Dante was sitting in his office, focused on a mountain of paperwork, when his phone buzzed. It was Marco. He picked up, his usual indifference in place until Marco’s words shattered his calm.
“Dante, it’s a girl. Isla gave birth early this morning,” Marco said, voice full of an excitement that Dante had rarely heard from him.
Dante froze, the phone pressed to his ear as he absorbed the news. “She… she had the baby?”
“Yes,” Marco confirmed, his tone softening. “You’re a father, Dante.”
A strange mix of joy and shock washed over him. For a moment, he simply sat there, trying to process it all. He had a daughter. His world shifted in an instant.
Without a second thought, he shot out of his chair, grabbing his coat and barking orders to his assistant to book the earliest flight. He was going to be there.
Meanwhile, in the hospital, Isla lay in her bed, looking down at the tiny bundle in her arms. Her newborn daughter was sleeping peacefully, her little fingers wrapped around Isla’s thumb. Isla couldn’t hold back a smile as she watched her baby, her heart swelling with a love so strong it almost hurt.
“You’re so perfect,” she whispered, brushing a gentle finger over her daughter’s cheek. “I’ll protect you, my little angel.”
But as the moments passed, her smile began to fade. Reality crept back in, clouding her happiness with worry. Dante had never been there for her, not through the pregnancy, and certainly not during the labor. Why would he care now?
“He didn’t even visit once,” she murmured to herself, her voice bitter and filled with pain.
She could only imagine how Dante might react to her presence now. And the more she thought about it, the more she feared he’d see their daughter as a burden. What if he never wanted to be part of their lives?
A tear slipped down her cheek as she gazed at her baby. “I can’t stay here,” she whispered. “If Dante doesn’t want us, I’ll find somewhere safe for us. Somewhere I can be the mother you deserve.”
Her mind raced with plans. She would gather her savings, keep her distance from Dante’s connections, and leave the city. She’d find a place where they could live in peace, far from the pressure and neglect she’d faced.
The door opened quietly, and Marco stepped inside, looking over at her with a warm but weary smile. “How are you feeling, Isla?”
She forced a smile, wiping the tear from her cheek. “Tired but happy. She’s everything I ever wanted, Marco.”
Marco glanced down at the baby with a soft expression, but there was a hint of worry in his eyes. “Dante’s on his way, you know.”
Isla’s heart skipped a beat, her voice caught in her throat. “He… he’s coming here?”
“Yes,” Marco nodded. “He seemed excited when he heard the news.”
Her gaze fell back to her daughter, uncertainty filling her eyes. “I don’t know, Marco… What if he doesn’t want us? What if he just thinks of her as some inconvenience?”
Marco sighed, pulling a chair closer to sit beside her. “Look, I know Dante hasn’t been the most attentive, but you haven’t seen how he reacted when I told him. He dropped everything to get here, Isla. That has to mean something.”
She shook her head, a tear escaping despite her efforts to stay calm. “But what if it doesn’t? What if he regrets it the moment he sees her?”
Marco placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Give him a chance, Isla. Just… see how he is when he arrives. Maybe he’s ready to be a father. People can change.”
Isla looked down at her daughter, brushing a hand over her baby’s tiny head, her heart torn between hope and fear. But deep down, she wasn’t convinced. She’d already endured months of feeling abandoned and isolated. Could she risk subjecting her child to the same?
“I have to think about what’s best for her,” Isla whispered, mostly to herself. “If he doesn’t want us, I can’t let her grow up feeling unwanted.”
Marco watched her with a pained expression, understanding the depth of her worries. “You do what’s best, Isla. But for now, rest. Dante will be here soon, and you can decide what to do after you’ve spoken with him.”
Isla nodded, though her mind was already swirling with plans. Marco left her to rest, but as she lay there, her thoughts wouldn’t let her sleep. She mentally went over her options, thinking of the places she could go, the people she could contact for help. She wanted a future where her daughter would be cherished and protected, even if it meant she’d have to do it alone.
Hours later, the soft murmur of voices and footsteps in the hallway caught her attention. She looked up as the door opened, and her breath hitched when she saw Dante standing there. He looked different somehow-an anxious tension in his expression, his gaze fixed on her and the baby in her arms.
“Dante…” she whispered, her heart racing as he took a hesitant step forward.
He approached her slowly, his eyes wide as he finally saw his daughter, his gaze softening in a way she’d never seen before. “Isla… she’s beautiful.”
Isla didn’t reply, just watched him cautiously as he moved closer. Dante’s hand trembled slightly as he reached out, gently touching his daughter’s tiny hand. When the baby’s fingers curled around his, a subtle smile broke through his usually guarded expression.
“She’s so small,” he said softly, his voice barely a whisper. “I… I can’t believe I’m a father.”
For a fleeting moment, Isla’s heart softened. But then the memories of the months spent alone, the silent phone calls, and the nights she’d cried herself to sleep resurfaced. She forced herself to look away, her resolve hardening.
“Dante,” she said, her voice firmer than she expected. “You weren’t there. You never called, never visited… I was alone.”
Dante’s face tightened with guilt, and he took a deep breath. “I know, Isla. I know I let you down. But I want to change that. I want to be here for you, for her.”
Isla looked at him, her heart aching with a mix of hope and caution. “Words aren’t enough, Dante. I can’t risk her growing up the way I did… feeling unwanted.”
He stared at her, searching her eyes for understanding. “Please, Isla. Let me try. Let me prove to you that I want this family.”
She looked down at her daughter, torn between her desire for a united family and her need to protect her child from disappointment. “I need time, Dante. If you want to be in her life, you’ll have to show it.”
Dante nodded, his expression filled with determination. “I understand. I’ll be here, Isla. For you and for her. I’m not going anywhere.”
As he left the room to give her space, Isla felt a glimmer of hope, but her doubts remained. She’d stay for now, let him prove himself. But if he ever showed signs of faltering, she wouldn’t hesitate to leave and build a life where her daughter would know nothing but love and security.