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I nodded, letting him help me to the bathroom. He was surprisingly gentle as he cleaned both of us up, his touch clinical but tender. When we returned to the bedroom, I expected awkwardness, but Daddy simply pulled back the covers and gestured for me to get in.

I slid between the sheets, watching as he moved around the room, collecting our scattered clothing. He pulled on a pair of sweatpants before joining me, his large body radiating heat as he settled beside me.

"So," he began carefully, "how are you feeling? Really?"

I considered the question, trying to sort through the tangle of emotions inside me.

"Conflicted," I finally admitted. "Part of me is terrified about everything that's happened—the car, the man in your house, my godfather wanting me dead.

" I swallowed hard. "But another part of me feels. .. safe. With you."

Daddy's expression softened. "You are safe with me, Matty."

I stared at him. "But just for how long the contract lasts." Daddy's face changed, a shadow crossing his features as he sat up straighter against the headboard. He ran a hand through his hair, his expression suddenly grave.

"Matty," he said, his voice lower than before, "there's something I need to tell you about the contract. About why I agreed to marry you."

My stomach dropped. "Two million dollars is a lot of money."

"That's not it," he said quickly, reaching for my hand. "What I'm trying to say is that I had my own reasons for agreeing to this marriage. Reasons that had nothing to do with money."

I pulled the sheet higher, suddenly feeling exposed. "What reasons?"

Daddy took a deep breath. "Your godfather, Harold Coombes... I knew him before I ever heard about you."

"What?" I whispered, trying to process this information. "How?"

"Eight years ago, Coombes was involved in some shady real estate deals in my hometown," Daddy explained, his eyes never leaving mine.

"My parents owned a small hardware store.

It wasn't much, but it was their life's work, and it came with a huge lot they'd never been able to afford to develop. Coombes wanted that land."

I felt cold despite the warmth of the bed. "What happened?"

"When my parents refused to sell, things got ugly. There were 'accidents' at the store—broken windows, inventory damaged. Then a fire." His jaw tightened. "The insurance company claimed it was arson, implied my parents did it themselves. They lost everything."

"Daddy," I breathed, horror washing over me. "I'm so sorry."

"My father couldn't handle the shame, the whispers around town. He had a heart attack, but he never fought to survive. It was like he was crushed." Daddy's voice remained steady, but I could see the pain in his eyes. "A year after we buried my dad, my mom had a stroke and followed him."

I reached for his hand, squeezing it tightly. "And you blame Harold."

"I know it was him," Daddy said firmly. "I just could never prove it. I was still in the army when my dad died."

Understanding dawned, sharp and painful. "But how did you know Ricky's ad referred to me..." then I huffed. "Digger."

"I saw an opportunity," he admitted, his voice rough. "A way to get close to Coombes, to finally get justice for my parents."

I pulled my hand away, trying to absorb what he was telling me. "So this was all... revenge?"

"At first," Daddy acknowledged, reaching for me again. "But Matty, you have to believe me—that changed the moment I met you."

I stared at him, irrationally hurt. "When? When did it change?"

"The car. I've never been so terrified in my life. The thought of losing you..." He trailed off, his eyes intense.

My head was spinning with this revelation. "You married me to get revenge on my godfather."

"Yes," he admitted, not looking away. "But that's not why I'm still here.

That's not why I've been taking care of you, protecting you.

" His large hand cupped my cheek. "I care about you, Matty.

More than I expected to. More than it makes sense for me to given how little time we've known each other. "

I pulled back slightly, needing space to think. "Harold tried to kill me. Twice. And you knew he was dangerous all along."

Daddy's expression darkened. "I knew he was ruthless in business. I never imagined he'd try to murder his own godson, or to offer me a bribe to leave you." He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "When that car nearly hit you, everything changed. My priority became keeping you safe."

"And the club?" I asked. "Do they all know about your vendetta?"

"Jono, Digger, and Cruise do," he admitted. "They helped me set up the meeting with Ricky, made sure my background would pass your screening."

I laughed humorlessly. "So Ricky was in on it too? Of course he was."

"No," Daddy said firmly. "Ricky had no idea. He genuinely thought I was interested in the arrangement for the money. He was trying to help you."

I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly chilled despite the warm room. "It would be incredibly hypocritical of me to take exception to your reason when I…I wanted revenge as well, or to stop him." I closed my eyes for a few seconds.

"Believe this," Daddy said, reaching for me again. "Whatever my initial intentions, what I feel for you now is real. When I saw that gun pointed at you in this house, when I realized how close I came to losing you, again..." His voice broke slightly. "I've never felt terror like that."

I studied his face, searching for deception but finding only raw honesty. "It's okay." And it was.

"I wish I'd told you sooner," he said, and I scoffed.

"When exactly?" I shook my head. "In the whole week we've been married? At the courthouse? After you saved my life?"

"You don't hate me?"

"How can I hate you when you did what I needed?" I whispered. "I offered money. Your reasons for accepting that aren't mine to judge." And it was true.

"They aren't?" he asked, his voice quiet but steady.

I closed my eyes, trying to sort through the tangle of emotions.

Daddy hadn't betrayed me. Who was I to judge his own truths against mine?

