Chapter 93: Daddy Dominant's Good Girl

“Olivia, your father is awake!” my mother called out, running up to me. She grabbed my arm and smiled.

I blinked at her, still thinking of Bethany being taken away by the cops. I blinked again.

“Wh-what?” I asked.

My mom smiled at me again, wider and brighter than before. “Your father, he’s been resuscitated. He’s stabilized now and is being moved back to a recovery room.”

“Oh.” I couldn’t say anything else. My mind was in complete overload.

Good news followed by even better news.

“Come, he’ll want to see you. We’ve got a lot to talk to him about,” she said, dragging me along. “He’s going to have to explain why he signed everything over to Bethany.”

My chest squeezed in on itself as my smile faltered. I was happy that he was recovering but my mom was absolutely right. How could he do that to us?

My father was sitting up in his hospital bed. He looked more lively and healthy than he had the last time I’d seen him.

“Olivia, I’m so glad you’re here,” he said, holding a hand out to me.

“I’m glad you are too,” I said, nodding. I didn’t go to him and hug him yet. Like my mom said, he needed to explain why he’d put us through all this crap for Bethany.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, creasing his eyebrows.

“Honey, did you sign over the deed to the house and assets and family fortune to Bethany?” my mom asked.

My mouth dried out when my father’s face fell. He almost looked like a child that had been caught with his hands in the cookie jar.

“I didn’t do anything like that. Why would you believe I would?” he asked, lifting his face.

I looked at my mom who shrugged.

“Dad, Bethany has been prancing around with legal documents about the house and your will. She kicked us out of Mom’s house with a lawyer standing right there,” I said, keeping my voice even, but I felt like screaming at him.

He was lying right to our faces!

“I promise, I did no such thing. She must have forged the documents. I can call my lawyer right now and he can show you my will. It hasn’t been changed since I disowned Bethany,” he assured. He sighed and shook his head. “I know the damage she’s caused and I wouldn’t risk my family again.”

He held a hand out to me, a weak smile on his lips. My heart melted. He was still my father!

I went to him and took his hand. I sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned in, resting against his shoulder. He had always been so strong and powerful. Leaning against him, I could feel how weak he’d gotten in his sickness.

“I’m sorry, Daddy. I shouldn’t have believed her. She’s so good at playing games and being convincing,” I muttered.

My dad rubbed my back and I felt like a little girl again. Tears wet my eyes and I sniffled into his shoulder.

“How did she get away with this?” my mother asked, her voice breaking a little. She sat on the other side of my dad and took his hand. They shared a quick, intimate look.

“Bethany came by to visit a few days ago. She was very nice and stayed a long time, asking me all kinds of questions. I was surprised that she stayed as long as she did,” he told us.

I pulled back and glanced around the room. Ellis was standing near the doorway. I hadn’t even heard him come in.

“She came to visit you?” I asked.

My dad nodded. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “The nurse came in to give me my medication and I began feeling awful. She seemed to be concerned but the nurse told her she had to leave because I was deteriorating quickly.”

“I thought the medications were helping,” I said, chewing the inside of my cheek. I looked over at the table where my father’s medications were lined up. Was it too much of a coincidence that my father had gotten much worse after Bethany visited?

“I’ll check the charts,” Ellis said like he was reading my mind. He picked up the clipboard at the end of my dad’s bed and took it over to the table with the medications.

“What’s wrong?” my dad asked, looking between my mother and me.

“Bethany was just arrested for the attempted murder of her young cousin. A boy of only six or seven years old,” my mom said somberly.

“She wouldn’t,” my dad said, shaking his head.

“There is recorded evidence. She did it because she was afraid that Toby would be named the heir of the Diaz family and she’d lose all her money. There isn’t much she wouldn’t do to secure money and power for herself,” I added.

“You think she hurt me to try and keep me quiet about the forged documents?” he asked.

“Someone tried,” Ellis said, tapping the clipboard.

“What did you find?” I asked. I stood up and peeked over his shoulder. The medical charts made no sense to me. All I could see was that the nurses had made notations of when they administered the medications and the names of the medicines my father took.

“See this here? It is the date and time Bethany was visiting. One of the medications changed from the last time a nurse came in. He’s been getting that different medication ever since,” Ellis explained, pointing to the medication name.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I can’t be sure, but the name is similar to a common sleeping medication,” he said.

“Why wouldn’t the doctors pick that up?” I asked. I grabbed the bottle and read the label. It was a forged label.

