As Tom got out of the elevator and headed for the lobby, he caught sight of Kimberly sitting with Dawn, and Kimberly smiled when she met his gaze and whispered something to her daughter.
Immediately Dawn's head snapped around and before Tom could guess what was happening the little girl was running in his direction.
Tom faltered in his steps and stopped walking when she threw herself at him, leaving him no choice but to pick her up.
Thankfully, the lobby was empty save for the receptionists and a couple of guests checking out, since he had shut the gates of the hotel to guests for the time being until he resolved the issues on ground.
As Tom lifted the little girl off the ground his gaze was fixed on her face which bore a mixture of curiosity and amazement.
"You're so handsome," she said with a bright smile that made Tom smile in return.
"Hello!" Tom greeted.
"Hello! I'm Dawn. Dawn Wealth," she said with a brilliant smile.
"Wealth? Is that your Daddy's name?" Tom asked curiously.
"Mommy said you are my daddy. Aren't you supposed to tell me your name before asking a question?" She asked, looking genuinely confused, surprising Tom who did not expect her to be so articulate at her age.
"That's not polite, Dawn," Kimberly who had caught up with them, chided her daughter softly before looking at Tom.
"But Ms Clara said it's wrong not to introduce yourself first... I'm sorry for being rude," Dawn said with a pout instead when her mother gave her a pointed look.
"Ms Clara is her governess," Kimberly explained with a small smile.
"She has a governess at her age?" Tom asked, both surprised and impressed.
Kimberly laughed softly, "It's never too early to start teaching her. You have no idea all she is capable of at her age. She is a little genius," Kimberly said with a proud smile.
"Are we not going to sit?" Dawn asked when she noticed that neither Tom nor Kimberly were making any move to find a place to sit but were just standing there.
"Let's talk in my office," Tom suggested as he set Dawn on her feet, but she held on to his hand, so they walked into the elevator together.
"I thought we were going to find somewhere for the test?" Kimberly asked in confusion as she followed him into the elevator.
Ignoring her question, Tom entered the number for his office floor, "Her surname is Wealth," Tom stated.
"That's right. Since I had no idea who you were, and she was born a wealthy kid, we all figured we name her as such. The name Dawn was given because you left before Dawn...."
"What?" Tom asked in disbelief. Who named kids that way?
Kimberly laughed, "She was also born at Dawn. The name was just befitting," Kimberly said with a shrug.
"We should talk. I will find someone to babysit..."
"I don't need a babysitter. I can take care of myself," Dawn cut in and then looked at Tom apologetically.
"That was rude, I'm sorry. I wasn't supposed to cut in," she said politely and Tom smiled as he looked down at her.
"Yeah, she can take care of herself," Kimberly said Tom as the elevator door opened and they walked out of the elevator.
Tom led them down the hallway to the office, while she fished inside her handbag for something and a moment later she took out a tablet which she handed to Dawn.
"You can keep busy while I speak with your dad," Kimberly said after Tom led them into an office space.
Tom raised a brow at that. Each time he heard the word daddy he had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Where can I sit, please?" Dawn asked, looking at Tom curiously.
"You can sit in the outer office while I go in with your mom," Tom said, and she gave him a brisk nod as she graciously sat on one of the waiting chairs.
The outer office which was meant to be for the assistant of the director was vacant because Tom had fired both the director and his assistant.
"Are you certain she will be alright?" Tom asked Kimberly, reluctant to leave the little girl unattended.
"She will be fine," Kimberly assured him, and Tom opened the office and led her inside.
He walked straight to sit behind the desk, hoping it would put enough distance between them for her to know he had no intention of indulging her if she had any other plans.
"She is such a little lady," Tom commented, and Kimberly smiled.
"Yes, she is. So, do you mind telling me why are we not going for the DNA test as agreed?" Kimberly asked without bothering to sit, and Tom shrugged.
"All of this is too sudden. I need time to put my thoughts together. I will do the DNA test when I'm ready for it. I do not want to be pressured," Tom said simply, and she sighed.
"Alright. I suppose you want us to keep our distance until you're ready to come to terms with this?" Kimberly asked, and Tom nodded.