I remembered how he'd held me through my panic attacks, how he'd washed my hair when I was too hungover to stand.

No," I finally admitted. "But I don't know where we go from here.

" He didn't seem to mind me calling him Daddy, anyway.

Should I make sure I didn't do it too much?

Daddy nodded, accepting this. "Where we go is making sure you're safe."

"You said Harold tried to bribe you to divorce me?" I asked, recalling his earlier revelation.

"Today, at the bar," Daddy confirmed. "Seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars to walk away. I pretended to consider it to buy us some time."

I processed this, trying to understand Harold's desperation. "Did he say why?"

"Claimed it was for your own good," Daddy said, his voice hardening. "Talked about you like you were a burden, a problem to be managed. Called your Little space 'childish episodes' — like it was something shameful."

Heat flooded my cheeks. "You don't mind? About... the occasional Little things?"

Daddy's expression softened, and tugged at the whiskers on my chin. "Matty, you've been in your Little space for the past three days. After the attack here, you retreated completely."

"Oh god," I whispered, memories flooding back. Dinosaur pajamas. Coloring books. Being carried to the bathroom. Calling him "Daddy." Mortification burned through me. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't," Daddy said firmly, catching my hands as I tried to cover my face. "Don't apologize for that. Ever."

"But it's weird," I protested weakly. "It's not normal for a grown man to—"

"It's beautiful," Daddy interrupted. "That you trusted me with such an important part of yourself means everything."

I stared at him, confused by his acceptance. "You don't think it's... disturbing?"

"Disturbing?" Daddy repeated, looking genuinely perplexed. "Matty, I spent the last two days reading you dinosaur books, helping you color, and making sure Patches and Bear were properly introduced to Princess. None of that was disturbing."

Despite everything, a small laugh escaped me. "Princess?"

"Annabel's stuffie," Daddy explained with a slight smile. "Bolt's Little visited. You had a playdate."

I remembered but I groaned, covering my face again. "How many people saw me like that?"

"Just a few," Daddy assured me. "Daisy, Bolt and Annabel, Maria. And they all adored you." His voice softened. "No one thought less of you, Matty. In fact, quite the opposite."

I peeked through my fingers. "Really?"

"Really," he confirmed. "Daisy's practically adopted you. And Bolt was incredibly helpful with advice on how to care for you properly."

"You asked for advice?" I couldn't hide my surprise.

Daddy looked slightly sheepish. "I wanted to do right by you. Bolt's been a Daddy for years."

The term sent a shiver through me—not unpleasant, just complicated. "So what happens now?"

"Now," Daddy said carefully, "we focus on keeping you safe while we get evidence on Coombes to prove he's stealing from your trust fund. If we can prove it, along with his connection to the attempts on your life, we can put him away for good."

I stared at him, trying to process this new information. "He's been stealing from me?"

"For years," Daddy confirmed grimly. "At least five million, maybe more."

"Five million?" I repeated, stunned. "How did I not know?" The pieces were falling into place—Harold's insistence that I was financially irresponsible, his control over my accounts, his determination to prevent me from fulfilling the trust conditions.

"He never wanted me to get control of the trust," I realized. "He's been using it as his personal piggy bank."

Daddy nodded. "And when you found a way to meet the marriage requirement without his approval..."

"He decided it was easier to kill me," I finished, a cold certainty settling in my bones. "My own godfather."

Daddy's arm wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me against his solid warmth. "I won't let him hurt you, Matty. I promise you that."

I leaned into him, too emotionally exhausted to maintain my distance. "I believe you."

"Can I ask how he knows?"

I looked up at Daddy and snuggled closer. "Degrassi, definitely," I whispered, but another memory teased at me.

We sat in silence for several minutes, his hand stroking my arm in a soothing rhythm. Finally, I gathered my courage to ask the question weighing on me.

"What about us?" I whispered. "Is this... are we..."

"Real?" Daddy supplied. "That depends on you. My feelings are real. What happens next is your choice."

I looked up at him, studying the sincerity in his blue eyes. "I don't know what I want yet. This is all... overwhelming."

"Take your time," he said gently. "We still have a contract, if nothing else. I'll keep you safe until this is over, regardless of what you decide about us."

"And my Little side?" I asked hesitantly. "What if that happens again, like for days?"

Daddy's expression softened. "Then I'll be your Daddy for as long as you need me to be. No judgment, no expectations. Just care."

Something warm unfurled in my chest at his words. "You'd do that? Even if I decided we shouldn't be... together romantically?"

"Yes," he said without hesitation. "That part of you deserves protection and nurturing, regardless of what happens between us as adults."

I nodded, oddly comforted by his certainty. "Can we just... stay like this for a while? I need time to think."

"Of course," Daddy agreed, settling back against the headboard and drawing me closer. "Take all the time you need."

As I rested my head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart, I felt strangely calm despite everything. "I guess it's karma in a way."

"Karma?" Daddy queried.

"I was a grade-A bitch to any submissive I thought was a threat, especially a Little, in the club in Charlotte.

Rowan was a sweetheart and I was a bully.

I wanted the Dom he eventually ended up with.

So I suppose I deserve everything." And it was true, and I knew in my heart eventually Daddy would realize that as well.