The Billionaire's Forgotten Wife
Chapter 101: I Want to Meet My Daddy

Chapter 101: I Want to Meet My Daddy

Like always, on Sunday, Zeke came by Cassidy’s apartment, even if only for a short while, to see Claire. And every time he did, Claire would be in a good mood for the rest of the day.

This time, Zeke was in the playroom with Claire, sitting cross legged on the floor while she built something with colorful blocks. He watched her with a soft smile, then said gently, "I might not be able to see you tomorrow, kiddo."

Claire frowned, her lips forming a pout. "Why?"

"I have to go out of town for work," Zeke explained. "Just for a little while. But we can talk on video call, if you want."

Claire’s eyes lit up a little. "I want to. You have to promise to call me."

Zeke held up his pinky. "Pinky promise."

She hooked her tiny finger with his. "Okay. But you better not forget."

"I won’t," he said with a quiet chuckle. "How could I ever forget you?"

Claire giggled, her eyes lighting up with delight.

Zeke smiled and moved a bit closer. "If you ever miss me and want to talk, you can call me anytime, anywhere, sweetheart. I’ll always pick up."

Her expression softened. "Really? You’ll always answer my calls?"

Zeke gently brushed her hair back and touched the top of her head affectionately. "Of course. Always."

Then he added, his voice low and sincere, "And one more thing, if there’s ever something you want, anything at all, just tell me. I’ll make sure you get it."

Claire’s eyes widened like he had just offered her the moon.

"You’ll give me anything I want?" she asked.

Zeke chuckled. "Of course. But don’t tell your mommy, okay? It’s our little secret." He made a zipping motion over his lips.

Claire giggled and mimicked his motion. "I promise, I won’t tell Mommy."

Zeke smiled, then asked with a warm excitement, "So, is there anything you want right now? Toys? A book? Or maybe a new dress?"

Claire pressed her finger to her temple and looked up, as if trying to remember something important.

"I don’t want any of those," she said after a moment.

Zeke raised an eyebrow. "No? Then what do you want, kiddo?"

Claire lowered her head. Her smile faded, and a quiet sadness came over her.

"I want to meet my daddy," she whispered.

Zeke froze.

His breath caught for a second. He swallowed hard, trying to find the right words.

"You really want to meet him?" he asked carefully.

Claire nodded without looking up. "Yeah. But... I know Uncle Zeke can’t give me that." She forced a tiny smile. "It’s okay."

Zeke’s heart sank seeing the sadness in Claire’s eyes. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and tell her the truth, that he was her father.

But he couldn’t. Not yet.

He needed to talk to Cassidy first, to figure everything out. This wasn’t something he could do alone. When the time came, they had to tell her together as her parents.

With a heavy heart, Zeke reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair from Claire’s face.

"You will meet your dad," he said softly. "Uncle will make sure of it. So don’t be sad, kiddo, okay?"

Claire looked up at him, her eyes still a little cloudy. "Promise?"

Zeke nodded. "I promise."

***

Monday marked the grand opening of Xavier’s restaurant.

Cassidy was helping Claire get dressed, something casual, yet still fitting for the occasion. A soft pastel dress with little buttons down the front. Afterward, Cass sat Claire down and gently braided her hair, tying it with a ribbon that matched the dress.

"All done," Cass said with a smile, tucking a loose strand behind Claire’s ear. "Go play for a bit while Mommy gets ready, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy," Claire said cheerfully as she ran off to play.

Cassidy went to her room and picked out her outfit. Black pants, a white blouse, and a light cream coat. It was simple, neat, and looked nice.

It didn’t take long for Clara to get ready either.

Cass stepped into the living room. "Alright, are we all ready?"

Claire and Clara nodded.

Soon, the three of them were driving through the city in Cassidy’s BMW, heading to Xavier’s brand new restaurant in the heart of downtown.

As they arrived, Cassidy smiled at the scene outside. Dozens of flower stands lined the sidewalk, filled with bright colors and large ribbons. Each one carried a printed message of congratulations.

Her eyes landed on one arrangement near the entrance, elegantly styled in soft gold and white, with a ribbon that read, "Congratulations, Xavier. From Cass, Clara & Claire."

She had ordered it the night before.

"Wow, so many flowers!" Claire exclaimed, wide eyed at the vibrant entrance.

A man and a woman in matching black uniforms welcomed them at the door, both smiling warmly.

