Chapter 13
Anna
Sitting across from the doctor’s desk, I press my palms to my thighs, willing my fingers to be still. After flipping through a few pages in the file, he finally looks up with a small, reassuring smile, letting me know I can stop holding my breath now.
“Her fever has settled, Ms. Delgado,” he says, sliding the file toward me.
“Your daughter responded well to the medication. We’ll keep her for observation for a few more hours, and then she can be discharged today.
There’s nothing to worry about as long as you manage her diet, keep her hydrated, and let her rest. And if anything feels off, like a fever returning, weakness, or loss of appetite, then bring her straight back to me. But for now, she’s good to go.”
My shoulders sag in relief. “Thank you, doctor.” My voice cracks a little, and I clear my throat. “I was… I was so worried.”
“It’s natural. You’re her mother. But be rest assured, she’s in good hands.”
I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat.
After a few final instructions, I thank him once more and step out of his office.
My heartbeat is anything but calm as I walk down the corridor toward Liala’s room.
I should be happy that she is finally coming home today.
But instead, another worry presses down on me, one I can’t keep ignoring, no matter how much I want to. Landon knows about her.
Fear coils hot in my stomach. I know Landon won’t stay quiet. What if he insists on being part of her life? Worse, what if he tries to take her away from me? Every fiber of my being shrieks in panic, desperate to shield her from the chaos I know he’ll bring.
And yet, an unwelcome piece of myself, one I wish I could silence, whispers that he did have a right to know her. Maybe Liala deserves to know her father.
No. I can’t let him be a part of her life. But I can’t keep him away either.
God, the turmoil is just too much. I try to shove the thought to the back of my mind, but it presses forward anyway.
Pulling in a steady breath, I wrap my hand around the doorknob and open the door, forcing a smile for my little girl even as the storm churns in my heart.
Liala’s soft giggle reaches me before I even step inside.
The sound loosens the knot in my chest and draws me back to this moment…
back to her. She’s propped up on the bed, her curls tumbling over her forehead, while Mick sits in the chair beside her, making exaggerated faces with a stuffed bunny that has clearly seen better days.
I keep my smile as I walk in, and both their heads turn.
“Mommy!” Liala chirps, reaching for me with tiny hands.
I sit down on the chair opposite Mick and lovingly brush a strand of hair from her face before she launches into a babble about the bunny’s adventure.
“So what did the doc say?” Mick asks.
“He said her fever’s under control. And we can take her home later today.”
Mick lets out a long breath, his shoulders relaxing. “Damn, that’s good news. I’ve never prayed so hard in my life.”
I offer a faint smile, but before I can say anything, there’s a knock at the door. A nurse steps in, holding a cream-colored envelope.
“Ms. Delgado?” she asks.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“This was left at the reception for you. I was asked to deliver it personally.”
I frown. “For me?”
She nods, hands it to me, and leaves without another word.
I stare at the envelope with my name scrawled across it in bold strokes. Unease prickles at the back of my neck, a warning that this is anything but pleasant. My unsteady hands fumble as I tear it open.
The moment my eyes skim the first line, the blood drains from my face. My hands tremble so badly that the paper rustles between my fingers.
“Anna? What is it?” Mick asks, his voice filled with worry.
I look up at him and swallow hard, the words lodged in my throat before they finally tumble out. “It’s… it’s the custody papers.”
Mick’s gaze snaps to the envelope clutched in my hand. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“He… he’s already started to make his move, Mick. Landon will take my baby away from me.” My voice cracks on the last word.
“Anna…” Mick starts, but I cut him off, panic surging too fast.
“No. No, I won’t let him take her.” My voice trembles, but there’s steel underneath, forged from two years of doing this alone, of surviving every worried night and exhausted morning singlehandedly.
“She’s mine. I’ve been with her every day for the past two years.
I’ve stayed late nights, sacrificed so much…
He doesn’t get to rip her away just because he suddenly wants to. ”
Mick’s expression softens, his hand resting lightly over mine. “Hey… you need to breathe.”
I shake my head, pressing my lips together to stop their quiver. “I can’t, Mick. Not when he’s planning to take my daughter from me.”
“You’re her mother, Anna. No one can take her away from you.”
“He’s her father,” I whisper, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.
“But regardless of the power he holds… I won’t let him win.
If he wants a fight, I’ll give him one. I’ll burn before I let him take my daughter away from me.
” I clutch the papers tighter and lean closer to my daughter, as if drawing strength from her smile.
“I won’t lose her. Not to him.” I say, my eyes flicking toward him.
Mick squeezes my hand. “And you won’t. We’ll figure this out, Anna. Together.”
I take a deep, shuddering breath, letting some of the panic ebb away. My gaze drifts to Liala, laughing softly at her bunny, and I feel that surge of fire again. Protect. Defend. Never let him take what’s mine.
I glance back at Mick. “I need to go meet him. Please, take care of her.”
“I’ve got her, Anna. Don’t worry about a thing in here. Go handle him. Make sure he knows you’re not backing down.”
I nod at him, then lean down and press a soft kiss to Liala’s curls, breathing in the scent of her shampoo, the warmth of her skin. Her tiny hands clutch my shirt, and I squeeze her just a little tighter.
“Be good for Mick. Okay, baby girl?” I whisper, my voice trembling.
