Finding Her

C H A P T E R - S I X

Mine

V A L E R I U S '   P O V :

"Ellie!" I pause. "Ellie!" I yell into the empty room.

Panic slowly starts to creep into my head.

I swear she's always doing this to me.

I dip down, checking under our bed. I walk into our closet and still, there's no avail. My heart squeezes hard in my chest.

"Eleonora!?" I call again and when there's no response I run to John who stands in the hallway next to our bedroom door. "John, where the hell is my daughter?" My tone is completely serious.

"She's in the house." The corner of his mouth lifts.

This fucker.

"Where, John. Where in the house!" I grit out.

"I was sworn to not tell." He replies and my jaw ticks like a bomb.

I'm so close to killing him.

A tiny giggle stops me from cracking his neck in two.

I turn to the left where there lays a lump in the curtains in front of the window. I sigh, relief floods through me. That little devil.

I give John a death glare as I mouth, 'I'm going to kill you.' Partially as a joke and partially not. I haven't decided yet.

It's clear someone has taught my daughter what hide-and-seek is.. and it wasn't me.

I start walking to the window slowly. "Ellieee—" I drag out, my steps creaking on the wood.

Ellie giggles quietly and I watch her feet shuffle from below the curtain. She's not as quiet as she thinks she's being.

"Where's my girl?" I tease further.

The sheer curtains show Ellie with her hand over her mouth, trying to contain her giggles. My head shakes at her.

I can't even be mad anymore. She's too cute for me to stay mad. She's breaking down my ability to think clearly. I can't even get mad anymore when she's around. It's too hard.

I open the top of the curtains but don't look down to see her. Ellie huddles in the corner of the curtains, her big blue eyes staring up at me. She anticipates me finding her.

"I guess since she's not here.. I'll have to eat all the chocolate cereal."

I pretend not to see her and go to walk away.

"WAIT!" Ellie screeches from behind me and I stop walking, a smirk rises on my lips. I hear her small steps thump the floor. Thump, thump. She runs into my legs. "Papà... nooooo. Pleaseee!" She pouts, hugging my legs tightly. I chuckle a little.

I think I can say with ease that Eleonora Armani would gladly choose chocolate over me any day.

I scoop Ellie up quickly, throwing her up in the air just to keep her an arms length away.