Chapter 90 - But—

"We meet again," Emilio said to Madeline, glad that they got to talk, even though it was through a dream. 

"I just want to sleep without being disturbed," Madeline admitted, wondering why he wanted to speak to her at this time. 

"Let me return to sleep."

"I don't need you bothering me, can't whatever you have to tell me wait till morning?" 

"Seriously, I don't want much. I just want to sleep undisturbed."

"But it's important," Emilio insisted.

"It can wait."

"No, it can't."

"Yes, it can. No offense."

"None taken."

"But—"

"I'm locked in a room."

"I know that already," Madeline said, nodding. 

Frankly, she was too sleepy to look him in the eye.

"And he threatened to kill you if I left."

Madeline opened both her eyes just to stare at him. 

"Seriously?"

"You're telling me this when I'm trying to sleep?"

"I'm just worried," Emilio admitted. 

"Worried?"

Did Xavier really seem like the type of person to kill Madeline if Emilio took one step outside of his room? 

Madeline wondered if Xavier would really kill her, or if Emilio was talking all nonsense and bullshit. 

Xavier wouldn't… 

But… Emilio knew Xavier better than she did, whilst she barely knew the man. 

'He just told Emilio that so he'd behave and be on his best behaviour,' she told herself, knowing Xavier would never do such a thing.

And besides, he couldn't hurt her himself, so there was that too. 

'He could always get someone else to do the job for him,' Madeline reasoned. 

'But he wouldn't do that just because Emilio left his room… Would he?'

Madeline knew Xavier resented Emilio, but did he really hate him enough to threaten her life if he left his designated room? Was he really that… heartless? 

It didn't seem like something Xavier would say, he didn't seem like the type of person to threaten their mate's life. 

Then again, she didn't know what Xavier would say. As said before, they were beginning to get to know one another, there were still many things they didn't know about each other, and just as many things to find out. 

Madeline still had no idea of Xavier's dark past.

Hmm, it wasn't really a dark past as much as it was something he wanted to keep hidden from her so she wouldn't see him differently. 

Emilio definitely knew more about Xavier than Madeline did. He had been Eudora's alpha before Xavier, there must have been some things he knew about Xavier that Madeline didn't.

Secrets, trivial pieces of information, et cetera et cetera. 

Oh, if only Madeline knew half the things Emilio did. 

She'd definitely start seeing Xavier differently - or at least, Emilio thought she would. 

Xavier had told Emilio some things in confidence, and the others Emilio had found himself when he was still the alpha of Eudora, and when Xavier and him were still friends and or collegues. They never made a proper distinction so Emilio was left to wonder what they actually were. 

Not that Xavier would ever call and consider Emilio his friend. That was definite. 

The day Xavier admitted he ever considered Emilio a dear friend at one point was the day pigs began flying and cows began oinking.

"Thank you for your concern, but it really isn't necessary."

"Come on, Xavier wouldn't hurt me."

"You don't know him."

"I know that," Madeline admitted, nodding. 

"Although,  just because I don't know him doesn't mean you do."

"Ouch," Emilio said, placing a hand on his heart. 

Madeline rolled her eyes in annoyance. 

Why did he have to be such a drama king? 

'Thank god I'm not as dramatic as him,' Madeline thought, unaware she was just as dramatic as he was, if not more. 

"Is there something else you have to say to me or is that all?"

"Do you have to be so rude when talking to me? Just because you mentioned you wanted things to go your way doesn't mean you can talk to your father this way," Emilio told her, pouting.

Madeline narrowed her eyes before she sighed. 

"I guess you're right. I'm just grumpy when I'm tired."

"So am I."

'She got it from me.' 

He fought back a small smile threatening to form on his face. 

Oh hell no. 

Breaking the awkward silence, whilst rubbing her eyes, Madeline told him, "Goodnight. I'm going back to sleep."

"Goodnight," he said in return, waving at her. 

He didn't know the proper way to greet Madeline goodnight. 

Was he supposed to give her a kiss on the forehead? 

Bring her into an embrace? 

Tell her he loved - correction, love - her? 

Parenthood was so confusing. No, confusing was a major understatement. 

He simply felt grateful he got to spend time with her, even if the meaning of them spending tune together was a few minutes alone. 

It meant a lot to him, the fact that she'd give him a chance despite knowing the type of person he still was. 

Even Xavier hadn't, so he found it rather strange Madeline would welcome him with… open arms. 

Alright, Emilio had to admit, Madeline did not welcome him with open arms. All she did was give him a second chance, although that was more than enough for him. 

Even if Madeline didn't trust him. 

Even if Madeline seemingly disliked him, he'd be on his best behaviour so long as it meant he had a chance to get to know her and make up for all of that lost time. 

If Cornelia even thought that he wouldn't even try to get to know their daughter better, then she was about to proven very wrong. 

And someone needed to watch over Madeline. 

If Cornelia wouldn't do it, then he most certainly would. 

Geez, where was she even? Vacationing someplace else with a new boytoy, without him?

'Tsk, that woman.'

'Does she even care about me anymore? After she left me to rot in that cave and hid our daughter from me, she dares do such a thing?'

Then, there was another lingering thought in his head. 

One which entailed Cornelia not being Madeline's mother. 

Now why would Emilio think such a thing? Of course Cornelia was Madeline's mother, what with their uncanny resemblance and all the other similarities they had with each other. 

It was a no-brainer that they were mother and daughter; Emilio wondered why he had been so blind before. For a moment, he was under the impression that it was all a coincidence.

Anyone that knew or seen Cornelia could have taken one glance at Madeline and connected the dots. 

'Oh, they're mother and daughter.'

But, there was one slight problem.

Timing.

The timing didn't add up. 

There was no trace of Cornelia's blood anywhere. There was no way of telling if Madeline was actually her daughter other than the jarring similarities that were already there. 

And frankly, there was no catching Cornelia's attention. She was likely busy with other things, whether it was experimenting, or other things. 

It was also Madeline's excuse. 

'Why hadn't my real mother ever thought to visit me or check up on me? Oh, probably because she was too busy to, that must be why.'

Or maybe… She wanted nothing to do with her daughter. 

If she truly cared, couldn't she have freed some of her space to go and see her? 

That was far better than decades of continuous silence, which gave Madeline the wrong impression. 

Then again, she had foster parents growing up, so she thought her biological parents never wanted her so they gave her away to people who did.

Oh, how she was wrong. 

Her father never knew she existed; it was her mother who gave her away when she was a mere infant. 

[Author's Note: Just wanted to put it out there that Cornelia is actually Madeline's mother to prevent anyone from getting confused.]

Why did her mother do that? 

No one knew. 

Maybe she didn't feel ready and equipped enough to be a mother, or maybe she really didn't want a daughter. 

That was only for Cornelia to know, and for Emilio to find out. 

Emilio just wondered why hadn't Cornelia confided in him on what to do with Madeline. 

Something in his gut told him Madeline was Cornelia's daughter. She simply had to be. 

There was no one else but Cornelia in the picture. No one else but her he got together with. 

Emilio lied awake in the middle of the night, "Why did she keep Madeline a secret from me?" 

"Did she think I was unfit to be a father?"

"Alright, she has a good reason to think of me as unfit to be a father," Emilio reasoned, although that was no reason to hide Madeline's existence from him.

But… She knew him. Did she really think he'd do something to harm Madeline, his one and only daughter?

Despite everything he'd done, she was his daughter. Him and Cornelia's daughter. 

He wouldn't put her in danger… 

Intentionally, at the very least.