003. An Unexpected Meeting...

Ava Reed’s Apartment – Midnight

Ava opened the front door and sighed as she took off her heels. She felt tired from the night, but she didn’t stop. She headed straight for Pearl’s room.

The door was slightly ajar. As she stepped inside, her gaze softened.

Pearl was curled up in bed, her dark curls sprawled across the pillow, her small hands tucked under her cheek. Peaceful. Innocent. Completely unaware that she had single-handedly turned her mother’s world upside down yet again.

Ava clenched her jaw and let out a slow breath.

This wasn’t the first time Pearl had asked for a dad.

It wasn’t even the tenth.

Pearl had been asking for a father for years. Always watching other kids with their dads, always sneaking hopeful glances at couples in restaurants.

But this was the first time Pearl had taken matters into her own hands.

Ava had given her everything—a life of luxury, safety, the best education. But she couldn’t give her that.

She let out a slow breath and leaned against the doorframe.

‘Damn it, Pearl.’

Ava leaned against the doorway, with her arms crossed. She knew she should wake her up and demand to know why the hell she had posted something like that. 

But as she watched her daughter sleep, she hesitated.

She was always so busy. Running a hospital. Running a syndicate. Balancing between saving lives and ending them. 

Her world was too dangerous. Love was too dangerous.

She’d told herself she was doing it all for Pearl. That she was building a future where Pearl would never have to struggle.

But was that enough?

Ava sighed, stepping inside. She adjusted Pearl’s blanket, brushing a curl from her daughter’s forehead.

She would talk to her in the morning. Right now, she needed a shower and six hours of uninterrupted sleep.

**********

Ava barely got four hours of sleep before her phone buzzed, dragging her from the edge of exhaustion. She groggily reached for it, squinting at the screen.

Incoming Call: Doctor K

Her pulse kicked up. She was already pushing herself out of bed as she answered.

"Dr. Reed," her voice was husky from sleep.

"Emergency case, critical condition," Doctor K reported. "Car crash victim—multiple organ damage, internal bleeding. We need you here now."

Ava was already moving, pulling on her clothes. "Prep the OR," she instructed. "I’ll be there in fifteen."

She grabbed her coat, pausing for only a second outside Pearl’s bedroom. The door was slightly ajar, and inside, she could see the soft rise and fall of her daughter’s breathing.

A pang of guilt settled in her chest.

She needed to talk to Pearl about that damn post. But there was no time now.

With a quiet exhale, she turned and left, slipping out into the early morning darkness before Pearl even woke up.

************

The Next Morning – Alex’s Office

Alex Ramos barely had time to take a sip of his morning coffee before his phone buzzed.

For the tenth time.

He groaned, glancing at the screen.

Jenna: OMG, have you SEEN THIS?

Before he could reply, another notification popped up.

Daniel: Dude. Wtf is this?

Then another.

Unknown Number: We need to talk.

Alex frowned. What the hell was going on?

Then, his office door swung open.

"Sir," one of his officers hesitated before stepping in. "Uh… you might want to check social media."

Alex narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

The officer scratched his head. "Because an eight-year-old just made you famous."

Alex grabbed his phone and scrolled through his notifications.

And then—he saw it.

Pearl Reed: Getting My Mom a Husband… Stay tuned for more updates!

[Attached Image: A picture of Pearl and Alex at the restaurant, Pearl grinning while Alex looked utterly dumbfounded.]

Alex choked on his coffee.

He barely had a second to process the sheer disaster of it before his phone rang.

Caller ID: Father.

Shit.

He hesitated, then picked up. "Father—"

"What the hell are you doing?" Matteo Moretti’s voice was sharp and authoritative.

Alex sighed. "Good to hear from you too."

"You were supposed to keep a low profile."

"It’s a misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding?" Matteo repeated in a ice-cold tone. "You’re an undercover mafia boss. And now the entire city thinks you’re about to become some random surgeon’s husband?"

Alex pinched the bridge of his nose. "I’ll handle it."

"You better," Matteo warned. "Before someone else handles it for you."

The line went dead.

Alex barely had a second to process that before his phone buzzed again.

Unknown Number.

“Can’t I get a moment of rest?” he mumbled to himself as he slid the answer button. "Hello?" he said cautiously.

A familiar, bossy little voice spoke.

"Mr. Ramos, I need you at my school."

Alex blinked. "What? Pearl? What was…"

Pearl cut him off before he could even ask. "My mom was supposed to come, but she’s busy. You’re my stand-in."

"Pearl, I—"

Click.

She hung up.

Alex stared at his phone, then exhaled. Unbelievable.

**********

Alex had no idea how he ended up here.

