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CHAPTER 73

Elijah’s POV

+15 BONUS

“Do you know Reese Davis?” I asked Sophia once more, intent on finding out the truth from her.

Sophia’s eyes widened, the shock evident on her face. She seemed to brace herself against the counter, her knuckles whitening as she gripped the edge. “So you’ve found out already about Reese…” she said slowly, her voice almost a whisper.

She didn’t even bother to deny it or to lie. Maybe she came here in the first place to really tell me about our daughter.

I nodded. “I know she was born in France about three years ago. This was the time you would have given birth, if you hadn’t really… If you had not gone to the hospital and…” I swallowed hard, pushing through the lump in my throat as I remembered the pain of finding out she’d terminated the pregnancy, I couldn’t even make myself say it.

I took a deep breath and continued, “And I know that Reese and your best friend Kayla share the last name Davis.”

Sophia’s eyes darted away from mine, her face pale. She looked very guilty, indeed.

“Yesterday, I signed a contract to work with Raven Media. I saw Kayla’s family name on the paperwork.” I paused, the memories flooding back. “I vaguely remember it from when she worked with us. So I figured if Reese is our child, you must have wanted to hide her from me by giving her your friend’s last name.”

Sophia’s silence was deafening. But peering at the expression on her face, I could tell that I had figured it out. She looked damn culpable.

My mind raced, my heart pounded, and my soul screamed for the truth. “Sophia,” I said, my voice breaking, “is Reese my daughter?”

She looked at me, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “Elijah, I-”

“Just tell me the truth, Sophia,” I pleaded, stepping closer. “I need to know. Is she the one you were carrying when you were in Paris?”

“What would you do if she was your daughter?” she responded, her eyes gazing into mine.

My heart raced, seemingly bursting with overwhelming emotions. At first, hearing those words from her, I felt a myriad of negative emotions bombarding me all at the same time.

I have to calm down, I need to know the truth. The past doesn’t matter. What I want is to be part of my daughter’s future.

Then I spoke quietly. “If you’ll let me, I’d like to be a part of Reese’s life,” I said, my voice trembling with sincerity. “I want to take good care of her. I want to be the father she deserves. But only if that’s what you want, too.”

Sophia’s eyes filled with tears, and she looked away, clearly struggling with her emotions.

+15 BONUS

I reached toward her, gently taking her hand in mine. “Sophia, I just want you to be happy. As much as I’d love for us to be together again, nothing is more important than your happiness. If that means Staving apart, then so be it. I can live with that. But I heed you to know that I’m here for Reese, and I’m here for you, in whatever way you need.”

I watched Sophia as her posture relaxed for the first time in what felt like ages. She hadn’t explicitly said it, but I’d read the truth in her behavior and words: Reese was our daughter. The thought filled me. with a joy I’d never expected, a warmth that spread through me and settled in my chest.

There was a love child in the world that belonged to me and Sophia. Despite everything, she had kept Reese, even when she had lost hope in me. I had never been so grateful.

“Sophia…” I gently started, leaning forward slightly. “I want to be part of her life. Can I visit her regularly?”

Sophia hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her blouse. She looked down, then back up at me, searching my eyes as if trying to gauge my sincerity.

“Are you sure about that?” she asked.

“Of course,” I said, my tone earnest. “There’s nothing else I’m wishing for right now. I’ve missed so much already. I want to be there for her, to know her better.”

She bit her lip, apparently hesitating. Then slowly she nodded. “Alright, you can visit her. But… we need to take it slow. I don’t want to confuse her.”

“Yes, sure,” I agreed readily. “I’ll follow your lead.”

Her smile grew a little wider, more genuine. “Thank you, Elijah. For wanting to be there for her.”

Suddenly, the sound of her cell phone ringing made us both look at the device. She glanced at the screen and her entire face lit up with a radiant smile.

“Reese is calling,” she informed me, her voice filled with unmistakable joy. She looked at me, her eyes sparkling in a way I hadn’t seen before.

My heart skipped a beat – partially from the way Sophia looked so joyful, and partially from the excitement of being able to hear Reese’s voice. My daughter’s voice.

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