Someone glancing at it quickly wouldn’t know the difference but I was looking pretty hard at it.

“The names of the sleeping pill and the original medication are so close. With constantly rotating nurses, they probably glossed right over it,” he said.

“Bethany did this,” I grumbled, tightening my hand around the bottle.

“It seems likely that she swapped the medications when she was here. No nurse would think to look so closely at the label,” Ellis agreed.

“Dad, this is…”

“I know,” my dad said. He held up his hand to prevent me from continuing. “Bethany failed. She is already being charged with attempted murder. I don’t want there to be an investigation into this.”

“But…”

My dad shook his head.

“Mr. Richardson, Bethany should be questioned. She should be charged with this crime too, otherwise, she might try to hurt someone else the same way. Clearly, she is capable of some horrible things,” Ellis insisted firmly.

“I understand. However, she is still my daughter. Going to prison for the attempted murder of a child should be enough,” my father muttered, looking down at his hand, clasped in my mother’s.

“She can’t get away with this,” my mother said soothingly.

“No. Whatever the evidence says, I don’t want to know that my own daughter was capable of doing this to me,” he said, his voice soft and sad.

“I understand that,” I spoke up before my mother or Ellis could say anything else. “She grew up in my house, she was my sister. I didn’t want to believe she could do these things either. For now, she’s not our problem and we can try and focus on the good memories.”

“Yes, thank you, Olivia,” my father said.

My mom wanted some time alone with my dad. She even called his lawyer just to come in and double-check the will and his assets.

Ellis and I headed back to his car.

“Now that Bethany is arrested and the lawyers are clarifying ownership of the house, it seems like my mother, Ken, and I can all move back home,” I said timidly.

I glanced at Ellis’s face to see his reaction. His eyes were cast to the side and his lips were a thin, serious line.

“Or, you could stay a few more days,” he offered.

I arched an eyebrow at him and smiled. “Why would we do that?” I asked, giggling.

“Because Ken is having the time of his life in my mansion and because I like having you around,” he said smoothly, honestly.

My cheeks warmed as Ellis took my hands and kissed the back of them. He pulled me closer and held me in his arms.

“Ellis,” I muttered. I wasn’t sure I could stay with him. All the excuses for living together were gone and I knew Ken’s heart was set on staying with Ellis.

I sighed and looked up, meeting Ellis’ eyes. He smirked and leaned down, kissing my lips warmly. I melted against him, unable to pull away.

Ellis and I still had a lot to talk about and get through before we reconciled completely and I didn’t think we should live together until we had worked it all out. Ken wanted us to be a family, though, and he would make a big fuss about moving out.

My mom didn’t have to stay at the Peterson mansion. She could return home. Then Ellis, Ken, and I could try being a family. It wasn’t like we’d have to stay if it didn’t work out.

Ellis’ tongue pressed against my lower lip, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Okay,” I whispered against his lips. “We’ll stay a few days longer.”

Ellis grinned and stepped back. He held both my hands in his.

“After all, Ken is very fond of you,” I teased.

Smirking, Ellis nodded. “Great.

Ding. Ding.

I pulled out my phone and saw Bennett was calling. I held a finger up to Ellis and I took a few steps away.

“Bennett, how are you?” I asked, answering.

“Olivia, I’ve been worried about you. I was informed that your father was in critical condition and that you’d moved out of your family home,” he said.

“Oh… I…” I bit my lower lip. I hadn’t even called to tell Bennett what was going on. I knew I didn’t owe him that as my boyfriend because he wasn’t, but he was my friend.

I’d been so caught up in everything that had been happening I just hadn’t had a chance to call. How did he find these things out so fast?

“I’m sorry I didn’t call and tell you. It has been really crazy,” I explained quickly.

“I understand,” Bennett assured.

He was so understanding and so kind. I glanced at Ellis, who gave me a warm smile. This wasn’t fair to Bennett. Even though he knew we weren’t a real couple and that I didn’t have feelings for him, the more I relied on him, the more it could give him false hope.

That wasn’t fair, especially since Ellis and I were starting to reconnect.

“What do you need from me? If you need a place to stay, you know you’re welcome at my home,” he offered.

I sighed softly. “Yes, and I appreciate that. Actually, Bennett, I think it would be best if we met and talked about things. There has been a lot going on and I need to tell you everything.”

“Yes, of course. Give me the time and place,” Bennett replied.