The Millionaire Daughter

Aalyiah

"Ugly runt. You'll be back."

Those were the last words Mrs. Arville, the owner of the orphanage, said to me as I was ushered into the back of a limousine. Mr. Rose told me he'd found my father and I was going to live with him. Apparently he was some famous millionaire. One question kept crossing my mind, though.

If I had a father, why then had I gone without him for ten years?

I wonder what he's like, if he'll like me at all. I hope so; I could really use a father figure that doesn't try to hurt me...

I broke down at the thought that he might be cruel, and pulled my knees up to my chest. I didn't see the driver look back at me in the rear view mirror, but I did hear his voice. "What's wrong, kiddo?" He asked me.

I looked up shyly, my hair falling in front of my eyes, slightly damp from my tears. I pushed back the long, thick locks and wiped my nose on my shirt to try and appear more orderly. "Nothing, sir. I'm fine." I told him, but it was a lie. But he must have seen through my facade. The next thing I knew, we were pulled over and he turned to look at me.

"Listen, kiddo. Mr. Coleman was not prepared for this, but he is a good man. It'll take some getting use to, as he is quite cold, but...well, hopefully you'll learn to be happy. It'll be okay."

I don't know why, but his words were soothing. I managed to stop sobbing, and calmed my breaths. Once I was calm, I offered him a small smile. It wasn't much. I hardly ever smiled. But I was thrilled when he smiled back.

Then he was patting the passenger seat in the front. "Move on up, kid. Don't be so shy."

I was shy, though. And at first I was hesitant to move up with him. When he looked back and gave me the most genuine smile, though, I was no longer quite nervous. I unbuckled and crawled up in the front beside him.

He helped me buckle up before pulling onto the road again. Then he took off his driver's cap and put it on my head, though it was very oversized. "By the way, my name is Max Andersen, but you can just call me Max."

I smiled wider and adjusted his cap on my head. "I'm Aalyiah." I watched him for a few minutes, trying to figure him out a bit. "How old are you, Max?" I asked him.

He laughed a little. "You know, some consider it rude to ask a person's age. But, I'm almost nineteen. How old are you, kid?"

I blushed in embarrassment. I didn't know it was rude to ask people their age. No one had ever told me that. "I'm ten. How long have you been working for my father?"

Again, he laughed. Was it rude to ask questions like that too? "Since I was sixteen. My mother is your father's housekeeper, and he took me on as a driver as soon as I got my license because we needed the money." He answered with the same smile he'd given me a few minutes before.

We talked non-stop for the rest of the drive. Max seemed nice enough; he was funny, and made me feel like I was actually being listened to. I had never had that luxury before, and it felt nice to finally have it. Especially with a man, considering my past with men. I could only hope Max would no turn out like the rest of them did. He felt like the first friend I had had in awhile, and I do not ever want to go through what I have been through ever again.

It took us an hour to drive through the city and arrive where Max said my father lived. When we got there, though, I froze. he lived in a penthouse? I knew he was rich, but how rich could he possibly be? I began to shake nervously. What if he did not like me? What if he saw me the way everyone else saw me? What if he beat me and raped me and allowed his male friends to rape me? I did not notice the tears in my eyes until Max brushed his thumb over my cheek.

"I hope those are tears of excitement." He teased, trying to lighten the mood. Despite his sweet effort, it did nothing to lift my spirit and all I could do was burst into hysterical sobs. "Hey, kid, don't cry. Sh. Don't cry."

But, that was all I could do. I did not want to think about the possibility that my birth father would be the same as any of my past foster dads. All I wanted was love. All I needed was to feel like I was worth something to someone. Worth more than just my body, and what had happened to me.

Max walked into the building with me. I barely heard him greet one of the security guards as he led me to the elevator. He didn't let go of my hand the entire elevator ride, which went to the top floor. When the elevator door opened, there was another door right on the other side. 

There was a keycard lock, which Max swiped with a card and the light turned green. My hand still in his, Max led us off of the elevator and into the penthouse that belonged to my father. I was in awe. 

The floors were sleek and metallic silver that made it look fun to slide on with just socks. We were only in one room of the penthouse, which I assumed was the living room. While the entryway floor was metallic, though, the actual living space flooring was carpet, one that appeared to be expensive with black ring designing. There was a large couch that lined the outside of the living room, along the walls, and faced the biggest TV I had ever seen. Under the TV was a modern fireplace, one that didn't take firewood, but projected heat and had a holographic fire. 

Aside from all of that, the room was empty, and void of any decor or personality. Maybe my father just didn't have time for that stuff. If he didn't, though, how much time would he end up having for me?

"Aalyiah, I assume?"

I am so sorry for not updating for so long. I know most people are reading my other book Weakness of a Gang Leader, but this was the one I was able to crank out the quickest. I have been really busy these past weeks, with my graduation coming up in a few short days. I hope you all understand, and thank you for hanging in there with me. 

Now, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please vote, comment, share, and go check out my other books. Thank you for reading!