The first sight that my eyes caught was that of Aurora.
My daughter.
My heart, my soul, my life, my everything.
Her baby-pink lips were in a pout, her striking green eyes matching the man holding her.
Adrian Pearson.
A heavy sigh of relief passed my lips as my knees almost buckled.
"Mumma," my baby chirped.
"Aurora"
I stretched my arms, and she immediately jumped into them. I hugged her so tightly I could feel her tiny heartbeat against mine.
"You scared me."
I blinked away the small tears forming in my eyes as I hugged her tightly. It felt like I had gotten my breath back.
"I'm sorry," Adrian said, running a hand through his hair. His black shirt clung to his frame; the sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, exhibiting the veins on his forearm. "I was missing her, so I thought of picking her up."
My heart was still beating fast in my chest. For a moment, I thought he... He took my daughter away.
"I even called you, but maybe you were occupied."
I closed my eyes for a second, trying to forget him, and the incident happened today. It was the first and last time I met him.
I swallowed hard as my heart contradicted my mind.
"Is everything fine, Cynthia? You are looking pale." Adrian placed his hand on my shoulder. His eyes were filled with concern.
How could I be fine when I saw him after years? His words, 'You will pay,' are still ringing in my head. I let out a breath and shake my head.
"I was just scared for Aurora. I thought..."
I looked down for a second. She is my life. Whenever she cries, I feel her pain.
"Cynthia," he took a small step forward. "She is safe. Just look at her."
I looked down at her. She was busy having her chocolate, which Adrian must have bought for her. She stopped when she saw that I had caught her and gave me a sheepish smile.
My adorable baby.
"Shall we go home now?" He asked.
I nodded.
Adrian sat in the passenger seat with Aurora giggling on his lap while I drove. My heart warmed seeing the two of them singing loudly and completely off-beat. Aurora loves Adrian a lot. She always lit up whenever he was around.
Once we reached our apartment, Adrian unlocked the door for me as I was carrying Aurora.
"I'll be back by five; till then, enjoy your time with your mum."
Adrian pinched Aurora's cheeks and kissed her temple while she giggled happily, getting showered with selfless love.
"Call me if you need anything," he added, looking at me.
I nodded with a soft smile on my lips, and he left. I let out a long breath and stepped inside.
Aurora told me everything that happened in her school while I fed her lunch. This is the best part of my day. This is what I live for.
And then comes the toughest part of the day.
Giving her medicines.
"No!" Aurora pouted, pushing the tablets aside and folding her tiny arms.
"You're my brave girl, right?" I coaxed softly.
"They're bitter." She scrunched her nose and stuck out her tongue.
Oh, my poor baby!
My heart clenched whenever I think about what my four-year-old is going through. She didn't understand why she needed them.
"Please, baby," I requested, "for Mumma."
Her eyes flicked between me and the tablet. After a few seconds, she had it with a big sip of water.
I sighed in relief, tucked her in bed, kissed her forehead, and read her a few stories. I didn't know when I slept with her.
I woke up with a jerk when my phone was constantly ringing. Slowly, I reached out for it. The call was from one of my staff members.
"Hello"
"Ma'am... ma'am, please come fast!" His voice was trembling. "The café… It's been attacked."
My blood ran cold.
"What?"
"Please, ma'am. Come quickly."
The call ended before I could ask more.
My heart was pounding in my chest as I shot out of bed. I tucked Aurora in properly, kissed her forehead, and rushed out.
On my way, I called Adrian, who thankfully picked up by the third ring.
"Hey, Cyn..."
"Listen, Adrian." I tried to control my racing heart and uneven breath as I talked to him. "Please reach the apartment now. Aurora is alone. Something important came up. I had to leave for the cafe," I told him everything in one breath.
"Yeah..." He sounded a bit confused. "But is everything okay?"
No.
"Yes, just... just get to her before she wakes up. Please."
"Don't worry, Cyn. I will be there in five minutes."
"Thank you so much, Adrian. You don't know how grateful I am for your..."
"Come on, Cyn." He cut me off. "Aurora is my daughter, too."
I swallowed down the emotions building in my throat and blinked away the tears stinging my eyes.
"Let me know if you need help with something else. Okay?"
"Okay"
I hang up. Once I was relieved that Aurora was in safe hands, I sped up.
My steps almost faltered the moment I reached the café.
My heart dropped in my stomach when I found so many people gathered outside. I immediately rushed forward and pushed through them.
A small gasp passed my lips when I saw the door half-hanging from its hinges. My heart tightened painfully in my chest when I looked around and found everything destroyed.
Furniture was shattered, the counter was smashed into splinters, and the coffee machine was crushed. I didn't have any more courage to look further.
My dream was in ruins.
All the savings that I invested were destroyed.
My insides felt more broken than my surroundings.
Slowly, my gaze lifted to find the staff standing in a corner. My knees buckled when I reached for them.
"Lily?" My voice trembled as I held onto her to keep standing.
Her eyes were swollen and red. Her hands were shaking so badly she couldn't even wipe her tears properly.
"Who did this?" My voice was barely above a whisper.
She swallowed hard and looked up, over my shoulder. Her eyes were filled with terror and disgust. I turned in the direction she was staring.
My heart stopped beating for a second, and my breath hitched in my throat when I saw him standing in the doorway with one hand in his pocket and another hand holding the broken nameplate of my café.
Lucien Vaughn