Chapter 13: Birthday Outing
Moana

Despite everything that happened that day, Edrick still requested that I spend the night with him. I made sure to put more distance between us this time, hoping that we wouldn’t wake up in each other’s arms again in the morning.

When I woke up, my cardigan was still on and Edrick’s side of the bed was empty. I heard the shower running in the bathroom, so I let out a sigh of relief and took it as my chance to get up and leave the room before I would have to talk to him. Not only was it still awkward to look him in the eye with our new arrangement, but I was admittedly still a little upset with him for yelling at me publicly the day before.

I quickly got up and made the bed, opening the curtains out of habit to let some sunlight into the room before I put my slippers on and headed out.

“Moana?” Ella’s little voice said, the second I walked out of the room. It made me jump a bit. I wasn’t expecting her to be standing right outside the door.

“Good morning, Miss Ella,” I said, managing a smile. “Are you feeling better today?”

Ella nodded, but her eyebrows were scrunched together and her eyes were narrowed suspiciously. “What were you doing in my daddy’s room again?”

“I, um…” I stammered, realizing that I couldn’t use the crepes for breakfast excuse two days in a row.

“Good morning, Princess!” Edrick said from behind me, brushing past me to scoop Ella up off the floor. Her look of concern and confusion quickly turned into a wide grin.

“Daddy!” Ella exclaimed, giggling as Edrick blew a raspberry on her cheek. “Where are you taking me for my birthday?”

room; I had also forgotten that today was her birthday. It had been mentioned in the packet of instructions given to me on my first day, but I

toward the dining room for breakfast, his muscles bulging through his white button-down shirt and

she began

“But Moana will do something fun with you today. And

“And cake?” Ella asked.

“And cake,” Edrick replied.

— unsurprisingly — quite sad that her father couldn’t spend her birthday with her, so I tried to come up with

game?” I asked, to which the little girl shook her head and folded her arm across her chest, sticking her lower lip out in a

indignant refusal. I

as I stayed with her the entire time and didn’t let go of her hand for one

hat on to protect her face. “And the bodyguard

I knew I messed up royally by leaving Ella’s training to visit the orphanage when I should’ve been

a worried look as I got on the elevator with Ella, and I was relieved to see

Ella as we watched the floors on the elevator

the back of her sun hat wiggle adorably. “Nope,” she replied, sticking her foot out to admire her brand new matching blue

growing up in the orphanage, Sophia took us on the

“How come?” I asked.

dragging me across the lobby as soon as the elevator doors opened. “He says that

stifling a laugh at Ella’s

appearing very serious. “Yes, that,” she said. We left the building and climbed into the back of the town car where our driver waited for us, and the bodyguard shut

and bought our tickets, and soon Ella was bursting with excitement as we

to fanning myself with a pamphlet I picked up at the information booth.

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