"Yes. And I will appreciate it if no one else knows about this..."
"When I found out your identity I didn't say a word to anyone. Not even my uncle. Why would I do so now?" she asked, feeling slightly annoyed.
"Why did you wait until now to show up if you found out who I was weeks ago?" Tom asked, and she raised a brow.
"What sort of a person would I be showing up at that moment considering the issue with your girlfriend which made you reveal your identity? I was going to wait a bit more to come to you, but I was with my uncle when you called for a meeting with him, so I figured I meet you now and save myself the trip. Listen, as I told you, all I want from you, is to be a father to our daughter. That's all. If by the time you confirm she is yours, you still decide you don't want her to be a part of your life, I won't force it," Kim said and turned around to leave.
"Are you leaving?" Tom asked, and she turned to look at him.
"Yes. I thought we were done with the conversation?" She asked in confusion.
"Why did you tell her I was her father when we are yet to confirm...."
"You are the one who needs the confirmation. Not me. I know the man I slept with. I'm not some whore who gets down with any random stranger. I was in a bad place emotionally and only did what I did with you, a complete stranger, because I wasn't in my right mind. Dawn deserves to know who her father is whether or not he wants her in his life. And you don't have to worry, Dawn isn't a fragile princess. Even if you reject her, she will be fine," Kimberly assured him, and Tom sighed as he rose and went around the desk.
"I will need some DNA samples. I'm leaving tomorrow and would prefer to have my own people carry out the test," Tom said, and Kimberly gestured towards the door where Dawn was seated.
"Knock yourself out. Take whatever you want," she said as she continued towards the door and Tom followed.
Dawn looked up when the door opened and Kimberly smiled at her, "Darling, remember what I told you DNA samples are?" Kimberly asked as she took the tablet from her and kept it away in her handbag.
Dawn nodded as she looked at Tom, "Yes."
"He wants some DNA samples," Kimberly explained.
"What do you want?" Dawn asked as she rose to face him.
"Your hair strand or nail clippings?" Tom said, and she shrugged as she held out her fingers to Tom.
Her nails looked really neat and well trimmed so getting a nail clipping was out of it.
"I will settle for your hair strand," Tom said as he returned to the office to get a bag and the nail clipper set he had asked one of the staff to get him earlier.
Neither Kimberly nor Dawn said a word as he took out the scissors inside approached and cut out some hair strands.
"Let's leave," Kimberly said as she took Dawn's hand.
"Bye. See you next time," Dawn said with a wave and a bright smile as she walked away with her mother while Tom watched them, and even though he was tempted to spend more time getting to know the kid, he didn't stop them.
Once he was sure they had left, he returned into his office and shut the door behind him as he dialled Harry's line.
Right now he knew the only person he could talk to was Harry. Harry was his sounding board and he trusted Harry's judgement more than that of anyone else.
Harry who was in the middle of a meeting but had kept his phone close in case Tom called, rose immediately he saw Tom's call.
"You will have to excuse me. I have to take the CEO's call," Harry said politely and without question everyone stepped out of his office to give him privacy.
"I knew you would call," Harry said immediately after he received the call.
"Harry, I'm in a mess," Tom said, and the moment Harry heard the seriousness in Tom's tone he frowned and forgot the joke he was about to make.
"Are things not going as planned? Do you need me to come over?" He asked as he walked over to his desk to check his schedule book.
"That's not it. A lady showed up last night claiming we have a three years old daughter together," Tom said, and Harry raised a brow.
"Is this supposed to be a prank?" Harry asked, taken aback.
"Would I joke about something like this?" Tom asked, and Harry frowned.
"Give me a minute," Harry said as he walked over to the door and looked at the security team he had been addressing regarding the anniversary dinner party.
"This is important. I will send a message across to your leader and he will let you know what I expect. You can leave," Harry said and as they dispersed he turned to his secretary.
"No interuption whatsoever until I call for you," he told her before returning to his office.
"Alright. Tell me everything," Harry said once he was seated behind his desk with his journal in front of him and a pen in hand.
