Return of the Billionaire

Calista hurried into the apartment building while pressing the elevator button with shaky hands. Viktor Draven's sudden appearance at the café had shaken her more than she wanted to admit. She leaned against the cool metal of the elevator door, trying to steady her breath. What were the odds for Viktor Draven to be here in this city of all places? And her to meet him, after all this time.

The ding sound from the elevator arriving snapped her out of her thoughts. She stepped inside while gripping her bag tightly. Her only solace was the hope that their encounter had been a fluke. Perhaps their paths wouldn't cross again.

When she unlocked her apartment door, the sound of hurried footsteps greeted her.

"Mommy!" Nora Moore her spirited three year old daughter barreled toward her after abandoning her drawing on the living room table.

"I've been waiting for you here forever!" Nora said throwing her small arms around Calista. "You promised that you'd come home early!"

Calista crouched to her daughter's level while brushing a lock of golden hair from her face. "I know sweetheart. I'm so sorry dear. Things got busy at work and I lost track of time."

Nora's pout deepened. "You always say that."

A pang of guilt tugged at Calista's heart. "Next time, I promise I'll come straight home. No delays."

Nora studied her mother's face as if deciding whether the promise was genuine. Finally, she brightened. "Okay! Look what I made!"

She dashed back to the living room table and grabbed her drawing. Nora held it up with pride. It depicted three figures: Calista, Nora and Calista's mother, Eva. In the background was a cheerful house surrounded by colorful flowers.

"This is you, me and Grandma!" Nora explained while pointing at each figure. "Next, I'm going to draw one with Grandpa and Daddy in it."

Calista's smile faltered for the briefest moment. Daddy. The word hung heavy in the air. She'd just seen Viktor, the man Nora had no idea existed.

Forcing herself to stay composed, Calista smoothed her daughter's hair. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, sweetheart. You're such a talented artist."

Nora beamed at the praise and ran back to her crayons.

Calista sighed and headed into the kitchen, where Eva was slicing fruit on the counter. The older woman looked up briefly with her sharp eyes fixated on Calista's face.

"Your daughter is as stubborn as you were at her age." Eva said returning to her task. "Instead of playing or sleeping, she plants herself by the door waiting for you to come home."

Calista smirked leaning against the counter. "Mother, I wasn't waiting for you either when I was her age. I was waiting for Dad."

Eva chuckled softly giving her daughter a playful nudge on the arm. "Well, at least she has her priorities straight."

Eva handed her a plate of fruit. "Go change and freshen up. You look like you've been running all day."

Calista hesitated watching her mother's calm demeanor. She debated whether to mention running into Viktor. But no, this wasn't the time. Not with Nora nearby.

She nodded and headed upstairs to her bedroom. Once inside, she closed the door and leaned against it, exhaling deeply. What are you going to do, Calista? she asked herself. Viktor's presence in this city was more than a coincidence. It was a complication she wasn't ready to face yet.

After changing into a comfortable dress, Calista splashed cold water on her face. Staring at her reflection, she tried to steady her nerves. She needed to focus. Nora came first.

When she came back downstairs, she found Eva and Nora on the sofa eating fruit. Nora was glued to the television giggling at a cartoon. The sound of her laughter brought a small smile to Calista's face.

"Come on, Mommy." Nora called patting the space next to her. "Sit here!"

Calista grabbed her plate of fruit and joined them on the sofa. Nora cuddled against her for a moment before returning her attention to the screen.

Once Nora finished her fruit, she hopped down and returned to her crayons while humming softly as she resumed her drawing.

Eva seized the moment and grabbed the remote. She switched the channel to the news, her expression instantly growing serious.

"...In breaking business news, Draven Enterprises has officially acquired FCT Holdings and its subsidiaries. Sources confirm that FCT's main operations and the acquisition also includes popular and new establishments such as Louis's Café..."

Calista froze mid-bite. The plate in her hand felt heavier than ever. That's why Viktor is here, she realized. Draven Enterprises owned FCT Holdings, which meant Viktor's presence in the city was no coincidence.

She sighed deeply while sinking into the cushions. If she had known, she would have stayed far away from that café.

The sound of Eva clearing her throat snapped her out of her thoughts. Calista turned her head to see her mother's sharp gaze fixed on her.

"You didn't know about this, did you?" Eva's voice was calm but her eyes betrayed her suspicion.

"No." Calista admitted setting her plate down. "If I'd known, I wouldn't have gone to that café in the first place and I told you I was meeting someone Agatha introduced."

Eva said nothing but her expression was far from neutral. Her lips pressed into a thin line and her eyes darkened with a mix of anger and disappointment.

"You always were too trusting." Eva muttered finally. "Look where that got you."

"Mother." Calista began but Eva raised a hand silencing her.

"Not now." Eva said glancing toward Nora, who was oblivious to the tension in the room. "But tomorrow, when she's at school we're going to have a talk."

Calista nodded knowing she couldn't escape the inevitable lecture. Her mother had never forgiven Viktor for abandoning her during her pregnancy. Eva wasn't shy about reminding Calista of her past mistakes.

The rest of the evening passed in relative quiet. Nora stayed busy with her drawings occasionally bouncing over to show her progress. When bedtime finally arrived, Calista tucked her daughter in kissing her forehead as she whispered a promise to always protect her.

Calista returned to the living room, she found Eva waiting with crossed arms.

"You don't need to say it." Calista said before Eva could start. "I already know what you're going to say and I don't need the reminder."

Eva's expression softened slightly. "I'm not trying to hurt you, Calista. I just want you to think about what's best for Nora. That man... he's not part of her world. He never was."

"I know." Calista whispered. "That's why I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe."

Eva nodded her eyes filled with a mixture of worry and love.

Calista smiled faintly grateful for her mother's support, even if it came with tough love. But as she lay in bed later that night staring at the ceiling, she couldn't shake the feeling that Viktor's return would change everything.