Chapter 14 - THE FATHER WHO CAME BACK FOR MONEY
His name was Luis Reyes.
Elena hadn’t seen him in almost three years.
He arrived at the hospital wearing the same nervous smile she remembered.
“Elena.”
She stared at him.
“No.”
“I just want to talk.”
“No.”
“Mia is my daughter.”
“You remembered?”
His face tightened.
“That’s not fair.”
Elena laughed.
“Fair?”
Damian stood beside her.
His arm was in a sling.
He had discharged himself early against medical advice.
Elena hated that.
She also knew nothing could have stopped him.
Luis looked at Damian.
“This is between me and my wife.”
“Ex-wife,” Elena said.
“We’re not officially divorced.”
“Because you disappeared before signing the papers.”
Luis looked embarrassed.
Then defensive.
“I made mistakes.”
“You vanished.”
“I was struggling.”
“You stopped sending child support.”
“I lost my job.”
“You stopped calling.”
“I was ashamed.”
“You missed every birthday.”
Luis looked away.
Elena’s voice lowered.
“You don’t get to call that shame anymore.”
He swallowed.
“Vanessa contacted me.”
“I know.”
“She said you were planning to keep Mia away permanently.”
“So she paid you?”
Luis’s face gave him away.
Elena laughed bitterly.
“How much?”
He didn’t answer.
“How much was your daughter worth?”
“Ten thousand.”
Damian’s jaw tightened.
Elena went completely still.
Ten thousand dollars.
That was what it took.
Luis stepped closer.
“I didn’t know what Vanessa was doing.”
“You took money.”
“She said she was helping me hire a lawyer.”
“To take Mia.”
“I’m her father.”
“You are biologically related to her.”
His face hardened.
“You can’t keep me from her.”
Elena’s stomach dropped.
There it was.
The real reason.
“You’re threatening custody.”
“I have rights.”
Damian stepped forward.
Luis looked at him.
“And who the hell are you?”
Damian’s voice stayed calm.
“The man telling you that threatening the mother of your child in a hospital hallway is a poor legal strategy.”
Luis scoffed.
“You sleeping with my wife?”
Elena slapped him.
The sound echoed down the hallway.
Luis stared at her.
Elena’s hand stung.
“Don’t you ever talk about me like I belong to you.”
Luis rubbed his cheek.
Then his eyes hardened.
“You’re going to regret that.”
He left.
Elena stood shaking.
Damian didn’t touch her.
He waited.
Finally she whispered, “He’s going to fight me.”
“Yes.”
“What if he wins?”
“He won’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
“No.”
Damian looked at her.
“But you won’t fight alone.”
Three months later, Luis filed for custody.
Then everything Vanessa had paid for came apart in court.
Bank records showed the payment.
Messages showed Vanessa coaching Luis.
A recording captured him asking for “another twenty grand” before he would testify that Elena was an unfit mother.
The judge was not amused.
Luis’s request was denied.
His visitation rights were restricted pending review.
Outside the courthouse, Elena sat on the steps and cried into both hands.
Damian sat beside her.
Mia climbed between them.
“Did we win?”
Elena looked at her.
“Yes, baby.”
Mia threw both arms into the air.
“Can we get cake?”
Damian laughed.
Elena stared at him.
“Do not buy her a thirty-two-hundred-dollar cake.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“You absolutely were.”
“I was thinking twelve hundred.”
“Damian.”
Mia giggled.
For the first time, the sound didn’t feel fragile.
Then Damian looked at Elena.
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
Her smile faded.
“What?”
He glanced toward Mia.
“Not here.”
May you like
That sentence followed Elena all the way home.
And by the time they reached the estate, she was convinced it was going to change everything again.
