The Royal Contract

"Did you see any sign of my uncle?" Haley asked her assistant as soon as she entered her office.

She had been pacing her room all morning, wondering if her uncle had come up with new information regarding her situation.

After showing him the emails from her father, she hoped that her uncle and his connections could dig up something that would give her answers.

But, of course, she should also consider that her uncle might need more time before he could gather that information.

"Nope. Sorry." Trixie answered as she placed her freshly squeezed orange juice on the table and some snacks. "But I can check at the reception if he had dropped by or left a message for you." She offered.

"No. That is not necessary." She shook her head, looking outside her window, contemplating what to do next.

She knew her uncle would go to her directly once he heard something. Or he would call her but never leave a message with a stranger.

"Do you need anything else?" Trixie asked, but she only dismissed her, not wanting something else from her for now.

After her assistant had left, she returned to her work. She guessed it was the only thing that distracted her from her tension.

An hour later, she had buried herself in her designs, coming up with lines, curves, and assorted geometric shapes to create her new floor plans for the expansion building.

But voices snapped her out of her project, forcing her to look away from her computer screen and paperwork. Then, her eyes focused outside her door, wondering what the commotion was about.

"Trixie?" She called to her assistant, thinking that she must be talking to someone. Or more like arguing with someone from the tone of her voice.

But she could not understand the words since the closed door muffled the noise. Again, she wondered if it could be her uncle.

But then again, why would he be arguing with her assistant? Why would her assistant raise her voice?

Nonetheless, she did not wait long.

She received her answers as her office's door burst open, not more than a minute longer. Her eyes widened when her sight locked with two familiar ones.

He was certainly not the man she was waiting for and expected to see, but his presence had, without a doubt, hyped her heart to overdrive.

"How did you find me?" She calmly asked, but feeling both angry and terrified deep inside.

She was burning in fury to see the person who had lied to her about his identity. At the same time, she was also terrified of what would happen now that he had found her.

All her she thought she knew him. She had loved him and devoted her life to making him happy. But suddenly, her world turned upside down upon learning his secret identity.

He was not the best father she thought he was, but the devil, hiding behind the cloak of deception. She was glad she learned about his lies before it was too late.

However, she still feared for her life and her child, standing before the man who gave her life. But also the man that could take away her future.

"I knew you couldn't resist opening a file that had something to do with your beloved Gerald." Her father said, acting smug and arrogant.

Traits that she would never associate with him before. But now, it suited him more than the saintly life he pretended for her benefit and the people he tried to fool.

Still, she did not understand what those files had to do with her question. So what if she opened those emails?

"My tech guy planted a bug with the files. Once you opened it, your location became traceable." His father continued, again answering her question.

But then again, she was not a tech person. And she was not a fan of action or suspense movies to understand how this computer and new technology work.

"Ok. So, what now?" Haley asked her father, wondering what he had planned. Stay tuned for updates on M-V-L

She doubted she could escape him, especially in her condition. Besides, she could see the men in black coats escorting her father.

She could only assume they were his security, private army, or goons working under him, hired men to do his bidding.

"I thought I would surprise you. But it seems I am the one surprised." Her father walked further inside the room, scouting her workspace. Then, he finally turned to face her, moving closer until he stopped a few feet from her.

"I see..." He pointed to her belly. "I am about to become a grandfather, and you never mentioned that to me." His eyes scrutinized her face before traveling down her swollen tummy.

"I assume the child belongs to Gerald." He casually said as he stepped closer, extending his hand to touch her belly.

But she quickly stepped backward, avoiding his hand. She did not want the man touching her and her child. She would never let this man near her child as long as she was alive.

"That is none of your business." She finally spoke up with contempt, exhibiting how much she despised his presence. "And you have business coming here. There is my door. You know your way out. You are free to leave."

She turned away from him, ready to exit her office, but she felt his tight grip on her arm, stopping her from taking another step.

"Not so fast, my Princess." She felt her voice behind her ears as his breath grazed the skin, sending chills down her spine. "Is this how you welcome your loving father?"

She tried to pull her arm away from him, but he only tightened his grip on her, making it impossible for her to escape without struggling too much.

Her father had never hurt her before, not the entire time he raised her. He always had been considerate and kind. He always tried to give her everything she needed and more.

But now, she understood that was just an act to manipulate her. Her father needed her as his puppet to do his bidding. And she almost believed everything he had shown her.

"You are hurting me. Let go of me, Dad." She said as she stopped struggling and stood still as her father stood just behind her.

She used to love calling him Dad. She was proud to be his daughter. But now, she hated that his blood ran through her veins.

But as they said, nobody could choose who their biological fathers were. But everyone had the free will to pick who their family would be. At that moment, she wished she was not related to the man.

"Then, let us go home and forget all about this. Let me take care of you again like I always have." He told her as he put his hands on her shoulder.

She almost laughed at what his father said. Wait! She did laugh out loud. Her father's words sounded like a joke to her. It was so funny that she could not help herself.

She had to hold on to her belly, afraid she might hurt her baby. She had not laughed like this for a long time. It was freeing but sad at the same time.

"There is nothing funny in what I said." Her dad tried to interrupt her private musing, probably insulted that she was laughing at him.

"Forget this." She finally said when she had moderately calmed down. She occasionally chuckled, but at least she could form coherent words. "How?" She asked, knowing that was impossible.

She could not turn back time. She could never undo what she had learned about her father. She could never change him into the man that she thought he was.

"There is no going back, Dad." She shook her head, accepting the truth as it was. She was not lying to herself and pretending nothing had changed between them.

"You are a monster." She finally voiced out loud what was in her mind. "A criminal who deserved to be behind bars."

A big part of her wished this was just a horrible nightmare, and when she woke up, things would return to normal.

Sadly, this was her reality. She was not getting her father back. Whoever this man stood before her, he was not the father she knew and loved.

And from this point on, she had buried her father in her mind, never to see him again. And this man was just another criminal who wished to harm her and her child.

"Oh! Is that what you think?" It was his father's turn to laugh boastfully this time. "Well, I have news for you, my darling child." His voice suddenly filled the room.

She used to love hearing his laughter as it echoed in the entire house, bouncing in her ears, bringing her happiness and excitement.

But now, it only brought dread in her heart, afraid of what it might mean for her and her child. As of now, she had no idea what her father had planned. But one thing was for sure. It would be something against her will.

She could not help but hope that her uncle would suddenly show up and save her. But what could an overweight man do against those burly men standing guard outside her doors?

The last thing she wanted was to hear more lies from her father's lips. But sadly, she had no choice as she remained trapped in his hands.

"If you think I am a monster, then you are about to give birth to a more evil monster than I am."