Daisy stumbled into the house, her vision blurred by tears. She didn't even bother to take off her shoes as she rushed into the living room, where her mother sat knitting quietly by the window.
The moment Mrs. Bennett looked up and saw her daughter's trembling face, the yarn fell from her hands.
"Daisy?" she said in alarm, standing up. "What happened, my child?"
Daisy couldn't hold it anymore. Her lips quivered, and then she broke — tears streamed down her cheeks as she fell into her mother's arms.
"M-Mom," she choked, gripping her tightly. "He saw us… Leo saw me and Kulture."
Her mother's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't interrupt. She just rubbed Daisy's back gently, letting her cry.
"I tried to explain," Daisy continued between sobs, "but he didn't believe me. He took Kulture with him, Mom. He didn't even listen. He just looked at me like I was some stranger…"
Her voice broke again, and she buried her face in her mother's shoulder.
"Oh, sweetheart," Mrs. Bennett murmured, stroking her hair. "You've been through too much already."
Daisy sniffled. "He said… he said I lied to him again. That I was still hiding things. But, Mom, I never wanted to lie. I was just scared."
Her mother sighed softly. "I know, baby. But running away from the past doesn't erase it. Sometimes it finds you when you least expect it."
Daisy looked up at her, her eyes red and swollen. "Do you think he'll ever forgive me?"
Mrs. Bennett hesitated, her expression softening. "Leo… he's a proud man, but I remember how much he loved you back then. Maybe his anger now only means he still cares, deep down."
Daisy shook her head, her lips trembling. "But the way he looked at me… it was like he hated me."
"No, my dear," her mother whispered, cupping her cheek. "He doesn't hate you. He's just hurt. Sometimes men hide their pain behind anger."
Daisy's tears fell again. "I wish I could make him believe me."
Mrs. Bennett smiled sadly. "Then you'll have to show him, not with words, but with truth. If it's meant to be, love always finds its way back — even after years of silence."
Daisy leaned into her mother's arms again, her heart aching, her tears slowly fading into quiet sobs.
Outside, the wind whispered softly through the open window — as if carrying her pain to the man who once held her heart.
The car ride was quiet. Too quiet.
Kulture sat in the back seat, hugging a small stuffed rabbit to her chest, while Leo's hands tightened around the steering wheel.
He didn't know what to say. His mind was a storm — too many questions, too much disbelief.
She's my daughter?
The thought echoed in his head again and again, but he kept shaking it off.
It didn't make sense. None of it did.
When they arrived at his villa, he led the little girl inside.
"Come in," he said gently, trying not to sound too harsh.
Kulture looked around curiously, her big brown eyes scanning the place. She looked so small standing there, like a fragile little angel.
Leo sighed. "You must be hungry. Do you… want something to eat?"
She nodded quietly, still holding her rabbit. "Can I have strawberry milk?"
That voice — soft, innocent, and sweet — pierced right through him.
He turned to the maid and said, "Get her some milk, please."
Then, as Kulture climbed onto the sofa, Leo sat opposite her, studying her face.
Something about her… it felt so familiar.
The way her lashes fluttered when she looked down.
The shy way she avoided his gaze.
He frowned. She looks like Daisy… especially her eyes.
His chest tightened. He didn't want to believe it — it was easier to stay angry, to tell himself Daisy had lied to him. But now, sitting here, he couldn't ignore the resemblance.
"Where's your dad?" he asked suddenly, his tone softer than he expected.
Kulture blinked, confused for a moment. "Mommy said… he's a very busy man."
Leo's breath caught. A busy man.
It was what Daisy always said back then whenever she made excuses for him during school.
He leaned back, running a hand over his face.
"Do you know my name?" he asked after a pause.
Kulture tilted her head. "Mommy said your name is Leo."
He froze. "She told you about me?"
Kulture nodded innocently. "Mommy said you were… someone special once."