IN THE DARK.

11

Mia spent the next few days showering her little girl with all of her attention and love.

She was scared, sad and everything in between.
After all she was leaving her heart behind.

Her little cub.

After the call that day, Maria reassured her time after time that she would not let anything hurt Charlotte as long as she was there.

Mia needed to finish some things.

The things that could very much let her live her live in peace.

That things that could give her baby girl a better childhood and a bright future.

Mia knew Alessa wasn't going to let Charlotte grow like a normal healthy child. She was going to try and break her child every chance she gets.

Mia looked at her little girl cooing baby sounds she as took a bit of her mamma's hair and tried to put it in her mouth to chew.

"No bubba. Mamma's hairs are not for chewing." She kissed her baby's chubby cheeks and looked at her attentively.

Charlotte looked exactly like Emiliano.

There was no doubt that she was his blood. No matter how much Mia wanted her to not be his. Her looks gave it away.

"Did you trouble mamma so much for 9 months only to come out looking exactly like your dadda ?" Mia regretted the words right after they came out of her mouth. What was she even thinking ?

She regretted referring to him as her father.

Even though he was her father.

Only biologically.

She regretted the words coming out of her mouth because the next thing the came completely shocked her.

"Da" Charlotte cooed wiggling her tiny little feet on the bed.
"Da" She repeated.

Mia just sat there. Unfazed.

"Da da." Charlotte this time completed the word while giving a small smile to her mother.
"Da da da" She continued.

Very well, little one.

Well done.

As if looking exactly like him wasn't enough.

"Say mamma now, Charlotte. Ma Ma." Mia explained as the little girl looked at her with her bambi eyes.

"Da da." She then said.

Very well. Mia muttered.

Mia then picked her child and placed her down on the rug covered her with pillows and some soft toys that she had.

It was time for lunch on a Sunday. It meant Emiliano would be home and he'd most definitely come down to eat if he was feeling good or maybe hungry.

He rarely came to eat at the dining table.

Now more than ever because he was trying to avoid certain things to ruin his perfect mood, Mia thought.

It was always either eating in his room for him or outside of the Estate altogether.

Mia shook her head as she went inside the huge kitchen to see a weak Sasha.

"Hi." Mia greeted her.

"Hello, my dear child. How are you ?" Sasha asked her with a tight smile but Mia knew the pain behind it.

"Are you not fine, Sasha ?" She asked Sasha as the older woman rubbed her forehead.

"It's my knees again. Can't let me stand for more than 2 seconds." The older woman answered.