Chapter 86: A Daughter

​The woman leaned one hand on the oak desk, her long, manicured nails clicking against the wood. “The rumors about the king’s new… interest,” she said, letting the word hang in the air. “I am Bianca, the Head of Design. I’ve worked by Alaric’s side for ten years. I’ve seen many women try to catch his eye, but usually, they have a certain… pedigree.”

​She smiled, but it didn’t reach her cold eyes.

​”You’re quite a surprise, Sofia.”

​Sofia felt the familiar sting of judgment, but this wasn’t the mansion, and she wasn’t a prisoner. She looked Bianca directly in the eye, her voice steady. “The King hired me. I’m here to do a job, not to fulfill a rumor.”

​Bianca’s eyebrows arched in mild amusement. “Is that right? Well, ’logistics’ can be a very demanding role. I hope you’re as good with numbers as you are with… distractions. I’d hate to see the production of our Royal silks suffer because the King’s new assistant was too busy being ’presented’.”

​She straightened up, smoothing her skirt. “I’ll be sending over the design specs for the winter collection. Make sure they are filed by one o’clock. Welcome to the team, Sofia. Try to keep up.”

​Without waiting for a response, Bianca turned on her heel and marched away, the sharp click of her heels echoing like a warning.

​Sofia let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Her hands were trembling slightly, but she clenched them into fists. She wasn’t going to let a designer in silk intimidate her.

​Suddenly, another woman appeared in front of her. The woman who stood before Sofia now was different from Bianca. While Bianca was sharp and professional, this woman carried an air of bitter entitlement. She wore a tailored emerald dress and enough jewelry to suggest she held a significant position—or at least, she thought she did.

​Beside her, a young girl was a breath of fresh air. She had Alaric’s green, piercing eyes but a much softer smile. “I love your hair!” the girl chirped, looking up at Sofia with genuine wonder. “It looks just like Mommy’s.”

​Sofia’s heart melted instantly, her defensive walls dropping for a second. “Thank you, sweetheart,” she smiled warmly. “That is the kindest thing I’ve heard all day.”

​The older woman’s face contorted into a brief, icy glare before she smoothed her expression into a fake, tight smile. She patted the girl’s shoulder. “Run along to Daddy, Serena. He’s been waiting for you.”

​The girl didn’t need to be told twice. She gave Sofia one last wave and dashed toward the large mahogany doors. She didn’t knock; she pushed them wide open and disappeared inside.

​Daddy?

​The word echoed in Sofia’s mind, leaving her breathless. She knew Alaric was a widower, but she hadn’t realized there was a child. A daughter. A wave of sudden, strange insecurity washed over her. What was she thinking? Of course, he would have a child. Of course, his life was more complicated than just a workplace crush.

​The woman’s voice snapped Sofia back to a much harsher reality.

​”I believe you are the slut Alaric is fucking,” the woman said, her voice dripping with hate. She eyed Sofia’s curves with blatant jealousy, her lip curling in a sneer. “What on earth did he see in you? You’re… common. I have been by his side for five years, supporting him, and yet he brings a scandalized outcast into his inner circle?”

​Sofia’s blood ran cold, then turned to fire. “I am his employee,” she began, her voice trembling with a mix of shock and rage.

​”You are a distraction,” the woman hissed, stepping closer. “I am Lady Genevieve. Don’t think for a second that a few nights of pleasure will make you his wife.”

​”Genevieve!”

​The roar came from the doorway of the executive office. Alaric stood there, his frame filling the entrance. His face was a mask of pure, unadulterated anger. He didn’t look like the gentle man who had kissed Sofia’s hands minutes ago; he looked like a predator ready to strike.

​Serena was peeking out from behind his leg, her small face confused by the sudden tension.

​Alaric stepped into the suite, his gaze sweeping over Sofia’s pale face before locking onto Genevieve. “Genevieve. In my office. Now,” he commanded.

​Genevieve’s face paled, her haughty expression crumbling for a heartbeat before she straightened her posture and walked past him with a sharp, defiant tilt of her chin. She disappeared inside, and the heavy mahogany door slammed shut.

​Sofia stood frozen at her desk. Her mind was a whirlwind of confusion and questions. Genevieve wasn’t a nanny; she didn’t even look like staff. She was dressed like royalty, carrying herself with a practiced grace that showed she came from royalty.

​Ten minutes passed. Sofia tried to focus on the folders in front of her, but all she could hear was the muffled, low vibration of Alaric’s shouting. When the door finally swung open, Genevieve stormed out. Her face was flushed with a mixture of rage and humiliation. She didn’t spare Sofia a glance this time, but her grip on little Serena’s hand was tight.

​Serena looked back, her green eyes wide and confused by the sudden atmosphere, but she managed a small, brave smile for Sofia. “I’ll see you again!” she called out, her voice sweet and innocent, before being hurried away toward the elevators.

​The suite fell deathly quiet. Then, Alaric’s voice came from the shadows of his office, weary and rough. “Sofia. Step inside.”

​Sofia walked in, her heart hammering against her ribs. Alaric didn’t stay behind his massive desk. Instead, he stood up and leaned back against the edge of it, crossing his muscular arms. As she approached, he reached out, his large hands settling firmly on her waist, pulling her into the space between his knees. The heat from his body was immediate.

​”What did she say to you?” he asked, his voice a low growl of concern.

​Sofia looked at his silk tie, refusing to meet his eyes. “Nothing,” she whispered. “It doesn’t matter.”

​He let out a long, heavy sigh, his thumbs brushing against the fabric of her blouse. “That girl… Serena. She is my daughter. My only child with my late wife.”

​Sofia looked up then, her gaze softening. “She’s lovely, Alaric. Truly. She seems so kind.”

​A ghost smile touched Alaric’s lips, though it was tinged with sadness. “She is like her mother. Too good for this world, sometimes.” He paused, his expression hardening as he returned to the topic of the woman who had just left. “And the lady is Genevieve. She is my late wife’s younger sister.”

​Sofia felt a cold pit form in her stomach.

​”Our families… they are pressuring me to marry her,” Alaric confessed, his voice tight with frustration. “They argue that she would love my daughter as her own. That Serena is practically her blood, and no woman will love my daughter more than she could.”

​He looked deeply into Sofia’s eyes, his grip on her waist tightening as if he were afraid she would run.

​”But I cannot marry her, Sofia. I have spent five years telling them no. I feel nothing for her but the obligation of a brother-in-law. And after meeting you…” He trailed off, his forehead dropping to rest against hers. “I finally understand why I was waiting.”

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