Strangers In Romance

Chapter 6: Reasons

Via Sinclair

Calista was keeping something from me, I knew it in my heart. That was my issue. Of course the thing about her having a new girlfriend didn't bother me in the slightest.

But as she left, why had I sagged on the floor, my heart like a dying bird? It wasn't like we loved each other. A simple fuck was what it was, right? Yet the constriction in my throat as I imagined her wrapped up in another woman's arms was choking me.

When Calista left, was she already thinking of being with that other woman, doing crazy things?

No, I had many things to do. This was a distraction. I had a child to feed. A shop to ran. A father to speak to.

As if on cue, my cellphone blared, and I answered. "Darling!"

Oh God. "P-Papa," I stammered..

"I'd been trying to contact you. Theodore said you'd been at the hospital?"

"I—"

"What hospital?" he cut off. "Were the staff good to you? Because if not. . ."

"Yes," I answered quickly, knowing what could happen. Dad was too much sometimes. Okay, all the time. The staff wouldn't want his presence anytime soon.

"And Theodore said you had constipation?"

I froze. Would Papa catch the lie I came up with? I had made sure the CCTV video working in the emergency room when I gave birth was erased so nobody could find out. But Papa could have talked to those doctors though!

"You take after me." Papa laughed after a second, making me almost gag in relief. "Even your stomach was borrowed from our bloodline, darling. Good job on such wondrous constipation. We should celebrate!"

"Papa. . ."

"What color was your poopy?"

"Papa!" I warned.

"You're a true heir to our house anyway, is all I wanted to say," he segued.

But that only made me squirm some more.

"Someday, Via, you'll have everything that I'd worked for. You'll be great. Oh," he added. "I'm looking forward to seeing the house you got for yourself. You didn't leave me just to be homeless, did you? And Theodore had reported to me."

Oh no. . . I looked around the condo quickly when the call ended. Papa couldn't be here. What's more, he couldn't talk further to Theodore. Theodore would mention Catia. Dad would know that she wasn't my niece. He wouldn't know the kid!

I put a palm against my face. And if Papa found out. . . I gasped in horror. Dad was no ordinary man. In fact, people were, how would I say this, intimidated with him? I, for one, would be mortified if I wasn't close to him and I saw him.

Silently, I opened Catia's bedroom, the child sleeping in her bed. I needed to protect her with whatever was coming, even from myself. Even from Calista's indifference. And especially from my father.

Another call blared, making me shut Catia's door. Who was this number? It wasn't registered. "Hello?"

"Are you Calista's friend?"

"Who's this?"

"Erm, Arthur. I'm called Arthur, Calista's assistant. We actually saw each other last time in the Mayor's office? You came with the kid, right?"

I remembered the awkward, clumsy guy. He was I turned back from the door. "What can I do for you?" I asked.

"You have to help Calista."