Dominic's POV
Dominic hadn't been this nervous in years.
Not during his first merger.
Not when the board tried to push him out.
Not even when he stood at the altar beside Lena in a suit custom-tailored to hide how hollow he felt.
But this?
This was different.
He stood just outside the bookstore's back entrance, staring at the small wooden steps that led up to the apartment Lena shared with her daughter—his daughter.
The word still felt foreign. Heavy. Powerful.
He clenched his fists in his coat pockets and glanced down at the bag he held. Inside was a small stuffed lion—something he had bought on impulse. He remembered the way the girl had clutched hers the other day. It had looked old, loved, maybe even falling apart.
He hadn't known what else to bring. What do you give a child who doesn't know you exist?
The door opened before he could knock.
Lena stood in the doorway, her eyes guarded. She wore a simple sweater and jeans, her hair pulled into a loose bun. She looked nothing like the woman he'd left behind—and everything like the mother she had become.
"She's finishing a drawing," Lena said quietly. "You have five minutes. If she gets overwhelmed, I'll end it."
He nodded, suddenly unsure what to do with his hands.
"Dominic," she added, stopping him before he could step inside. "She thinks you're just… a friend. For now."
He swallowed. "Understood."
He stepped into the small apartment and was struck by the warmth. It was nothing like the sterile penthouse they once shared. There were crayons on the floor, soft toys in corners, a bookshelf overflowing with worn picture books. It felt alive. It felt real.
She built this without me.
He barely had time to register anything else before a small voice called from the hallway.
"Mommy, I finished—"
And there she was.
Eliana.
Tiny, with wild brown curls and eyes too big for her face. She stopped the moment she saw him, holding a crayon-sketched paper in her hand. Her mouth formed a small oh as she looked up at him.
Dominic had faced powerful men. Ruthless investors. Billion-dollar negotiations.
But nothing could have prepared him for the sight of his daughter.
"Hi," he said softly, crouching to her level. "You must be Eliana."
She glanced at Lena, who nodded with a small smile.
"I'm Dominic," he said. "Your mom told me you like lions."
Her eyes lit up just slightly, and she nodded.
He opened the bag and pulled out the stuffed lion. "I brought you something. His name is Max. But you can change it if you want."
She stepped forward slowly and took it from him, inspecting it with a frown that looked exactly like his own when he was deep in thought.
"I already have one lion," she said finally.
"That's okay," he replied. "Maybe they can be friends."
Eliana nodded and sat down on the floor, placing both lions beside each other and talking softly to them as if introducing them at a tea party.
Dominic stayed crouched, watching her.
She didn't know he was her father. But something in her ease—her natural comfort—made his chest ache.
"I draw lions too," she said without looking up.
"Can I see?"
She handed him the drawing. It was messy, colourful, full of heart. The lion had a crown on its head.
"That's the king lion," she explained.
He swallowed hard. "It's perfect."
She glanced up at him again. "Are you Mommy's friend?"
Dominic paused. The question wrapped around his ribs like a band tightening.
"Yes," he said quietly. "I'm someone who cares about her. And you."
She smiled, and it hit him like a truck. Soft. Pure. Trusting.
I missed five years of this.
Lena's voice came gently from behind him. "Okay, Eliana. Time for your snack."
The little girl nodded, picked up her lions, and padded off to the kitchen.
Dominic stood slowly, his knees tight.
Lena met his eyes.
"You okay?" she asked.
He let out a long, shaky breath.
"She's… amazing," he said. "I don't know how you did it."
She didn't smile. "I didn't have a choice. She needed someone to fight for her."
He nodded. "I want to fight for her too. Even if I'm late."
There was a pause.
"Then show up," Lena said simply. "Again. And again. No grand gestures. No headlines. Just… show up."
He nodded, more certain than ever.
"I will."