Chapter!
From Now On,
I’ll Be Your Daddy
“Mommy… Mommy…”
Felix’s voice trembled, a haunting echo that stopped William in his tracks just as he was about to step out. The hospital room felt colder, somehow more isolated as Renee took her call outside. Drawn by the distress in Felix’s cries, William lingered at the door, his hand pausing on the handle.
Inside, Felix was adrift in a restless sleep, possibly haunted by memories of the recent accident. His whimpers filled the sterile room, tugging insistently at William’s heartstrings. With a sigh, William approached the bed, his movements gentle and quiet. He reached out, taking Felix’s small, trembling hand in his own.
At the touch, Felix’s grip tightened, his small fingers clinging to William as if anchoring himself in the midst of a storm. The connection sparked something undefinable between them, a bond that pulsed with quiet strength.
Slowly, Felix’s eyelids fluttered open, revealing eyes wide and shimmering with unshed tears–his gaze vulnerable and piercingly innocent. He blinked up at William, confusion mingling with relief.
“Sir?” His voice was a whisper, fragile as glass.
“You’re awake, little one. Are you hurting anywhere?” William’s voice was soft, infused with a warmth he hadn’t expected to summon.
Felix shook his head, his eyes darting around the room before clutching William’s hand against his chest. His next words were barely audible, strained with fear. “I’m scared… there are bad people.”
William responded instinctively, his other hand rising to stroke Felix’s hair soothingly, “Don’t worry. There’s nobody bad here, and I’m here to protect you.”
Felix’s eyes, large and trusting, fixed on William. His head tilted slightly, a child’s curiosity overcoming his fear for a moment. “Sir, are you a great fighter?”
With a hint of a smile touching his lips, William nodded, pride swelling in his chest. “Of course, I am.”
With a big grin, Felix declared, “My dad is a super strong fighter too! No one can beat him he takes down every bad guy out there!”
Upon hearing Felix’s glowing praise of Ryder, William couldn’t help but feel a sting of rivalry. He scoffed lightly, raising an eyebrow in challenge. “Oh really? If he takes down all the bad guys, then how did one still manage to come for you?”
Caught off guard, Felix furrowed his brows, his youthful face contorted in deep thought. After a moment, he ventured uncertainly, “Maybe those bad guys just appeared out of nowhere?”
William shook his head, a smirk playing on his lips. “That doesn’t cut it, buddy. It just shows your dad is not the hero
dad is not the hero you think he is.”
Annoyance crept into Felix’s expression–he refused to believe it. Ryder had been his idol for as long as he could remember: Felix saw Ryder as the ultimate fighter, someone beyond doubt–even William couldn’t change his mind.
“Well, if you’re so great, why don’t you wipe out all the bad guys yourself?” he retorted, his voice tinged with defiance.
William was taken aback, amused and impressed by Felix’s sharp logic.
“Because I’m not your dad. But make me your ‘Daddy‘ one day, and I promise, no bad guy will ever dare come near you.” His voice softened, a gentle promise lingering in the air.
Felix’s brow furrowed in confusion, unable to untangle the layered meanings behind William’s words. He clung to the simpler truth that Ryder was his daddy, despite Renee’s disapproval of such terms.
“You’ll need to get my mommy’s say–so for that,” Felix retorted, his voice laced with the innocence of youth. “But I’ve already got a daddy.”
Undeterred, William leaned in with a mischievous grin, lowering his voice to a playful whisper. “From now on, I’ll be your daddy, Felix. You won’t need anyone else.”
He dismissed the existence of Felix’s biological father with a wave of his hand. In his eyes, Renee and her son were his–and nothing else mattered.
“William! What on earth are you saying?”
Renee’s sharp voice sliced through the room as she re–entered, catching the tail end of their conversation. Her eyes narrowed, piecing together the unexpected shift in William’s demeanor.
As she stood there, her mind raced. What had transformed William over the past three years? His audacity was startling.
Something didn’t add up. With William’s deep–rooted passion for the military, even after applying to transfer back to Tofral, it only made sense for him to remain in the army. What could have driven him to abandon everything he knew and dive into the
business world?
