Page 21 of Scarred Ruin
Over the years and especially since becoming Pakhan, I’d learned to spot a liar ten feet away. But the reason wasn’t because of my business or responsibilities to my employees. Everything I did was for my daughter.
I’d invited Isabel into my house for one reason only.
Saving my daughter from certain torture and death.
For that alone the lovely woman had gained a certain amount of respect. The rest would be earned. If she was anything other than what she appeared, she would face my wrath like anyone else.
Seeing Isabel’s face, the instant reaction when Mina had come crashing into the room had not only warmed my heart but also provided evidence and corroboration my instincts about Isabel weren’t wrong.
I’d gone into the gala thinking I’d expose her deceit but had left with a raging desire that had yet to abate. The moment I’d opened my front door I’d been unprepared for her immediate confrontation. As if I’d insulted her intelligence.
It had taken extreme self-control to keep from pinning her against the wall and making full use of my rock-hard cock.
“That’s you and Papa and that’s my puppy. The one I want.”
Mina had taken all of thirty seconds to grab the drawing she’d made over a week before, beaming when she presented it to our guest.
“Oh, my goodness. That is…” Isabel tilted her head toward me. “You are a very talented artist. I do mean very talented. Has your daddy told you that?”
I chuckled while breathing in the chardonnay I’d selected. Something else I’d already enjoyed about the afternoon was seeing the instant expression of shock on Isabel’s face. Not from seeing my house or the beach setting, but because I’d forgone wearing a suit. Little did she know I wore them only when necessary.
“Papa told me I could be anything I wanted to be.” Mina giggled and as always when I heard her voice, the sound gripped my heart, shredding it just a little more than before.
Isabel studied me briefly as she’d done before, the pain in her eyes another indication she’d already dug deep into my soul. Evidently, I’d left the window open. Maybe she’d caught a glimpse of the emptiness.
I resisted making a sound as Mina’s little voice captured the moment.
“What kind of dog?” Isabel asked.
“See? He’s big, black, and shiny.”
“He looks like a labrador retriever. I used to have one as a little girl. He was my best friend.”
“Ah!” Mina gasped, her excitement addictive. She jumped up and down, even spinning in a circle. “See, Papa? I told you. I told you.”
“And what did you tell your papa?”
“That you were an angel and angels don’t lie. Papa said lying is a sin. I never lie.”
Isabel’s reactions around my daughter were natural, so easy it was as if she’d known my little girl her entire life. She brushed hair off Mina’s shoulders, peering down with a look on her face that showed my sweet girl she was the most important person on Earth.
“Your papa is right. Lying is very bad.”
Mina nodded several times and it was so obvious she’d allowed Isabel into her tiny world. A little girl craving friends.
No, she was missing her mother.
“Please, Papa. Can I have a dog? I promise I’ll take care of him. Izzy said it was a good idea.”
“Oh, Izzy said, huh?” I couldn’t help but laugh. For a few minutes, the years of suffering faded.
“Don’t blame me, but having a dog is very good for a child’s imagination and the pup becomes a teaching tool about love and empathy. Plus, pet ownership is a wonderful responsibility in a way that doesn’t seem like work.” Isabel’s smile could light up a room.
“Papa. Please? Please? Please?” More hopping and she finally jumped to where I was standing, peering up at me with her sweet cherub face.
I placed my hand on her head, trying my best to hold my shit together. “We shall see. Now, why don’t you go to your room and play for a little while I have a chat with Isabel. Lunch will be ready soon.”
Mina’s sigh was exactly like her mother’s had been. Dramatic and always able to make a point. “O-kay, Papa.” Her scrutiny was far worse than anything I’d experienced from anyone else before.
