You Want the Best of Both Worlds? Dream On

"Okay then. Let's wait a little while more," I said even as my heart clenched in pain.

A beep resounded at the door just as I finished speaking, signalling that someone had unlocked it using the fingerprint scanner. A large group of people stepped through the doorway, carrying bags of different shapes and sizes.

Lyanna shot to her feet and dashed to the door. Matthew was carrying Elias in his arms. His smile reached his eyes when he said, "Lyanna, this is the birthday present that we've prepared for you."

Surprise colored Lyanna's tone when she exclaimed, "I knew it! I knew that you didn't forget my birthday, Daddy! This is my first time receiving a present from you. I'm so happy!"

The worry in my heart dissipated slightly. Although things hadn't gone as planned, at the end of the day, Lyanna was still happy. This way, she wouldn't be so upset when I took her away with me.

However, the elated smile on Lyanna's face turned stiff when she unwrapped the present. It was an action figure of Amazingman with a card attached to it. It looked like a complimentary gift that was part of a kids' meal from Kidztopia.

I couldn't control myself anymore. "Is Lorenzo Corporation losing that much money? You can't even afford a proper gift for Lyanna, so you have to give her a free gift as a present?"

Matthew seemed to realize that his actions were inappropriate and rushed to explain. "Elias wanted to eat a Kidztopia Meal today, and the Amazingman figure came with it. I figured that the kids these days all love him, which is why I decided to give it to Lyanna as a present.

"If she doesn't like it, I'll buy her something else tomorrow."

"What five-year-old girl would like Amazingman?" I thought to myself heatedly. Even worse, the figure was a free gift, making it all too obvious that Matthew hadn't spent any time or effort picking out a present for Lyanna. He had completely disappointed her.

I was about to say something when Lyanna beat me to the punch.

"It's okay. Thank you for giving me this birthday present, Daddy."

She offered Matthew the hazelnut cake we had made from scratch. "Mommy and I made this cake ourselves. Have a taste, Daddy!"

I lit the candles on the cake again. However, Elias suddenly broke free from Matthew's grip and lunged toward the cake, wanting to grab a bite of it.

Matthew's expression twisted. Reflexively, he swept the cake off the table before angrily grabbing Elias by the scruff of his collar. "Don't put things in your mouth without knowing what it is!" he scolded.

The cake that we had meticulously prepared splattered to the floor in a heap, stunning both Lyanna and me in place.

Matthew turned pale. He frowned as he said, "I'm sorry. Elias has a nut allergy, so I was worried that he would accidentally eat the cake. My hand moved before I fully registered what I was doing. I'll buy an even bigger mango cake for you tomorrow, alright?"

Tears spilled down Lyanna's cheeks. She bit down on her bottom lip, refusing to let out her sobs. She quietly picked up the cake topper that read, "Happy 5th Birthday!" that she had placed on the cake herself.

I curled my hand into a tight fist. My disappointment was immeasurable when I glared at Matthew. "Matthew, don't you know that Lyanna has a mango allergy?"

"Of course, I don't. Luna, I'm Michael. How would I know that?" Matthew blurted out as he averted his gaze.

Of course, I knew that he was lying. He was Lyanna's father. In the past, when her allergy was triggered after she ingested some mango, he was the one who had sent her to the hospital in a panic. How could he possibly have forgotten that she was allergic to mangoes?

Mitch and Kelsey attempted to mediate the tense situation. "Luna, this is Michael, not your husband, Matthew. We made a mistake when we asked him to take care of you. Please don't take our words to heart."

Felicia also shot me a displeased look. "They're right, Luna. Matthew might have passed away, but that doesn't give you the right to try to steal Michael away from me."