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“In my line of work, I’ve faced countless dangers without fear. But when it came to you, to the possibility of losing you…I was terrified, Aria. I couldn’t lose you. Not like I lost your mother.”
His voice drops off into a sorrowful silence.
“You’ve lied to me about everything, haven’t you, Dad?” My voice shakes. “How about now, Dad? Are you lying to me now?” I spit out each word, raw and bitter.
“Aria, I’ve spent my entire life protecting you, keeping you safe,” he counters, his tone prickly.
“I needed a father,” I shoot back. “Maybe in your own twisted way, you do love me, but I’m done with your excuses.”
The words are like a knife to my heart. I still love him so much, and the tears start falling.
“And I don’t know if you care, but I’m staying here with Lucky,” I say, not caring how he reacts. “At least with Lucky, I know where I stand.”
“I’m so sorry, Aria. I’m sorry I hurt you. You were never supposed to find out. If you want to stay here with Lucky, I won’t stop you. I just pray that you’re happy and safe from the wickedness of the world.”
“I am happy,” I shoot back. “I’m going to figure out who I am and what I want from this world, and I’m going to do it with him beside me.”
I sniffle and wipe my face on my sleeve. “I have one more question to ask. I hope you can be honest with me. Is Morgan International a real company or an alias for your cover?”
My father takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “Morgan International is real. And no matter what happens to me, you will always be taken care of.” He produces a small metal ring from his pocket. “Now that my identity has been exposed, I can’t stay here, Aria. It’s too dangerous.”
He takes my hand, pressing the key ring into my palm. “This is to the safe deposit box at Centennial Holdings. You already have all the details. The box contains millions in cash, gold, and diamonds. It’s all yours now.”
I gasp. Millions? “You’re leaving. For good?”
“I’m leaving,” he nods. “For now. If you ever need to reach out to me, contact Agent Stiles.”
This is goodbye, and even though I am rightfully pissed off at him, this feels like goodbye forever.
“Daddy,” comes out as a sob.
“You’re strong, Aria. I’ve made sure of it, so I have no doubt you’ll thrive in this world, but if you stumble, I will come running. I swear it on my life.”
For the first time ever, I could see the depth of his love for me, the love he was never able to show. “What’s going to happen with Morgan International?”
“It’s yours. My lawyers will be reaching out to you, and you can do whatever you want with it now. Become legit in the shipping business or turn it into anything you want. I sold the house, the yacht, and the jet too, so you won’t ever have to work if that’s what you decide. The money’s yours.”
My mouth hangs open as I process his words. My father has given me an incredible amount of money. “Daddy. That’s a lot of money.”
He sighed heavily before responding, our gazes locked in intensity. “No amount of money can make up for what you went through, but maybe this will give you a better start in life.”
I nod, grateful that he’s leaving me in such a good position but sad that he’s leaving at all.
“Is Aria Cherise Morgan my real name?”
“It is. Your mother named you that. I was actually on a secret mission when you were born.”
Tears form in my eyes even though I knew this moment was coming. It’s time to say goodbye—for now—and hope it doesn’t turn into forever.
“Thank you, Daddy.” I wrap my arms tight around him and squeeze with all my might. “I love you.”
“I love you too, honey. Always. Forever.” He drops a kiss on top of my head and squeezes me one last time before he walks out without a look back.
I swipe away my tears and search the room for Lucky. He’s standing at the bar, eyes full of concern as they lock with mine. I nod and walk over to him, ignoring Coco yapping at his feet.
“You okay?” he asks, his voice low.
I smile and nod. “Yeah. I will be,” I tell him, planting a slow, hot kiss on his lips. “My dad just gave me a fuck ton of money. My head is spinning right now, and I don’t even want to think about it.”
