DAISY POV
"Father?" I asked.
"yes, her father. Isn't he the father? Your daughter said he was." the man in charge asked.
"Yes, he is the father. I am sorry, I am just tired."
"Its okay, he will tell you how it went."
"ok,thanks."
We left the office together.
"Uncle Declan!" Rigel hugged him.
He put Rhea down to hug Rigel.
"How are you Rigel?"
"I am fine uncle Declan, how are you?"
"I am good." Declan replied.
"Uncle Declan, the ice cream!" Rhea tugged on his shirt.
"I am sorry darling, let's go get ice cream, is that okay Daisy?"
"Sure."
"i want ice-cream too." Rigel told Declan.
"And you will get ice-cream, let's go."
Somehow he managed to carry the both of them in his arms and they went to the Cafe.
He got ice cream for all of us.
We sat at a table in the corner.
"I am sorry about telling the man I am Rhea's father. I was looking for her after my workout but I didn't see her, I went to her class but she wasn't there, I was told she was in the office. I went there and the bodyguard filled me on what's was going on and that he had already called you. But the boy's mother was being harsh and being rude, I couldn't leave Rhea alone with her so I stayed and lied I was her father." he explained himself.
"Uncle Declan taught the mean lady a lesson." Rhea added.
"Thank you Declan, it's good you were there, how was the matter resolved?"
"the boy and his group of friends had been bullying her and she lashed out by punching him, he is going to be punished."
I looked at Rhea in alarm.
"Rhea, why didn't you tell me about this?"
"You would have pulled me out of the class and I didn't want to leave. That's why i didn't say anything." she replied looking down sadly.
Declan ruffled her hair affectionately.
"Oh Rhea! Your mom wouldn't have done that, she knows how much you love your fighting lessons, she would have found a way for you to be safe." he told her.
Rhea looked up at me, "I am sorry mommy." she apologized.
"Its okay my love, just do better, okay?"
"Okay." she replied.
"Rhea can you show my around?" Rigel asked her.
"Can we go mommy."
"Yes you can, make sure you don't run away from the bodyguard."
"okay mommy." they chorused as they stood up from the table and ran outside with the bodyguard following them.
"I am really sorry Daisy." Declan apologized again.
"It's okay Declan, I am not mad at you."
"Thanks."
"You are welcome."
"So, how did it go with Jamie and the other guy?" he asked.
I chuckled, "the other guy has a name, his name is Silvan."
"hmmm" he replied.
"They advised me it would be foolish to get back together with you." I told him.
He held his hand to his chest like he was struck.
"ouch!"
"Don't be dramatic."
"They are right though, it would be foolish." he told me.
"So you don't want to get back together?" I asked him.
He reached out and held my hands.
"Believe me, I do."
I smiled at him, however I remembered my interaction with Stella earlier and my smile dried up.
"I saw Stella earlier today."
"When? Where?"
"after lunch with Jamie and Silvan, I was waiting outside for Jamie when I met her."
"I see, did anything happen?"
"Other than the fact that she called me a bastard, nothing much happened"
"What the hell, how dare she?"
"Can I ask you an honest question?" I asked him.
"Sure."
"did you ever have an affair with her?"
"No, I didn't, I would never do such a thing"
"What about when I met you guys at the party."
"No, I needed a date for the event and she offered to help me. That's all."
"What about at the dinner the other day?"
"it was her birthday and I was just been nice. I have never thought of her that way."
"But you know she thinks of you that way?" I asked him.
"I know that she thinks of me that way, but I just saw it as a harmless childhood crush."
"So you didn't know she insulted and made fun of me when we were married?"
He shook his head, "Lily was the one who told me recently about it."
"I am planning to destroy her, I have had enough of her. I just want you to be aware."
"when you say destroy, what exactly do you mean?"
"reduce her family status to zero."
"you won't kill her right?" he asked me.
"Why do you ask? Do you care about her?" I fired at him.
He held my hands again, "no but I care about you and I don't want you to stain your hands with blood, you can do anything you like but don't add murder to it, okay?"
"Okay." I replied.
CHAPTER 74
DECLAN POV
Contrary to what Daisy thought, I didn't care about what she did to Stella. I just didn't want her to do something she would regret in future, or that would be a stain on her conscience.
"So you don't care about whatever happens to her?"
"Daisy, I care about you. I know I have let you down before but I promise it won't happen again. I will spend everyday of my life making sure I make it up to you."
