Nesrin, on the other hand, looks like she’s about to be sick. I don’t blame her. Finding out your father is now married to a woman who’s going to be part of your extended family can’t be easy.
“Finn,” she greets with a smile.
“Hey, sis.” I pull her into a hug and hold her for as long as she needs. When she finally steps back, I say, “This is Zaria.” The two girls smile, and it’s then that I notice it. Something about them both is so familiar, it makes my chest tighten. I flick my gaze at Damien whose eyes widen for a second before his wife slips into the crook of his arm.
He saw it too.
Just then, the living room doors open and Zaria’s mother walks in. Her back straight, head held high. There’s a look of calm on her face, but the moment I step out of the way of my brother and his wife, Mrs. Abadi’s face falls. Not only that, it’s the man behind her who looks like he’s walked into the lion’s den.
Amira Abadi can’t stop this any more than he can. Isaac stops dead, his gaze flicking over to the daughter he walked away from all those years ago. He was good to her from what she’s told us, but then, one day, he just walked out and never returned. And now, he’s here, married to another woman.
“Nesrin?” His voice is faraway, pained almost. “Marcia?” The confusion written on his face tells me he didn’t realize his ex-wife would be here, let alone his daughter. It’s the smile on Amira’s face that confirms my thoughts are going in the right direction. She knew. She’s always known.
“I think perhaps we should let father and daughter speak,” she announces happily, as if her plan has finally come together. But when Zaria steps forward, she stares at Isaac. And there is no doubt in my mind that everyone can see it: the resemblance between father and his daughters. His genes must be strong because with them all in the same room, no lie can be told.
“You’re….” Zaria’s voice cracks, then she looks at her mother, whose smile falters. “Did you do this?”
I take Zaria’s hand, and she lets me. But I don’t stop her.
“He’s my father. Isn’t he?”
“What?” Marcia’s voice cuts through the silence.
The bomb has been dropped and it’s about to explode through Thorne Manor. Growing up here, there’s never been a dull moment. Ever. And this is no different. I watch as realization dawns on everyone’s faces. Damien’s eyes lock on mine, and he nods. We need to get the girls alone with their father. Who knew I’d be marrying my stepsister’s—who is also my sister in law—half-sister. God, this fucking town only gets more sordid by the day.
“Perhaps we should let Nesrin and Zaria talk to Isaac,” I suggest, and thankfully, Dad drags Marcia from the room who’s shooting daggers at Isaac. It means that he cheated on his wife more than once throughout their marriage.
I press a kiss to Zaria’s temple before I lead her mother from the room. “You should give them some space,” I tell her, before she tries to fight me on it. I’m in no mood for this, so she won’t get away. All I can do is hope my girl comes out of this unscathed.
Zaria
Shock.
It’s the only thing that can even remotely describe how I’m feeling right now. Nesrin steps up beside me. It’s as if we’re going to war alongside each other, and I have to admit, it feels good not being alone. I know Finn left because I needed to do this on my own. But coming face to face with a father I never knew is daunting. He doesn’t move as he takes us both in.
“Girls—”
“No,” Nesrin says, fire lacing her words, “you don’t get to look nervous, or guilty, or anything other than shamed.” Her voice is so strong, so confident, for a moment, I’m not sure I can match her strength. She knew him as a child; I never did. I had a good father, but he wasn’t my blood. Or I wasn’t his. And that hurts more than I thought it would.
“I can’t believe you couldn’t come and see me,” I tell him after a moment of silence. “You were there, at my birthday party.” The accusation causes him to flinch. “I saw you talking to Mom.”
He nods slowly. “I did. I wanted to tell you,” he admits. “But the moment she saw me, she told me to leave. We had an argument and even though I wanted you to know who I was, your mother was defiant. She convinced me to leave.”
“And you listened to her?”
He snaps his gaze to mine. “I did. She told me she didn’t want you upset on your birthday,” he murmurs. “And I didn’t want it either. You were so beautiful—”