The Soldier's Vow

The Truth Unveiled

CHAPTER 4

“Daddy!” Emma shouted happily.

‘Hm? Daddy?’ Matt felt one of his brows curl up as little Emma ran towards him.

That voice, that wide smile on her face, that same exact word, they were unmistakable! He quickly recognized her as the little girl he had met at the airport earlier.

‘What is she doing here of all places?’ as his mind raced in thoughts, he crouched down to catch her and carry her in his arms. Then he stood upright and couldn't take his eyes off Emma's face.

“Daddy! I found you again… hehe,” Emma giggled, reaching out for his cheek and pulling it playfully.

“Why do you keep calling me that? I'm not—Am I?” Matt was beyond confused at that point.

Everyone in the living room simply froze and watched in a daze. They had different thoughts running through their heads and didn't want to startle a little child like Emma. She had seemed to take a liking to Matt—a person she had never met since she was born. He was her father, sure, but he didn't know her, neither did she.

One could simply say that their bond was just that strong.

“But you are. Mum has shown me your pictures before,” Emma’s smile still remained bright as she tried to explain.

This cajoled Matt to finally peel his eyes away from her face and shift his gaze toward Fiona, who looked tense.

‘I only showed her whenever she won't stop crying,’ Fiona muttered inwardly, silently regretting her decision for allowing Emma to know even a little about her father.

The solemn and somewhat expression of guilt on Fiona's face said it all. It confirmed Matt's suspicion.

He retracted his gaze to Emma's face, who had his eyes, ‘So I actually have a daughter? This is good. I can use it to my advantage.’

He reined in his thoughts and flashed a small, confident smile at Fiona, “Fiona, I know you must be upset, but I'm back now. I'm here to stay and take care of you. You don't have to remain depressed any longer.”

Fiona's lips parted to speak, but then her grumpy mother, Mirabel , jumped to her feet and cut in sharply, “You're back? Now you want to cater for her? You left her without a word and made her a single mother for five good years! And now you have the guts to say you're back?!”

Her husband tried pulling her back but she pushed his hand away, her narrow eyes solely fixated on Matt, “I honestly can't believe your audacity! After taking advantage of my husband's goodwill to extort $5000 out of him?! Then you ran away almost immediately. Now you're back and raising your chin like a proud and just man. I'm sure you only returned because you've finally exhausted the money you stole?”

Matt couldn't help but raise a brow, ‘Ma’am, how would $5000 last me for five years? What am I, a child? At least try to be realistic in your lies.’

He let out a sigh to ease his frustration before responding with a calm voice, “I didn't extort Mr. Evans, neither did I just run away as you claimed. I only borrowed the money to aid my mum’s treatment, but unfortunately, when I got to the hospital that day, she… she was already dead.”

He took a slight pause, briefly reminiscing on that day. If only he had raised the money a few hours earlier, his mother would still be alive.

“I was devastated by the news but I made sure to come back here that same day, and handed over the money back to Mr. Evans…” he continued, nudging his jaw at James.

Mirabel narrowed her eyes, as though trying to read his countenance to confirm whether or not he was speaking the truth.

“I mean, he's right there. Just ask him,” Matt shrugged.

Fiona stared intently at her father when she heard this. Matt was definitely lying, right? Everything they told her five years ago was true, right?

But when James noticed her gaze on him, he turned his face away, unable to say a word.

Fiona's eyes gradually dilated, realising that she had been lied to all these while! Matt was telling the truth!

“No way…” her lips quivered uncontrollably. “Dad…?”

James was too much of a coward. Even after feeling the betrayal and shock in his daughter's voice, he couldn't bring himself to raise his head or even say a word. His lips would part open for a second or two, as though he was about to say something reasonable, only for him to close them the very next second.

This act of his irritated Matt to the core. He clicked his teeth and shook his head.

The rest of the Evans family and the so-called Young Master were also shocked. They kept shifting their gazes from the cowering James, to the startled Fiona, and then to Matt, who looked quite stoic.

They didn't want to believe it. Matt was supposed to be the villain, not James or any of them. They didn't like him in the first place and would believe any bad rumour concerning him. But now that the truth had been revealed, how could they proudly hate on him?

Young Master Walter was the first to recover, taking a seat on a single sofa and crossing his legs. This was just one loss against their other wins. To him, it was inconsequential.

“Your hair is so fluffy, dad,” Emma, unlike everyone else, was still very cheerful, slipping her small hands through Matt's silk hair and ruffling it playfully.

Matt couldn't help but smile at this, rubbing down her ponytail, “You too, Emma.”

Mirabel’s eyes flared as she snapped. She couldn't take it any longer. Even though Matt was Emma's biological father, she couldn't bring herself to allow their relationship. It would ruin everything they had planned.

With a click of her tongue, she folded her arms and said, “Enough of this already. Do you think we're here to play?”