The billionaire's daughter - Tony Stark's Heir

4. Guess who's back?

INT. CARINA'S ROOM, 1997

As soon as Hogan walked her home, Carina ran inside and slammed the door behind her. Pepper saw the little girl running agitated to her room. It was the first time the woman saw her like this, so she decided to follow her.

"Carina? Can I come in?" Pepper asked, knocking on the door.

"No! I don't wanna see anyone!" The young Stark yelled.

The woman ignored what she had just said and entered anyway. She saw her lying on the bed sobbing.

"Hey pumpkin, what happened? Why are you crying?" Pepper asked as she approached her and began stroking her hair.

"I told you I didn't want to see anyone" Carina said, sobbing.

"I know, but when you are sad like in this case it is good to talk to someone and that is why I am here" Pepper said making Carina nod "Now do you want to tell me what happened?"

"This Sunday will be Mother's Day" Carina said, wiping the tears from her eyes.

At those words Pepper understood what the child's problem was. Her heart squeezed when a thought struck her: she could not do anything to solve the problem.

"Today the teacher wanted us to do a chore to give it to our mom, but I don't have a mom, you know Pepper. I do not have anybody" Carina shouted "Why don't I have a mom? Why don't I have a mother like all other children? Why doesn't anyone love me?"

Pepper felt her heart break. It was sad to hear such things from a seven-year-old girl.

"You know Carina, sometimes in life you make some wrong choices, which at first may seem right but in the end you realize you have made the wrong decision. And you know what's the worst thing?" Pepper asked making Carina shook her head "Is that people realize they have made bad choices too late when someone close to them is hurt"

"Tony and the woman who is supposed to be my mother are part of this group of people, right?"

"Hey, don't say that. Your father loves you. He's just-- " Pepper stopped for a moment to think what to say "He's just not very good at expressing his feelings" she said, caressing her cheek.

"You only say that because he's your boss. I may be seven but I'm not stupid, we both know he doesn't love me" Carina said making Pepper sigh.

"The truth is that nobody loves me"

"This is not the truth! I know I'm not your mom, but I love you like you're my own daughter. And then Rhodey and Happy love you too" she said softly.

"Pepper?" The little girls called again.

"Yes, honey?" She asked, hoping the little girl wouldn't ask her other questions she couldn't answer.

"I love you too, even if you're not my real mom"

✴···✴···✴

It had been a week since Carina had given the interview. Things were going well. Unlike what Obadiah had said, the scientists had taken the young Stark's entrance well.

Carina was checking the documents that had just arrived when a light knock on the door caught her attention.

"Excuse me Miss Stark, but there is a person who says she wants to see you" the secretary said, who swallowed conspicuously under the girl's bored and annoyed gaze.

"Did she make an appointment?" Carina asked, turning her attention back to the documents she was holding.

"No, but she just told me to tell her her name is Androsilla. She said you would understand"

Carina stopped reading and looked at the secretary.

"Let her in and don't let anyone else in until I tell you" Carina said, making the woman nod.

As soon as the secretary left the room, Carina let out an annoyed sigh. She knew what that woman was doing there and the reason for her presence there wasn't that hard to imagine. She hadn't seen her in years and would lie if she said she wasn't a little upset. The first and also the only memory he had of her was one evening six years ago.

FLASHBACK - INT. TONY'S HOUSE, 2002

Carina and Pepper were about to leave the house to go to the Kung Fu class that the little girl was attending, when opening the door, they saw in front of it a woman that Carina had never seen before.

One thing that didn't go unnoticed by the little girl was Pepper's annoyed look. At first Carina thought she was one of those women her father took home in the evening, but realized she wasn't when Pepper sent her to her room. The situation was more serious.

Carina was curious about who that woman was and knew that if she asked Pepper she would never answer. For this, as soon as she arrived in her room, she began to ask JARVIS.

"JARVIS?" Carina asked.

"Yes, Miss Stark"

"Who was that woman at the entrance? Why did Pepper look at her wrong?" She asked.

"Miss Stark, the lady you just saw is Androsilla Hill, your mother" Jarvis said.

"Oh" Carina said "What is she doing here?"

"I don't know, Miss Stark. Do you want me to tell you as soon as I find out?" JARVIS asked.

"No, it doesn't matter JARVIS" Carina sighed "I doubt she came here to see me"

END OF THE FLASHBACK

The door opened revealing one of the last people Carina wanted to see.

"What are you doing here?" Carina asked angrily.

"Can't a mother see her daughter now?" Androsilla asked.

"Not if that mother abandons her daughter immediately after giving birth. indeed, I am amazed that you even know my name"

"Of course I know your name, after all I gave it to you and then sometimes I came to see you!" The woman exclaimed.

"It only happened once, six years ago, to ask Tony for money" she pointed out "And now you came here asking me for money, right?"

"I always said you'd inherit my intelligence" Androsilla said laughing.

"Get out before I call security" Carina sighed.

"I'm not going anywhere without my money" the woman said seriously.

"What money, Androsilla?" Carina exclaimed "You have no right to come here and ask me for money! You don't get anything!"

"How dare you talk to your mother like that" Androsilla said angrily.

"I don't see any mother in this room"

"You" the angry woman said approaching Carina "You, you little insolent, you owe everything to me" she shouted "You have to thank me if you're where you are. If it wasn't for me you wouldn't even exist!"

The door swung open, revealing the security officers.

"You finally arrived, get this crazy woman out of my office" Carina said.

The agents grabbed Androsilla who had started screaming and kicking and took her away.