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I don’t.
But the resentment inside of me, this festering anger, I can’t contain it. My tone is icy cold now. “You had no right to keep my child from me.”
Eve steps towards me, and despite my fury, I can’t help but notice how her body filled out in just the right places.
“Oh, no?” she asks me, her tone pleasant. “We had a one-night stand, Zayn. I have every right to protect my daughter. Even from you.”
“You’re making me sound like I’m a depraved monster,” I hiss, enraged at the way she is portraying me.
Her eyes narrow into slits. “Take it as you will. But I am not going to subject Mila to somebody who doesn’t understand consistency or responsibility. You’re a playboy, Zayn. If you were in my shoes and you had a child to protect, you would be making the exact same decision. I don’t want her to see women going in and out of your life, like a revolving door. I don’t want you just to walk out one day, leaving her with questions because you got bored. I knew you for two years, Zayn. I know enough to know that you might be a fantastic lover, but you’re not exactly what I would call Daddy of the year material.”
I can’t dispute any of what she says because it is all true. Aside from my business interests and my friends, I am fickle with women, with relationships. If something isn’t interesting enough, I walk away from it.
I grew up in a house where my mother’s bedroom door was open to every man she could have. As a child, I saw men come and go. It hadn’t exactly left me unaffected.
But at the same time, I grew up without a father.
And as I stare at Eve, reality permeating through the confusion in my brain, I realize that I can’t let my child go through the same thing.
“Well, be as that may, I want to know her.”
Eve scoffs before realizing that I am serious. She gives me an incredulous look. “Zayn, you hate kids.”
I feel uncomfortable. “That one’s mine. I’m sure I could learn to like her.”
Eve grits her teeth. “And if I say no?”
I don’t hesitate. “I’ll drag you through the courts. I can sue for custody.”
My voice is cold, and I let her see that I am not going to let her deprive me of a chance to be in my daughter’s life.
I can see her face pale before she clenches her fist so tightly, that her knuckles turn white. “You wouldn’t.”
I watch her, steadily, not betraying the turmoil going on inside of me, as I say, silkily, “Want to bet?”
She is silent, and I count my heartbeats as I watch her study me, before she purses her lips. “Fine. You want to be that way, fine. But,” she covers the distance between us and drills her finger into my chest. “It’s going to be my way. Just because you’re some business tycoon, don’t think you have all the power in this situation. You have no idea the lengths I will go to in order to protect my daughter.”
I carefully remove her finger from my chest, correcting her, coldly, “Our daughter.”
She just glares at me.
I don’t have a chance to say anything further because my phone rings and I answer it to hear Agatha deliver the news of the arrival of Philip’s child.
I take a step back. “I have to go, but you and I, we’re going to talk, Eve.”
The corner of her lips curls in a sardonic smile, telling me exactly what she thinks of me. “Sure thing! Say hi to your friends for me.”
I can’t decide between strangling her or spanking her for that defiant attitude, making my blood stir against my will.
Eve may relent on letting me into our daughter’s life but if I know anything about this woman, she sure as hell isn’t going to make things easy for me.
2
Eve
“Mila, get down here. You cannot take your doll collection to school!” I say with a frown as I plate the eggs.
“Ron,
