Page 7 of Forbidden Love

I had Bianca drop me off to my car that was parked in front of Benita’s house and shot her a hundred dollars for gas. Although she didn’t need a hundred, I was able to bless my friends since I had it to give. I understood that it was hard out here. I would never see Bianca nor my other close friend Shardae struggle when I had a rich ass dad that spent money like there was no limit.

Chapter 3

Yeremy

The gates of Casper’s estate opened slow and smooth. I felt my emotions creep up on me as the black iron bars parted, revealing the long cobblestone driveway that curved through well-manicured grass.I missed Casper so much, but I didn’t imagine myself coming back to live with my dad at twenty-five years old.Sometimes I wished that Casper had more kids than just me. I guess his experience with Benita made him stop at me.

In his eyes, I wasn’t grown, and that’s what made it so hard for him to accept me dating Ramsey in the first place. It’s like he still saw me as the same little girl that he raised since birth.

My eyes welled up with tears as my childhood home came into view. It still felt like safety even though I had been gone for a while. I gasped when my eyes landed on a new car parked to the side of my father’s favorite fountain. A matte gray Maybach truck, wrapped with a soft pink silk bow on top of it. I hit the brakes to my Mercedes coup with my mouth wide open.

Nah, Casper probably bought this for one of his women.I thought to myself and then I saw him. He stood at the double doors of his estate like a damn monument. Dark skin smooth and still unbothered by time. His salt and pepper waves laidperfect. He had on his famous black slacks and a short-sleeve knit shirt that hugged his chest. Casper’s arms were crossed, one hand tucked under the other while his thick cigar balanced between his fingers.

His orbs were concealed behind gold-framed shades, but I could still feel him watching me. He didn’t wave, nor smile, Casper simply waited. That was all my dad ever did, wait for the world to come to him.

My heart cracked as I opened my door. I didn’t bother to grab my things. I needed him more than ever. I hate that it took for Ramsey to get murdered in front of my face in order to be back in my dad’s space.

“Daddy.” My voice broke as I picked up my pace to get to him.

By the time I reached him, I forgot about how grown I was. I threw myself in his arms like I was ten again. His arms wrapped around me without hesitation as I broke down in his arms.

“It’s okay, baby girl,” he muttered as I pressed my face into his chest, breathing him in.

“It feel like I’m losing my mind…I can’t wrap it around everything,” I whispered.

“You will never lose your mind. I’d never let you,” he stated simply.

He held me for a moment longer, then pulled me back just enough to study my face.

“You’re hurting, you entitled to feel how you feel right now. I can’t bring him back, but I can always remind you who you are. Forever royalty, and I will never let you fall. The truck is yours, do whatever with the other car.” He motioned toward the Maybach behind me.

“What?” I blinked.

“Keys already in it. I got it custom right before your graduation. Figured you would need something new to pull up to the hospital in.” He smirked.

Tears welled up again in my eyes.

“It’s money in the car, lots of it. Gifts, new steel, and jewelry in your room,” he added.

“Why you do all this, Daddy?”

A beat of silence passed as he looked at me dead on.

“Sometimes the world will try to break you.” He placed a heavy hand on my shoulder.

“I have to always make sure that you’re sharp enough to break it back. Come on, baby girl, I have company inside. Raft’s son, Sol, and his fat ass brother, Fatz, are inside waiting for me in my study.” He chuckled deeply.

I remember Sol. I used to crush hard on him from afar. I assumed he was older than me. We never had a conversation, and whenever Raft brought him around, Sol was quiet and mean looking. He was cute as hell when we was kids so I could only imagine how handsome his chocolate ass was as a grown man. Hopefully we didn’t cross paths at all, because the last thing I needed was to rekindle a childish crush that never went anywhere from when I was a kid.

I walked up the winding staircase like I was in a dream. My fingers brushed against the polished mahogany banister as I climbed the steps. The house hadn’t changed. The smell of Casper’s cologne clung to the walls. Every step I took echoed throughout the house. I pushed my double doors to my room open and froze.

Across my plush bed was all designer boxes. Red-bottom heels was stacked in neat rows on the floor. I eyed a flat black box that was in the center of my bed. It had no logo or ribbon on it. I walked to it slowly and picked it up. I lifted the lid and smiled. Inside was a matte black pistol; it was compact and sleekwith my initials engraved along the barrel in gold. There was another box on the bed, and I knew it was jewelry. I got sad when I thought about my real diamonds that was snatched off of me when those men ran up in my house.

I opened the box and smiled down at a Cuban link bracelet; it was solid gold, thick with my name encrusted with diamonds. I sat down on the bed slowly, my heart thudded in my chest. There was a note laying on my bed. I unfolded it with shaky hands.

Baby girl….

You don’t have the luxury of mourning forever. You can cry… afterwards…you boss the fuck up. Don’t ever forget who you are. Queen.

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