Chapter 5
But Jordan took a long stride and stepped right in front of her, blocking her path.
"Can't we just talk this through? Do you really have to take it all the way to court and battle over custody?" he said.
His voice was low, tinged with a frustration he couldn't quite hide.
Rita stopped dead in her tracks, like she'd just heard the biggest joke of her life. She tilted her head back and stared up at him, her eyes blazing.
"Custody? Jordan, what right do you have to even talk to me about custody?" Rita shot back.
"When Trina was burning up with fever, almost having a seizure, where were you? You were out with Laurel, picking out an engagement ring!
"When Trina asked me why all the other kids had dads, where were you? You were doing an interview for a finance magazine, telling everyone you were single and looking for true love.
"For five years, you didn't even know Trina existed. So what makes you think you can just show up now and start talking about custody?"
With each word Rita threw at him, Jordan's face lost more color.
All those truths he'd ignored and run from now came back like blades, stabbing at his pride and tearing it apart.
"I didn't know you were pregnant... If I had..." Jordan stammered.
"If you had, you would've made Laurel get an abortion, just like you told me to do five years ago, right?" Rita cut him off with a cold laugh, her eyes empty and bleak.
Jordan stood there, stunned. He really had told her, stone-cold, during their divorce, that nothing should tie him down or hold back his future.
But at the time, he'd thought she was just using the kid as a bargaining chip. He had no idea she was telling the truth.
The school bell rang, and Trina ran out, her pink backpack bouncing behind her.
When she saw Rita, the little girl's face lit up. She dashed over and threw herself into her mom's arms.
"Mommy! You're here so early today," Trina exclaimed.
Trina's voice was like a ray of sunshine, lighting up the gloom in Rita's eyes.
Rita gently kissed Trina's forehead, ready to take her home.
But Jordan crouched down, giving Trina the gentlest smile he could muster.
"Trina, I'm... uh. Do you remember me?" he said.
He hesitantly reached out, trying to take her little hand.
But Trina flinched back like a startled fawn, darting behind Rita, her big eyes full of wariness.
"You're that mean boy's dad from yesterday. You're a bad guy!" Trina blurted out.
Her innocent words were like a stinging slap, landing hard on Jordan's face.
Jordan's hand froze in mid-air, his fingers trembling, before he let it drop, defeated.
He looked at Trina, this little girl with features so much like his own, and a wave of pain crashed over him.
He was the devil of the business world, feared by everyone, but in front of his own daughter, he was just the villain.
Jordan tried to reassure her, his voice soft. "It's okay, Trina. I brought you a gift."
He pulled out a beautifully wrapped gift box from behind his back, like he was performing a magic trick.
It was the limited edition Barbie set Trina had been wanting for ages—super expensive and almost impossible to get.
Trina's eyes lit up with longing as she stared at the big box, but she just clung tighter to Rita's shirt and shook her head.
"Mommy said I can't take things from strangers," Trina said, her voice small but firm.
"And you're a bad guy. I don't want anything from bad guys," Trina said, her voice still sweet but with a stubbornness that left no room for argument.
Jordan had never felt so utterly defeated. All his power and money, the things he'd always been so proud of, suddenly seemed worthless in the face of his daughter's pure, unwavering values.
Rita watched coldly, then took Trina's hand and headed for the parking lot, never once looking back.
"Jordan, don't waste your energy. Your money can't buy off Trina's resentment for you," Rita said.
With that, she started the car and drove away, leaving Jordan standing there in a cloud of dust.
Back home, Rita couldn't shake the feeling that something even worse was coming her way.
Sure enough, before she could even finish making dinner for Trina, Marvin sent her an urgent message.
Lumina Group had sent in an audit team, claiming that the alternative plan Rita proposed was too risky. They demanded a full financial audit of Daystar Ventures.
This wasn't just business anymore. It was blatant retaliation and an abuse of power.
If the audit turned up even the tiniest mistake, Jordan would have all the excuse he needed to take over the project and kick Rita out for good.
Rita stared at her computer screen, her whole body trembling with fury.
'Jordan, you really are a lowlife psycho,' she fumed, her anger threatening to spill over.
She was just about to call Jordan and give him a piece of her mind when the doorbell rang.
Thinking it was Jordan showing up at her door, Rita stormed over, ready to let him have it.
But instead, it was Laurel, dressed head to toe in designer labels, her face twisted with anger.
Laurel shoved past Rita and barged into the house, immediately starting to criticize the simple living room with a wave of her hand.
"Wow, you really live in a dump like this? Rita, you used to be a proper lady. Now look at you, what a fall from grace," Laurel sneered.
"What, can't afford to feed that little bastard anymore? Is that why you're scheming so hard to get Jordan's attention?"
Right after she finished, a slap landed on her cheek.
The sharp sound echoed through the living room.
Rita didn't hesitate—she slapped Laurel hard across the face, her glare more terrifying than the storm brewing outside.
"Laurel, this is your last warning. Watch your mouth, or I'll make you regret ever being born," Rita said.
Laurel was stunned by the slap. She clutched her face, screaming, and reached for Rita, trying to grab her.
Just then, Trina rushed out of her bedroom, where she'd been drawing.
"Mommy, what's going on?" Trina stared at the crazy woman who suddenly appeared in their home, her face going pale with fear.