Chapter 26

Ihad changed into my sweats and was ready to settle in for an action-packed movie in my media room when my phone beeped. I hoped it was going to be Isadora telling me everything was okay with her daughter. She had been pretty worked up when she left.

It was a text from Isadora. "I need to talk to you."

I sat up a little straighter and hastily typed out a reply. "Is everything okay?" I asked, anxious for her response. What could possibly be wrong? My mind raced with a multitude of possibilities. I hoped her daughter wasn't hurt or something.

Her response came swiftly yet offered little reassurance. "Everything is fine, I just need to talk to you. Can you come over?"

Without hesitation, I replied with a simple "Of course."

I left my drink that I had only had a sip of and grabbed my wallet and keys. I felt a sense of urgency to get to her. I didn't know what was wrong, but if she needed me, I was going to be there. The fact she called me to be there for her told me our relationship was growing. I hoped it would get even stronger.

When I arrived at Isadora's apartment building, my heart skipped a beat at the sight of her coming out of the lobby. Her face was drawn, her eyes red-rimmed from tears. My heart clenched with concern at the sight of her distress.

She opened my car door and slid into the passenger seat. "Isadora, are you okay?" I asked, my voice filled with concern as I searched her face for answers. "Is Sloane okay? Do we need to go somewhere?"

Tears welled in her eyes as she met my gaze. "I just needed to talk to you," she murmured, her voice trembling with emotion. "Sloane is fine. Kind of."

"Kind of?"

"Can you park somewhere? This is going to take a minute."

I quickly navigated the Porsche into an open spot and turned off the engine. I turned to her, giving her my full attention. "Do you want to go get some coffee?"

"No." She shook her head. "We need privacy."

I had a feeling this was not going to go well for me. I remained stoic, but inside, my heart was racing. If she told me she was going to quit or she didn't want to see me anymore, I had to keep my cool. "Are you okay?" I asked her.

She stared out the window, looking absolutely lost. I didn't push. I let her take the time she needed to tell me what was on her mind. I suspected this might have something to do with our past. She had been fine at dinner, but maybe she wasn't okay with my explanation about why I left. While I watched her, I debated how much I was going to say to her if she did ask for more details. Could I tell her the truth about her father?

"Everything has been so good between us," she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "And now, I don't know what's going to happen."

I squeezed her hand gently, my heart breaking at the sound of her anguish. "Isadora, just tell me what's going on," I urged, my voice soft with concern. "I'm here. I'm not going to run off. I know I have to prove it to you, and I will. Things are good between us. I want to make this work between us. What's really going on?"

Taking a deep breath, she composed herself, her tear-streaked face turning to meet mine. "Sloane discovered who her father is tonight," she confessed, her words heavy with regret.

"Oh," I said. That was not what I expected. "She didn't know before?"

"No." Isadora smiled and shook her head. "I didn't tell her because I didn't think he would ever be in her life."

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

Isadora withdrew her hand from mine, turning in her seat to face me fully. Something big was coming. I braced myself, wondering what the hell was going on. Dread settled in the pit of my stomach as I braced myself for the truth.

"The thing is, I have to confess something to you now," she began, her voice trembling with emotion.

Instantly, realization dawned on me, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place with startling clarity. "You never told me how old she was exactly," I said, the truth hitting me like a ton of bricks. My mind raced and my stomach was a bundle of nerves. My ears felt hot. I knew what was coming, but there was a tiny part of me that hoped it wasn't true.

Fresh tears welled in Isadora's eyes as she met my gaze. I could see her vulnerability, but I was far less sympathetic than I had been a minute ago. "I didn't know how to tell you," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "After that one night we had, you left, and then I found out I was pregnant. I didn't think you'd want anything to do with us after I never heard from you again. And I never imagined I'd find you, or like you like I do."

I ran a hand through my hair, her confession sinking in with a heavy finality. The surprises seemed to keep coming, each one more shocking than the last. "So, you're telling me that your daughter is also my daughter?" I asked. Even saying it felt odd.

Isadora nodded, her eyes searching mine for a response. The enormity of what she had just revealed felt like an elephant on my chest. It left me grappling with emotions I didn't know how to process. I sat there in stunned silence.

