Trisha blew out her breath as she closed the door after her neighbor Mrs Hassan left and she slowly turned to look at her eight years old daughter who had a frown on her face and her hands folded across her chest.She'd been scared to death when she'd gone to pick Maitta up and couldn't find her, only for that stupid gateman to tell her that a man had come to pick her up and she knew immediately who that man was but there was no way to track them down so she'd decided to come home instead to wait for her."Didn't I tell you not to talk to strangers or go anywhere with them?". She demanded.Maitta dropped her hands. "I'm sorry. It was either him or Mr Jones and I don't like Mr Jones." She said."You should have stayed with Mr Jones anyway." Trisha insisted. She sighed and shook her head. "Where did he take you?"."A new place. Cold something." She shrugged. "Did he buy you anything?"."Cake and something like... Ice cream but it really wasn't." She said. "It was good.""I don't ever w

Over the next few weeks, Jesse warmed up to Bella and they became friends but he still didn't remember who Gwen was which made Gwen very sad so Bella came up with the idea to introduce her to Jesse as her adopted daughter and it worked."So... let me get this straight, your boyfriend gave you cartblanche to see me anytime you want?". Jesse asked Bella as they sat in a restaurant having lunch."Yes." She nodded."He's not worried that I'm going to steal you from him? I mean you're a very beautiful woman Sunshine and if it were up to me, I wouldn't let you say hi to a guy not to talk of have lunch with him." Jesse said."What can I say? My boyfriend is a wonderful guy. Hardly gets jealous, you know." She shrugged. "He also knows we're just friends and nothing more." She took a sip of her water. "How come a man like you doesn't have a girlfriend?"."I have not found Mrs Right." He grinned. "Are you searching? You're almost thirty years old." Bella said. "Men can get married and have ki

A month laterTrisha opened the door hoping it wasn't the bank officials that had come to pay her a visit to give her a final warning to evacuate the house but her heart dropped in her stomach when she saw who was visiting and she suddenly wished for the officials instead."Hello Trisha." The man smiled. "Remember me?".She swallowed. "Jesse Billion." She choked out."Can I come in?". He asked."Sure." She answered after a moment of hesitation."Thank you." He walked into the house.Trisha closed the door with a sigh and turned to look at Jesse. "You came at the wrong time Mr Billion." She informed him tersely as she led him to the sitting room."I think I came at the right time." Jesse amended jovially. "It's been awhile.""Please sit." She said stiffly. "Can I get you something to drink?"."No thank you." He replied.Trisha sat down and crossed her legs. "What do you want then?"."What else do you have that I'd want? Certainly not your house that is about to be taken away from you."

"Maitta, this is the moment you've been waiting for." Trisha spoke up. "You've always wanted to meet your father and here he is. Say hello.""Hello." She waved shyly."Hi." Jesse said. He looked at the bear. "This is for you." He set the bear on the sofa.Maitta's eyes widened. "Really? It's huge!". She rushed to hug the bear."What do you say when someone gives you a gift?". Trisha asked her, frowning at her."Thank you." She said and blushed looking embarrassed."It's fine." Jesse said. "Can I take her now?"."Um... Sure." Trisha nodded. "She's eaten so she's good to go."Jesse smiled at Maitta and held out his hand. "Let's go?"."Okay." She shyly placed her hand in his and butterflies erupted in her stomach when Jesse's hand tightened around hers. "Bye mommy.""Have fun darling." Trisha bent and kissed her forehead. "Don't miss me too much okay.""Okay." Maitta nodded and left with Jesse.Trisha blinked back the tears that threatened to fall as she walked back to the kitchen to cle

A few days laterBella sat in the gazebo working on her laptop when she heard the horn of a car that sounded very much like Jesse's and she suddenly lost interest in what she was doing and set her laptop aside.Jesse drove into the compound and pulled up in front of the house, alighted from the car and shut the door. He rounded the hood to open the door for someone and Bella saw a little girl get out of the car and her breath hitched in her throat when she locked gazes with Jesse and she wondered if he was going to come over but he steered the girl towards the house and they went inside.By the time Bella got inside the house and walked into the sitting room, she met her mother having an animated conversation with Jesse's daughter while he just watched them with an amused smile on his face.Jesse turned his head to look at Bella and his smile faded. He wondered why she was still around when she'd told him just two days ago that she was leaving and he'd told her goodbye but he really d