She smiled a little, "Okay, I will need you to prove it though."
"i will Daisy, I promise."
"ok."
She smiled again and scooped some ice cream into her mouth.
"You don't give Rhea this ice-cream every time do you?" she asked me.
I shook my head guiltily.
"Declan!" she warned me.
"Fine, almost everytime." I admitted.
"Declan, this is too sweet." she complained.
"I know, but how can I say know to her?"
"Declan, she is a little girl and your daughter. You need to be able to say no."
"Daisy, I can't even say no to you, how can I say no to Rhea." I complained.
She blushed and bent down to hide her smile.
"Don't try to be smart with me."
"Can you even say no to Rhea? Rigel?" I asked her.
"No, I can't but I try. Rigel can be a bit reasonable but Rhea can be very stubborn just like her father." she smirked at me.
"I am not stubborn." I refuted.
"Really? Do you want us to go there."
I raised my hands up in surrender.
"I am sorry, let's not get into that, I admit, I am stubborn."
"Good boy." she said with a smug grin.
"Was it hard dealing with them alone." I asked her.
She sighed, "A bit hard, they aren't the ordinary kids, they are both geniuses. Rigel is so gifted in computer technology and he is practically obsessed with it. Taking his gadgets away so he can focus on other things was a struggle. Him starting school was a war, Stefan had to convince him. And as for Rhea, she is autistic, she has gotten better recently but growing up, it was a war. She wouldn't talk to anyone except I and Rigel. She tolerated my family sometimes. That's why I was surprised when she liked you suddenly, I guess blood recognized blood."
I felt even more bad, I had hurt her and left her alone to take care of our children herself. I was a freaking coward and an asshole.
"Daisy, I am really sorry about everything, I am sorry that you had to train the children alone. To be honest, I suspected Rhea might be autistic but I didn't want to conclude anything."
"I don't know how you want to resolve things Declan, even if I forgive you, my family won't. And I won't make the mistake of doing anything without my family's approval ever again."
"So what do you want me to do?" I asked her.
"Get my family to accept you. If you can do that, I will think about forgiving you."
I nodded eagerly. "I will do that."
She chuckled, "It won't be easy, they all hate you."
"I will do it because I want you, I want our children and nothing will be too hard for me." I tell her determinedly.
"Okay, I look forward to what you are going to go." she told me.
The children came back.
Rhea climbed into my legs and Rigel did the same.
I bounced the both of them on my knees.
"Did you kids have fun?" I asked them.
"Yes, Rhea showed me everywhere, it was so cool." Rigel exclaimed.
"Rigel kept talking all the time." Rhea complained.
"He just wanted to share his excitement with you Rhea, you have to be nice to him." I told Rhea gently.
"uncle Declan, will you make me a bracelet just like Rhea's?" he asked me.
"Please make him one so he can stop tapping on mine." Rhea complained to me.
"He taps your bracelet?" I asked Rhea.
"Yes, most times he is the one who taps it instead of me. So get him his please."
"Okay, I will make you one Rigel."
"Yay!"
"Rhea, you are going to give me yours too."
"why?" she asked me.
"remember it was a prototype, I want to make you a better improved one."
She clenched her bracelet away from me.
"No thanks, I will keep this one."
"Rhea!" I tried to convince her.
"No, I don't want it." she got down and ran to Daisy.
"Declan, just let her keep the old one, you can make a new one in addition to it." Daisy advised.
"would you like that Rhea?" I asked her.
She nodded.
"Okay then, I will do that. I am sorry if I upset you, do you forgive me?"
She nodded.
"give me a hug?" she ran towards me and gave me a hug.
"Okay kids, we have to go home now, it's getting late." Daisy told them.
"Okay." they said sadly.
"It's okay kids, I will see you soon."
"promise uncle Declan?" Rigel asked.
"I promise."
They both kissed my cheek.
I carried them up with me and walked with them to the car.
I put them in the car seat and made sure they were buckled in.
"Bye kids."
"Bye Uncle Declan."
I locked the door gently and turned to face Daisy.
"See you later."
"See you."
She entered the car and I locked the door gently behind her.
She drove away with the bodyguards following behind them with his car.
I drove back home, there was a strange car in the parking lot.
Who was this? I wondered.
I parked my car and the occupants of the car came up and walked towards me.
It was Stefan and Lily.
"Hey! How was your trip?" I asked them.
"Went well." Stefan said with a smirk.
"So why are you guys waiting in the dark parking lot?" I asked them.