Chapter 21 #3
“Yeah,” he said, sitting up straighter. “A game room. Like a real one. With racing chairs, big screens, VR, all that. And maybe a snack bar—no, not maybe, definitely a snack bar. Oh—and a movie room with those big reclining chairs. And—”
“Aight, alright,” I cut in, grabbing his arm before he could redesign the entire estate. “We’re only here for a few days, not moving in for the summer.”
Kyrin looked at me as though I’d personally ruined his dreams. “I’m just saying, if he offering—”
Alejandro laughed, a deep, easy sound. “It’s no problem,” he assured, waving a hand. “Some things can be done quickly, others… we’ll have ready the next time you visit.”
“Next time?” Kyrin exclaimed, already smiling.
I shot Alejandro a quick look, but he only smiled like he hadn’t said anything unusual at all.
Alejandro leaned back in his chair and pointed toward Lainey. “And who might you be, young lady?”
Lainey hastily straightened her posture as if she had been waiting for that moment her whole life.
“Oh, I’m Lainey, Ajori’s best friend since middle school,” she stated proudly.
“We met in seventh grade when she accidentally tripped me in the hallway, and instead of apologizing, she helped me fight the girl who laughed at me.”
I blinked erratically. “That is not how that went down.”
Lainey waved me off, as if to hush me. “Details,” she carried on. “Anyway, since then, I’ve been emotionally supporting her through bad breakups, bad hair decisions, and the tragic moment she thought bangs were a good idea in tenth grade.”
I shot her a side-eye.
Lainey leaned slightly toward me, keeping her smile fixed for the table while whispering out of the corner of her mouth.
“I know I lied,” she murmured. “But let me be great for a moment.”
“Well,” Alejandro said warmly, “any friend who can survive all that clearly deserves a seat at this table.”
Lainey straightened back up in her chair, still grinning from her moment of glory.
Alejandro chuckled softly before his attention returned to me. “Well, we don’t have to talk business at this very moment. For now, I’d like to know more about you… your life.”
My brows pinched. “My personal life?”
“Yes,” he clarified. “Where you’re from, your family, your work… what makes you tick.”
I dabbed the corner of my mouth with my napkin before answering. “Well… there’s not much to tell.” I shrugged. “I’m finishing my master’s in healthcare administration. I work… a lot. And most of my life revolves around making sure my brother is okay.”
Alejandro nodded slowly, as if he was absorbing every word. “That’s admirable. Family should always come first. Is it just you and your brother these days, or do you have other relatives around?”
I rolled my eyes slightly, a reflexive response to the well-meaning but insistent nature of the conversation. “My mom is around… when she decides to be. But for the most part, it’s been me and Kyrin holding things down.”
My eyes flitted toward Kyrin, who was absorbed in his own world, blissfully unaware of the tension building at the table.
Alejandro nodded, his brow furrowing ever so slightly in thought. “And what about your father? Is he… present in your life?”
There was a gentleness in his voice, but something more pressing, too—a curiosity that nagged at me.
I started with a polite response, but as the questions continued to flow from him, I felt my initial calm transform into a mix of caution and suspicion.
“No,” I stated flatly, the single word carrying more weight than I intended.
Alejandro maintained eye contact, his gaze steady as he pressed further. “Never was?”
Why is this man digging like this? For all he knows, this could be a whole childhood trauma he’s poking at over dinner.
Some people have daddy issues that require therapy, tears, and a glass of wine…
not a public Q just a serene calm, as if that was information well-known to him. That realization sent a different kind of heat coursing through me, igniting a mix of anger and betrayal.
Domino, on the other hand, said nothing, but his presence shifted. His stare remained unreadable, steady on me, while his fingers tapped slowly against the table.
And then there was Lainey. She raised her hand to signal one of the waitstaff.
“Um, yeah… can I get more wine?” she asked, glancing down at her half-empty glass. After a brief pause, she added nonchalantly, “Actually… do you guys have liquor?”
I leaned forward, shock and confusion crashing into each other.
“You’re my father?” I repeated, the incredulity coloring my voice. “Is this… is this some kind of sick joke?”
Alejandro didn’t even blink. His expression was resolute. “I don’t joke about things that matter."
“Since when have you been my father?" I challenged.
“Since the day you were born.”
A dry laugh escaped me before I could stop it.
“Since the day I was born,” I echoed, shaking my head. “That’s funny... real funny.”
His jaw tightened slightly. “Ajori, there were… circumstances.”
“Circumstances?” I shot back, my voice rising.
“Nah. Don’t do that. Don’t sit here in your five-thousand-dollar suit, in this palace, eating off gold-trimmed plates, and tell me you couldn’t find me!
Do you know what my life looked like?! Do you know what it’s like growing up wondering why your father didn’t want you?
Watching other kids get picked up, get protected, and get loved out loud while you’re sitting there trying to figure out what’s wrong with you?
And now you just pop up!” I went on, gesturing around the room, “in a mansion, with security, chefs, money, power… and suddenly you’re my father? ”
I laughed again, but there was nothing funny about the situation.
“Where was all this when I needed it?” I demanded. “Where was you when my brother got sick? When I was working myself to death trying to keep us afloat? When I had to step up and be everything because nobody else did?!”
Alejandro’s expression didn’t crack, but something behind his eyes shifted.
“You know what,” I said, holding up my hand. “Save it! I don’t want excuses; I want answers… real ones.”
I shoved my chair back and stood.
“And until you’re ready to give me those, I’m done here.” I tossed my napkin onto the plate. “I’m going to take a breather. Lainey, watch Kyrin for me.”
Lainey raised her glass with a small smirk, though her eyes flicked between us.
“I got you. But friend, I’m glad you didn’t ask me to leave with you… these lamb chops are hitting.”
That earned the faintest shift from Domino. He looked away briefly, like he was hiding a reaction.
I didn’t say another word. I just turned and walked out.