Falling For Her

Violet's Pov

I had always dreamed of being a princess.

Today, I was dressed like one.

I twirled in front of the full-length mirror, watching my ball gown shimmer under the chandelier lights.

The soft blue hue complimented my porcelain skin and the lace along the neckline of the dress made me feel elegant.

I looked every inch a royalty - the kind of life Papa had made sure I had. It felt surreal but not as much as turning 20 years old today.

Turning 20 marked a new decade of my life,The start of adulthood.

I had planned this night for months from the floral arrangements to the champagnes I had imported from Italy.

I made it a priority that my 20th birthday would be a grand celebration - Our estate would be filled with music and the laughter of the people who are part of our family and the world papa had built.

I told myself it would be epic.

I was all smiles that evening until -Papa - Roberto Fernandez was not the affectionate kind.

He wasn't wicked or remotely cruel.

But he'd always been a ghost in my life - present yet distant.

Like a shadow I could never catch.

Papa rarely read me bedtime stories.

There were no morning hugs, not even the father-daughter outings my friends would go on with their fathers.

But there were expensive gifts on every birthday and brief appearances at school events.

Even when he was present, his eyes seemed to be somewhere else.

I was disappointed.

But I was used to it.

However, tonight was going to be different because papa promised to give me all the time in the world.

"I will be there for you, mi ," he had said, kissing the top of my head last night.

"I swear it." I was doubtful but I wanted to believe him.

I wanted to give him a chance.

And I did.I turned away from the mirror and left my bedroom, making my way downstairs.

The party was in full swing.

Laughter and music echoed in every corner of the grand hall.

Elegant guests - men in crisp suits, women in sparkling gowns, danced together beneath the soft chandelier lights.

Waiters weaved through the crowd, offering champagne flutes and hors d'oeuvres.

It was everything I had imagined.

As I admired the sight before me, I scammed the room, searching for papa.

When I had nearly given up, my eyes locked on him.

He was standing near the grand staircase in deep conversation with a man I didn't recognize.

The man was taller, older, with silver-streaked hair, and sharp green eyes.

Papa kept an unreadable face but I could read the tension in his posture, a rigidness I had learned to recognize over the years.

Papa was... uneasy.

I lifted my gown slightly so I wouldn't trip and took a step forward.

"Papa!" I called out, hoping, praying he would look at me and give me that warm, rare smile he sometimes did when no one else was around.

He turned his head slightly and my eyes lit up.

Over here, Papa!Papa's gaze landed on me but he barely acknowledged me.

His brows furrowed in mild irritation before he refocused on the man standing beside him.

What the -"Papa."

It came as a whisper.He wouldn't hear me.If he did, he refused to listen.

Disappointment formed a weight in my chest as I took another step closer.

"Papa, c - can we talk? Even for a moment?"