BLISS

CHAPTER THREE~ CHANGE OF PLANS

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CHAPTER THREE:-CHANGE OF PLANS

BENARD POV

Anger was a dangerous thing.

It was not always loud. Sometimes, it was silent. Calm.

Patient

The kind of anger that sat quietly in the deepest corner of your mind, waiting for the perfect moment to reveal itself.

And right now, mine was barely contained.

My fingers curled into a tight fist, my nails pressing against my palm as I stared at the image displayed on my phone screen.

Louisiana.

My caramel.

The girl who had somehow managed to walk into my carefully controlled world and disturb every single rule I had built for myself.

She was standing there with that innocent smile of hers, completely unaware of the effect she had on me.

And beside her was another man.

Another man who dared to stand close to her.

Another man who thought he had the right to make her smile.

A bitter feeling settled in my chest.

I hated that I cared.

I hated that someone as powerful as me could be affected by something as simple as seeing a woman with another person.

My entire life, people feared me.

Men twice my age lowered their voices when speaking to me. Business partners watched their words carefully around me. Enemies disappeared when they challenged my authority.

I was Bernard Armstrong.

The name alone carried weight.

I was one of the biggest arms and weapons dealers in the world. My influence stretched beyond borders, beyond governments, beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Money had never been a problem for me.

I had enough wealth to purchase companies, build cities, and create an empire that would outlive me.

But despite everything I owned…

Despite every luxury money could provide…

There was one thing I never expected to desire.

A person.

Not an object.

Not a business deal.

Not another achievement.

A person.

Louisiana.

She was everything I should have avoided.

Too young. Too innocent. Too untouched by the darkness that surrounded my life.

Yet somehow, she had become the only light I found myself looking for.

And now, some stranger thought he could simply walk into her life?

No.

That was not happening.

I leaned back in my chair, my jaw tightening.

I was not someone who easily accepted losing.

Not in business.

Not in life.

And definitely not when it came to something I had already decided was important to me.

A soft voice interrupted my thoughts.

“Daddy?”

I looked away from the phone immediately.

The cold expression I wore for the rest of the world disappeared the moment I saw her.

Bianca.

My little girl.

My entire world.

She stood near the doorway wearing her favourite pink dress, her hair slightly messy from playing. In one hand, she held her stuffed rabbit while the other rubbed her sleepy eyes.

No matter how many people feared me, no matter how many enemies I had…

This little girl could walk into my office without knocking and completely disarm me.

“Come here, candy.”

Her face immediately brightened as she ran toward me.

I opened my arms and caught her easily, lifting her onto my lap.

“Daddy, you were thinking too much again,” she said, studying my face with those innocent eyes.

I smiled slightly.

“Was I?”

“Yes,” she replied seriously. “Your forehead does this thing when you’re angry.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Does it?”

She nodded confidently.

“Yes. It means you need a hug.”

A quiet laugh escaped me.

Only Bianca could say something like that and make me forget everything else.

I wrapped my arms around her carefully.

She was so small compared to me. Sometimes, looking at her reminded me that beneath all the power, wealth, and reputation, I was simply a father who wanted to protect his daughter.

The world knew Bernard Armstrong as a ruthless businessman.

Bianca knew me as Daddy.

And that was the version of myself I valued the most.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, candy?”

“When will you give me a new mummy?”

The question caught me off guard.

I glanced at the phone on the table, where Louisiana’s picture was still visible.

A small smile touched my lips before I could stop it.

“Soon,” I answered.

Bianca tilted her head.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Is she nice?”

I looked at the picture again.

Louisiana was different.

She was kind. Gentle.

The type of person who would apologise to someone even when they were the one hurt.

Someone who still believed there was goodness in people.

Someone completely opposite to me.

“She’s very nice,” I replied.

“Is she pretty?”

I chuckled softly.

“Very.”

Bianca climbed higher on my lap, trying to see the screen properly.

“Is that her?”

“Yes.”

Her eyes widened.

“Daddy…”

“What?”

“She looks like an angel.”

For some reason, that simple statement made something warm settle in my chest.

Even my daughter could see what I saw.

“Yes,” I murmured. “She does.”

I watched Louisiana’s picture for another moment.

The funny thing was, I had never been a man who believed in angels.

My world was too dark for that.

But somehow, she had appeared in it.

And I had no intention of letting anyone take her away from me.

A knock sounded at the door.

The moment it opened, my expression changed back into the one the world knew.

A guard stepped inside and immediately bowed.

“Don.”

I nodded.

“Speak.”

“Sir Armstrong requested your presence.”

I frowned slightly.

My father rarely sent messages without a reason.

“Did he mention why?”

The guard hesitated.

“No, sir. He only asked me to deliver a message.”

