Stella (Book One of Dark Souls Series)

Cassata

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telefono- a device used to communicate with others
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"If this is what you want, Estella, I cannot stop you."

"What about what you want?"

"Este-"

"No! She is your daughter too, and you have made zero efforts in visiting her!"

"I'm caught in between work and trying to get Maria back, Estella. You know this."

I grit my teeth together to keep from screaming. "You took care of her for almost seven years, and the moment I came back into the picture, you just let her go? Why did you take her if it was so easy for me to get her back? I was young and naïve and you took that for granted. I would not abort her, but I could not afford her, and you took that for granted. You took her from me and you did not want her! Now, you hardly answer your calls. When you do, your conversation is filled with lies!"

Daniel sighed over the phone. This was the third time I tried to convince him to visit Italy. I didn't know what he hated about his birthplace, but his daughter was here. He needed to put his shit behind him for her.

After Eva's first solo win, Pamela Hartman wanted her and Abigail to do a dance-off. Eva was scared, but Jilian persuaded her that it would be fun even if she didn't win. If she wanted to be a prima ballerina one day, she would need to get her name out there. Fortunately, she was at the early age where networking would take her far. Having a teacher like Jilian would take her far.

In a few weeks, she was to dance against the girl she feared. Abigail told her that she didn't deserve the win which is why her face fell at the theatre while she was onstage. I couldn't wait to get Abigail and her mother again. The Veretti family was already making accommodations to their busy schedules so they could be there. I wanted to make sure Daniel was going to do the same. It wasn't fair that a family who wasn't even blood was treating us as such, and her own family wouldn't do the same.

My daughter needed his support, not Adonis. Although she never admitted it, I knew Eva wanted her father to be closer to her.

"I raised her first, so now it's your turn."

"You took her from me!" I hissed angrily into the phone. You are speaking as if she is a pet going for a walk. You do not take turns in raising a fucking child, Danny! Especially when I could have raised her myself, you fottuto idiota!"

I tried to keep my voice low because Adonis and Eva were asleep on the couch, but Daniel was angering me.

There was never going to be anything more important to me than my daughter. Even though Adonis was eager to take the role as her father, I couldn't allow it. He'd already done so much for us.

"Stells?"

I turned around to see him standing there. He looked tired so I had a guilty feeling creeping up on me.

"Come to bed. Who are you talking to?"

"Yeah, it's after ten here, you should go to bed, Stells."

I felt my hands clench together when he mocked Adonis.

Adonis was still confused because he didn't know who I was talking to.

"Ti ucciderò quando ti vedrò."

The father of my child chuckled. "Where was that fire years ago, Stells?"

Without answering him, I hung up and stormed to the back of the house. I could hear Adonis's footsteps behind me.