Chapter 94

Genevieve

The moment Alonzo hugged Stella tightly, something inside my heart churned.

What if Stella decided to stay with him? What if he tried to lure her with toys? Even though she loved me so much, she seemed quite attached to him too.

The thought rushed in my mind.

The last thing I wanted to do was to shift to his mansion.

I had already seen it. Guns, and girls. Various goons just roaming around and talking about the biggest crime they did today.

They all flaunted it as a medal.

Last time when I stayed there, only thing they talked about was drugs and weapons.

I thought Alonzo would not ready to change that all and I made such a condition but now he was ready to change everything.

Still I have enough time to do something.

Fighting for custody wasn’t an option. I had seen all the judges and magistrate of the courts greeting him at the president's son’s wedding.

They all were bowing to Alonzo as if he was some king. I would be the foolest of all if I thought about approaching court.

I needed something else.

Alonzo kissed Stella’s forehead. With that calm stroke I froze.

I never realized how much his love had changed until he learned the truth.

Alonzo had always been kind to Stella, patient even. But the way he touched her now, it  was different.

There was something protective in the way he held her close and kissed her forehead as if she were made of glass. A father’s love. Pure. Terrifyingly strong.

“I’m leaving now,” he said, his voice low and steady. “If you need anything, just call me. I’ll be right here.”

I shook my head slightly. “You’ll be here even if I don’t call.”

That earned me a faint, crooked smile. The kind that always made my stomach tighten.

“Yeah, I know,” I added with a tired laugh as I covered a yawn.

My body was exhausted. I would sleep right there if I stood for a minute.

His gaze lingered on me for a moment too long.

Then he moved closer.

Before I could say another word, his lips brushed against mine. He kissed me on my lips. That’s too in front of Stella.

It was soft but sudden

I froze. My heart stopped for a beat, then started hammering against my ribs.

“What was that?” I blinked up at him. My hand instinctively brushing my lips.

He smirked confidently.

“A goodnight kiss.”

I stared at him. “A goodnight kiss?” I repeated,

Sleep was gone now. My mind was a mess of confusion and heat. I knew the taste of his lips. I breathed his breath many times.

Especially when he fucked me.

I could sense that right now.

And it made my clit throb. My face flushed. And Alonzo smirked as if he noticed everything. Every throb between my legs.

“Take care of my daughter,” he whispered.  He paused again. His eyes fixed on mine. “And my wife too.”

My heart jumped. Wife.

The word echoed in my head. Sweet and cruel all at once. My pulse quickened so hard I could feel it in my throat.

“I will,” I managed. Though my voice barely came out.

He smiled faintly and walked towards the door. The moment it shut, the silence enveloped me.

I touched my lips. Even after a month, his lips still tasted the same.

The sky turned hazy and the noise outside faded.

I took my medical kit and sat beside Stella’s bed. The doctor had told me to change her dressing twice a day to prevent infection.

I wasn’t a pediatric surgeon, but I was still a doctor—and more than that, I was her mother.

Carefully, I peeled away the old tape. My chest tightened the moment I saw the wound. The bullet had gone in deep. Too deep.

Even a grown man would’ve struggled with that kind of pain.

Stella’s skin was soft, fragile. Seeing her like that made something twist painfully inside me.

I would never go to his mansion. Why did he come back?

“Mommy… it hurts.”

Her small voice broke through me

It’s been a month but it was still painful. A four year kid should get a scratch from falling not getting a fucking bullet in her spine.

“I know, baby. Just hold on for a minute,” I said gently, my own throat tight. “I’m putting medicine on your back. Don’t move, okay? If you move, it’ll hurt more.”

She whimpered and gripped the blanket.

Each tiny flinch stabbed at me like a knife. I wanted to take that pain away. But I knew it was impossible.

Then the doorbell rang.

I froze. My heart skipped a beat. Who would come at this hour?

I glanced at Stella, who was still lying face down on the bed. But when she heard the bell, she hurried to the door.

When I opened it, my breath caught.

It was my father.

His expression was thunderous. His eyes were blazing. Even after turning twenty three, I was still scared of my father’s looks.

“Dad.. You are here…” I said. My smile was fake. But he didn’t look at me.

His eyes went to Stella. And her wound. A gunshot wound.

I wish I could lie to him. I would have told him that it’s mere an accident. But his eyes told me that he knew it already.

He was in the military and very well known about the scars.

“Gene.. How did this happen? How did she had a gunshot?” Dad asked me. He stepped inside and stared at Stella with pitiful eyes.

“Some chaos happened at her school. She was hit by a bullet.”

Dad’s eyes darkened when he heard that. I swallowed hard.

If dad comes to know about Alonzo, what would he do? He would hate Stella too?

One thing I was sure of, Dad would never accept Alonzo. He would abandon me too.

How long would I keep the truth hidden from him? One day the truth comes out to the world and everything will shatter again.

“You are still careless. You rejected that police officer. If you had married him, no one dared to touch Stella.”

I wanted to laugh at his words.

“Dad.. where does it come from?”

He was pissed by my question.

“Why don’t you understand you need a man in your life.” Dad blabbered again.

I listened to everything he said. I thought he was upset to see Stella getting shot.

But in the morning, I received another call for a blind date. Another public servant officer.

And I was again forced by my father for it. Because I couldn’t tell him that I already had a man in my life.

And he was not any ordinary man.

He was a mafia king.

And the father of my child too.

And that day would be the last day I am talking to my father. Because he won’t see my face again after the truth is revealed.