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.

his arms over his

than a whisper now. “They

then turns his head away, gathering himself together. “And where has she been laid to rest?” Alden asks, not looking at me.

a small cemetery by our home – in the churchyard. I

shakes his head. “He didn’t respect her, then, the man she left me for,” he growls. “To bury her in a churchyard, when

then, from pity to anger. How dare he suggest that David was

forward. Daniel holds my hand

nothing,” Alden growls.

“He raised me

me,” the words rip from

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

taking another step. “Did he know about your parentage? Did

deny it, I stay silent, keeping my face still.

at me. “He kept you from me, my

I can’t imagine the kind of things my mother must have gone through. She must have experienced moods that made her decide to pack up and leave him, to give

B

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Gifts

– A Pawn in

Game–2

left. Why did I let myself get so wrapped up in this world?

voice rings out behind me,

eyes to him but Kent holds his

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. I anticipate that the wedding will be swift, in the next

low in his throat. “This is a trick,” he says. “How can they

is quick to answer. “We met before, by some miracle,” he says, giving Alden a

of the fact that we

then over at mine, and suddenly realize that Daniel is in on this. He and his father carefully planned this meeting, this conversation. In one swoop, they gave Alden back his

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

to protest, but Alden interrupts