Damian stepped into the mansion, his footsteps heavy as he entered the quiet house. The drive home had been long, his thoughts consumed by the events of the burial. He felt drained but relieved to finally be home. Aurora had gone up to rest immediately, and the house felt still, as though it were holding its breath.
He was about to remove his tie when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Damian frowned, pulling it out. The number was unknown. He hesitated for a moment before answering.
“Hello,” he said, his tone sharp and guarded.
“Mr. Wolfe,” a deep voice replied. It was calm, almost casual. “My condolences on your father’s passing.”
Damian’s brows furrowed. “Who is this?” he demanded, his grip tightening on the phone.
“You could say I’m someone connected to your world,” the voice continued, ignoring the question. “But more importantly, I’m connected to Aurora.”
At the mention of her name, Damian’s jaw clenched. “What do you mean, connected to Aurora?” he asked, his voice lowering dangerously.
The man chuckled softly. “Ah, there’s the fire I expected. You love her, don’t you?”
“What’s your point?” Damian snapped. “And who the hell are you?”
There was a pause on the other end, and then the man spoke again, his tone lighter. “I believe we’ve spoken before, Mr. Wolfe. At the meeting in your house, where we discussed the business deal. Does that ring a bell?”
Damian froze, his mind racing back to that night. The meeting had been tense, with high-stakes negotiations and unfamiliar faces. Slowly, the pieces began to fall into place.
The man continued, his voice dripping with satisfaction. “I’m Taylor.”
Damian’s breath hitched, his body going rigid. “Taylor,” he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. “Aurora’s… father?”
“Yes,” Taylor confirmed. “I’m the father of the woman carrying your child.”
Damian felt a wave of shock crash over him. He had never imagined that the man who had stood in his house that night was Aurora’s father. “You’re lying,” he said, his voice harsh. “If you’re really her father, why didn’t you say anything back then?”
Taylor chuckled again, a low, cold sound. “Timing is everything, Mr. Wolfe. I wasn’t ready to reveal myself then. But now, after seeing her in the hospital and learning about the child, I thought it was time to step forward.”
Damian’s head spun as he tried to process the revelation. “You’ve been watching her this whole time,” he said, his tone accusing. “Why didn’t you protect her? Why didn’t you stop what happened to her?”
Taylor’s voice turned serious. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, boy,” he said firmly. “I’ve done more to protect Aurora than you’ll ever understand. Leaving her and her mother was the hardest decision of my life, but it was the only way to keep her safe from my enemies.”
Damian’s grip on the phone tightened, his frustration mounting. “Safe? She was sold to Madam Elena, treated like property, and then brought here as my slave! Does that sound like safety to you?”
Taylor’s silence on the other end of the line was deafening.
“You failed her,” Damian continued, his voice filled with anger. “And now you want to show up and act like you care?”
“I didn’t call to argue with you,” Taylor said coolly. “I called to let you know I’m watching. Aurora is my daughter, and I won’t let anything happen to her or that child she’s carrying. Do you understand me, Damian?”
The warning in his tone made Damian’s blood boil. “You don’t get to give me orders,” he said through gritted teeth. “You abandoned her. I’m the one who’s been there for her. She’s mine now.”
Taylor let out a soft laugh, the sound taunting. “We’ll see about that,” he said.
Damian opened his mouth to reply, but the line went dead before he could speak. He pulled the phone away from his ear, staring at the screen in disbelief. His chest heaved as he tried to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside him.
Taylor. Aurora’s father. The man had been in his house, sitting across from him at that meeting, and he hadn’t realized it.
“Damn it,” Damian muttered, running a hand through his hair.
His mind raced with questions. Why had Taylor waited until now to reveal himself? What did he want? And how much danger did this man pose to Aurora and the baby?
Damian paced the room, his fists clenching and unclenching. He needed answers, but Taylor had made it clear he wasn’t going to give them easily.
“I’ll find out the truth,” Damian said to himself, his voice low but determined. “You can’t hide forever, Taylor.”
Taking a deep breath, he set the phone down and headed upstairs. Aurora needed to rest, and he wouldn’t let Taylor’s games disrupt her peace. But in the back of his mind, Damian knew this was only the beginning.
Taylor was watching, and that meant trouble was coming.