Aurora gazed at the woman who walked in, who appeared pleasant and smiled warmly at her. However, she desired her mother to be the one to read her a bedtime story.
"I want Mommy," Aurora pouted, crossing her small arms in front of her with a frown. She had never been apart from her mother for a night.
Now she longed for her stories. Allen let out a noticeable sigh and explained that her mother was currently far away from them. Nevertheless, he assured Aurora that he would bring her mother home with them the following day.
"No... I want my mommy right now. I want to know how the story of the fairy princess and the poor guard ends," Aurora insisted.
Allen felt like he was about to have a brain hemorrhage. Is this how challenging it is to handle kids? What had he gotten himself into that night? He should have just let Aurora return to her mother and bring her over to his place the next day.
It was already dark, and he couldn't take Aurora out at this late hour. He also didn't want to contact Aiden. His brother was probably at a hotel with a woman at the moment.
"Oh, stories about the fairy princess and the poor guard are for little ones. But I will tell you a story meant for a big girl like you," Allen announced, forcing a smile.
Aurora gazed at him with admiration in her eyes. Could it be true? Was she considered a big girl now?
She nodded, and Allen took a deep breath as he settled down beside Aurora. Casting a helpless glance at Celeste, he wished he could find a way out of this situation, but there was no escape for him.
"Once upon a time, the jungle had only one king..." Allen paused, uncertain of what he would say next about the jungle and its ruler.
He glanced at Celeste, who simply shrugged. Even she was unaware of what transpired in that jungle or to its king.
Aurora was already listening intently. Allen smiled. Wasn't this supposed to be a bedtime story? Why was her eyes wide open, and devoid of any signs of sleepiness?
He had expected that once he started speaking, she would begin nodding off. But now, she was eager to hear his made-up story, and Celeste showed no inclination to rescue him.
"What about the jungle?" Aurora asked, her curiosity already piqued.
"..uh..yes, the king of the jungle was a lion, the mightiest one in the world. It was huge, with sharp claws capable of taking down any living creature or human," he explained dramatically, and Aurora was captivated, her eyes sparkling with awe.
"Whenever it was hungry, it roared like this rah..hhh.." Allen imitated the roar, leaving Celeste stunned. She had never seen her master in such a way before. It was almost like a dream. She couldn't help but chuckle. Allen had to humble himself for the little girl.
'So sweet of him,' she thought.
"Ahh...hhhhhh!!!!" Aurora suddenly screamed with excitement, covering her ears with both hands. Being a child with a vivid imagination, she could already hear the terrifying roar of the lion king.
Allen was taken aback. He gazed at the little girl in amazement. Why had she screamed like that?
"Too scary, Daddy!" Aurora exclaimed suddenly, hiding herself under the covers, giggling with excitement. She wrapped herself up and didn't even peek out from under the covers.
Allen stood up and left the room. The story had turned out to be too frightening, and that was all he could think of as he quickly thought of a new tale to tell her. After all, she was the one who had requested a bedtime story before going to sleep.
He settled on the sofa in the living room, and less than twenty minutes later, Celeste emerged from the room.
"Is she asleep?" Allen inquired, and Celeste nodded. "Since I am unaware of the fairy tales her mother tells her, I simply sang her a poem, and she eventually drifted off to sleep. She's quite a cheerful little child."
"That's good," Allen responded, sinking into the chair with a deep sigh.
"If I'm not troubling you, may I ask a question, Master?" Celeste inquired.
Allen sighed once more. He knew Celeste was going to ask about how the little girl came into their lives. He couldn't withhold any information she sought from him.
"Go ahead," Allen replied, crossing his legs.
"Why are you only just getting to know the little girl?" Celeste asked.
How could it be possible that Allen, if he had a daughter, knew nothing about her preferences or dislikes? It appeared as though they were not very close.
"I only just found her today. Honestly, I don't even know who her mother is yet. I came across her and instantly felt she was mine," Allen explained.
Celeste was bewildered. Bringing a child home that very day without knowing anything about the little girl or her mother? What if she wasn't his child?
When did he start getting entangled with women to the point where he wouldn't even know who the mother of his child was? It was truly unthinkable.
"Master, are you certain she is your daughter? You may be making a mistake here..." Celeste questioned, expressing complete disagreement with Allen's choice to bring a child home without any knowledge of the woman who gave birth to them.
Allen clarified that they had undergone a DNA test before returning home. The timing of the children's birth coincided with his encounter with a woman five years ago, although he admitted to not knowing her well.
Unimpressed, Celeste thought to herself; ''This is utterly ridiculous... There could have been countless children born in the state at that time.'
As memories of that fateful night flooded Allen's mind, he took a deep breath and observed Celeste's speechless expression.
Once again, words failed Celeste as she struggled to respond. Allen was convinced that bringing the girl home was the right choice, with a 99% certainty that he was her father.
***
Aiden parted her legs even wider as his movements increased. With beads of sweat forming on his forehead, he threw his head backward, cursing under his breath, overwhelmed by the insane pleasure he felt. His girlfriend had a lustful smile on her face, knowing she was getting him just the way she wanted.
"F***...!" Aiden groaned as he climaxed, and his body fell on top of Katie's.
They both lay beside each other, breathing heavily. At that moment, he continued to ponder whether Aurora was his child or not.
Katie snuggled closer into his embrace, and Aiden held her tightly.
"You're amazing, babe," Aiden praised, and they shared a brief kiss.
"Is everything okay? You seem troubled," Katie asked, gently holding his face.
Aiden smiled. How could he express his concerns about the child in his brother's care to her?
Avoiding the topic, he simply kissed her and embraced her again, losing himself in her once more.
***
The next morning, Lilian woke up late around 7:40 am. She found herself in her daughter's room and suddenly remembered that Aurora had not returned home the previous night.
Descending to the kitchen, she began preparing breakfast in anticipation of her daughter's arrival.
After finishing the meal preparations, Ryan failed to show up as promised. Lilian tried calling his mobile phone, but he did not respond.
Unable to answer, Ryan had just spoken with Aiden, who advised him to be patient a little longer.
Feeling anxious, Ryan knew Lilian would be expecting him to bring Aurora home to get her ready for school. Ignoring her call, he hesitated about what to tell her. Opting to stall, he decided to meet with Allen before approaching Lilian.
***
Allen directed Celeste to hire a nanny to care for the little girl and instructed Cooper to arrange for a pediatrician to set up and decorate her room.
Once everything was arranged, he picked up the little girl and headed to the company. Aiden carried her in his arms as he walked in. Ryan was already there, and he stood up upon seeing Aurora.
She quickly wriggled out of Allen's grasp and ran to Ryan, embracing him. Seeing Ryan, Allen realized he must be the person whom Aiden mentioned wanted him to return the children. With a cold gaze, he watched as they finished their embrace.
"Hello," Allen greeted, extending his hand to Ryan for a handshake.
Ryan warmly accepted the gesture and gazed at Allen intently. It was no surprise that he had taken Aurora away. The resemblance between them was striking, with little to differentiate them except for age and gender.
Aurora was undeniably a mirror image of Allen. Could he be her father as it seemed?