She giggles, letting go just enough for me to stand. My heart aches as I pull away, but I force myself upright. One last glance at her smiling face steels my resolve, and I turn toward the door.
The drive to his office is a blur. The papers sit in the passenger seat like a ticking bomb, each red light tightening the knot in my chest. My hands grip the wheel hard enough to ache, but nothing stops the storm tearing through me.
By the time I pull into the stone tower that houses his empire, my pulse hammers in my throat. Still, I manage to step out of the car, my shoulders squared, and stride toward the entrance. The cool air hits me as I push through the revolving doors.
Inside, I make my way to the reception desk.
“Hi, I’m Anna Delgado. Can you please inform Mr. Hayes I’m here to meet him?”
The young receptionist looks at me with a polite smile. “Ms. Delgado, Mr. Hayes has been waiting for you. He asked me to send you straight in.”
Of course he has. He knew. He fucking knew this would drag me here.
Nodding at her, I stride down the corridor, every step heavy with irritation and fury. The moment I reach his door, I push it open without knocking and step inside, letting it click shut behind me.
Landon looks up from his laptop, a trace of a smirk tugging at his mouth. “Oh, what a pleasant surprise.”
I stride up to his desk and slam the papers down in front of him. “Still the same, aren’t you? Love sending notices. First divorce papers, and now this.”
He settles back in his chair, his fingers steepled. “I guess you’ve got me figured out. No need to spell it out. I get what I want.”
“You won’t get my daughter.”
His eyes lock onto mine as he leans forward, slamming his hand onto the desk with full force. “Our daughter.”
The correction slices through me, but I hold my ground.
“Our daughter? Don’t you dare act like you’ve been a part of her life. I’ve been the one raising her, staying up every night, holding everything together. She’s mine, Landon. Not yours.”
“Don’t you dare say I wasn’t there. You made sure of that, Anna. You decided for both of us. You shut me out.”
“And maybe I’d do it again. Because at least I knew she was safe.
” My hands grip the edge of his desk, my knuckles turning white, but I don’t back down.
“And get this in your thick head. I won’t let you waltz in and claim her because you feel the urge to play father.
You lost that right the moment you left me. ”
“You think I’ll just let go and not fight for her because you decided I’m not worthy enough?
” his voice drops, low and dangerous. “Hate to break it to you, but I’m her father.
That’s not something you get to monopolize.
” His hand clenches into a fist on the desk.
“And I don’t care how much you’ve done, Anna.
I will be a part of her life. You don’t want my name back?
Fine. But my daughter will carry it, whether you like it or not. ”
“Over my dead body,” I snap.
His eyes darken with fury like a predator ready to strike. “You’re wasting your breath with your threats. Nothing you say will make me back down or let you call the shots. Try all you want, but you won’t keep me out of my daughter’s life, even if I have to drag this to court myself.”
I take a deep breath, trying to keep the edge from my voice. “Landon… listen. I know you’re angry that I kept her from you. But we don’t have to drag this to court. We can work something out. Maybe you can see her for a few hours on weekends, holidays—”
He cuts me off. “I don’t want to be a holiday dad.”
“Then we find another way,” I say, pushing past the sting. “But you need to understand that she’s only two years old, Landon. She doesn’t understand power plays or anger. She only knows love. And right now, that’s me. She needs stability, not your ego.”
I walk around the desk and step in front of him as he turns to face me, my heart pounding, but I hold his gaze and speak anyway. “If you want to be in her life, then we do it right. But you don’t get to bulldoze your way through this. That’s not how any of this works.”
He rises to his feet, his eyes locked on mine. “I want what’s right, too, Anna. And for that, I have to be a part of my daughter’s life. Like living with her, giving her the family she deserves. You don’t have to do this alone anymore.”
“I’ve already proven I can,” I explode, my chest heaving.
“Yes, you have. But you shouldn’t have to.
You and my daughter belong with me, in my house.
Our house.” His voice softens for a moment, but when I shake my head, it hardens again.
“I’m trying not to be an asshole here. But if you’re still stubborn about keeping me out, fine. Then we’ll settle this in court.”
My lungs seize. “Landon… think about Mick. He’s been a father figure in her life. I just can’t take her away from him.”
“Two years. That’s how long you kept my daughter from me. I’m sure he’ll manage just fine when he’s not even the father.” He steps closer, his eyes burning into mine. “But make no mistake, you and my daughter belong with me. I don’t care what you think or want, Anna. You both are mine.”
“You’re an asshole,” I fire back.
“Good. Then you should know, I’m an asshole enough to take what’s mine.
” His eyes blaze, every ounce of his control taut with danger.
“My daughter is mine, Anna.” He sinks back into his chair, leaning back, his eyes never leaving mine for a second.
“You have two options: you and Liala move in with me, or we let the court decide.”
The intensity of his words rattles me to my core, but I force my chin up, my voice trembling with rage. “Fine. I’ll move. But don’t think that bullying me into staying in your house will mean anything.”
He smiles back, victory flickering in his eyes. “It will mean everything. To me. To her. And eventually… to you, whether you want to admit it or not.”
I glare down at him, but he only smirks, as if daring me to challenge the war he’s already set in motion. A war he’s certain will end only one way—his.