"mine got farther!" the girl awarded herself

"fine! you won again!"

"So what happened to her?„ her tiny voice made him smile, the way she demanded the answer was adorable, Chris sighed and looked down at his hands when he realized that he had no answer for the little girl.

"You stopped talking to her? Didn't you?„ Bella asked and Chris looked up at her again

"No I didn't...„ he laughed "she's still in my life...didn't worry princess„

"Buuuuuuuut??„

"You really wanna know don't you?„

"I spent the last 2 hours listening at your problems when I could have spent making castles on the sand! You gotta tell me where she is„ the girl demanded, Chris was blown away by this girl, she was only 10 and she was more clever and well...demanding "also i won so you owe me!"

"you know who I love more than anyone?" Chris questioned the child, as a replay she nodded negatively

"my dog! dodger!" he replied meaning to change the conversation

27 DAYS AGO

"No chris its not happening!" she responded while doing the dishes, it was always helping when she anxious.

"Ani listen to me! you came here for your daughter, so just let me help you!"

"you've put a roof under my head! that's enough for me chris, i can take care of Bella's education by myself!"

"but you don't have to do so ani! I've watched the girl grow, I care for her--"

"You are not her father chris!" she shouted, her voice sharp and cold leaving the dish down and walking off the kitchen pissed at the man. There was a line, why couldn't he respect the line.

Anastasia's words made him go silent, a part of him was even sad, he always knew that he wasn't Bella's father but that didn't change the fact of how incredibly much he cared for that girl. After standing alone in the room for a few seconds he decided to go after Anastasia , he only wanted to help why couldn't she see that.

"i know i am not her father!" he asserted

"There is a line Chris! You paying for her education is crossing it"

"oh stop with that bullshit!"

"excuse me?"

"I've known you for 7 years, so no please you excuse me if that line is a bit hard to see!"

"You are my boss Chris--"

"Mum?" Bella spoke quietly watching them fight from the stairs "I can't sleep!" she uttered

"I'll tuck you in baby--"

"no! i want..uncle Chris--"

"its Mr. Evans darling he is not your uncle!" Anastasia stated

"you know what princess? i'll be in your room in 5 minutes, ok?" chris agreed, smiling

Bella nodded before walking upstairs to her room again

"Are you--" Ani tried to shout at him again but he managed to stop her

"Listen to me ani! i don't know who you think you are protecting with that line of yours but it has to stop! You need my help, stop shouting at me for giving it to you!"

"I'm trying to protect my daughter!" she stated

"from me?" he raised his eyebrows

"from love.." she explained

"what are you..?"

anastasia sat down on the couch, hiding her face in her palms, her long red hair fell on the front, remembering all that she had been through with Bella's father, she wanted to disappear from planet earth, wanted to leave.

Chris ambled next to her, sat right by her side, he spent a short time only looking at her, in confusion and skepticism.

"what happened with him Ani? what did he do?"

"he promised the world.." she raised her head, facing chris "but instead of giving it he took it away from me!"

"what do you mean?"

"You are not the first rich man i've worked for Chris! I needed money for my education! i had to get a job so i became a maid!"

"i don't understand you told me in your first interview--"

"i lied chris! you see before you i worked for a nice young man! he was charming and funny, kind...i fell in love, with the picture that he had created the picture of the real life prince charming...he said that he would help...he only asked for one thing, he didn't ask actually, he just implied.."

"sex..." chris whispered in understanding

"after sometime i think that we had both forgotten that i was working for him..he stopped paying me, i didn't mind because he was paying for college, for little stuff but then things got harder...bella came to be and he bailed.."

"bailed..?"

"left, i woke up he wasn't there, i called him, he didn't pick up, next thing i know police is kicking me out of the house.."

"the line...that's the line you are talking about..."

"at some point you are gonna bail too..Chris, you'll make a family of your own, get a new home, you can't carry us around forever and look at her she loves you, she sees you as her uncle, can you imagine how she will feel when you leave..?"

"but this is not only about her is it?" Chris examined, she wasn't scared only for her daughter, she was also scared for herself.

"There's a line...we need to respect it before we lead our souls to bleed, before I bleed again!"

Chris didn't respond this time, he got up, not saying a thing, Ani was looking at the ground, her eyes locked on the white carpet under the black table. She noticed him walking past her but she didn't look not until he was gone on the upper floor, that's when her eyes turned red, her breath started breaking, the tears were coloring her red cheeks that were slowly turning white, she was breathing heavily, actually she was trying to catch her breath while the sadness had taken over, she placed her palm on her stomach that was hurting like hell, pursed her lips and started going back and forth trying to find the power to relax.

Her eyes were closed only until she felt something caressing her body and opening her eyes she saw Dodger, he was right there, next to her, felt like he was trying to comfort her, Anastasia put her hand on the dogs head before sitting on the ground next to the dog and hugging the dog tight, holding him, it made her feel better.

"You are late 2 minutes!" Bella averred

chris only laid next to her after she made space for him, he placed his hand around her and she moved closer to him, he gave her a kiss on the forehead, holding her tight

"is mum ok?" the girl wondered

"she will be.." chris whispered

"are you gonna leave her like our father did?" asked the girl, worried and chris gave her one more kiss on the forehead

"never princess.." he whispered