"Welcome," they said in unison, then gestured for them to enter.

Just inside, at the front desk, Cassidy gave her name. A staff member led them through the restaurant. Cassidy glanced around as they walked.

The place felt warm and welcoming. Round tables were set up in the middle with lots of space in between. Near the windows, there were square tables where people could enjoy the view. In the back, there were semi private dining spots separated by wooden panels with simple cut out designs.

They were shown to one of the semi private spots at the back.

Cassidy led Claire inside, holding her little hand. They were a bit early, about fifteen minutes before the restaurant officially opened at 10. But the place already had a nice buzz of activity.

As soon as they sat down, Claire looked around and asked, "Where’s Uncle Xavi? I don’t see him."

Cassidy smiled. "Maybe Uncle Xavi is in the kitchen. He’s a chef, remember?"

Claire nodded thoughtfully, but soon grew restless. She slid off her chair and looked at Cass. "Can I go look around?"

"Just stay near the front of our room, okay, sweetheart? Don’t go too far."

"Okay, Mommy."

Just then, a waiter approached with a warm smile. "Good afternoon, welcome to Xavis. May I get you something to drink? We also have some light snacks while you wait."

Cassidy glanced at Clara and Claire, then nodded. "That sounds great, thank you."

Claire walked quietly along the wooden panel with little cut out shapes. She stopped every few steps to peek through them, her eyes full of curiosity.

Just as she reached the doorway, someone suddenly called her name.

"Claire..."

She stopped and looked toward the voice. A woman was walking toward her. Claire tilted her head, she didn’t recognize the woman and quickly ran back to her mother.

Since the semi private area didn’t have a door, the woman could see inside as soon as she reached the entrance.

"Hi, Cassidy," Hannah said warmly. "Mind if I come in?"

Cass looked up, surprised to see Hannah. "Oh... hi, Hannah. Of course, come in."

Hannah stepped into their room. "We’re just two rooms over from you."

Cassidy gave a small nod in response.

Hannah smiled again. "Have you seen Xavier yet?"

Cassidy shook her head. "Not yet."

"He’s in the kitchen. Been busy with prep all morning," she said with a small laugh.

They started making small talk.

Not long after, Xavier appeared.

He was planning to stop by his family’s table first, but through the small cutouts in the wooden panel, he noticed that Cassidy was already in the room.

"Uncle Xavi!" Claire called out excitedly.

Xavier gave Claire a small wave. "Hi, Claire Bear..." Then he looked over and blinked in surprise. "Hannah? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was on my way to the restroom," Hannah replied casually. "But then I saw Claire and well, I didn’t want to be rude. I asked Cassidy if I could sit and chat for a bit."

Xavier glanced at Cassidy for confirmation. He didn’t want her or Claire to feel uncomfortable, he knew how talkative and nosy his sister could be.

Cassidy gave him a calm smile.

Taking the hint, Hannah said, "Well, I’ll head to the restroom now," and slipped out.

Xavier turned back to Cassidy. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Not really," Cassidy said with a small smile.

"I’ve been caught up in the kitchen. Sorry I couldn’t welcome you right away."

He then sat down beside Claire. "So, what do you think of Uncle Xavi’s restaurant? Do you like it?"

Claire’s face lit up. "It’s so big. There are so many tables! I can’t wait to try your food."

Xavier smiled. "You’re going to love it."

Just then, the waiter returned with a tray of citrus mint sparkling water and a few small bites, mini tartlets, bruschetta, and cheese puffs.

Claire’s eyes lit up. "Can I try that one, Mommy?" she pointed at the tartlet.

"Of course, sweetheart," Cassidy said, handing her a napkin. "Let’s see if Uncle Xavi’s food is really that good." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Clara smiled. "It already smells amazing."

Xavier asked with a curious smile. "So, how’s the food? Is it good?"

Claire beamed. "Yummy!"

Cassidy and Clara both nodded in agreement, smiling.

He stood and glanced at all three of them.

"Alright, I’ll leave you three for now. My family’s just a couple of rooms over. I want to say hi to them before I get busy in the kitchen again."

He paused, then added playfully, "And don’t eat too much. Save some room for the main course."

Cassidy nodded. "Go ahead."

Clara added with a polite smile, "See you later, Xavier."

With that, he stepped out, leaving the three of them in the quiet, comfortable space.

***