One moment, he was planning damage control for the social media disaster Pearl had caused. The next? He was in an elementary school auditorium for Career Day, sitting next to an actual five-year-old, waiting for Pearl’s turn to speak in front of the class.

Pearl sat next to him, legs crossed, completely unbothered.

Alex leaned down. "We need to talk about that post, kid."

Pearl looked at him. "After my presentation."

"Pearl—"

"Shhh."

Alex stared at her. This tiny, terrifying human had shushed him.

Jesus Christ.

He had barely started explaining what detectives do before Pearl leaned over and whispered, "We’ll talk about the post after this."

Like she was doing him a favor.

Alex rubbed his temples.

He was negotiating with a damn eight-year-old.

After what felt like forever, Pearl finally finished her little speech about strong women in history who aren’t scared of choosing a career. Alex was impressed that she cited her mother, Dr. Ava Reed, as an example.

As soon as the event wrapped up, Alex stood, ready to talk some sense into Pearl about taking down the post and getting the hell out of here.

They had just stepped outside when a modern black car pulled up.

The door opened, and a woman stepped out. Not just any woman.

Ava Reed.

The city’s most brilliant surgeon.

The woman Pearl was trying to marry him off to.

Alex’s brain short-circuited for the second time in 24 hours.

She was tall, fit, and elegant. Her dark, styled hair framed her sharp features, and her piercing emerald-green eyes fixed on him with an intense gaze. Even in a simple black blouse and tailored pants, she had an authority that made people step aside without question.

Recognition flashed.

Alex had spent years chasing ghosts in the criminal underworld. But now?

Now, one of the most powerful women in the city was standing in front of him.

And she was pissed.

Alex recovered fast, sliding his hands into his pockets. "Dr. Reed." His voice was smooth, amused. "It's a pleasure to meet you finally."

Ava exhaled sharply, crossing her arms. "So. You’re the one Pearl picked."

"Seems that way," Alex mused. "I was just about to talk to her about—"

She cut him off. "Listen, I don’t know what game you’re playing, but if you think you can use my daughter against me—"

"That’s not—"

Pearl wasted no time.

Before Alex could get another word in, she grabbed her mother’s hand and tugged her a few steps away. Ava shot him a warning glance before focusing on her daughter.

"Pearl," she said in a low, firm tone. "What is he doing here?"

Pearl blinked up at her, completely unbothered. "Because you were busy."

Ava exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of her nose. "That’s not an answer."

"I needed someone to come for Career Day," Pearl said simply, her expression as innocent as ever. "Mr. Ramos was available."

Ava’s jaw tightened. "How did you get him to come?"

Pearl tilted her head. "I asked him. Nicely."

Ava narrowed her eyes. "Pearl."

Pearl smiled sweetly. "And I might have said he didn’t have a choice."

Ava closed her eyes for a brief second before fixing her daughter with a stern look. "Pearl, we’ve talked about manipulation."

Pearl nodded. "And you said it should only be used strategically."

Ava clenched her jaw. "This is not a strategy."

Pearl shrugged. "It worked, didn’t it?”

Ava exhaled sharply, trying to hold on to her patience. "That doesn’t mean you can just call random men to—"

"He’s not random," Pearl interrupted, crossing her arms. "He’s a detective. And he was free."

Ava’s eye twitched. "That’s your reasoning?"

Pearl nodded. "Also, I like him."

Ava gave her a long, exasperated stare. "Pearl. You barely know him."

Pearl shrugged. "I know enough." Then, with a dramatic sigh, she added, "Mom, you never give anyone a chance. You’re always working."

Ava pressed her lips together. Not this again.

Pearl looked up at her with those big, determined green eyes—the same ones she saw in the mirror every morning. "Please," Pearl pleaded. "Just… try."

Ava felt something in her chest tighten.

But before she could respond, she realized something.

She could feel him watching her.

Subtly, she turned her head, catching Alex Ramos stealing a glance at her. The moment their eyes met, he didn’t look away.

Neither did she.

It lasted only a second, but the air between them shifted.

Ava quickly looked back at Pearl. "This is not happening," she muttered.

Pearl beamed as if she hadn’t heard her. "Great talk, Mom!"

Before Ava could argue further, Pearl turned on her heel and skipped back toward Alex.

Ava took a deep breath, schooling her expression before following.

Alex raised a brow as she approached. "That looked serious."

Ava ignored the amusement in his voice and narrowed her eyes. "I don’t know what you’ve done to please her, but you made a super impression."

Alex tilted his head slightly, watching her carefully.

Ava continued. "I’ll allow you to see Pearl when she wants. But if you hurt her, I will personally show you that aside from stitching people up, I know how to dismantle body parts without killing."

Alex barely kept his smirk in check.

Pearl, meanwhile, grinned.

This?

This was getting interesting.