“Then deliver it.”

The guard lowered his gaze.

“Mrs Caroline was seen leaving the building yesterday afternoon.”

Silence filled the room.

Caroline.

My ex-wife.

Even hearing her name brought back memories I had buried.

I dismissed the guard with a nod.

“You may leave.”

After he exited, Bianca looked up at me.

“Daddy…”

“Yes?”

“Is Caroline coming back?”

I looked down at my daughter.

The child who had been hurt by a woman who was supposed to love her.

“Do you want her to?”

The answer came instantly.

“No.”

She climbed down from my lap, crossing her arms.

“No, Daddy.”

Her little face turned serious.

“Caroline left you. She doesn’t deserve to come back.”

I remained silent.

“And she was not nice to you,” Bianca continued. “She only cared about herself.”

I sighed softly.

“Candy…”

“No,” she insisted. “I remember.”

And she did.

Bianca remembered everything.

She remembered waiting for her mother to attend school events that Caroline never came to.

She remembered asking for bedtime stories while Caroline was too busy taking pictures.

She remembered birthdays where her mother arrived late because a photoshoot was more important.

Caroline had always loved the attention of being a mother more than actually being one.

When Bianca was born, Caroline complained about how pregnancy had affected her appearance.

She complained about the changes her body went through.

She complained about the responsibilities.

Never once did she complain that she missed her daughter.

I had watched my own wife look at our child like an inconvenience.

That was when I realised something.

A mother was not defined by giving birth.

A mother was defined by love.

And Caroline had failed.

I pulled Bianca closer.

“You know Daddy loves you, right?”

She nodded immediately.

“I know.”

“And I will always protect you.”

She smiled.

“I know.”

That trust meant more to me than every empire I had built.

A knock interrupted us again.

This time, Brian entered.

My secretary.

The only man I trusted enough to handle both my business and personal affairs.

“Don.”

“Brian.”

He bowed slightly.

“I have the information you requested.”

I looked at him.

“Where is the young madame planning to go?”

Brian glanced briefly at Bianca before answering.

“The restaurant reservation has been confirmed.”

My eyes narrowed.

“With him?”

“Yes, Don.”

A dangerous silence followed.

Brian knew me well enough to understand what that silence meant.

I stood up, carefully lifting Bianca into my arms.

“Cancel my evening plans.”

Brian nodded.

“And the restaurant?”

I looked at the picture of Louisiana once more.

A possessive feeling settled in my chest.

“I’ll handle that myself.”

Walk with me to chapter 4......

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The drive to the restaurant was unusually quiet.

Normally, silence gave me peace. It allowed me to think, plan, and stay ahead of everyone around me.

But tonight, my thoughts were occupied by one person.

Louisiana.

I hated how easily she had managed to become a distraction. I had built an empire where everything was under my control, yet a simple smile from her could affect my entire mood.

Then I remembered the man sitting beside her.

Jason.

My jaw tightened.

I needed to know who he was and what he wanted from her.

When I arrived at the restaurant, I found her immediately.

Louisiana sat near the window, laughing softly at something Jason had said.

For a moment, I simply watched her.

She looked happy.

And strangely, that made me both relieved and annoyed.

I walked toward the table.

“Bernard?”

Her surprised expression greeted me.

“Yes.”

Jason looked at me curiously.

“And you are?”

“Bernard Armstrong.”

Recognition flashed across his face.

“I see.”

Louisiana frowned.

“What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see you.”

“You could have called.”

“I could have.”

She sighed.

“You always do this.”

“Do what?”

“Act like you control everything.”

I sat down calmly.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, candy.”

“I miss you.”

“I miss you too.”

“When are you coming home?”

“Soon. I promise.”

After ending the call, Louisiana looked at me differently.

“You’re different with her.”

“With Bianca?”

She nodded.

“She’s lucky to have a father who loves her.”

Her words stayed with me.

Because the world saw Bernard Armstrong as a powerful man.

A dangerous man.

But Bianca only saw her father.

The next day, Caroline appeared in my office.

“Bernard.”

I looked up.

“Caroline.”

“I want my family back.”

I remained silent.

“You know things were difficult for me after Bianca was born.”

I scoffed lightly.

“You mean your priorities changed.”

Her face hardened.

“You always blamed me.”

“Because you never accepted your mistakes.”

She looked away.

“Bianca needs her mother.”

I stood.

“She needed you when she waited for you. She needed you when she wanted your attention.”

Silence filled the room.

Caroline had always cared about appearances more than being a mother.

But Bianca deserved better.

And I would make sure she got it.

When I returned home that evening, Bianca ran into my arms.

“Daddy!”

I smiled, holding her close.

“There’s my candy.”

At that moment, I realised something.

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