All this time, I had refused to entertain the possibility, pushing aside the nagging doubt that had lingered in the back of my mind. But now, faced with the truth, I couldn't deny it any longer. When I saw the girl on the video call, it had been for a split second, but I had felt something. And then when I saw her outside the rec center, there had been something oddly familiar.

"So, she's what? Fourteen now?" I finally managed to choke out, my voice thick with disbelief.

Isadora nodded solemnly, her gaze fixed on me. The reality of it all hit me like a ton of bricks, a wave of emotions crashing over me. I had always dreamed of being a father, of having a family of my own, and now I learned that I already was one. How could I have been so blind? I had a daughter, and she didn't even know me. I didn't know her.

"You've known for fourteen years," I said, my voice barely above a whisper as I struggled to come to terms with the truth. "And you even started working for me and didn't tell me?"

"I was going to," she said. "I was just looking for the right time."

"Bullshit."

"I know it sounds bad," she said.

"It is bad. You dangled her in front of my face."

"That wasn't my intention," she said, sighing. "It wasn't meant to be cruel."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked. "Was this your way of getting back at me?"

"No. Definitely not."

"Then what the hell were you doing?" I asked.

"I was so hurt when you left," Isadora confessed, her voice trembling with emotion. "I felt like I had to protect her, to shield her from the pain of knowing that her father had abandoned me without a word. I never thought in a million years I'd see you again."

As she spoke, guilt tugged at my heart. My actions had caused her immeasurable pain. I had never stopped to consider there could be any lasting fallout. If I had known she was pregnant, I wouldn't have left.

"You never looked for me?"

"No," she answered.

"Then how in the hell did you end up as my assistant?" I snapped.

"It's true what I told you about my father. I quit and went home and was looking for a job. I saw your name and I don't know what came over me. I applied to work at your company as a joke."

"A joke," I repeated.

"Not that you were a joke, but I guess I was curious. I wanted to see who you were after all these years. I wanted to know if you had a family and just who you turned out to be. I figured we might see each other at the interview and catch up a little."

"It's not like you couldn't have found me years ago," I muttered.

"I know," she sighed. "I know that."

"Why now?" I asked.

"I didn't expect to like you," she continued, her voice soft with regret. "But I do. I really like you. I'm sorry."

"You didn't expect to like me?"

"I was mad at you for a long time," she murmured. "I didn't think I would ever get over how you disappeared."

I knew that there were no easy answers, no quick fixes to the mess we found ourselves in. I struggled to find the right words. "What do you want from me now?" I asked, my voice strained.

Isadora's gaze met mine. "Sloane wants to meet you," she replied softly. "Not tonight, of course. But soon."

The thought of meeting my daughter sent a surge of conflicting emotions through me. On one hand, I longed to connect with her, to bridge the gap that had separated us for so long. But on the other hand, I couldn't shake the anger and betrayal that consumed me.

"I want to meet her too," I said, my voice laced with a bitterness I couldn't suppress. "Better late than never, right?"

"I understand if you want to stop our relationship," she said quietly.

I nodded in response, unable to find the strength to argue against the inevitable. "I think that's probably best," I agreed.

Isadora's tears fell freely. Guilt tugged at my heart. Yet beneath the guilt and regret, there was a righteous anger at the betrayal I had endured. She had kept my daughter from me. She never gave me the chance to even reject my own child—as if I would have done that.

"I understand," she said and cleared her throat. "I'm going to give Sloane your number. And let her decide what she wants to do."

"If she doesn't want to meet me, I'm supposed to just let it go?" I asked incredulously.

"No, but I would ask you to give her some time to process all of this."

"If she doesn't reach out, I will," I said firmly.

"I understand."

As she got out of the car and quietly closed the door behind her, I was left alone with my thoughts. I couldn't believe this. I had been a father for fourteen years. I had a daughter.

The realization left me gutted and confused. What if my daughter hated me? What if she needed me all those years, and I wasn't there for her? The loss and regret left me shaken to my core. How could Isadora have thought so little of me to not even tell me she was pregnant? Was she ashamed of me? Did she see me as unworthy of being a father to her daughter?

Was she right?