I was still her father, and I was not giving her up.
“This is so fucked up,” Cat muttered. “I can’t believe Eloise wouldn’t at leastmentionthat he might be the dad.”
“Because she knew it would devastate me.” Eloise was a lot of things, but she was not cruel. She made mistakes—we all did—but she did love me and only ever wanted the best for me ... whether she was in the picture or not.
I looked into my sister’s eyes as she stared into mine. “I don’t give a damn what the results are. She is still my daughter, and she is still your niece. That will never change.”
“I know, I know. I’m just ... I’m fucking worried. What if he manages to get visitation rights or something? What if you have no choice but to share her with that dipshit?”
“I am hoping it does not come to that.”
“Mr. Valdez?” The secretary stepped around a corner. “Mrs. Whitfield is ready to see you now.”
I stood, rubbing the palms of my hands over my jeans to get rid of the dampness. I looked at my sister again, and she looked right back at me, nodding to encourage me, but it was impossible not to see the apprehension in her eyes.
We walked through the hallway until we reached a spacious office with a view of the Atlanta skyline. A massive desk was on one side of the room, with a cushioned leather chair behind it.
Standing next to the desk was the family attorney I’d reached out to—Christine Whitfield, a tall, thin woman with blond hair pulled into a sleek bun and porcelain-white skin. Her lipstick was apple red, and she had electric-blue eyes that were a bit intimidating.
She was the best in Atlanta when it came to custody battles. She was also expensive as hell, but I wasn’t putting a price on this matter. I’d give up every fucking penny if it meant Aleesa stayed with me.
“Mr. Valdez.” Christine met up to me, stretching an arm and offering me a hand. “So lovely to meet you. Thank you for coming in.”
“Thank you for agreeing to squeeze me in to your schedule. And please, call me Javier.”
She smiled. “Javier it is.” Her eyes turned to Catalina. “And this is ...?”
“Catalina, Javier’s sister.” My sister took Christine’s hand and shook it.
“Lovely to meet you, Catalina. Please have a seat, both of you.”
We sat in the chairs on the opposite side of Christine’s desk while Christine plopped down in the large leather seat and cleared her throat. “Can I get either of you anything to drink? Coffee? Tea?”
“No, I’m okay.”
“Same,” Cat replied.
“Very well. So, let’s just jump straight into this. You mentioned a bit of your situation to me over the phone, but I want to understand the whole story. Your name is on Aleesa’s birth certificate, correct?”
“Yes, it is.”
“And I can safely assume you were there during her birth?”
“I was. I drove Eloise to the hospital and everything.”
“Okay, that’s good. That shows consistency.”
Cat cut in. “I’m sorry, but I have to ask. How can this guy just come in and try to take her away? She’s four years old now, and not once had he shown up before.”
“Well, Rafael claims that Javier’s wife may have purposely withheld that he could be the father, which means he never had a fair shot at raising Aleesa. Given the timing of it all, it makes sense that he would search for the truth—especially if he cared about Eloise. And now that the paternity results have proved he is Aleesa’s biological father, it gives him legitimation, which means he can request visitation and even custody rights.”
“That’s bullshit,” Cat muttered.
Christine was quiet a beat. “It is very much bullshit, but that’s the United States for you. The good thing is that we have been assigned a decent judge—one that looks at the best interest of the child and not so much biology. You have taken good care of Aleesa since she was born. You have the proof and four years of being a father under your belt. Aleesa, I’m sure, has been happy with you, and all she knows right now is thatyouare her dad. Introducing Rafael could potentially confuse her and lead to behavioral issues down the line, and that is the last thing the court wants for a child.
“Judge Dalton has a weak spot for children. She will only want the best for Aleesa, and anyone looking at this from the outside will know that Rafael getting any kind of long-term custody is harmful to Aleesa because he is a stranger to her. Custody, in my opinion, is out of the question. But visitation is a different beast, because if Rafael proves he is worthy enoughfor Aleesa to get to know on a personal level, the judge may insist that Rafael get the opportunity to visit her on a consistent basis.”
“I don’t want him to haveanythingwith her,” I grumbled. “I could not look at that man every single time he came and be okay. He slept with my wife. He ruined my life once, and now he is trying to do it again.”
