A CURSE OR A BLESSING.

Chapter 8

*****

SORA:

Beauty sat at the edge of the bed, her feet barely touching the ground. She swung them slightly as the doctor concentrated on checking her vitals. She looked smaller than she was, a little pale, but her eyes were bright as she listened to everything the doctor said.

“You are so brave,” he smiled at her, “and your heartbeat sounds strong… You haven’t been eating well, huh?”

She didn’t reply. She just bent her head slightly, looking at me from the corner of her little eyes.

I stood close enough to show her I wasn’t going anywhere. I never took my eyes off her, the way her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her dress. Even when she tried not to show it, I saw how nervous my daughter was.

The doctor reached for a tray beside him, and Beauty’s eyes instantly widened. She turned to me, her voice low as she said, “Papa, please don’t let him use the needles. They scare me.”

I didn’t even realize her hand had already found its way into mine.

“Hey…” I whispered with a reassuring smile, bending so she could see my face. “Look at me, baby girl.”

She did, her bottom lip trembling just a little.

“There’s nothing to be scared of. Papa's right here, and I promise I won’t let anything hurt you.”

The doctor stared at me, then smiled. “Don’t worry, Beauty. There are no needles for you. It’s just a few checks, that’s all.”

“Really?” she asked with a big smile.

“Yes, really,” he replied with the same enthusiasm.

She let out a shaky breath, her shoulders finally relaxing. She leaned closer to me, her grip on my hand tightening just a little. “I like him,” she whispered to me, and I couldn’t help the chuckle that rumbled free.

After a moment, the doctor turned, offering me a polite smile. “We’re done.”

“So… how is she?”

He straightened, packing his things as he spoke. “It’s nothing too serious, don’t worry. She just needs to take her medication, eat, and have enough rest, and she’ll be perfectly fine.”

Those words felt like cold water being poured over me after walking in the desert for months. I was so relieved.

“So she’ll be okay?” I asked, just to make sure.

“Yes,” he said. “Absolutely.”

He got ready to leave, but then he stopped when he was close to the door.

“How do you do it?” he asked, and I just stared at him in total confusion.

He adjusted his glasses. “How are you so great at being a parent? My Omega is pregnant, and I keep pretending like I know what I’m doing, but I’m so terrified. I feel lost, and I don’t have a single clue what exactly to do.”

I offered him a small smile, seeing how panicked he was.

“It… it’s just an instinct you get when the child is born. You want to always be there and protect your own. You don’t get to figure it out now.”

He nodded. “Thank you.”

Before I could respond, the door opened and Mirabelle walked in. The doctor exchanged glances with her before he gave a small nod our way and exited the room.

For a moment, it felt like the room suddenly became smaller. She was dressed in all black; everything she had on screamed luxury. Her perfume was so strong it had the ability to choke the life out of a living being. She had a smile on her face, but it didn’t reach her eyes, and I didn’t know why I even noticed.

She moved toward Beauty, crouching in front of her. “There you are, little one,” she spoke so warmly, brushing a loose strand of hair from Beauty’s face. “You look much better.”

Beauty giggled when Mirabelle poked her side playfully. “I’m okay now,” she said in between laughs.

Mirabelle laughed too. It was sweet… but, snapped out of it, Sora. I didn’t know why the hell I kept thinking Mirabelle was going to grow claws and horns. I stood there, watching her tickle Beauty, both of them laughing.

She was so kind and gentle, and for someone this rich, playing with my daughter showed how humble she truly was.

She eventually stood up and turned to me, folding her hands neatly in front of her. “So,” she said, “tell me, how is she truly doing?”

“She’s fine, and it’s all thanks to you.”

She tilted her head slightly, then smiled again. “Good.”

It felt like the words lingered in the air for a few seconds.

She stepped closer to me, her heels clicking against the floor. “About the job I promised you—”

I instantly felt excited, but my heart was racing really fast.

“So you will be responsible for the cleaning of the East Wing of the Estate. It’s large, but manageable. As you know, the Blaster Estate is massive, and there is cleaning every single day.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She paused, then continued almost immediately. “You will also be involved in kitchen duties most days of the week.”

The way she spoke was calm, pleasant even, but that authority was unmistakable. “I do not condone laziness, Mr. Sora. Such behavior will never be tolerated.”

Her eyes stayed on me. “You are not saying anything. Are you not interested?”

“No… no. Sorry… I mean, yes, I’m more than interested.”

“Good,” she said, then pulled out a folder from her bag and handed it to me.

I flipped through documents, contracts, payments and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe. I wiped my eyes, making sure I wasn’t hallucinating.

“That’s how much you’d be getting paid.” She pointed out as if reading my thoughts.

I gasped. This was more money than I’d ever received in any job that I’d had. I would finally have enough to take care of my daughter. Finally, this was all I’d ever wanted, and the Goddess answered all my pleas. It took everything not to break down in tears.

“Thank you… thank you so much. I really don’t know what to say.”

She didn’t say a word. She just walked toward the door, but before she left, she turned to me…

“And Sora, it’s Lady Mirabelle.”