Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Father

Gifts

Chapter 15 – A Pawn in their Game–1

Alden narrows his eyes at me and looks back at Kent. I’m a little shocked, I admit, that he hasn’t addressed me yet. I stand awkwardly in front of him and Daniel quietly takes my hand, giving it a squeeze of support.

“Is this for real, Lippert?” Alden asks, a threat behind his glare.

Kent nods slowly. “We did a test. It’s a 99% genetic match for paternity. I can show you the paperwork upstairs, and you can have it verified by your own doctors. But, with that kind of proof at hand, Alden.” He spread his hands out, hoping Alden takes him at his word. “Why would I lie?”

Alden nods and returns his gaze to me, staring for a moment. Then, he shocks me again by breathing out a huge breath of air and rubbing a hand down his face. “Damnit, but you look like your mother,” he mutters.

eyes.

My mouth falls open when I see the glimmer of tears in his My heart goes out to him, then. He’s a solid rock of a man, but I can see that deep feelings run beneath.

“Where is she?” he demands.

Surprised, I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. “She died,” I say, grimacing inwardly at my bluntness. Alden’s face falls minutely. Surely, after all these years, he knew it would be unlikely that she would be alive, but still – he’s upset by the

“When?” he asks.

“Years ago,” I whisper, sorry to be the one to tell him. “I was young – I had just turned six.”

I feel horrible – I had no idea that he cared for her as much as he clearly does. I had assumed she was

–

what had Fiona called

herself? a goomah. His mistress, or his girlfriend, not someone he really I cared about.

arms over his barrel

voice hardly more than a whisper now. “They said…they said

himself together. “And where has she been laid to

I can take you there,

his emotions snapping from sadness to anger at the flip of a switch. He turns his burning eyes to me. “In a churchyard?” He shakes his head. “He

How dare he suggest that David was anything

holds my hand tighter, in a warning that

nothing,” Alden growls.

“He raised me

the

my mistake, I cower back, my eyes going wide. Alden takes a heavy step towards

truth, girl,” he says, taking another step. “Did he know about your parentage? Did he know where she came from, who your

it, I stay silent, keeping my face

he says, narrowing his eyes at me. “He kept you from me, my daughter, not his! And

kind of things my mother must have gone through. She must have experienced moods that made her decide to

B

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Gifts

A

Game–2

did I let myself get so wrapped up in this world? I cower away from my

voice rings out behind me,

him

is only a formality. He nods pointedly at the ring on my hand, “that our agreement, years ago, to unite our families through marriage is holding strong. Your daughter is engaged to my son.

father’s growl is low in his throat. “This is a trick,” he says. “How can they be

says, giving Alden a small but earnest

conveniently, of the fact that we broke up.

realize that Daniel is in on this. He and his father carefully planned this meeting, this conversation. In

what I want at all, whether or not I want to marry Daniel. Because Daniel, too, is a player in this

open my mouth to protest, but