The Tyrant's Wife

351  Date (1)

Her phone rang for the umpteenth time and she wanted to explode. It was much easier when only Lucy had access to her contact details. She didn't know how her parents found them but they had resorted to blowing up her phone. She debated turning it off and decided that would not be a permanent solution. They would simply resume calling as soon as she turned it back on.

She took a deep sigh and answered it, tapping her lips with her index finger for Liam to remain silent. "What do you want?"

She heard a similar helpless sigh on the other end before her father spoke. "Ximena, your mother and I don't want to be estranged from you, you know? It would be best if we could all get along as families should."

"We would get along just fine if you didn't resort to trying to ruin my life once you found out you could not control me." She snapped. She mentally counted the seconds until he blew up. He always did whenever he couldn't get his way.

However, the explosion she was waiting for didn't happen. Instead, he calmly said, "I have not been a good father, I'm sorry. I'm also sorry it took me so long to realize this. Do you think you could ever give me the chance to make it up?"

She frowned. Who was this man and what did he do to her grumpy father?

As unbelievable as it was, she was not buying it. "You had my whole life to make it up but you didn't."

"Ximena," he sighed. "I know it takes a toll on you thinking about how horrible your relationship is with me and your mother."

"WHy are you wasting so much time coddling her?" Her mother snapped in the background, prompting him to growl at her.

"Shut your mouth! I'm talking to my daughter." He put the call on hold for a bit and when he returned, she could no longer hear the low sound that must have been the television. He must have left the living room. "I'm sorry about that." He cleared his throat.

"Just get straight to the point." She demanded. Her mother was not wrong. He was trying to coddle her and it wouldn't work. They both knew he wanted to tell her something that would make her want to smash her phone. Might as well get it over with and save the phone bill.

"Can we meet up for a meal? I can come over to wherever you are."

"No." She cut him off before he could ask for her location. "Is this what you were after all along? Asking for my location?"

"What? No!" He sounded so shocked that she almost believed him. "How about this, we can meet somewhere else. Somewhere that's neither Imperium nor your current location. You can tell me where works best for you."

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"I'll think about it." She said and immediately hung up.

She was still reeling in shock when she told Liam about it. "Of all the ways they have ever come up with to pin me down, this one takes the cake."

He listened to her recount it. While he had heard her side of the phone call, it was hard to believe her father said any of the things he said. "What's gotten into him?"'

"That's exactly what I want to know. Do you think he wants us to meet up for a meal so he can kidnap me?"

He snort-laughed. "Kidnapped you? No kidnapper would dare put their hands on you. They would get kidnapped by you instead."

She rolled her eyes, but he was not exaggerating it. If it was that easy to kidnap her, she would have been caged by her parents ages ago. She had only survived for this long because Theodore had taught her and Zaria how to fight. She had been more interested in it and wouldn't stop until she was sure to defend herself if the need ever arose.

Liam stopped joking around. "There's a chance he wants to follow you here and find out where we live. We cannot pretend that's impossible. However, there's an equal chance he really does want to make it up to you. Maybe he realized he pushed you too far and is regretting falling out with you."

That possibility made her shake her head. "I don't know if I want that, Liam."

She had begged them to be there for her all her life. Why would they want to do so now that she no longer needed them?

When she curled into his arms, he smoothed down her hair. "I think you should go for the sake of closure. Tell him how you feel and even if neither of you gets to play happy family with each other, you will not feel like you left some things unfinished."

She tightened her arms around him. "Will you come with me?"

"Of course, baby. Anything for you."

Once he had said hello to Theodore and the puppy who couldn't wait for him to leave, he returned 14:07

home to pick Zaria up for their date.

______

The following day, Desmond dropped Rosaly off at Theodore's house so he and Zaria would continue their honeymoon where they left off. He would have taken her back to Natalie but the latter was traumatized from nearly losing her and could no longer trust herself to take care of a child—even though it was not her fault.

Lucy was overjoyed to see her, she practically ran to the front door when she heard the car drive in.

"Grandma Lucy!" Rosaly ran over to her and threw herself into her arms as soon as she got off the car. Lucy picked her up and kissed her cheeks.

"I missed you so much! Are you excited for our spa day?"

Rosaly nodded even though she didn't fully understand what a spa day was. All she knew was that her grandma would be there so it would be fun. "Is Grandpa Theo coming too?" She asked.

"If he must." Lucy grumbled and glared at Desmond when he laughed. He shrugged and pulled an imaginary zipper over his lips. He wasn't going to be the one to call Lucy out for pretending not to want Theodore's company when she had insisted on keeping Des for a few more days so she wouldn't feel awkward about staying for a few more days.

Lucy carried Rosaly's bag while the girl blazed through the house to find Theodore and Des. "Say goodbye to daddy!" She reminded her, then laughed. "Never mind." She shot a look at Desmond. "See you never?"

He shook his head in laughter. "Her mother will chew me out if I don't bring her back home soon."

Her mother.

The words felt magical. It was the first time he was actually referring to Zaria as Rosaly's mother and nothing had ever felt so right.

He still felt a little guilty about the restraining order he had filed the morning after they returned from The West, but it was for the best. It may be a stretch to think Angela might cause her physical harm but sometimes psychological harm was worse. Rosaly deserved a mother who loved her, not one who wouldn't hesitate to use her.

Once he had said hello to Theodore and the puppy who couldn't wait for him to leave, he returned home to pick Zaria up for their date.

She was waiting for him at the door when he arrived and heavens, she was beautiful. She was wearing a calf-length black dress with a side slit revealing a sliver of her gorgeous thigh, paired with gold strappy sandals and a purse of the same shade. Her hair was in one of those buns that were supposed to look messy—though he knew women spent almost an hour in the mirror getting it to the perfect level of ruffled.

He got out of the car and took out the bouquet he had bought on his way, which he handed to her as he picked her hand. "Do you know what's the worst mistake of my life?"

She shook her head. "What?"

"Not finding you sooner." He leaned down to peck her lips. "You're so beautiful, my love." Then, as a ritual, he got on one knee to kiss her belly. She had ditched the clothes that hid her bump. Today, her dress brought out the curve of her belly and he didn't think she had ever been more beautiful.

She chuckled after what must have been the hundredth belly kiss. "Uhm, Desmond, the date?"

"Right." He straightened back up. "After you, milady."