THE FORGOTTEN HEIRESS-Chapter 446: Isn’t He Supposed To Be Dead?
After keying in the code to unlock the door, they entered the building, and the quiet hum of the city outside gave way to the muffled silence of the hallways.
Their footsteps echoed off the polished floors as they made their way up to the third floor.
When they reached the door to the apartment, Ariel hesitated, turning to face him. For a moment, she looked like she might say something more, but then she simply knocked twice.
The door swung open, and a woman in her late fifties, with silver-streaked hair and a warm but wary expression, greeted them. She cast a quick glance at George, sizing him up, before turning her focus back to her Ariel.
"And who might this be?" she asked with a sharp edge to her tone.
This was the first time Ariel was bringing a man home in years after finishing grad school.
Ariel shifted uncomfortably, but still had to say something. "This is George, Mom. He’s... the one I told you about."
"Hello, Mrs Stanford," George greeted politely, but this time around his charming smile was missing as he didn’t know what font to present to the older woman, who might end up becoming his mother-in-law in the nearest future.
A flash of surprise crossed the older woman’s face, but she quickly masked it with a skeptical frown. She looked back at George, studying him more intently this time.
She took in the shape of his eyes, the curve of his jaw. These were features that echoed her granddaughter’s in subtle ways. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she seemed to reach her own conclusions.
"Well, I see the resemblance," she muttered, folding her arms. "But you have a lot to answer for, young man, if you think you can just waltz in here after all these years."
George swallowed hard, trying to find the right words, but Ariel cut in before he could respond. "Mom, not now. We’ll talk about it later. Please?"
Marie Stanford gave a reluctant nod, stepping aside to let them into the cozy, sunlit apartment which smelled faintly of vanilla, with sunlight streaming in through lace curtains.
George cast a glance around, taking in the soft furnishings, the family photos on the walls and the stack of books on a side table. It was a place that spoke of warmth and care, but he barely registered it as his mind was fixed on the thought of meeting his daughter.
Ariel led him down the hallway toward a partially open door. She paused, giving him a look that was equal parts reassurance and warning. Then she took a deep breath and pushed the door open wider, stepping inside.
"Sweetheart," Ariel called softly, and George’s breath caught at the affection in her voice. "There’s someone I want you to meet."
A little girl’s voice, clear but with a mature tone that took George by surprise, answered from inside. "Is it that man who’s been looking at all the pictures in the hall?"
Ariel smiled tightly, exchanging a quick, wary glance with George before gesturing him forward.
He moved slowly, almost as if afraid he might do something to annoy the girl inside.
When he finally entered the room, he saw her... sitting cross-legged on the rug, surrounded by stacks of Chapter books and a half-finished puzzle.
She was bigger than he’d imagined, but she had the same dark, wavy hair as him, falling in loose curls around her shoulders, and eyes that mirrored Ariel’s bright blue eyes.
But the ones that met his squarely had a critical expression in them and her little chin was tilted up as if sizing him up.
Ariel quickly moved to knell beside Georgia, and smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Georgia, this ... this is..."
"Don’t bother introducing him, mommy," Georgia cut in smoothly. "Isn’t he supposed to be dead?"
George was stunned speechless as he heard the cynicism in the little girl’s voice. But what was most appalling was the words that came out of her mouth. Dead?! Was that the reason Ariel gave to pacify her for her father’s long absence all these years?
’Damn! Of all the reasons in the world, Ariel. You’ll never cease to amaze me. So now, was he a resurrected corpse or what? And why isn’t Georgia frightened in the least?
He turned to Ariel but she only gave him an unapologetic shrug which seemed to say, ’Sorry, you left me no choice, so deal with it!’
Besides, she was still wondering how Georgia got to know the identity of George even before she introduced them.
Meanwhile Georgia’s eyes had narrowed inexplicably as she continued to study the man who by all indications was her supposedly dead father.
If not for the fact that she had overheard the conversation between her grandmother over the phone with her mother two days ago, she would still think her father was dead... Not knowing that he’d probably been having the time of his life with some unknown homebreaker somewhere in the world all these years, denying her of the much needed affection that only a father could have provided.
As he saw his daughter’s gaze on him like she was analyzing a puzzle piece that didn’t quite fit, George felt a lump rise in his throat and for the first time in his life felt so insignificant and unaccepted.
But he had to be the man he knew he was, he said to himself and shook himself out of his pitiful state, crouched down and tried to meet Georgia’s gaze at eye level.
"Hi, Gia," he said, attempting a smile. "It’s... it’s really nice to finally meet you. I brought you something." He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small stuffed bear with a bow around its neck.
Georgia stared at the bear, her expression unchanged. "I’m seven, not four," she said flatly, crossing her arms. "I don’t like teddy bears anymore. And my name is Georgia... not that weird one you just said," she added with a disdainful snort.
It was bad enough that his mother insisted on calling her Gigi, now she had to deal with another nickname... although the sound of Gia wasn’t too bad. Maybe she might have preferred it under normal circumstances. But unfortunately, there was nothing normal with one’s father suddenly popping out from the grave, probably because he was getting too tall for his coffin.
The rejection stung, but George forced himself to keep his smile. "Right, of course. I’m... sorry about that." He set the bear aside, feeling awkward.
From the moment he stepped into Georgia’s room, he knew he’d made a mistake in the choice of a gift but he had hoped... as for the nickname, he’ll ensure she accepts it.
It was such a sweet one that suited a sweet little girl like her, besides, it gave him the same vibe as when he called Ria, so she’ll have no choice but to embrace the name in the long run.
He will have to take it one step at a time, but for now, he felt he’d already failed some crucial test. He glanced up at Ariel, who bit her lip but gave him a slight nod, encouraging him to keep trying.
For a long moment, Georgia said but just , studied him with that same unyielding look. When she finally spoke again, her voice was tinged with something sharper. "Where were you all these while? Why haven’t you been here with us?"
