Light In Darkness {Second book in the series of Eternal Love}

38 Condition

Fatherhood requires love, not DNA.

~Anonymous

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"I am ready to move the mountains for you, sweetheart." Darius' eyes held such intensity and truth that it made Stacey shiver and smile at once.

"I know you can do that, Darius but what I want you to do is ask Stella."

Darius glanced at Stella with furrowed eyebrows as she stared back at him with her nose scrunched up. He looked back at Stacey with baffled eyes.

"Ask Stella what?" Darius asked.

"Ask her to move in as well, Darius. I am giving you one last chance if you wish to back out then do now because after this your fate will not be tied to mine only but to Stella's as well. She is my daughter and accepting me means you have to accept Stella too."

"You really think I want to back out?" Darius roared, making Oliver and the girls in the living room flinch at his voice.

Alexander stepped forward but Nathan held him back, mumbling, "Just wait, Alex."

Victor slipped his arm around Eliana's waist and pecked her temple, gluing her to his side whilst Oliver glared at the back of Darius' head for scaring Stella. He held Stella's hand and smiled softly at her.

Stacey shook her head and said, "I did not mean to say that, Dar-"

"We both know what you meant, Stacey Luna Jones. Do not tell me otherwise."

Stacey gnawed on her bottom lip as regret flashed in her eyes. She knew Darius was holding his fury in as he had addressed her with her complete name.

"If I wanted to leave you then I would have never made a move on you in the first place. You were bearing a child here, Stacey." Darius placed his palm on Stacey's shirt clad stomach and spoke again, "You remember our first meeting, don't you? You were pregnant at that time but damn! You were alluring then and you are definitely more tempting now. When I got to know that your marriage was rough, I knew I had to handle you with utmost care. I knew you would be hard to get but I want you. God! I fucking need you to breathe. I knew from the very beginning what I was getting myself into and I also realized that if I wanted you then I would have to want your child as well but you know what? There is a difference between would have to want and wanted to."

Darius stood up abruptly and strode towards Stella. He held her hand tenderly. With Stella following him, he went back to Stacey and made Stella sit next to her mother as he himself knelt in from of them. He secured Stacey's hands in his own, rubbing her soft skin with his thumbs.

"And the fact that I wanted your child no, I want your child should be enough surety to you, Stacey."

Darius leaned forward and kissed Stella's forehead. She smiled at him and whispered, "I love you, Sun."

Darius did not say it back because none of them felt the need to use words. The Cheshire cat grin lighting up on his face was enough to display the fatherly love brimming in his heart. He stared back at Stacey and spoke such beautiful words that it made her breathless and took everyone in the room be surprise.

"If by backing out you mean, Stacey that Stella would be a burden to me then I swear to the heavens above to bless everyone with such little burden. I accept you and I accept our child all the same. She is not a burden. I find the idea of my princess being a burden undesirable. If anything she is a bonus for me, a version of younger Stacey to love and cherish. I have accepted her as my daughter a long ago. We will eventually take next step and then she will be my daughter, our daughter officially. Mine to spoil and protect."