Chapter 53: Chapter 53

Aviena's POV

"Mom." Camillia gripped my waist tightly while hiding behind me. I could feel her nervousness. So am I. I know that she's just scared that her father won't like her.

"Damn it." I even heard some squeaks and murmurs of River as he averted his eyes from us. I also noticed the redness in his eyes when he realize something. Mixed emotions can also be read in him. Anger, pain, and excitement.

"She's my daughter… Heck… I have a child…" I don't know but the joy on his face now prevailed.

"Camillia…" I called my daughter who still wouldn't let me go. She tightened her grip on me even more so I faced her before I sat down in front of her.

“That’s Papa… We promise each other that we’ll introduce you to him, right? He's here now… ” I said before kissing my daughter on the forehead. Camillia looked back and forth at the two of us before she slowly nodded. I held her hand before smiling at her. She clung tightly to me as she looked at her father.

"River, this is Camillia… Our daughter…" I said while looking at River who was just staring at our daughter now.

“Good morning, Mr. River Savellano, I'm Fluvius Camillia Savellano, I'm 4 years old this June 16. I enjoy water activities like you… I'm a gold medalist… and good at math… I hope you can like me… ” She looks like having an audition with an entertainment company. She was still very formal while looking at her father. I don't know if I will laugh or cry because she really ready herself to say those things. I could still feel the shiver from her voice. I held her even tighter before I smiled at her.

River never really cried but his eyes were looking so red now. He was just looking at our daughter.

“I already like you, Ms. Fluvius Camillia Savellano… ” River seems like he was still mesmerized by her daughter.

“Can I hug you?” I never heard River's voice tremble. Even at big events where only investors are there, he never feels nervous but he seems nervous now.

Camillia turned to me as if asking me a question. I smiled at her and nodded. She slowly hugged River. River couldn't even let go of her and then he just let go of the child when Camillia came back to me. She seems like she's still scared that her father doesn't like her.

"He likes you, My love…" I said to Camillia before kissing her on the forehead. She just looked at her father who was still looking at her.

“Hey! You're gaining attention!” Ocean laughed. She was with Marieta today.

"I told you, Camillia, your Papa looks so ugly, eh," Ocean said with a smile before holding Camillia's hands. River was just looking at us. He looks like he's not getting anything right now. It was as if he was confused by everything that was happening now.

“Let's go! I can't wait to introduce Camillia to the Savellanos. I wonder what will be their reaction that three members of the family actually have a hidden child? ” Ocean still laughed.

"You know?" River asked Ocean. It was as if he really couldn't believe it while looking at his sister.

“Of course I do. Marissa and I know about your daughter. You're the only one who doesn't!” Ocean still smiled there. She seems like she's really teasing her brother. I was just silently walking with them. I don't even know what to say right now.

One more thing, I was really scared. I don't know where Big Sister is now. I was just quiet as we walked into River’s car. River was just looking at his daughter.

“What, Big Sister? Is your speech ready?” Marieta smiled as she approached me. I can’t help but be quiet there. River's eyes are still busy with the child but I know that he's mad right now. To me. I know… No matter how long… I still know how it feels.

“Hmm, Kuya's already here so we won't be needing to drop you in your apartment, Aviena. We'll just see you tomorrow. Just bond together as a family now,” Ocean said with a smile before she said goodbye to Camillia who immediately approached me.

“I will also be with Big Sister Ocean, Big Sister. We'll see you tomorrow. Ready your lines. ” Even Marieta laughed too. Ocean immediately holds her. They have become really close in recent years because they often talk about Camillia. They are the only ones who know and Ruby.

We just watched them disappear in front of us. Even if I wanted to keep them here, I couldn't. I also knew I couldn’t really escape the confrontation River and I had.

"Do you want to walk beside your Papa?" I asked Camillia who was simply looking at her Dad who didn't stop staring at her. Camillia looks at me. She looked hesitant so I smiled at her.

"Don't worry… He likes you…" I told her so he bit her lips so hard.

“Is it really fine? Does he really like me?” she asked in a whisper so I couldn't help but laugh before messing up her curly hair.

