My Stepdaughter Calls Me Mommy Now

That night, Layla Jensen spent the night right by Avianna's bedside. Thankfully, Avianna's stomach trouble didn’t return, and she slept soundly till morning. After helping her get dressed and ready, Layla walked Avianna downstairs to find Sebastian Knight already at the dining table.

Layla ushered Avianna over and greeted him politely, "Good morning, Mr. Knight."

"Morning."

Sebastian didn't even glance at Layla. His gaze was locked on his little girl. "Avianna, are you feeling better?"

The little girl shook her head, her bright eyes darting to Layla. "With Mommy right next to me, I feel awesome all over." She pointed to the chair beside her. "Mommy, sit next to me!"

Layla kept her eyes on Sebastian, taking a seat only after he gave a tiny nod. Throughout breakfast, she couldn't bring herself to look up. The man across from her, immaculate in his suit with the aura of a movie star, made her heart pound and her hands quiver.

Sebastian observed Layla's every little move, his thoughts cold and skeptical. She was really selling this innocent, naïve young woman act. As if he'd actually believe she was that pure and clueless. Yeah, right. This was the same woman who, right after saving his daughter, had straight-up proposed marriage and asked for a dowry the very first time they met. Innocent? Hardly. Sebastian was curious just how long she could keep this shy-girl act up.

"You should make time to get a driver's license. You'll need it to take Avianna to school and pick her up," he instructed, getting up from the table. "I'll pay for the lessons."

Layla was stunned. By the time she looked up, Sebastian had already left. She checked her phone and saw he'd already transferred $1,500 into her account. She was the one who needed the license—why should somebody else foot the bill? She was already in debt to him for $28,800. Adding more to that was the last thing she wanted.

Just as Layla was about to send the money back, her phone rang. It was her younger sister, Abby Davis. "Hey, Abby, what's up?" Layla asked patiently.

Abby hesitated, her voice apologetic. "Big sis, I really want to buy a computer, but I don't have the cash."

Layla sighed on the inside. A computer for a high school student? That could be a huge distraction, especially during crucial exam prep.

"But I need it to write and post my articles online. Please, sis, I swear it won't mess with my studies."

Layla knew Abby had a real gift for writing—she was always acing her English class. If Abby was serious about this, Layla didn't want to kill her creative spark. She remembered the money Sebastian had sent and decided to hold onto it. "How much do you need?"

"A good one runs around $1,200, but if that's too much, I can make do with a pre-owned one for about five hundred," Abby said softly.

"I'll send you the $1,200, but you have to promise it won't throw off your studies. Otherwise, I'll be really disappointed," Layla warned.

Abby's voice flooded with relief and happiness. "Thank you, big sis! I won't let you down."

Her sisters were always so responsible—Layla was sure they wouldn't waste the money. After hanging up, she transferred the $1,200 to Abby, then sent another $150 to Chloe, knowing her other sister needed money for daily expenses too.

After dropping Avianna at preschool, Layla rode the subway toward the hospital. She stared at her almost-empty bank balance, her chest squeezing with worry. She'd given her sisters the money and now had nothing left for driving lessons. If she didn't get her license, Mr. Knight would probably think she'd blown the cash.

But there was one way to earn some extra money at the hospital. Layla rushed to her shift, pulled on her white coat, and went to change Mathias Knight's bandages and hook up his IV. As she finished, she asked hesitantly, "Have you eaten breakfast yet? Do you want me to grab you something?"

Mathias pulled out his phone and sent her $75. "Sure, go ahead and get me something. Keep what's left as a tip," he said, adding more. "I've sent you money for lunch and dinner too," he went on, transferring another $300.

Watching the money flow in, Layla couldn't believe how clueless he was about money. $150 for a meal? It made her uneasy, so she protested, "Don't you think $300 for one day's meals is way too much?"

Mathias laughed. "Is it? I used to drop $1,500 a day. Just get whatever you want."

Layla was speechless. $1,500 a day to live on? What, do they eat gold? The gap between their lives was mind-blowing. Feeling a little better about it, she kept the money. Just as she turned to leave, a thought hit her, making her stop at his bedside. "That man who came to see you yesterday… was he your brother?"

If they were really related, taking money from both of them might look shady, even deceitful. What if they thought she was some kind of con artist?

Mathias grinned, looking totally relaxed. "Him? Oh, that's my uncle. He's a tough cookie. You should steer clear if you run into him."

"Okay," Layla said, and walked out.

She couldn't wrap her head around it—Sebastian, her husband, was Mathias's uncle. Which made her his aunt-in-law. The realization knocked the breath right out of her. She couldn't bring herself to take another cent from Mathias. If Sebastian ever found out, he'd for sure assume she was up to something.

Determined to find another way to make extra cash, Layla got back to her duties.