"Sofia..."
"I know Mommy says Daddy works far away," she continued, with a wisdom that belied her age. "But I think... you feel like the daddy I'vealways imagined. You're nice to me and to Mommy... and we look alike, don't we?"
I was at a loss for words.
This five-year-old girl, with her pure intuition, had voiced exactly what I'd longed to hear.
"Sweetheart," I said gently, stroking her hair. "It's... complicated."
"What's complicated?" she asked.
"Just... adult things that need time to figure out," I explained. "But I want you to know that no matter what, I'll always take care of you and your mommy."
She nodded, seeming to understand in her own way, then asked, "Will you stay with us?"
"I will," I said firmly. "I promise."
Sofia smiled contentedly and closed her eyes.
"I'm a little tired..."
"Then rest," I said. "I'll be right here."
A few minutes later, she drifted off to sleep.
I sat there, watching her peaceful sleeping face.
Such a young child, yet she'd said something so profound. Her heart was so pure, so direct...
And as for me...
I finally understood what fatherly love truly meant. Not possession or control, but an overwhelming urge to protect, to provide, to sacrifice everything for her happiness.
But this feeling didn't exist in isolation. Looking at Sofia brought Anna to mind—the woman who'd borne every responsibility, every fear, every burden all by herself. In the car earlier, when her voice trembled as she blamed herself, I'd wanted nothing more than to pull her into my arms and assure her everything would be alright.
For five years, she'd faced the terror of pregnancy alone, the agony of childbirth alone, the sleepless nights with a sick, crying child alone. And I... I'd been oblivious, done nothing.
That realization stirred a deep, intense longing—not just for her body, but to claim her entirely. I wanted to be the one byher side in the dead of night, the one she could rely on, the one ensuring she never had to face it all alone again.
I wanted her to be completely mine.
The desire was so powerful it made me realize that in those five years, no other woman had evoked anything like this. Tatyana and the others—they'd only satisfied physical needs. But Anna... she awakened something more primitive, more intense deep within me.
I wanted to possess her, to protect her, to make her understand she no longer had to shoulder those burdens alone.
Sofia was my daughter, and Anna... Anna was the woman I craved. They were inseparable, the complete whole I needed to claim.
I gently took Sofia's small hand in mine, glancing toward the door, waiting for Anna to return.
From this moment on, I would be a true father.
But more importantly, I would make Anna mine, ensure both mother and daughter belonged to me completely.
No matter the cost.
Chapter Thirteen
Anna
