Chapter 263

263 Wrapped around a tiny pinky finger

“How did you get Melanie to drop the suit?” Desmond asked later in the evening. They had made plans for dinner at his house, and Zaria had just arrived.

She placed her handbag on the couch tiredly and kicked off her heels, then joined him on the loveseat. “She did?”

“A few minutes ago.” He affirmed. “Grandma just called me.”

“Well that was fast.” She curled up into his arms. “I met up with her not more than an hour ago. Let’s just say I dragged her skeletons out of the safety of her closet.”

“You must have dug out the most influential ones.” He praised with a kiss on her forehead. Not only had Melanie dropped the suit, but she had also agreed to pretend that it was still on, all while rejecting the hush fee.

“I’m glad she is out of the way. Or at least she won’t cause any more trouble.” She let out the breath she had been holding. “It’s Nathaniel’s turn.”

“Skeleton has him on his radar.” He slid his hand under her blouse, palming her breast through her bra.

“So then he really is the mastermind.” She let out a breath in frustration. “I’m sorry.”

“Why would you apologize?” He frowned.

.....

She couldn’t even face him with the immense guilt she was feeling. “He is doing all of this to get to me. Or to my mother. I’m not certain who exactly he is targeting but you are getting the short end of the stick for simply being in a relationship with me. All this would not be happening to you. Angela would not have even showed up in the first place.”

“Then I wouldn’t know I have such an adorable daughter.” He countered.

She wasn’t in the slightest bit at ease. “That’s one way to look at it... for now. You do know that you would have found out anyway, right? Even if it would take years. This is a child we are talking about. Something would bring you together no matter when.

And you wouldn’t be having women sue you left and right to tarnish your reputation.”

“Hey.” He placed his thumb under her chin to tip it up so she would look into his eyes. “None of this is your fault. You are not to blame for anything your family does. Not in the slightest bit, okay?

And Nathaniel didn’t send Melanie to sue me.”

“He didn’t?” She was taken aback. If Nathaniel didn’t, then who did? Alyssa? Angela?

His lips twitched. “Melanie Foyer is an ambitious woman who simply saw an opportunity she couldn’t surpass.”

It made sense. “So many people know about the suit. But what would she gain from suing you for rape?”

“Money.” He was glad he hadn’t considered it a possibility earlier. “She was banking on the fact that I would never want such a charge to crawl into Angela’s lawyer’s file as a plausible reason why I shouldn’t be granted custody of Rosaly. It would take ages to prove my innocence-probably long enough to discredit me as a responsible parent-and she knew this. It would be safer for me to convince her to drop them.”

“By giving her money.” She bit out in disgust. The kind of things money made people do were repulsive.

“I don’t have to worry about her anymore, do I? Since you put her in her place.” A smile broke out on his face.

“You’re exaggerating. Zeus did most of the hard work.” His hand dug into her skirt and right into her panties.

“Wait. What are you doing?” She gasped when his finger came into contact with her wetness.

“Thanking you.” He hummed against her shoulder, muttering about missing her too much all day.

Alas, the door opened and stopped him right in his tracks.

She pushed his hand out of her panties in a rush and straightened her clothes right before Rosaly came bursting in through the door, with her school bag slung on one hand.

“Daddy! Zaria!” She ran up to them and threw herself into their arms, wrapping one arm around each of them and kissing their cheeks when Desmond helped her onto the couch.

Isabella walked in moments after. “She runs so fast! Sorry guys. I couldn’t keep her distracted for too long. She was missing you.” She laughed, taking in her grandson’s look. He must have been interrupted by their arrival.

“It’s okay. Thank you for taking care of her last night.” Desmond responded.

Isabella rolled her eyes at him. “How dare you thank me? She’s my great granddaughter, okay? And I would have had the chance to spend more time with her if you hadn’t been so brainless as to be unaware of the seeds you sowed.”

“Cut him some slack, Izzy.” Zaria spoke, but she was laughing at him for being scolded by Isabella. She pulled Rosaly onto her lap.

“Did you miss us so much? We missed you too!” She kissed both of her cheeks, earning an excited giggle.

