Chapter Four

Martha peeked from behind me, her eyes wide—then suddenly lit up like the stars had dropped into her lap.

“Daddy!!!”

Before I could stop her, she darted out from behind me and ran straight into his arms.

Theo dropped to one knee, catching her easily, his arms wrapping around her small frame like he’d been waiting a lifetime for this. A slight smile tugged at the corners of his lips, but his eyes—those dark, unreadable eyes—never left mine.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he said softly, his voice low and soothing, like a whisper meant only for her.

I stood frozen.

Everything inside me was screaming.

The last thing I ever expected was for him to walk back into our lives—especially like this. Unannounced. Calm. Sitting in my living room like he had every right to be here.

Like five years hadn’t passed.

Like he hadn’t watched our daughter grow up from a screen.

Martha, glowing, held his face in her hands like he was a miracle.

“You look just like in the calls!” she beamed. “Mummy, look—it’s really Daddy!” She giggled, her British accent light and musical, cutting through the thick tension in the air. “He’s real!”

She looked back at me, eyes shining with joy.

I couldn’t speak.

Not yet.

Theo’s gaze flicked from her to me again. He didn’t say anything more. He didn’t need to.

He was here.

In my home.

And just like that—

The past wasn’t past anymore.

I stared at him.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice low and tight.

Theo’s smile widened, clearly overwhelmed by the sight of Martha in the flesh. He held her tighter, brushing a hand gently through her curls.

“You’re even more beautiful than I imagined,” he whispered to her, eyes full of something like love. “So much like your mum.”

But I didn’t feel warm or happy watching them.

I felt cold.

The past slammed into me like a wave I couldn’t stop. My chest felt heavy, my hands shaking at my sides.

This wasn’t what I wanted. This wasn’t the plan.

Five years. I had lived five full years without him. Five years without his shadow, without the pain. And now he was here—sitting in my living room, holding my daughter like he still belonged.

He didn’t.

Martha’s joy was bright, too bright. She didn’t know the truth. She didn’t know how dark her story began.

To her, Theo was just the man she talked to on video calls. A face on a screen. A father who said he loved her, who promised he’d visit one day.

But she didn’t know what he had done to me.

She didn’t know that I had never wanted to be with him.

That I had begged him to let me go.

She didn’t know how he used my body like it meant nothing. That the only reason she existed was because he forced himself on me, again and again, until I broke.

She didn’t know that he took everything from me—my safety, my freedom, my voice—and left me with nothing but fear and a baby growing inside me.

I had been raped. Abused. Trapped.

And yet, I chose to keep her. I chose Martha. I chose to turn the worst thing that ever happened to me into something good.

Something beautiful.

And I promised myself—promised—that I would never let him near her. Not truly. Not like this.

I swallowed hard, forcing back the tears stinging my eyes.

All these years, I told Martha that her daddy was far away, working hard, but that he loved her. It was a lie. A soft lie. But it was the only way I could protect her. She deserved something simple. Something kind. Not the truth. Not yet.

I stood there, watching her glow in his arms, while everything inside me crumbled.

I remembered the deal Theo and I made—years ago, when I finally left. He said he would stay away, that he wouldn’t come without telling me first. He would visit from afar. No contact unless I allowed it.

But when I came to the UK, I made sure that deal had no weight. I got the law on my side. I did everything to keep him out.

Back then, Theo’s empire was falling apart. He handed over his power to Diego after I was kidnapped. After Thomas nearly destroyed everything. That was the moment things shifted.

He tried to save me then. But the damage had already been done.

I left, and I never looked back.

And now… here he was. Like none of it mattered.

I clenched my jaw, trying to breathe, trying to stay calm.

I had built this life from scratch. A quiet life. A safe one. For me. For Martha. One without Theo Rodriguez.

And now?

One word from him, one hug, one smile—and it all felt like it was slipping through my fingers.

I looked at my daughter—her small hands wrapped around his neck, her face lit up like the sun.

I had no idea how to handle this.

Martha pulled back from Theo, still smiling, and looked at me.

Her face fell a little. “Mummy… you don’t look happy to see Daddy.”

I blinked, forcing my lips into a smile. It felt tight, wrong.

“I’m just… surprised, sweetheart,” I said quietly. “That’s all.”

“But aren’t surprises meant to be good?” she asked, her voice soft, her eyes full of innocence.

I swallowed hard. “Sometimes. But sometimes, surprises make you think about a lot of things. Mummy’s just thinking, okay?”

Theo smiled down at her, brushing a curl away from her face.

“You’re all grown up, sweetheart,” he said softly. “Last time I saw you… you were just a baby. So small, you could fit in one arm.”

Martha’s eyes lit up again. “Really?”

Theo nodded. “Really. You had the tiniest fingers. And now look at you… tall, smart, beautiful. Just like your mum.”

She giggled, hugging him again. “I am five now, almost six.”

“I know,” Theo said, his voice low. “I’ve watched every birthday video your mum sent me. Every drawing. Every little story.”

Martha pulled back, looking at him curiously. “So why didn’t you come before now?”

Theo glanced at me.

I stiffened.

“That’s a long story, princess,” he said gently, still holding her hand. “But I’m here now. And I’m not going anywhere.”

Those words hit me like a slap.

I wanted to scream. To tell him he didn’t get to say that. Not after what he did. Not after everything.

But I couldn’t—not in front of her.

I took a deep breath, my eyes never leaving Theo’s.

“Martha,” I said, my voice firmer now, “go upstairs and change your clothes, okay? You’ve been in that all day.”

She looked at me, confused. “But—”

“No but,” I cut in sharply. “Now.”

Her smile dropped.

I hated using that tone with her. But I couldn’t think clearly with her here—couldn’t breathe with Theo sitting there like this wasn’t the same man who had once broken me into pieces.

I pointed toward the stairs. “Go.”

She looked from me to Theo, then slowly nodded, her small shoulders sinking a little. “Okay…”

She turned to him and said sweetly, “Daddy, don’t go anywhere, okay? I’ll be quick. Promise.”

Theo gave her a soft smile. “I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart.”

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before heading up the stairs, her footsteps light but hesitant.

The second she was gone, the smile on my face vanished.

I folded my arms across my chest, stepping closer to him.

My voice was cold now. “You have sixty seconds to tell me why the hell you’re here.”