Adopted by the Billionaire✔️

[23]

Antonio's POV
I dismissed Jenna with a nod and leaned back in my chair, stretching my arms.
Four days.
In four days, my life had unraveled and rebuilt itself more thoroughly than years of negotiations and boardrooms ever had. I'd been more exhausted than I'd ever been—and more alive.
Tomorrow, I decided, I'd take her out for ice cream. Something simple. Something normal. I'd tell her the truth gently, casually—
I stepped out of my office.
Ellie was on the floor, playing with her toys. She looked peaceful. Whole. Watching her like this stirred something deeper than pride—something instinctive. Knowing she carried my blood didn't make her mine.
But it made me understand why my world had tilted the moment I met her.
She noticed me watching and, as always, ran straight into my arms.
I lifted her easily.
"You were being a good girl?" I asked.
She nodded, then hesitated. "Daddy... I didn't mean to listen."
My chest tightened.
I stayed quiet, letting her speak.
"I had a dream," she said. "It was white. Lots of crying. And a lady in a black suit."
Florence.
"I was going to tell you," I said softly.
Her small hands gripped my shirt. "So... you're my real daddy?"
I smiled, warmth spreading through me in a way money never could. "Yes. I am."
She studied my face carefully.
"You're not mad?" I asked.
She shook her head.
"I'm happy," she said simply.
I pulled her close and kissed her hair.
"I never looked like Mama," she murmured. "Or... him."
I looked at her properly then—my hair, my eyes, my expression reflected back at me in miniature.
"Baby," I said quietly, "if I had known about you sooner, I would have come for you. Your mama didn't tell me—but that doesn't change anything now."
She rested her head against my chest.
"I forgive you," she said, already drifting.
Behind us, Jenna made a soft sound—half laugh, half sigh. I didn't care.
For the first time in my life, I felt complete.
Not accomplished.
Not powerful.
Complete.
A camera click echoed softly.
"I'm framing that," I said without turning.
Soon, Ellie's breathing evened out. She was asleep.
I held her a moment longer before handing her gently to Jenna.
"You said you didn't want to be like your father," Jenna said quietly. "Looks like you became your own man instead."
"I had to face what I was afraid of," I replied.
She smiled. "You did good."
I nodded.
"I still need to teach her not to listen in," I added, grabbing my coffee.
Jenna laughed. "Some lessons can wait."
I watched Ellie sleep.
I didn't need billions.
I didn't need legacy.
I had my daughter.
And I had always been her father—even when I didn't know it.
I picked up my phone and dialed Cortez.
"It's time," I said

revision: 3.10.26