Chapter 2
After bathing Lily, Emily took her out, probably to ask Richard what to do with her.
But Richard was no longer in the living room.
Upstairs, his bedroom door was shut tight. Obviously, he'd already gone to bed.
Still damp, Lily looked up at Emily with misty eyes, clearly touched by her kindness.
Emily ended up cleaning a guest room and gently got Lily to sleep.
The next morning.
Emily had breakfast ready when Richard came downstairs.
Lily stood nervously at the dining table. Her eyes met Richard's for a second, then she looked away.
With no clothes for Lily here, Emily had made a makeshift dress out of an oversized bath towel, wrapping it tightly around her.
But Lily was so thin from not eating enough that, even with the layers, she still looked heartbreakingly small.
Richard looked away and pulled out a chair to sit down.
Four years had passed since our divorce.
At twenty-nine, he still looked as perfect as ever, but that chill in his demeanor hadn't warmed up at all.
Richard had already taken his seat at the table.
But Lily stood frozen in place, unsure of what to do.
Finally, Richard picked up his silver fork, glanced up briefly, and ordered, "Bring her over to eat."
"Yes, Sir," Emily responded.
During the meal, Lily kept her head down, nervously taking small bites.
She choked on her food. Even though a glass of milk was right next to her, she didn't dare reach for it. She only stole timid glances at Richard.
"Don't be afraid, Lily. If you're choking, drink the milk," I silently urged her.
But she stayed still, too scared to move.
It wasn't until Richard picked up his glass and took a sip that she finally, very carefully, reached out for hers and took a drink.
Richard could sense what Lily was feeling, but deep down, he just couldn't bring himself to accept her.
After all, the paternity test results weren't in yet.
What if she just happened to look like Selena? What if this was all just a mistake?
*****
At Sterling Tower.
Richard was sitting back in his leather chair, his eyes gently closed.
Samuel Carter, his secretary, walked in with the paternity test results in a manila envelope.
Richard opened his eyes, his pen poised in the air.
"What's the result?" he asked.
Samuel carefully set the envelope on the desk.
"The test shows a 99.9% match. She's definitely your ex-wife's daughter," Samuel said.
Richard's hand froze. His fancy pen just sat there on the desk.
He opened the envelope to check the results.
A string of nines confirmed the parent-child relationship.
Seeing that, Richard tossed the report aside.
"That damned woman," he spat.
"Mr. Sterling, should we test you and Lily—"
"No need," Richard cut him off sharply.
My heart sank with worry.
He wouldn't even want to check if he was Lily's father.
Samuel began to break out in a cold sweat. Anyone who knew Richard well could see it—the vein in his temple was throbbing, a sure sign he was about to explode with rage.
Samuel was freaked out. He was ready to silently slip out of there.
Richard suddenly asked, "Samuel, her eyes don't look like mine, do they?" He sounded like he was holding back his anger.
Samuel froze, at a loss for words.
Anyone could see Lily's eyes were just like Richard's.
Finally, Samuel ventured cautiously, "Mr. Sterling, we've got a meeting in half an hour. Should I push it back?"
"No."
Richard stood up abruptly, his broad frame casting a long shadow by the floor-to-ceiling window.
From the 69th floor, the city below sparkled with prosperity, but up here, it felt cold and lonely. He couldn't care less about the view. He was just plain furious.
"Get out," he finally said.