Chapter 5 She knows she doesn't have a father

Upon completing his call with Pearl, Casper started scratching his head wondering why he said that he was staying for one more day.

'I must see my daughter one more time.' He could not understand what was happening to him. He felt that he wanted to know her better. He went into the bathroom and got into the shower. he felt like not coming out as he continued to think about what had unveiled.

Later he came out of the shower with a bathrobe and ordered that his breakfast be brought to his hotel room. He dressed up and sat down on the luxurious couch in his hotel suite and checked the latest news on his tablet.

'Why are these reporters obsessed with me?' He was reading an article about whether he was coming for the function being hosted by his girlfriend's friend. The couple had not been openly seen together but he often wondered why the press knew a lot about their relationship.

His breakfast was brought in, and he moved to the dining table and started eating and reading the news as well.

He was thinking of Orla and thought of calling but realised that he didn't take Hailey's number. He got a call from his friend Justin, who wanted to know what happened when the two met.

"So, the little girl is your sister?" Justin sounded excited but he could tell that his friend was not. He was not going to tell him the truth. Justin was not part of the group that brought Hailey to him so in a way it was a relief to him.

"No, the mother is his goddaughter which makes the little girl his granddaughter." He said but knew that his friend will still need more answers.

"Really, did you see the girl, she surely looks like you Casper?" His tone was now low, and this didn't surprise Casper.

Hailey spent the morning cleaning her apartment as the mother and daughter had no plans for the weekend since they went out the previous day to celebrate Orla's birthday.

Orla loved playing in her room each time her mother cleaned their apartment. Hailey had earlier called Edward to check if he had left. She got him when he was leaving his hotel room and he promised to call when he got back home.

"Mom there is someone at the door." Orla pulled her mother's skirt who seemed not to have heard the knock on the door. She was busy with the vacuum cleaner that made it difficult to hear the knock.

"Thanks baby girl, let me check out who it is." She stopped her vacuuming and went to open the door.

"Oh..., Mr. Crane.... oh, I mean Casper is everything ok or did you leave something last night?" She remained standing by the door not letting him in.

When she went to open the door, she assumed that it was her neighbor whose husband also worked for LD Technologies Co, but in a different department.

"Visitors are let in." He said and Hailey let him in. She honestly did not know why he was there as she thought he had already left.

Orla had now followed her mother and her little arms were around her mother's legs. He took steps forward and crouched in order to talk to the little girl.

"I didn't give you a present yesterday, so I came to take you out shopping." He said to the shy little girl. He stood up and walked into the living room and sat himself on the sofa. Hailey just watched bewildered.

"Are you expecting someone? You seem to be disappointed that it was me at the door." He asked with his eyes fixed at her.

"Normally it's my colleague's wife who likes to disturb me in the morning and you don't have to worry about giving Orla a present, Edward's gift can cover you as well." She had also taken a seat on the other sofa.

Edward had surprised Hailey with trip to Disney land for herself and her daughter.

"Your godfather sent you to that expensive school and university why can't he buy you an apartment where you don't stay around your colleagues?"

'It's none of your business.' She internally said and gave a fake smile before responding.

'I wouldn't even think of that. Edward did a lot for me, and it would be wrong of me to think that he should keep looking after me."

She continued. "It's not bad here, I actually like it." He didn't respond to Hailey's last remarks instead his attention was now focused on Orla.

"Tell me what you want me to buy you or what you want to do. Your mother can come if she wants." He could see Hailey's confused face and he was enjoying it.

"Being Edward's son does not give him the right to take my daughter any time he feels like.' She thought to herself but didn't want to be rude in any way. Edward had done so much for her and the least thing she would want to do was to fight with his only son.

"That's not necessary to be honest." Hailey just said but Orla was now excited about going out with Casper.

"I want to go mommy and you can come too." She said with her little begging face. She had always gone out shopping with her mother and the prospect of going out with another person was exciting her.

"Okay young lady you can go with Mr. Crane, and I will wait until you come back." She was avoiding a situation where he would want to buy her something as well. He was Edward's son and there was nothing he could do to her little girl.

The little girl went into her bedroom and was already selecting a dress to wear. Hailey looked at Casper and felt that she should tell him about her own way of parenting.

"I appreciate what you're doing but please don't make her question me about why I can't give her expensive things." She was certain that he would buy expensive things but didn't want problems later.

"Since my father is her grandfather and I'm his only son, maybe she can be my daughter as well." Hailey just looked at Casper in disbelief and she felt like slapping him in order to wipe the grin on his face.

"No need for that, she knows she doesn't have a father and there is absolutely no need to confuse her." She said leaving her seat and going into her daughter's bedroom. She didn't want him to be around so she thought if he could go this once then he will not bother her again.

"Mommy why are you not coming with us?" Orla though excited wanted her mother to join them but Hailey refused her little girl politely.

Orla looked pretty in her favorite pink lace fabric dress designed with a pure cotton lining and a collar detail. She put on her brown ankle boots.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Casper asked but Hailey refused, and he held Orla's tiny hands and they walked out.

'But why is he doing this?' Hailey again asked herself but quickly brushed off any thoughts and finished cleaning her apartment.

She finished and sat down on her sofa. She remembered that she had a few items that she wanted to get from the nearby grocery shop. Grabbing her purse and her house keys she put on her sandals and walked out of her apartment.