Queen of Wild Cards novel Chapter 558

Under the circumstances, extending their stay by a couple of days was fine.

They were already here, and there was no rush to return. He might as well grant Errol's wish; after all, the man was technically his father-in-law.

"I understand. Stella, since you'll be here for two more days, would you be willing to have your meals with me during this time?

I don't mean to impose. I just want to spend a little more time with you. From the day you were born until now, I haven't been able to fulfill a single day of my duty as a father."

Errol's mood visibly plummeted as he spoke.

He felt an immense wave of guilt toward his daughter. He couldn't bring her home to acknowledge her properly without branding her an illegitimate child, nor could he stay by her side to support her.

And in all her life, he had never once taken care of her.

He was the most monumental failure of a father, and he had completely failed both her and her mother.

"Sure."

It was just sharing a few meals. There was no harm in it. Plus, they were only staying for two more days, and opportunities to see each other in the future would be rare.

"Wonderful. It's getting late, so why don't we have dinner together tonight before you head back? Tomorrow at noon, I will bring your mother's urn to your hotel."

He also wanted to go back and prepare some local specialties for his daughter to take home.

"Alright."

Errol had intentionally booked a private dining room in the restaurant for their meeting, so they didn't even need to switch locations to eat.

This area was his territory, and the restaurant was one of his personal properties. Meeting here ensured they wouldn't draw the attention of anyone else in the Rox family.

He ordered an extravagant amount of food and spent the meal attentively placing choice cuts onto Stella's plate, as if trying to make up for decades of lost fatherly affection in a single evening.

Stella felt his enthusiasm was a bit much.

Honestly, he didn't need to overcompensate. She had never blamed him.

He had never known she existed, and she had been equally unaware of him.

Julius heard her grumbling but refused to spill the secret. Instead, he guided her to an unassuming little shop.

The lights in the windows were still on, but the "Closed" sign was hung on the door.

Julius made a quick phone call. Moments later, the door unlocked, and a man in his sixties stepped out.

"Mr. Blackwood, you're here."

"Yes, I'm here to pick up my custom order. Is it ready?"

"It is. Please, come inside and have a seat for a moment while I grab it." The man turned and went back inside to retrieve the item.

Before long, he returned and handed a small velvet box to Julius.

Julius turned away from Stella's line of sight, opened it just enough for a quick peek, confirmed it was exactly what he wanted, and then thanked the master jeweler before leaving with Stella.

He had secretly prepared a surprise for her, and he genuinely hoped she would like it.