The girl slid off Zaria’s lap and picked up her bag which she had dropped earlier, and then she dug into it to fish out colorful bracelets.

“I made friendship bracelets for you and daddy!” She chirped, holding up two beaded bracelets. She handed the purple one to Desmond, which had a “Daddy” and a heart shape formed by the white lettered beads.

“Daddy, this is for you.”

He looked down at the purple and white string of cuteness, his heart warming. “Thank you.”

“I’ll help you put it on.” She excitedly took his big hand, which made hers look pint sized in comparison, and put the bracelet around his wrist. When she looked up to excitedly show off her good work, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. Isabella took pictures of the moment. The camera she often carried around had finally come to the best use.

Rosaly then took Zaria’s hand and placed on it the remaining pink bracelet with a “Zaria” and a heart. “Will you be my friend forever? Laia said that’s what it means when friends give each other friendship bracelets.”

Zaria picked her up and hugged her. “For as long as I live, I will be your friend.”

“Stop it you two. Do you so badly want to see my ancient tears?” Isabella dramatically dabbed at her eyes.

“That would be catastrophic.” Remarked Zaria.

Desmond went upstairs and when he returned, he had a little box which he gave to Rosaly. “I have something for you too.”

“A gift? I love gifts!” She happily rolled off the couch to grab it from her father’s hand and opened it. Her eyes widened when she saw the bracelet inside.

The women took a peek and their jaws nearly hit the floor.

“Desmond!” Isabella reprimanded.

Best

“What?”

Zaria was shocked. Who gives a five-year-old a diamond bracelet at random?

“That bracelet is worth at least twenty thousand dollars.” Isabella whispered while Rosaly was too focused on the gift.

“And?” He asked, completely oblivious to the point she was driving at.

Her brows shot up. “For a little girl, that’s ridiculously expensive, don’t you think? It’s not even her birthday or anything. Don’t tell me you expect her to wear that as a friendship bracelet.”

“What matters is that she likes it.” He shrugged her off.

Isabella shot a pleading look at Zaria while he helped put the bracelet on Rosaly. “I’ll need your help with this.”

“Don’t worry.” She smiled back. There was nothing wrong with the gift in itself, but she did think it was more reasonable if he gave Rosaly something less expensive for her to wear on a daily basis. It would be a miracle if Angela didn’t rip it off her wrist to help her “keep it for an occasion that required it”.

____

When Evan dropped by later, he was baffled and nearly horrified by the sight of a purple bracelet on Desmond’s wrist. He had only ever seen him wearing ridiculously expensive diamond watches-and the golden watch Zaria had bought him which was his favorite. What was this out of character cuteness?

“Did Zaria make you wear that?” He pointed at the bracelet, bursting into a fresh bout of laughter.

Desmond was annoyed. “It’s from my daughter.”

“Oooh.” Realization hit him and when he glanced at the girl at the table, he finally understood. “Pfft. This is why I hate being attached to women. They either think it’s their job to organize your house into the order they like or put colorful bracelets on your wrist. You look like a princess!”

“Are you done?” Desmond nearly kicked him off the dinner table. It was already bad enough that he had come at the time when he had planned to have a candlelit dinner with Zaria. How dare he mock him?

“Actually, I still want to know something. Have you started playing the knight for princess abduction games yet?” He teased, even though he knew that his friend was currently wrapped around Rosaly’s tiny pinky. He would happily play whatever role she assigned him.

After dinner, he made a call while Desmond preceded him to the study. Right after the call ended, he was attacked by a bundle of cuteness.

“Do you wanna play hide and seek with me?” She blinked adorably.

“What?”

Rosaly hugged his legs, pleading with her puppy dog eyes. “Pretty please! Zaria is busy and Daddy went to the study. And when daddy goes there, it means he cannot play.”

He cleared his throat and was ready to reject her but when he met her sparkling, hopeful eyes, he relented. “Just one round. And when it’s done, you go to bed.”

Then he closed his eyes and let her run to hide, and searched the whole living room while pretending not to see her tiny feet peeking beneath the curtain. When he finally caught her, she lured him into playing several more times.

He shook his head and sighed helplessly. Little girls were fatal. No wonder Desmond was so charmed.