Page 101 of Abandoned By My Alpha Husband

You're still hiding behind "I need time."

But your heartbeat doesn't lie.

Every time you see him, your heart races. Every time he comes close, you can't breathe. Every time he says "I love you," your eyes sting.

You love him.

As dawn approached, I finally made my decision.

I would tell Anya. Tell her Lucifer wasn't just her "Dad" in name—he was her real, biological father.

And then... then I'd give Lucifer my answer.

Morning. Sunlight leaked through the curtain gaps, cutting long strips of light across the floor.

I fried eggs, toasted bread, and squeezed orange juice. Anya sat at the table, little legs swinging, humming some song she'd picked up somewhere.

"Anya." I set the plate in front of her and sat beside her.

"Yes, Mommy?" She looked up, mouth stuffed with bread, cheeks bulging.

I couldn't help but smile, reaching over to wipe jam from the corner of her mouth.

"I need to talk to you about something."

She swallowed. "What?"

I took a deep breath.

"Remember the... 'dad' who had dinner with us last night?"

"Yes!" She nodded hard. "Liam's dad! He was nice. He got me ice cream!"

"Right." I took her small hand. "But Anya, he's not just Liam's dad." I knew she called Lucifer "Dad" only because in her mind, Lucifer was Liam's father, and she just followed Liam's lead. She didn't really understand.

She tilted her head, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

My throat tightened.

"He's... he's your dad too. Your real dad."

Anya froze, mouth open, the bread dropping from her hand onto the plate.

"My... dad?" she repeated, voice small.

"Yes." I nodded, eyes already burning. "Anya, I didn't tell you before because... because of a lot of complicated reasons. Mommy and Daddy were separated, but now..."

I paused.

"Now I want you to know that 'Dad' isn't just a word. He really loves you. He really wants to be your dad. He wants to be with us. He wants us to be a family."

Anya looked at me, those gray eyes—identical to Lucifer's—thinking hard about something.

The living room was quiet except for the hum of the refrigerator and occasional birdsong outside.

"Then..." she said softly, "why hadn't I seen him before?"

"Because..." I bit my lip. "Because Mommy and Daddy had some misunderstandings. We were apart for a long time. But now those misunderstandings are cleared up."