“Don’t worry about anything, okay? Papa doesn't always seem happy but he's really happy to see you right now,” I promised her with a smile so she nodded before she slowly let go of my hand. She immediately approached River. Her father sat across from her just so they can look at each other. He doesn't really smile a lot but his eyes tell otherwise. He looked so happy looking at her.

“I always dream to ride piggyback ride but I don’t want to burden Mama’s back. Are your back strong, Mr. River Savellano?” she asked while innocently looking at her father. If at first, I was just looking at them, now, I can feel the tears dripping from my eyes. I can't help but sigh. I was always proud of Camillia for being smart and being always an achiever but sometimes I still want her to know that she's still a kid. That sometimes she doesn't need to be considerate and can just demand something from me.

I know that she always envies some of her classmates for having a father and I always feel sorry for her because I didn't introduce her to her Dad.

Sadness passed from River's face when he heard that from his daughter but he gently smiled at her.

“My back is strong. I can give you a piggyback ride every time you want.” He slowly smiles at his daughter so Camillia smiles at him too.

"Really, Papa?" she asked. I couldn’t help but smile on my lips when Camillia was even slightly surprised when she called him Papa. A wide smile also emanated from River's face.

Camillia sometimes practices Tagalog so she can talk with her Dad not knowing that River is not that fluent when it comes to it.

"You can call me that… Papa…" River promised weakly. He always looks so powerful but he looks so weak right now.

He slowly turned his back on the child before holding Camillia. Camillia looked so happy when she was already on his Papa's back. Because she was small and light, she could fit on River's shoulder. They look so happy together, never minding the people that were looking at their side here in the airport.

I quietly took some of our belongings and was about to lift a bag but River was able to take it from me. When our eyes met, he looked at me coldly. I just bit my lip because I already expected that.

I just pulled out one of my suitcases before following them.

River was walking slowly. He is not aware of that because he is talking to the child. He's asking random questions to her daughter, the reason why Camillia's slowly losing up.

When we're in the car, we're sitting beside each other while Camillia is on my lap. It seems like he actually plans to use his lambo but because of the little girl we're with, he called his driver to drive us home. He seem like he wanted to talk with his daughter and focus on her rather than driving right now.

"You like water activities?" River asked Camillia who was also looking at him now while playing with my fingers. Camillia nodded slowly so River smiled.

"I'm a swimmer po… I recently won some competition in Amsterdam." River stared at her when he saw Camillia looking for something from her small bag. I couldn't help but smile because I knew what she was carrying there.

When she found the medal from the competition held recently, she slowly handed it to River.

"I want to give it to you, Papa…" she said, still embarrassed while looking at River who was slightly surprised at his daughter.

“I won that competition for you and uh… I would like to invite you to next year's competition… If you're not bus—”

“I’m not busy at all. I'll look forward to it,” he said before smiling and looking at the medal from his daughter.

“Thank you, Princess…” He just looked back and forth at his daughter and the medal he was holding now. I'm happy while looking at them but I also feel the weight on my chest. I spared a few years on both of them. I can’t even stop myself from being guilty there.

“Can you tell me more?” River asked as if he wanted to hear all of his daughter's stories.

“I also like snorkeling po… I usually snorkel with Auntie Ocean. Mama's scared of those activities but she always supports me… She just doesn't like me to dive yet. ” Just like that, she has already started blabbering on.

“What are you saying yet? No diving for you…” I said so she pouted. I almost had a heart attack when she tried to dive into some pool in Amsterdam. She knows how to swim, alright, but still I'll lose my life when I see her doing things like that.

"Still when I'm a little bit older, I'll try it… I won't let you watch, Mama, so you won't be nervous," she said to me while smiling so I immediately fickles her forehead.

"Don't even think of doing that," I said so she just laughed. The laughter obviously indicates that she has no intention of following me.

"Mama said that you like snorkeling too, Papa," Camillia said so River looked at me. I could see the path of his resentment toward me so I immediately looked away.

“I do… Let's snorkel together on our private island. Just the three of us… ” he added. I could still feel his eyes on me so my stomach almost turned over. Butterflies also flew in my stomach. What are you thinking, Aviena? He's mad at you.

“Mama told me a lot about you po…”

"So she told you about me, huh?"

"A lot ..." he added before smirking but when I saw his eyes, only one was indicated. Danger.