𝑫𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏 𝟓

𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝟖

𝐉𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐓

Every lick of my candy was addicting, the flavor was like a rush, so tasty and sweet. Stevanna and I each had a Mickey Mouse ear-shaped lollipop, a little indulgence on our day out together.

"Don't tell Story we were at Disney; she'll get jealous," I said with a playful grin.

"Why not? She should've been here," Stevanna pouted, feigning protest.

"This is her first day back to school," I replied. "Plus, she's been giving me attitude lately."

"Oh, is she still upset about the... you know, secret?" Stevanna asked, giving me a knowing glance.

I sighed. "Maybe. She might be holding onto some of it." I knew Story hadn't fully forgiven me for keeping the truth about her family from her for so long. It had changed a lot between us, but I was doing my best to bridge that gap.

After all that, I'd made some big changes in my life too. Firing Ken on the spot had been the first step. I'd hired Randy as my manager, which was a decision I'd made for family loyalty and trust, but it had caused some tension at home.

Christopher, for one, wasn't thrilled about it. "Randy doesn't know what he's doing," he'd complained more than once. "You need a professional."

I understood his concerns. But right now, all I wanted was for family to feel like family again. And today was about that: about creating memories with Stevanna, the kind we'd both cherish, and giving her all the time she'd missed out on.

Being surrounded by the people I trusted most meant everything, especially in times like these when it felt like the world was picking us apart. The press, the opinions, the rumors, they all swirled around us, but somehow, together, we held steady. We shared the weight, each of us lifting the other up, reminding one another who we truly were.

I knew that no matter what was said outside, we were stronger together. Through every challenge, every difficult truth, and every long-buried wound, we stayed united. And at the end of the day, it was that bond, that family strength, that got us through.

"How are you dealing with the whole situation?" I asked her.

"I'm hanging in there," she laughed. "I had to make my Instagram account private. I was getting comments and DMs from... you know," she paused, clearly frustrated.

"I know," I nodded. "I ignore it. But you get your thick skin from me," I smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

She chuckled. "I know I have your face; everybody tells me I look like you," she rolled her eyes playfully.

"You are beautiful, but I can't take all the credit. You have some of your daddy's features too," I teased.

She groaned. "Don't mention him. I'm debating if I should block him. He's been texting me every day for the past month."

"About?"

"'Good morning princess,' blah, blah, blah, and a Bible verse," she said, looking at me with a deadpan expression.

I almost laughed but kept my composure. "Alright, he's just trying to be nice. He only has good intentions. At least he's not doing interviews talking about our family, making money off of our name. To be honest, I thought that's what he wanted at first, but maybe I owe him an apology."

She turned to face me, surprised. We were sitting on a bench with the Disney castle in the background, the park reserved just for us.

"Apology?"

"Yeah, I think he genuinely wants to be a good dad to you," I said, recognizing his efforts over the years.

She sighed, then perked up with a smile. "Let's go on a ride!" She stood up, grabbing my hand, changing the subject. And just like that, we were off to create more memories, sharing laughter and even making up a few inside jokes that would always be ours. After a day at Disney with Stevanna, I headed home with a heart full of new memories.