Chapter 300: Father meeting
The day of the meeting had arrived, and with it, a sense of dread that clung to Lily like a second skin. She had barely slept the night before, her mind racing with thoughts of what was to come. Each time she had drifted off, nightmares had dragged her back, leaving her tossing and turning until the early hours of the morning.
Now, as she stood in front of the mirror, trying to steady her shaking hands, the reality of what she was about to do began to sink in. She had agreed to meet a man who, according to her mother, was her father—a man she had never met, never even knew existed until a few days ago. The thought made her stomach churn, a mixture of fear and uncertainty gnawing at her insides.
Lily stared at her reflection, searching for any sign of the confident, composed woman she usually prided herself on being. But all she saw was a pale, nervous wreck, her eyes wide and filled with a thousand unanswered questions. She tried to smooth down her hair, but her fingers were trembling too much to make a difference. Finally, she gave up, letting out a frustrated sigh as she turned away from the mirror.
She didn’t know what to expect from this meeting. Her mother had been tight-lipped about the details, only saying that Dominic wanted to meet her in person, that it was important. But important for whom? Lily wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the answer to that question.
The drive to the meeting place felt like a blur. Lily barely registered the passing scenery as she navigated through the city, her mind preoccupied with the impending encounter. Her hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white, and she had to remind herself to breathe, to stay calm.
When she finally arrived at the small, unassuming café where the meeting was to take place, Lily sat in her car for a few moments, her heart pounding in her chest. The café was almost empty, a quiet place tucked away from the bustle of the city. It was the kind of place people came to for solitude, not for life-altering conversations with estranged parents.
She wondered if this was deliberate, a choice made to ensure privacy—or perhaps to make the situation seem less intimidating. If that had been the intention, it hadn’t worked. Lily felt more on edge than ever, her thoughts racing as she tried to imagine what Dominic might look like, what he might say to her.
Would he recognize her? Would she recognize him?
Shaking her head, Lily pushed those thoughts aside and forced herself out of the car. She could feel her legs trembling as she walked toward the entrance, her footsteps faltering slightly as she neared the door. For a moment, she considered turning around, getting back in her car, and driving away, leaving all of this behind her. But she knew she couldn’t do that. Not now. Not after everything that had happened.