AVA POV
“Who is Bella’s father?” Raymond’s question caught me off guard.
I forced a small smile, trying to stay calm. “He’s dead,” I said quietly. “Not in the way you think. He’s alive, but to me… he’s as good as dead.”
Raymond looked at me, waiting for more. I hesitated before adding, “He’s my first enemy, and he’ll always be my enemy. He’s the reason I never got to feel my parents’ love. The only time I saw them again was when they were dead.”
Before Raymond could respond, Bella’s scream cut through the room. We ran inside to find her tossing and turning, caught in a nightmare.
I hurried to her side, stroking her hair gently. “Mummy’s here, baby. Relax. It’s okay, I’m here.”
Her little body slowly calmed under my touch, and she drifted back to sleep.
I sat beside her for a moment,
