Chapter 2 - The Daughter Nobody Knew About
Rosa woke before sunrise.
For several seconds, she forgot where she was.
Then the sound of rain against the windows brought everything back.
She sat up in the guest room chair beside the sofa.
Sophia was still asleep.
Zeus was still there.
And Damon Cain was standing in the doorway.
Rosa nearly jumped.
“How long have you been there?”
“Long enough.”
She glanced at the clock.
“It's five in the morning.”
“I know.”
“Do you ever sleep?”
“Not much.”
He stepped inside.
Sophia stirred.
Damon stopped.
Rosa quietly whispered, “Don't worry. She sleeps through everything.”
Sophia's eyes opened anyway.
She looked at Damon.
“Is there breakfast?”
Rosa covered her face.
Damon looked at the child.
“What do you want?”
“Pancakes.”
“Okay.”
“With strawberries.”
“Okay.”
“And chocolate.”
Damon nodded.
Rosa stared.
“Mr. Cain, you don't need to—”
“I want to.”
The words surprised all three of them.
Damon left.
Sophia sat upright.
“Mommy.”
“Yes?”
“I like him.”
Rosa blinked.
“You've known him for twelve hours.”
“He's sad.”
Rosa's heart skipped.
“What makes you think that?”
Sophia shrugged.
“His eyes.”
Later that morning, Rosa discovered something stranger.
The private kitchen had three chefs.
None of them knew how to make pancakes.
Not properly.
One burned them.
One made them too thin.
The third produced something that could probably have been used as construction material.
Damon walked in, looked at the plate, and said, “They're terrible.”
Chef Marisol stiffened.
Sophia giggled.
“Can I make them?”
Everyone stared.
Damon nodded.
“Yes.”
Sophia climbed onto a stool.
Rosa helped her mix the batter.
Damon remained nearby.
He watched as though pancakes were a negotiation worth millions.
Then Sophia handed him the spoon.
“You stir.”
“I don't cook.”
“You can stir.”
Damon stirred.
Rosa tried not to laugh.
He glanced at her.
“You find this funny?”
“A little.”
“You should.”
She smiled despite herself.
Something changed between them then.
Not romance.
Not yet.
Something smaller.
Trust.
The kind that grew quietly.
By noon, the estate felt different.
Staff members smiled.
Guards relaxed.
Even Zeus stayed near Sophia.
Then a black sedan arrived.
A woman stepped out.
She was elegant, blonde, and wearing a cream coat.
She entered the house like she owned it.
Rosa had seen her once before.
Serena Cain.
Damon's younger sister.
Serena stopped when she saw Sophia.
Her face hardened.
“Who's the child?”
Damon appeared behind Rosa.
“My guest.”
Serena's eyes moved to Sophia.
“Why is she here?”
“Because I said she could stay.”
Serena looked at Zeus.
The dog was resting beside Sophia.
Her face changed.
“You've got to be kidding.”
Damon said nothing.
Serena stepped closer.
“Damon.”
“Serena.”
“You haven't let anyone near him in years.”
“She isn't anyone.”
Rosa's stomach dropped.
Serena looked at her.
“Who are you?”
“Rosa. I work here.”
“And this is?”
“My daughter.”
Serena's eyes narrowed.
“How convenient.”
Rosa stiffened.
Damon stepped between them.
“Enough.”
Serena's smile disappeared.
“You don't understand what is happening.”
“I understand perfectly.”
“No.”
Her voice dropped.
“I know what father left behind.”
Damon went still.
Rosa noticed.
“Serena.”
“You need to send them away.”
“Why?”
“Because Victor knows.”
The room became silent.
Damon's expression turned cold.
“Knows what?”
Serena looked at Sophia.
“Who she is.”
Rosa felt confused.
“I'm sorry?”
Serena walked toward the door.
“Ask your brother.”
Damon followed her into the hall.
Rosa stayed where she was.
But the housekeeper, Marisol, approached quietly.
“Don't worry.”
“What did she mean?”
Marisol hesitated.
“You should ask Mr. Cain.”
Before Rosa could answer, a loud crash came from upstairs.
Everyone looked up.
A second crash.
Then a scream.
Damon ran.
Rosa followed.
They found Sophia standing outside an old bedroom.
The door had been locked.
Inside was a tall mirror shattered across the floor.
Damon's face became grim.
“What happened?”
Sophia pointed.
“A man was here.”
Rosa's blood turned cold.
“What man?”
“He looked through the window.”
Damon examined the room.
The window was closed.
But muddy footprints marked the floor.
Nolan arrived.
“Sir?”
“Lock down the house.”
Nolan looked at Sophia.
She pointed toward the mirror.
“He went that way.”
Nolan looked skeptical.
Damon wasn't.
“Follow her.”
Nolan did.
Behind the mirror was a hidden passage.
Rosa stared.
“This house has secret rooms?”
Damon's eyes remained on the passage.
“Every old house has secrets.”
Sophia stepped closer.
“There's something else.”
She pointed down.
A tiny silver pin lay on the floor.
Damon picked it up.
His expression changed.
A black serpent engraved into silver.
He knew the symbol.
The Bellini organization.
An enemy syndicate that had been quiet for years.
Nolan's face darkened.
“They're back.”
Damon closed his hand around the pin.
“No.”
He looked at Sophia.
“They never left.”
That night, Damon told Rosa the truth.
Not all of it.
But enough.
“Sophia's father is dangerous.”
Rosa stiffened.
“What does that have to do with you?”
“Everything.”
“Is he after her?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Damon hesitated.
“Because she is my daughter.”
Rosa stared at him.
The room spun.
“What?”
“Sophia is my child.”
Rosa's voice broke.
“That isn't possible.”
“I know who she is, Rosa.”
She backed away.
“Then why did you let me raise her?”
“Because I didn't know where you were.”
“What?”
“I thought you left the city.”
Rosa shook her head.
“I never met you before I took this job.”
Damon looked at her.
“You did.”
She frowned.
“When?”
“Seven years ago.”
Then he pulled a photograph from his pocket.
A hospital.
A younger Rosa.
A newborn baby.
And Damon standing beside them.
Rosa's knees weakened.
“I don't remember this.”
“You were unconscious.”
“Why?”
“Because your car went off the road.”
She stared at the photograph.
The baby was Sophia.
Damon continued.
“I was told she died.”
Rosa's eyes filled.
“Who told you?”
“My father.”
Silence.
“And your father is dead.”
“Yes.”
“Then who lied?”
Damon's answer came quietly.
“I don't know.”
A gunshot cracked somewhere outside.
The window shattered.
Damon pulled Rosa to the floor.
Sophia screamed.
Zeus barked.
Nolan shouted.
Damon covered Rosa with his body.
“Stay down!”
Another shot.
Then silence.
Rosa looked up.
Damon was staring at her.
For one terrifying second, she realized something.
The man everyone feared was not afraid for himself.
May you like
He was afraid for her.
And for their daughter.
Related Stories
