Alexander pov
Did she just call me daddy?
That was the single thought that consumed me as I sat there, perched on the couch with a drink in hand, my gaze fixed solely on her.
The chatter in the room faded into the background as I narrowed my focus to her and her alone. I couldn't seem to tear my eyes away as I studied her every move and mannerism. This girl—Valentina Vance—carried the same name as my enemy. Her fate should have been sealed the moment I had her in my grasp, but I had spared her.
For one reason.
Because she had saved my son. Felix.
Killing her would have been too easy, too merciful. If I couldn't exact my revenge by taking her life, I would do something far worse. Something twisted.
So, I had simply erased her past and given her a new identity. The identity of my dead wife—the woman her father had murdered in cold blood.
When I told Daniel my plan, he had outright refused, his voice trembling as he swore he wouldn't do such a thing, not even at gunpoint. But a single click of my weapon against his temple had him bowing his head in submission, his resistance crumbling in an instant.
After the surgery, she had been transformed into the exact image of my Emily. Every detail, every feature, was painstakingly replicated to perfection.
But she had remained in a coma for nearly two months with no signs of waking up, so it explained why I had been caught off guard twice by this girl earlier. First, when I turned around to find her awake, her eyes locked onto mine with an emotion I couldn't quite place—something dangerously close to lust. And second, when she blurted out the word "daddy" without an ounce of hesitation, as if she had said it a hundred times before.
I stood there, frozen in shock, my head tilting slightly as I processed her words. It wasn't until Felix tugged at my sleeve that I snapped out of my daze.
"E-everything seems to be okay, your condition is surprisingly good. Do you feel any... discomfort?" Daniel stumbled over his words, his smile tight and forced as he glanced over the chart in his hand.
She didn't answer. Why would she, when she was too busy gawking at me with wide eyes, her fingers twirling around her hair as a faint blush crept to her face. She fluttered her lashes in what could only be her attempt at seduction, but it was clumsy, awkward—far from what she likely intended.
The most infuriating part of this entire nonsense was the boy curled up in her lap like some pampered cat. His smile was wide, almost dopey, as he gazed up at her with a lovesick expression, completely smitten. Meanwhile, her hand absentmindedly stroked his head, and at one point, I could've sworn I heard him purr.
"Dr. Daniel, is she okay? Her face is red—maybe she has a fever or something," Sebastian suddenly leaned in and whispered to him.
The sudden question startled Daniel, causing him to flinch, the chart slipping from his hands and landing on the floor with a thud. His eyes darted to Sebastian, who looked genuinely concerned.
"Don't lean so close when I'm busy having a panic attack here—you scared the shit out of me!" Daniel hissed, his voice low but sharp with irritation.
Sebastian immediately straightened, bowing his head apologetically as he adjusted his glasses, nervously pushing them back up the bridge of his nose.
I took a slow sip of my drink, deliberately ignoring Daniel's heated glare that was practically burning a hole through me. My fingers drummed rhythmically on the armrest as I tilted my head slightly, my narrowed eyes locking onto the girl.
"She's woken up?! Oh my God, this is bad. I'm going to jail when she finds out. I always knew associating with you would lead me straight to prison!" That was Daniel's response when I told him the girl was awake.
I poured myself another glass of whiskey, before shifting in my seat and letting my legs fall comfortably to the floor. I paused, then stood up, the rhythmic drumming of my fingers on the armrest finally coming to a stop.
All eyes turned to me as I walked toward her, my presence towering over the bed. My gaze, however, never wavered from her. I leaned in, my fingers gripping her chin with a force that made Felix quickly move away from her lap.
Her eyes widened in surprise, and she inhaled sharply, staring into mine. This was odd. Instead of the fear I had anticipated from being in an unfamiliar room surrounded by strangers, all I saw in her expression was a soft blush.
"I-" She started to speak, leaning in closer, but with a flick of my fingers, I pushed her back, shifting my focus to Daniel.
"Run some tests again. It seems like she's completely lost it," I said flatly, not missing a beat. Daniel's eyes widened, and he blinked a few times in disbelief before rolling his eyes dramatically.
"God, Alexander. She just woke up from a two-month coma, and the first thing you say is that she's lost it?!" he scoffed, clearly frustrated.
"Y-yes, boss, that's a bit extreme," Sebastian muttered quietly, before flinching as I shot him a sharp look.
I was about to speak when a soft, hesitant voice interrupted me. "Wait! Did you say I had just woken up from a two-month coma?"
I turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow as I watched her point to herself in disbelief, blinking rapidly as if trying to process the words.
"You haven't told her yet?" Daniel asked, staring at me like I was some kind of idiot.
I shrugged, taking another swing of my drink, before lazily gesturing toward Daniel as if to say, You handle it.
"Of course, you haven't. I always have to do everything around here." He muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration before taking a step forward.
"Yes, ma'am," he said, addressing Valentina, his tone surprisingly gentle. "You've been in a coma for two months. You were in a car accident; your car had been hit by a truck. It's a miracle you even survived." He paused, giving her a moment to process the information.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, and then she simply nodded, her hand absentmindedly rubbing Felix's head, who had settled back in her lap, his gaze fixed on her as if she were the only thing that mattered in the room.
"And—there's something else…" Daniel began, but Valentina raised her hand in the air cuting him off, her voice steady but curious.
"Can I ask just one thing?" She asked, her eyes locked on Daniel, and her head tilting slightly as if weighing the question.
"Y-yes, of course," Daniel stammered, offering a nervous smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "You can ask anything you want."
But as soon as the words left his mouth, his smile faltered, his eyes going wide with surprise at what came next.
"Thank you," she said, her tone oddly calm. For a brief moment, her eyes flickered to me before speaking.
"Can you tell me... what my name is?"
Everyone froze and after a long, suffocating silence, Daniel and Sebastian exchanged wide-eyed glances, their mouths hanging open in disbelief at her question.
"Oh my God," Daniel muttered under his breath.
The corners of my lips curled into a smirk as I studied her, my gaze never leaving her face.
Hmm, interesting