"Remember the lady I hooked up with four years ago when we opened the hotel here?" Tom asked, and Harry frowned.
"Am I supposed to remember her?"
"You left me in the pool to attend to the guests since no one knew I was the CEO back then, and by the time you got back I had hooked up with her," Tom said trying to jog his memory.
"Okay. So, she shows up after four years with a child? Did you forget to use a condom?" Harry asked trying to understand the situation.
"I did. Just listen okay?" Tom said, and went ahead to tell him how Kimberly had shown up in the club last night and he told Harry all about their conversation and the fact that Kimberly and Dawn just left his office.
"I know a bit about the Moore family. She is wealthy and from a solid background so she can't be doing this for money or fame," Harry said thoughtfully.
"Yeah. That occurred to me too when I checked her out," Tom said as he combed his fingers through his hair.
"I can't believe any of this! This is messed up," Harry said thoughtfully as he thought about Lucy and her already rocky relationship with Tom.
"Don't I know that already?" Tom asked, and Harry drew a deep breath.
"Don't worry. Let me have someone look into her. Maybe her family is having financial issues..."
"We both know that can't be the case. She is from a long generation of old money, Harry. That sort of money doesn't just go away," Tom pointed out.
"Still, I will find out all I can about her. If she has an ulterior motive, I will find out. We will get the DNA test done when you get here and then..." Harry broke off midsentence when something occurred to him.
"You do realize that with this new development there is no way I'm letting you stay back there to run the hotel, right?" Harry asked, and Tom raised a brow.
"What do you mean?"
"Whether or not it turns out true that the little girl is yours, I can't let you abandon Lucy over here and stay over there where this Kimberly lady lives. Long distance relationship is bad enough, but one with trust issues would never survive. Unless you plan to end things with Lucy, you will have to come back here," Harry said, and Tom took a deep breath.
"And what about the kid?"
"There is nothing wrong if she comes to visit you, is there? Or do you plan to start a family with them over there?" Harry asked, slightly annoyed that Tom was even asking that.
"You know that's not what I mean. Anyway, we can't mix business with pleasure. I told you I let most of the management staff go. I have to be here..."
"I will take care of it. My dad is leaving soon with Candace and Jamal. I'm sure Candace will look after him...."
"You just started dating Jade...."
"I'm sure she wouldn't mind coming with me. She can do whatever she needs to do from over there," Harry cut in again.
"You just put Jade in charge of a case, remember? And you're supposed to be going on a leave soon. Everything can remain as it is. I will take care of the hotel...."
"I'm not going to let you or anyone else screw up your life, Tom. I know you love Lucy and wouldn't want to lose her. I also know there is no way you are going to abandon that kid if she turns out to be yours. So, when you get back, we are going to get the test done, and you can tell Lucy about it let's hear what she has to say," Harry said, and Tom's heart skipped a beat at the thought of breaking such a news to Lucy.
"How do you think she is going to react?" Tom asked feeling anxious.
"She wouldn't like it, but then again, the deed has been done. She will have to figure out a way to live with it if she can," Harry said with a sigh.
"And if she can't?" Tom asked with a frown.
"Then you will just have to live with the consequence of your randy past," Harry said with a chuckle.
"I can't believe you're making a joke out of this right now," Tom hissed.
"Well, I'm not the one who became a baby daddy over night. I can afford to joke," Harry said and chuckled as Tom hung up angrily.
The smile slid off his face as he looked down at his journal. The lady's name was Kimberly Moore, and her daughter's name was Dawn Wealth.
Just when he thought they were free from drama they were about to have another crazy experience, Harry thought as he dialed a number.
"I need you to look into some people ASAP. Treat with utmost urgency," Harry said as he read out the names and location.
"I want detailed information on her love life; past and present. And I will appreciate it even more if you can get the kid's medical record and tell me whatever you can about her father," Harry said, hoping Kimberly was telling lies, even though like Tom, a part of him already believed that the kid was Tom's.
Someone like Kimberly Moore had no reason to accuse Tom falsely. And judging by all Tom had told him she said, she didn't sound like she needed him all that much either.
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