[Past]

He could feel her breaths being even and serene, lying into the arms of the mafia emperor, a small little girl of no more than three years old was sleeping soundly.

In this entire world Ajax Waylon did not fear anything, yet the only thing that could control his mind, heart and soul-his wife and soulmate, he was indeed afraid of her reaction. He had adopted a nameless child out of nowhere, a place from where the darkest of human emotions ruled, he had given hope to this small baby but he dared not think what his wife would feel about the whole scenario.

“Jax! You’re home!” The woman with frail pink apron, cooking a hearty dinner smiled so brightly that it might have brought the loveliest rays of sun to shame. She giggled before running towards the garden from where only the visage of her husband was visible yet she knew it was him, she could not even lose him amongst thousands of people.

Ajax felt his heart beat erratically, the condition of the baby lying in his arms was terrible, lord was not merciful on him today and the moment Alaina stopped a feet away from him, her warm forest brown irises that were filled with mirth dimmed.

“A-Ajax…oh my god,” teary brown eyes locked with his emerald green ones as trembling fingers touched dirt matted brown hair that seemed to have lost its luster.

Such a small little angel and yet going through so much pain.

Her body was covered with filth, cheeks hollowed as she could pass any moment. When Alaina tried taking Aurora into her own hold, Ajax refused.

His dark coat that was covering his daughter might have slipped if his beautiful wife took Aurora into her own hold, he did not want her to see the tattered clothes she was in, the wounds and obvious evidence of abuse on her body, Alaina would break again if she saw such pain.

Ajax did not want his precious treasure to remember her own childhood and the agony that she had experienced.

“Baby, can you please arrange for a small shirt and prepare the meal? I will introduce you to this child at dinner…is it fine, my love?” 

Questions…thousands of them bubbled inside Alaina yet nothing was more important than feeding and taking care of the angel in her husband’s arm.

She trusted him no matter what he did so she nodded her head as Ajax kissed her forehead in gratitude and love.

While the woman who was one of the coldest queens yet the sweetest person was busy doing some preparation for the girl Ajax brought home, the man looked at the woman calling a doctor and her voice could not hide the anxiety that she felt blossoming in her heart.

No matter how much he tried to hide the abusive biological parents of Aurora from Alaina or try to erase their entire existence from his newly adopted daughter’s mind and heart, both would require a lot of time. Now his Alaina and his Aurora, both were his responsibilities and he had to look after both of them.

With a click the bathroom door was locked and Ajax sighed looking into the grand mirror. What was the use of such magnanimous wealth and power if he could not make his family happy. He had his wife and the son, Ares, that was born out of pure love and devotion they had towards each other, now that the god has blessed him with another child…he will do everything in his capability to keep them safe and happy.

Aurora who was asleep all the while woke up with twinkling eyes as she looked at the man who rescued her from the auction house and her mouth morphed into a grin.

Looking at such an adorable wonder, Ajax had one of the kindest smiles gracing his features.

“My sweetest sunshine has woken up? How about I give your hair a wash, little love?”

“He-heir wash...”

The mafia king settled the tiny daughter of his on the cabinet platform that was under the soft yellow light before his palm rummaged through the racks for taking out a strawberry fruit toy that was the size of his fist and giving it to Aurora.

Golden eyes looking adorably confused widened as the sweet baby clutched the fruit with both her tiny palms.

“Ser.”

“It’s Sir, sunshine, and I am your father now, so call me dad. Say D-A-D.”

Aurora fumbled with the word making Ajax chuckle before he squeezed the shampoo with least yet the gentlest of fragrance and poured it on the top of Aurora’s brown head making the baby squeal as foam ears formed on her head like a rabbit.

“DED!”

The whines were not paid attention to as her hair was rubbed and washed with mild warm water. For the little baby, the huge wash basin became a bathtub as she sat in it and giggled when the water was splashed on her head, not caring about the black dirt filled liquid that flowed down her hair.

When Ajax was satisfied with the outcome, his one arm picked up the baby before settling her in the little toy tub after pouring some baby shower gel in it. He dared not see her tiny limbs that were filled with scratches and welts thus closing his eyes in pain.

“My little princess, aren’t you the cutest thing ever… Do you want your father to give you a flower?” Aurora seemed to have attached herself to Ajax in the short amount of time, whatever he said the little baby followed.

When she nodded her head shyly, only knowing that he was praising her, Ajax called an elderly maid in.

“Bath my daughter till I get a hundred roses for her.” The words were directed to the girl that seemed to not notice that he was going out and only focused on that she would be given a flower, making her giggle.

“Oke Ded.” The smiling child from that day became the heartbeat of the mafia regime.