When We Were Young

Chapter 23

A/N: l know you have been waiting for this chapter. Enjoy

"Is this the price l had to pay for being poor," Rafael whispered as he stared at his daughter sleeping on the bed with her dark hair partially covering her face.

He heard Paula sobbing behind him and his hatred for her intensified. He couldn’t believe she had the nerve to shed crocodile tears only to evoke his sympathy for her. He shook his head, tears still streaming down his face.

Paula Solano had hurt him the most. His chest felt tight with pain. He had never felt so much pain like the one he was feeling now as he stared at the daughter he didn’t know existed an hour ago. He had never felt this pained even when his mother eloped with her lover or that night when Paula betrayed him.

He stared at the dark haired beauty he had helped created but didn't know till an hour ago.

His own daughter!

Great pain and hatred flooded him at the same time but hatred was the dominating emotion. His head snapped back to her and he threw her the most disgusted look.

“How dare you! How dare you, Paula. You kept my daughter away from me for six years. My own daughter!,” he growled at her.

Paula rushed to his side, quietly sobbing.

“I am sorry, Rafael. I am.. really sorry. Please.. forgive me. I wanted to tell you but father…,” she stuttered in a wavering voice.

Rafael stared at her sobbing face, despising her with everything in him. She had kept his daughter away from him for six years. She had even worked for him and yet she never told him anything . And now as she stood beside him, shading crocodile tears, he knew she wasn't a bit remorseful of what she had done to him.

"Shut up! Don't provoke me any further than this or l will be forced to do something drastic l will regret later," he said through clenched teeth, not wanting to hear any of her false excuses.

He stood up and strode towards the bed where his daughter laid soundlessly asleep. He sat down on the empty side of the bed. His hand reached out and for a moment it hung in mid air as he felt hesitant. Only one word echoed in his head as tears continued to silently spill down his cheeks.

My own daughter!

Rafael slowly swept aside the hair in her face, careful not to wake her up. He sucked in his breath the moment her small face came into view.

"She is beautiful," he whispered as his long lean fingers gently stroked her satin chubby cheeks.

His lips trembled on the brink of a smile and a sob. There was no doubt that this child was his. He could see some miniature features of his mother in her. He blinked back tears suddenly overwhelmed by different emotions.

"What's her name?," he asked over the golf ball lump logged in his throat.

When she remained silent, he turned to glare at her and she immediately cast down her eyes to the floor, terrified of meeting his gaze.

"Nina," she whispered in a soft voice, so low that he had to strain his ears to hear it.

And when he did hear it, he barked out a laugh in disbelief.

"You even named my daughter after her,” he said in disbelief.

He couldn't believe his ears. The whore had named his hidden daughter after his favourite mentor and neighbor who used to bring him food whenever his mother disappeared with her lovers for days.