your father. Your only father,” he blurted out without thinking.
“Oh, very good, Derek. You’re stepping up. That’s excellent.”
He shot her a frown.
“Don’t move,” he ordered Ellen with little empathy, then approached Caroline. “How’s that woman doing? Is there a chance she’ll wake up?”
“I don’t know. Why do you ask?”
“I assume she’d want her daughter back if she does, and…”
“Are you thinking of letting her take Ellen if she wakes up? Children don’t lie—not usually, and especially not in cases like this. She says her mother mistreats her. Based on my assessment, it would be worse now that the stepfather is gone. Here are the documents,” she said without waiting for a response.
Derek took them, read through them, and sighed.
“Think carefully. There’s no turning back. If you decide to take her in, it’s for good.”
He sighed again, glanced at the girl, and felt overwhelmed. Then he signed.
“What’s next?”
“Gather her things, go see her new home, introduce her to your world. By the way, do you plan to make this public to the media?”
“Not for now. If she’s going to live with me, I need reliable people around at all times. As a very busy person, I can’t guarantee my presence. Before you protest or say anything, I’m making an effort here. I also need time to adjust to this new situation.”
“It’s manageable. Just as you find time for multiple women, you can carve out some time for her—maybe even make her a priority.”
“I see you’ve done your homework. Is there any personal interest in this? Perhaps aspiring to be one of those women?”
“With someone like you? No, thanks.”
“Naturally. No one says that after…”
“Let’s drop it. My concern is ensuring the child’s well-being. I’d appreciate it if you could prioritize her. She’s missing a lot of things, so if you plan to shop for them, I’m willing to help.”
“Not right now. First, I need to rearrange my schedule, fulfill my commitments, and figure out how to proceed. We need to set some ground rules. I’d prefer she doesn’t have unrealistic expectations of me.”
“Yes, I’m sure she won’t. I think, beyond the physical resemblance, you two have a lot in common. You’re both victims of the same woman and have endured trauma. Look, that little princess could be the answer to your problems—which, I can see, are plenty.”
“Do you always act like this? Making assumptions and judging people without knowing them? That’s not very professional of you. It seems you don’t care at all who I am and…”
“No, I don’t always behave this way. It depends on the person. Besides, your life is public. It wasn’t hard to form an opinion of you based on your attitude. Who would reject an angel just because of issues with her mother? Come on, sweetheart, let’s go.”
Derek clenched his jaw, picked up his daughter’s small bag, and followed them.
“Sit in the back with her and take the chance to get to know her. I’ll drive. Just give me directions.”
Resigned, he opened the door for the little girl. She climbed in, and he followed. Caroline started driving once she heard the address.
During the ride, she couldn’t help but notice the minimal interaction between them. Ellen, shy, barely spoke, while Derek, with his hands clasped, stared thoughtfully out the car window.
Caroline sighed, disheartened by how complicated the situation was. Derek gave one last direction, called his security team to have everything prepared, and held his breath as he saw Ellen lean against his leg.
“Pick her up. She’s tired and sleepy,” Caroline urged.
“It’s better if I drive, and you hold her.”
“No, you do it. She won’t hurt you. She’s uncomfortable. She could fall or have issues from sleeping in a bad position.”
Reluctantly, he ended the call, lifted her into his arms, and settled her on his lap. He watched as she clung to her doll and sighed.
He studied her closely, taking in every detail of her face and features.
“Really, is it impossible for you to feel any paternal instinct toward her? She doesn’t look like her mother. She looks like you. She’s your daughter. I’m sure you could love her so much that…”
“Enough! Stop this. I’ll do what I can, and that’s it. I’m doing this out of pity, so both you and she understand that.”
“What exactly are we supposed to understand, Derek?”