The Billionaire's Authentic Daughter ▶️

8 3 | J U L I E T

Once outside, Nova jogged up to me and grabbed my arm. I looked at him to see he looked conflicted.

"I know you think I shouldn't have done that," I said. "Heck, even I think that, especially when you had locked me in that room an hour ago. You don't deserve to have me stand up for you. And you're too damn doormat-y to do anything yourself."

He dropped his arm and began typing into his device. I waited with folded arms.

"I would've thanked you any other day but this is not that day. It was his birthday. You ruined it."

"Of course," I scoffed. "He treats you like shit and you still think he deserves all the love you have for him. You're pathetic."

I turned to walk away. Then groaned and walked back to him until I stood I was stood in front of him. Snaking my arm around his waist I slipped my hand into his back pocket and retrieved my phone.

"Where are you going?" I heard his device behind me.

"Home! Since you clearly got us kicked out of a party with food as good as it looked."

"Wait!" I heard a third voice and then a tiny set of feet rush toward us.

We turned to the source to see Sloane sprinting toward us faster than I've ever seen her move. Behind her, Colin struggled to keep up with her. She reached us in seconds and blew out air from her cake smeared cheeks as she caught her breath.

"What're you doing here, Sloane? Go back to the party," I said to her, just as Colin reached us.

She ignored me and approached Nova, straining her neck all the way to look him in the eyes. "I-I heard what that birthday boy said to you and it was mean and I just wanted to say that you shouldn't be sad because of it."

Nova bent down to her level and smiled at her. He ruffled her hair. "Thank you."

"They just say mean things about you or...or your mother," she said quietly and I knew that last part was about her. "They call her names and make fun of her and talk about her as if she's something dirty so they don't talk to you and laugh at you but...my mom is not like that. She loves me so much and she's always nice." Her voice cracked at the end and she looked up with teary eyes, trying her hardest to hold them back. "But I don't care! So you shouldn't too. You won't, right?"

He looked like he felt bad for her but nodded in response.

Colin abruptly turned and walked away. I watched him disappear around a corner.

"So you should thank Julia." Sloane  continued, suprising me when she mentioned me.  "You're lucky to have her as your friend." Neither of us bothered to correct her. "She didn't let him say bad things about you. I have three friends like that and I'd never let them go and so should you. So thank her."

Nova was saved from responding to that when we heard Aurelio calling out for Colin and Sloane. He finally spotted us.

"Is everything okay? Where's Colin?" He asked upon reaching us.

"Everything is fine. Take Sloane with you. Colin just left. I'll send him inside when I find him."

He didn't ask anything further. I patted Sloane on her head before she left with him.

When I turned to look at Nova with folded hands, expecting a thank you, he was already looking at me.

"Well? You heard the little munchkin."

He slowly lifted his device and typed.

"Thank you."

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Cool, whatever. You can leave now."