Con

CHAPTER 67

Elijah’s POV

I pinched Reese’s tiny nose gently, causing her to giggle. “It’s too late to take you without your family’s permission,” I said, trying to sound serious, but her infectious laughter made it difficult.

Reese’s eyes widened with determination. “Mommy will say yes! Promise!” she declared, her voice high and full of confidence. Before I could react, she wriggled out of my arms, darted to the nanny’s side, and snatched the phone from her hand.

“Reese, wait-” the nanny started, but Reese was already trying to navigate the screen with her chubby fingers.

“I’ll call Mommy and ask!” Reese insisted, her face scrunched up in concentration. The nanny, looking slightly exasperated but quite a little shocked, gently took the phone back from Reese.

“Sweetie, there’s no need for that,” the nanny said softly. “Remember, I’m your mommy’s sister.”

I looked at her in surprise.

“Yes, s

sir, I am,” she reiterated. “But still, her mother will worry if we go with a stranger.”

“I want to go!” Reese said, stomping down her foot. She looked as if she wanted to cry again.

“Uh, listen…” I said desperately, taking out a business card and handing it over to the nanny. “You can trust me, okay? I own that building beside the park where Reese and I were playing before. I think you and her mom arrived then.” I pointed to my name on the card. “That’s me, Elijah Sinclair. I own Sinclair Realty Group.”

She still looked hesitant, which I could understand.

“Please!” Reese cried out.

“Well, okay, maybe just for a while,” the nanny finally agreed. I took them into my car and we all. headed to the office.

It wasn’t long before we stepped into the office building and I immediately felt the weight of countless stares. Holding Reese’s tiny hand in mine, I guided her through the lobby, aware of the whispers that followed us like a persistent shadow. The nanny trailed behind us silently, her presence almost ghostly in its quietness.

Reese, with her innocent curiosity, clung to my hand, her eyes wide as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings. Employees paused mid–task, their gazes flickering between us and their colleagues, sharing hushed conversations that I could barely hear but could easily imagine.

“Who knew he had a kid?”

“Did he get someone pregnant?”

“Mr. Sinclair – a dad?!”

I ignored them all, focusing instead on getting to my office. It was the end of the day, and most of

them were wrapping up their work, which only heightened their interest in the unexpected scene unfolding before them.

+15 BONUS

Finally, we reached the elevator. The ride up was sileht, save for the soft ding of the floors passing by. Reese held tightly to my hand, her tiny fingers warm and comforting in a way I hadn’t expected.

my

When we got to the top floor, I saw that my office door was open, and there was Serena, standing by desk with a stack of papers. Her expression was a careful mask of professionalism, but I could see the curiosity in her eyes as she glanced at Reese.

“Elijah,” she greeted me, her tone even. “There are some papers you need to sign.”

I stared at her and nodded, remembering how I’d been even more cold and distant after that last incident. She’s lucky I haven’t confronted her about it yet. But one more time, and she’s not getting away with trying to destroy Sophia anymore.

At least she wasn’t dense. She knew I was avoiding her, and she wasn’t asking me why. Maybe she had an idea.

Our interactions had become purely professional, stripped of any warmth or camaraderie we once shared. I took the papers she handed me and scanned them. “I’ll sign in a while,” I said without emotion, placing the document on my desk.

I then led Reese to the small seating area by the window, where she could look out at the city below! The nanny had been left outside in the waiting area.

“Who’s the little girl?” Serena suddenly asked with great curiosity, taking a good look at Reese. “Hey! there. What’s your name?”

Reese’s eyes widened in alarm, and she immediately rushed to my side and tried to hide from Serena. I lifted her up and placed her on my office chair, letting her swivel there and become distracted.

Serena frowned and then raised an eyebrow at me. It seemed like she was still waiting for me to give her an answer. But I didn’t say anything. Instead, I went ahead and signed the document on my desk. Meanwhile, Reese was now spinning in circles, giggling uncontrollably with every turn on my chair. It was a sight that melted away the stress of the day, her innocent laughter echoing through the room like a melody.

“Careful, Reese,” I said, unable to suppress a smile. “You’re going to get dizzy.”

As I turned back to my desk, sorting through the designs sprawled across it, I heard the chair’s squeak as it came to a halt. I glanced over to see Reese peering over the edge of the desk to check out the colorful sketches and mock–ups.

Then, without warning, she pointed at one of the designs and squealed in delight. “This one, mommy’s!” Her finger jabbed at the paper, her face lighting up with recognition.

My heart skipped a beat. She was pointing at Sophia’s latest project design.